I can still remember the very first time somebody hired me to write for them on a freelance basis. A thought flitted through my mind: “Who is this person and how do I know she will pay me?”

I was being hired to write web articles and would be paid per article. So I wrote just a few articles initially – as a way of “testing” my client.

Boy, was I ever so pleasantly surprised when my client paid me within minutes of receiving my Paypal invoice.

I’ve never really been stiffed by a client. The worst experience I’ve ever had was when a client sent me a Paypal e-check that didn’t clear. I had to wait a few days but the payment eventually came through.

Nevertheless, I do take steps to protect myself. With new clients, I ask for a 50% down payment before I begin work. And then I invoice for subsequent payments as I complete a specific stage of the project.

But since I haven’t been taking on new clients, I simply bill my current clients at the end of each month.

How about you? Have you ever been stiffed by a client? What did you do? And what do you do to protect yourself?

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photo credit: walknboston