[BNM] Downpayments

[Dave Child]

I don't have a URL to give you, but I do have a little advice. Be very  
cautious about working with this client. Clients that don't want to pay  
downpayments, or don't understand why they should, are often the clients  
who will demand the most disproportionate amount of your time and often  
pay late, if at all.

The principles are simple enough - you begin investing your time from the  
outset of a project. The downpayment is your security. Clients vanish,  
lose money, change their minds - that doesn't give you back the time  
you've spent on a project. Downpayments and contracts are there to protect  
you against those issues.

Dave

On Fri, 25 Aug 2006 11:23:29 +0100, Ali <ali at nubz.com> wrote:

> Hi
>
> I normally work on a 40-40-20 payment schedule whereby the first 40% is  
> classed as a downpayment and paid upon commencement of work, the next  
> 40% upon delivery and the final 20% upon acceptance (usually 30 days  
> after delivery).
>
> I have run into a client who does not appreciate the principle of  
> downpayments and I find myself having difficulty articulating it  
> concisely. I normally talk about all the risk being mine in the absence  
> of a downpayment and the need for cashflow on projects spanning a few  
> months.
>
> What I would dearly love one of you good people to point out to me is  
> some form of independent article or report on best practices when  
> commissioning web applications/software/media in general, or failing  
> that a good rendition of the principles albeit from a developer.
>
> Ali



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