Freelance Finance

There is no reason why you should subsidize the incomes of your clients. It’s customary in many fields for a customer to a deposit or advance for the work they want you to perform. The advance indicates that they are serious about the project. Up to 50 percent up front is reasonable, but you should really adhere to guidelines followed by other practitioners in your field. Think about it: If you were hiring a flooring contractor, he’d ask you to pay some money up front to pay for the cost of buying the hardwood. The same usually holds true in other fields as well. If you had to travel for a project, say, why should you lay out the money? The client should pay an advance sizable enough to allow you to book and pay for your flight, car rental, or hotel. In his marvelous book, writer, direct-mail genius, and funnyman John Clausen relates how a client once called him the day after a deadline and demanded to know where his copy was.

Clausen told him that he never did the work for a perfectly good reason: “I asked you for 50 percent up front. I never got your advance, so I didn’t think you were serious.”

The client fumed. But the check arrived by FedEx the next day.

Don’t let these guys off the hook. Money talks. If they fork it over, then they mean business. Until then, they could just be spouting hot air.