maximillianos - 11:34 am on Nov 7, 2009 (gmt 0)

This is why my wife's business requires 50% up front for bigger projects. Perhaps you should too next time.

Ocassionally she gets a client that does not want to pay up front. She holds her ground and let's them walk. Often they come back weeks or months later wanting to do business again and willing to pay. She has a great portfolio to back her, so she can get away with it. If you are just starting out, you might want to try incremental billing of your time. Send an invoince every month. Etc.