Hey freelance developers! Here’s why I think you shouldn’t ask for money upfront

Freelance developers, here’s a tip for you!

You read that correctly. Over the past 12 years, if there’s been one key to our success, it’s that we realized how important it is to minimize our client’s risk. This includes never asking for money upfront.

Some of you might be reading this and thinking, “OMG, I’ll get f***ed!” Well, maybe you will. Or maybe you’ll become much more successful than your competitors. You are the one offering the service. You are the one that has to make the client feel safe. Maybe one day you’ll have a client who will not want to pay, or maybe you will be so successful that you will need to start turning clients away.

When it comes to not asking money upfront, your exposure isn’t that bad. You can invoice weekly and ask for payment within a week, which really only exposes you for two weeks. You might be thinking, “That’s still a lot of money!” Well, you decided to work freelance, and if you had a job, you’d still be exposed for two weeks between paycheques, so what’s the big deal?

Even if you’ve heard everything I’ve had to say and still don’t feel comfortable doing that, it’s cool. There is nothing wrong with sticking with the status quo. Or, if the level of risk that comes with freelancing makes you nervous, there’s nothing wrong with going to work for an employer. Many people have achieved success by working in start-ups or other tech organizations, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.

At the end of the day, it all depends on your ambition.

Youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhPMUMdEmIU