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My standard contract terms:

* Deposit required, typically 25%, depends mostly on the estimated length of the project.

* Payment on milestones (typically first beta and completion, possibly more depending on length of project)

* I own the IP until paid in full

* 50% kill fee less deposit

Though, honestly, I prefer day rate over project based fees. If I do a day rate, payment is due every 15 days.

It's worth the $1-2K of going to a lawyer and getting a contract boiler plated.

It basically boils down to this though: You are in business, act like it. I don't do favors for clients I don't know. Once we establish trust and relationships, I become a lot more flexible.

I thought when I started implementing these terms that I would lose business, and I have lost a few projects because of them, but honestly if they can't respect the terms, they probably aren't going to respect your work and you'll be caught in that endless freelance/consultant cycle of hunting down payment.

It's your money though, do as you wish.



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