Changed my mind about that 'always get 50% up front' advice

My buddy Mike who runs a landscaping crew in Columbus told me to stop asking for half upfront because it scares off the real money clients. Tried it with a guy who wanted a full backyard reno, did $4k worth of work, and he ghosted me on payment day. Anyone else found that the 'trust them first' approach just doesn't work?

3 comments

3 Comments

casey2683d ago

Wait, did Mike offer to cover you if you got stiffed? That's a weird thing for a buddy to push without backing it up. I tried the half upfront thing years ago for painting houses and lost maybe 3 clients total. But the ones who paid half always paid the rest too. Now I just take 30% and make them sign a simple contract. People respect paper more than handshakes these days.

adam4142d ago

Contract or no contract, chasing someone for the last 70% is a headache. I'd rather get half upfront and let the rest be the incentive to actually finish the job. Plus with the half model you weed out the flakes right away. Anyone who balks at 50% upfront probably wasn't going to pay the full amount anyway. And if they do stiff you on the rest, you're not out much more than materials and a day of labor. Small price to pay for not dealing with collections.

the_daniel2d ago

Nodding along to what @casey268 said about people respecting paper more than handshakes. That's been my experience too. The half upfront thing works great until you get that one guy who thinks a verbal agreement means nothing. I'd rather have a simple contract and a smaller deposit than go back and forth with someone who suddenly forgets what they agreed to. Plus having it in writing makes the whole process feel more professional even for small jobs.