Charged a retainer fee to a client in Chicago and then had no idea what to do next

Okay so I landed my first big freelance gig last spring with a small bakery in Chicago. They paid me a $500 retainer up front and I just sat on it for two weeks because I didn't have a clear scope of work or timeline. I basically froze and wasted their money before I even started. The owner called me out on it and I felt terrible. Has anyone else dealt with that panic after getting money too early?

3 comments

3 Comments

viola_garcia567d ago

Refund part of it and write a REAL contract before you touch another penny.

quinnperry7d ago

Huh. I mean yeah getting paid before work is weird but is it really that big of a deal? The owner probably just wanted to know you had a plan not a full refund.

sanchez.julia7d ago

Strong disagree. Getting paid upfront for work you haven't done yet is a huge red flag. The owner wasn't asking for a plan, they were asking for their money back because they knew they made a mistake. Forcing someone to pay before you lift a finger tells me you don't trust your own work to hold up. If a business can't survive on a deposit and get paid on completion, that's their problem, not the customers. Refunding part of it sounds nice but the whole arrangement was sketchy from the start. You don't get to keep money for work you never planned to do.