For the first time I have a potential client who has asked if they can spread the cost of the website over a few months. (A sign of the times I guess).
I’m not quite sure of the best approach to take.
I was intending to ask for a 50% deposit as usual, then spread the remainder out.
What is the best method you guys would advise to take payment, which would cover me and the client?
I currently don’t have any card processing facilities. Would Paypal be enough?
A few months? Do you mean 3 or 4 months? Seems pretty much standard developing time for most small-ish web sites, so I don’t really see the problem with simply splitting the project into say 4 parts and asking for payment for each part upfront. This way the client pays 25% each month, and you don’t have to worry about performing work and never getting paid.
Beyond that, if they haven’t got enough money to buy something for their business, then they should get a loan from a bank or similar. I don’t like the idea of providing payment plans that extend beyond the natural course of the project.
But I suppose there’s always the opportunity to offer some kind of payment policy provided by a third party lender on which you get a commission. Not a road I’d like to go down with myself though, but it will seem attractive to many prospective clients who are struggling financially.