As a small business/consultant, I generally won’t work for larger corporations, and when I do I get a retainer up front. I don’t have the time or the lawyers to chase down bad accounts. Even for small clients, anything new is 1/3 to 1/2 up front and it’s applied to the final balance (ie you pay 1/3, but when I progress bill that deposit doesn’t get credited to the bill. When I send my final bill for completed work, that’s when I apply the deposit).

Sometimes I’ll send a proposal and get push back on my terms (I don’t accept hold harmless agreements). Most of the time I get my way. The rest I refer to a large firm (that can afford lawyers) 100 miles away.