Client One needed urgent help with a WordPress site – it had been started and not finished but she couldn’t finish it as she was so busy (she claimed) with other client work.  I stepped in, finished the site design revamp and sent the invoice.  On March 31, 2009.  Still not paid (even though the owner of the site in question paid HER) and now she is filing bankruptcy.  No chance I’m going to get paid.

Client Two wanted a discount since he was an online marketing expert and would promote me online.  Unfortunately his site doesn’t even come up on page one in a Google search of his name, and when asked about his shopping cart/autoresponder he replied “what’s that?” – Any online marketer would know about ARs and shopping carts.

Client Three was given a deal for her site (as a friend of Client One), and once the design was done and signed off on, she decided that she wanted X, Y and Z changed, even though they were far outside the scope of the project.  She was told so, and decided that rather than paying the balance of the site, as agreed, she would hold the money hostage until I did the upgrades.  Sadly, I gave in, kicked my own ass every day, and swore to NEVER let this happen again!

Pay attention to your gut when you are talking with potential clients – anything that gives you a queezy tummy is a RED FLAG that you must pay attention to!