There is nothing better than the ability to look a person in the eye where business is concerned. If you can't do this, I highly recommend requiring:
- a retainer fee (at least half - or a reasonable amount to cover a couple weeks of work)
- i almost always bill every two weeks; it's a really good habit and keeps your cash flow moving, especially if you are hiring people for this and that
- a schedule of deliverables which also includes their responsibilities like paying invoices and copywriting (if they are providing it)
- create reasonable penalties if things are late and not explained or agreed upon in advance (like if you are running behind a day or two you need to let them know and why, but it works both ways)
- upon project completion, you should have probably been paid and banked the majority of your fees...
- dev happens on a server you control - don't let them get near the code until it's ready to install
- completion is when you install and you bill your final invoice at the same time
All of this implies a contract or a well written Letter of Agreement. Personally, I've never written a contract, but used letter of agreements many times. They are like an informal contract and can be used in court to a certain extent. Both parties sign this document.
Don't let people jerk you around. It happens, but if you are upfront with a plan they'll probably be impressed.
Also, a cool thing to do is let them know a few days before their tasks need to be completed, this keeps them on the ball and keeps you working (instead of twiddling your thumbs waiting for this or that).
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Good luck...v
