While the work is going on
Stage payments, scope changes that affect payment, the proof you will need, and the moment to stop.
Sharedwho controls this stretch
Getting Paid Before the End
A long job billed once at the end concentrates all the risk at the point where you have least leverage. Staging moves it back.
What a Milestone Has to Be
A milestone that depends on somebody's opinion is not a milestone. Four properties, and what happens when each is missing.
The Change That Nobody Priced
Additional work arrives in a sentence, is done without a price, and becomes unbillable. The whole remedy is one reply sent the same day.
The Evidence You Will Need Later
If an invoice is ever questioned, the argument is settled by what was recorded at the time. Six things to keep, none of which takes effort.
Getting the Work Signed For
Inside the buyer, somebody has to confirm the work arrived before anything can be paid. They usually do not know that is their job.
Stopping Work, and What It Costs
The one real lever during the work is stopping it. Four ways to do it, three of which make the position worse.
The Relationship You Are Spending
Every lever available to a small supplier is paid for out of the same account, and the account is not unlimited.