How to vet a client before signing

A short, repeatable vetting process filters out most bad clients.

1. Reputation check

Search their company name and domain on Blacklisted Client and look them up publicly. Patterns of complaints are a warning.

2. Require a deposit

A client unwilling to pay a deposit is telling you how the final invoice will go.

3. Get scope in writing

Define deliverables, revisions, and what’s out of scope. Vague scope is unpaid work waiting to happen.

4. Use a contract with payment terms

Net-14 or net-30, late fees, and a kill fee. Professionals expect this.

5. Trust the process, not the urgency

Pressure to skip these steps is itself a red flag.