RE: Providing sample mock-ups to potential clients

Hi, Maureen.  Wow, what great advice everyone is giving.  I am learning 
myself.

Be honest with them.  Go back to them and state that upon reflection of 
the type of work that is being done, a deposit is going to be required 
before you can do any graphic work for them.  Explain the ease of 
copying from off the internet once something is uploaded to a server.  
Copyrights are great and it would be wonderful if people were respectful 
enough to abide by them, but...they don't always.

Here's what I also incoprporate into my contract:  the property the 
client gives me to use (content, logos, pictures, grpahics, etc.) 
remains the property of the client.  Any logo, graphic, content I (from 
my own stock or I design) use to enhance the site remains the property 
of my company unless they want to purchase said items.

I ask for 50% up front before I design a site.  I have to put the web 
pages up because some of my clients are thousands of miles away and this 
is the only practical method of them viewing and okaying the work I have 
done.  I explain that it is too easy for someone with even some 
experience to copy the web site and use it as their own, so with at 
least some money up front you won't be white-washed of all the fees you 
asked for.  So far, I have been fortunate not to have clients who stiff 
me.  I have about 50 clients at the moment and I did this for all of 
them.  Even the ones in my home town

Always incorporate into your contract a disclaimer clause and a clause 
stating that court action will be taken if fees are not paid.  I also 
put into my contracts that once I start designing a site, whether it is 
on the web or in the design stage, that fees are not refundable.

Joyce Taylor

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