Get paid across the project, not just at the end.

Billing only at the end of a project means you carry all the cost and risk until delivery — effectively lending the client your time and materials for free until then. A deposit up front covers your initial costs and signals the client's commitment, while milestone payments tied to stages of the work keep cash coming in and reduce the amount at risk if a project stalls or a client disappears. Spreading payment across the project protects your cash flow and aligns payment with the value you deliver as you go.

It depends on the work and the risk, but a common approach is a meaningful upfront percentage — enough to cover your early costs and confirm commitment — with the balance split across milestones. Larger or riskier projects, or new clients, justify a bigger deposit and more frequent milestones; long-standing clients on smaller jobs may need less. The goal is that at any point in the project, the amount you've been paid roughly tracks the work you've delivered, so you're never far out of pocket. The template lets you set the split that fits each job.

A ready-to-use spreadsheet (Excel & Google Sheets): a deposit plus milestone payment schedule from your project value, with custom splits, due dates, and paid/outstanding tracking — delivered instantly after checkout. AI-assisted, human-built; not financial advice.