Stop funding your client's job

The first payment should come first

When you take on a job without a deposit, you become the first lender in the project. Materials are ordered, labour is booked, and your cash leaves the business before the client has paid a dollar. That creates pressure on the next job, because one customer is now being funded by the rest of your pipeline.

The practical problem is not just cash flow. It also tells the client they can commit now and worry about payment later. If they are serious, they can put money down. If they are not, you have learned something before you have bought materials or locked in subcontractors. That is useful information, not awkwardness.

Write the deposit into the quote

Business.gov.au says a written quote should be clear, specific and complete, and should include payment terms and conditions. It also notes that once a customer accepts your quote, it becomes a legally binding contract. So the deposit is not a side conversation. Put it in the quote, with the amount, timing, and what happens before work starts. ([business.gov.au](https://business.gov.au/people/contractors/prepare-quotes?utm_source=openai))

Do not bury the deposit in a casual email thread. State whether it is a fixed amount or a percentage, when it is due, and whether the quote expires if it is not paid. If you want certainty, ask for signature and date on acceptance. That gives you a cleaner paper trail if the job stalls later. ([business.gov.au](https://business.gov.au/people/contractors/prepare-quotes?utm_source=openai))

Source: Official guidance

Do not spend before the money clears

Business.gov.au also advises setting clear rules for when and how customers should pay you. Use that advice to make the deposit your first control point. Until it clears, do not order long-lead items, book the crane, or spend your own money on materials. A promise is not protection, cleared funds are. ([business.gov.au](https://business.gov.au/finance/payments-and-invoicing/how-to-invoice?utm_source=openai))

That discipline protects more than cash. It protects your schedule. If the client slows down after you have already spent money, the delay becomes your problem first. With a deposit, you can pause with less damage, reschedule more cleanly, and keep the rest of the business from carrying the cost of one slow customer. ([business.gov.au](https://business.gov.au/finance/payments-and-invoicing/how-to-invoice?utm_source=openai))

Turn the deposit into progress claims

For larger jobs, the deposit should be the first payment, not the last one. Business.gov.au says a contract can set progress payments on a date or milestone, with invoice timing and payment terms spelled out. That lets you break the job into smaller cash steps instead of carrying the whole project on your back. ([business.gov.au](https://business.gov.au/people/contractors/prepare-a-contract?trk=article-ssr-frontend-pulse_little-text-block&utm_source=openai))

Once the job starts, invoice at each agreed stage. Business.gov.au says sending an invoice at the time of sale helps customers pay on time, and clear payment rules reduce confusion. Keep each claim tied to visible progress, photos, delivery dockets, or signed variation notes. That way the account follows the work. ([business.gov.au](https://business.gov.au/finance/payments-and-invoicing/how-to-invoice?utm_source=openai))

Use the same routine on every job

The simplest system is the one you repeat every time. Quote with deposit terms, confirm acceptance, wait for cleared funds, then order materials. After that, keep the work moving through progress claims so you are never carrying the full cost of the job without protection. That routine is easier than chasing money after the fact.

If your jobs already start before payment and the cash gap is hurting, CRP can help you work through turnaround support with independent qualified professionals. Bring a recent quote, your deposit wording, and a list of jobs waiting on cash. This is general information only, not legal advice, and each contract still needs its own review.