Switch slow response client to hourly?

[jackiepeeler]

Mulling whether to take on small job for a client who had a good start but got slow coming up with the rest of the copy and edits on a multi page job, maybe 70% done. A couple of times it's gone to the wire on Upwork closing the contract, but at my suggestion client funded a small milestone and we contined. Really, I just didn't want the JS hit.

Client hired someone to help him finish up last month, but still didn't come through. Then recent request for a small one page job, accompanied by the text. This has been fixed rate but I'm thinking suggest client move over to hourly so he can go at his pace and I don't wait forever for payment. Question in my mind is, with that track record is it even worth it. 

If I accept what do I tell him about the switch? I think the line is fixed rate is intended for work that moves ahead fairly steadily with no major changes in direction, with hourly you change as much as you want when you want. 

[tta192]

For fixed price: you can ask the client to clarify all aspects of the job prior to accepting the contract.

If they cannot do that you can suggest to either go with an hourly contract, or split it into several contracts (not milestones). That way, you can start work on a well defined contract, and close it when you have finished. Then the client can take all the time he needs to come up with the rest of the work, since you won't be stuck with an inactive open contract.

[jackiepeeler]

Thank you, Andrei. I'll do that.