Freelancing is disgusting. Small business is disgusting. A startup is also disgusting. All this is still an abomination because no one wants to pay you ...
This will happen over and over again. It will happen to the customer who has always paid, and to the new customer, it will happen to the best friend and family member if you trustfully work for them.
It will happen to a client who loves your software, it will happen to a musician who loves your production, and a cafe that wants you to paint their fucking wall.
They will all appear one day with an arsenal of excuses not to pay you. You might be late with your monthly billing, damn it, and that is against their company policy and blah blah blah.
Or perhaps they are in trouble. They cannot get through to the manager, your account has disappeared somewhere, and the bank has not carried out the transaction. Oh yes, you probably sent them inaccurate data, and it will take about a week to figure it out.
No matter what other nonsense they say, no matter how many times they ask for trust, you have been dumped! The chances that you will be paid are disgustingly small. And even if you get paid, it will happen after months of "dancing".
To hell! Because of this, I had to close my first marketing company. I still wake up in a cold sweat from dreams of chasing my money.
Freelance and entrepreneurship should bring cash. That's all