Yes. 1/2 upfront for smaller projects, 1/3 for larger projects is the standard.
For ongoing projects that you bill hourly instead of fixed cost, try to do retainer instead of invoicing and then getting paid a month later model.
Cash flow is THE single most important thing in this business. Try to get paid as early as possible, and delaying paying others as much as possible (while still paying them reasonably soon, of course - just try to negotiate better terms upfront, i.e. get paid Net/15 and pay others Net/30).
Also, never EVER work without a contract. For every project, have client sign MSA and SOW. I bought mine from here: http://msabundle.com/ and modified per my needs.
For ongoing projects that you bill hourly instead of fixed cost, try to do retainer instead of invoicing and then getting paid a month later model.
Cash flow is THE single most important thing in this business. Try to get paid as early as possible, and delaying paying others as much as possible (while still paying them reasonably soon, of course - just try to negotiate better terms upfront, i.e. get paid Net/15 and pay others Net/30).
Also, never EVER work without a contract. For every project, have client sign MSA and SOW. I bought mine from here: http://msabundle.com/ and modified per my needs.