I have a question for the freelancers out there. When getting work, do you usually go through some sort of vetting process from the person or group hiring you? It seems that the company I work for doesn't do anything if the sort and I want to know if that is something a company should do.

Im self employed, majority of my work comes through recommendation or partners who hire me for a project, many of whom i have a long history. But for direct clients I do some basic background checks on the company and its financials and reputation. I don't live in a big city and reputation usually gets round faster than a cold. I always issue a contract and get 50% up front, which is my safety net and i don't do work without those in place.