When you sell ideas or services for a living, surviving in this tough economy takes tight-fistedness and ingenuity.

Atlanta public relations executive Tara Murphy is requiring some money upfront before working with new clients —- a break from industry tradition.

Certified public accounting firm Frazier & Deeter of Atlanta is "looking more closely at receivables and making sure they're collected."

And commercial photographer Chris Stanford recently did a shoot for half of what he charged last year.

In the professional services arena, business is built on trust, loyalty and long-term relationships that let clients pay for services after the deal is done, a practice called "floating."

But current economic realities have some in the industry resorting to get-tough strategies, compromises or cutbacks until business picks up.

After all, homes and cars can be repossessed when people miss payments, but how does a business recoup work on a music festival or television commercial or balancing a client's books?

"It's protecting myself," local advertising executive Tim Smith said of his company's recent decision to request a third to a half of payment in advance on new projects.

"In my business, we sell ideas. Once we have shared the intellectual property, it cannot be repossessed."

Smith's company, BreenSmith Advertising, has been stiffed out of tens of thousands of dollars in the past year for finished work, he said. The company has considered suing but has held off because of costly legal fees. "It's now become talk in the bars around a beer: How much are you getting upfront? Who do you trust? Who don't you trust?" Smith said. "It's certainly the buzz right now."

The rhythm of business is set by how well money flows from client to company. That rhythm is out of sync now.

Housing, oil and credit problems have put the squeeze on credit, making it tough for businesses to grow and thrive —- and some to simply pay their bills.

"Credit is the grease that keeps the system moving, and when that's in short supply you have less economic movement," said Rajeev Dhawan, director of the Economic Forecasting Center at Georgia State University. "When the work is plentiful and you have enough orders and work coming in, you can float [money]."

That's often not the case now. Businesses are holding on as long as possible to what money is out there. That hurts companies like Murphy's 360 Media, a PR firm in downtown Atlanta.

"In the last six months, I've put my foot down," said Murphy. "Usually we float a client for awhile. But now that the economy's really changed, we just can't. Any new business we bring in now must do a signed contract and pay the first month before we get started with any work."

Stanford is among those waiting to get paid.

The Atlanta commercial photographer has been looking for a check from an out-of-state marketing agency on a "huge job" he recently completed. He has always required half the payment upfront. But lately, getting the final check has been a problem.

"They're 30 days overdue," Stanford said.

All told, he's in the hole for a lot of money from various clients who, in some cases, have been dragging their feet for more than three months.

"We're talking thousands of dollars," he said by phone during a recent trip to New York, where he is scouting for new business.

Stanford isn't naive. He knows the first item businesses cut when times are hard is advertising.

"That trickles down to people like me and it trickles down to my assistant, my hair and makeup stylists and caterers."

Taking clients to court is out of the question, he said. "It's a very small community that I'm a part of. They're my lifeline."

So he improvises. He doesn't hire as many people to work on shoots. And instead of using the customary caterer on a recent photo shoot for a record label, Stanford had an assistant "dress up" chicken fingers, sandwiches and hummus from Publix.

In addition to dealing with late-paying clients, Stanford said some are asking for discounts. "Clients are calling, wanting you to do jobs for half of what you did for them the previous year," he said.

A year ago that would have been unthinkable. Now? Stanford acquiesced.

After all, half the money is better than no money at all.

POLLS, SURVEYS POINT TO GROWING GLOOMINESS

Pessimism about the economy is deepening. Some recent measures:

> Small-business owners are pessimistic about the future, according to the latest confidence poll by the National Federation of Independent Business. The group's Index of Small Business Optimism fell to 89.3, considered recession-level. That is the lowest since 1980.

> The last two quarters of the Federal Reserve's Senior Loan Officer's opinion survey, which tracks bank loan activity, shows businesses aren't seeking as many loans now, meaning expansion plans are on hold.

> The U.S. unemployment rate continued its climb for the fifth straight month to 5.5 percent in May, the biggest month-to-month spike in 22 years. Since most new jobs are created by small businesses, the jobs reports indicate that small firms are worried about overhead and are looking to cut costs.