freelancing: how not to suck

FREELANCING: HOW NOT TO SUCK

Andy Waltersandy@andy-walters.com

INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

How many of you are freelancers?

INTRODUCTION

How many of you are freelancers?

How many of you are considering freelancing?

INTRODUCTION

How many of you are freelancers?

How many of you are considering freelancing?

How many of you got lost and ended up here accidentally?

INTRODUCTION

How many of you are freelancers?

How many of you are considering freelancing?

How many of you got lost and ended up here accidentally?

Story Time.

THE FIRST WAY NOT TO SUCK AT

FREELANCING

THE FIRST WAY NOT TO SUCK AT

FREELANCING

Don’t freelance.

WHY YOU SHOULDN’T FREELANCE

WHY YOU SHOULDN’T FREELANCE

Income

WHY YOU SHOULDN’T FREELANCE

Income

Self-Discipline

WHY YOU SHOULDN’T FREELANCE

Income

Self-Discipline

Attracting Clients

WHY YOU SHOULDN’T FREELANCE

Income

Self-Discipline

Attracting Clients

Accounting & Legal

WHY YOU SHOULDN’T FREELANCE

Income

Self-Discipline

Attracting Clients

Accounting & Legal

Proficiency

BAD REASONS TO START FREELANCING

BAD REASONS TO START FREELANCING"I want more time to code."

BAD REASONS TO START FREELANCING"I want more time to code."

"I don't like BS meetings."

BAD REASONS TO START FREELANCING"I want more time to code."

"I don't like BS meetings."

"I don't like my coworkers."

BAD REASONS TO START FREELANCING"I want more time to code."

"I don't like BS meetings."

"I don't like my coworkers."

"I'm going to make more money next month."

BAD REASONS TO START FREELANCING"I want more time to code."

"I don't like BS meetings."

"I don't like my coworkers."

"I'm going to make more money next month."

"I can get away with telling everyone to show up naked to my presentation at Drupal Camp." (Apparently, this is true.)

BAD REASONS TO START FREELANCING"I want more time to code."

"I don't like BS meetings."

"I don't like my coworkers."

"I'm going to make more money next month."

"I can get away with telling everyone to show up naked to my presentation at Drupal Camp." (Apparently, this is true.)

Incidentally, I started freelancing for all of these reasons.

GOOD REASONS TO START FREELANCING

GOOD REASONS TO START FREELANCING

"I want to have a flexible schedule."

GOOD REASONS TO START FREELANCING

"I want to have a flexible schedule."

"I want to work for myself."

GOOD REASONS TO START FREELANCING

"I want to have a flexible schedule."

"I want to work for myself."

"I want to have an unlimited income."

DON’T QUIT MONDAY

DON’T QUIT MONDAY

Start small.

DON’T QUIT MONDAY

Start small.

Build up your client base while you have a full time gig.

DON’T QUIT MONDAY

Start small.

Build up your client base while you have a full time gig.

Fire your boss, but nicely.

DON’T QUIT MONDAY

Start small.

Build up your client base while you have a full time gig.

Fire your boss, but nicely.

Don't burn bridges.

FIND THE RIGHT CLIENTS

FIND THE RIGHT CLIENTS

Networking Meetups

FIND THE RIGHT CLIENTS

Networking Meetups

Craigslist

FIND THE RIGHT CLIENTS

Networking Meetups

Craigslist

Odesk, etc

FIND THE RIGHT CLIENTS

Networking Meetups

Craigslist

Odesk, etc

Word of Mouth

FIND THE RIGHT CLIENTS

Networking Meetups

Craigslist

Odesk, etc

Word of Mouth

Recruiters

FIND THE RIGHT CLIENTS

Networking Meetups

Craigslist

Odesk, etc

Word of Mouth

Recruiters

Portfolio Site

FIND YOUR ZEN SPACE

FIND YOUR ZEN SPACE

It’s not your bedroom.

FIND YOUR ZEN SPACE

It’s not your bedroom.

It’s not your living room.

FIND YOUR ZEN SPACE

It’s not your bedroom.

It’s not your living room.

It’s probably not a coffee shop.

FIND YOUR ZEN SPACE

It’s not your bedroom.

It’s not your living room.

It’s probably not a coffee shop.

It probably is a home office or a coworking space.

FIND A PARTNER

Designers, meet programmers. Programers, meet designers.

DEFINE & SELL YOUR PROCESS

As a programmer or designer, it’s easy to focus on your piece of the process. But there’s more to it!

Client expectations management. (Story: “uploading a PSD”).

Today I’m giving away my process that I’ve built over five years.

MY PROCESS

MY PROCESS

Paperwork

MY PROCESS

Paperwork

Planning

MY PROCESS

Paperwork

Planning

Graphic Design

MY PROCESS

Paperwork

Planning

Graphic Design

Development

MY PROCESS

Paperwork

Planning

Graphic Design

Development

Testing & Training

MY PROCESS

Paperwork

Planning

Graphic Design

Development

Testing & Training

Content Entry

MY PROCESS

Paperwork

Planning

Graphic Design

Development

Testing & Training

Content Entry

Site Launch

MY PROCESS

Paperwork

Planning

Graphic Design

Development

Testing & Training

Content Entry

Site Launch

Maintenance

PROCESS: PAPERWORK

PROCESS: PAPERWORK

Estimate

PROCESS: PAPERWORK

Estimate

Flat vs. hourly. How many work flat? Hourly?

PROCESS: PAPERWORK

Estimate

Flat vs. hourly. How many work flat? Hourly?

Demo: Estimating tool (I’m giving this away, too).

PROCESS: PAPERWORK

Estimate

Flat vs. hourly. How many work flat? Hourly?

Demo: Estimating tool (I’m giving this away, too).

Statement of Work

RATES

RATES

POLL: What are your rates

RATES

POLL: What are your rates

$0 - $50/hr?

RATES

POLL: What are your rates

$0 - $50/hr?

$50 - $75/hr?

RATES

POLL: What are your rates

$0 - $50/hr?

$50 - $75/hr?

$75 - $100/hr?

RATES

POLL: What are your rates

$0 - $50/hr?

$50 - $75/hr?

$75 - $100/hr?

$100 - $125/hr?

RATES

POLL: What are your rates

$0 - $50/hr?

$50 - $75/hr?

$75 - $100/hr?

$100 - $125/hr?

$125+?

PAYMENT

PAYMENT

Do not undercharge.

PAYMENT

Do not undercharge.

Do not take “portfolio” projects unless you actually need them.

PAYMENT

Do not undercharge.

Do not take “portfolio” projects unless you actually need them.

Always invoice.

PAYMENT

Do not undercharge.

Do not take “portfolio” projects unless you actually need them.

Always invoice.

Work either for free or at your full rate.

PAYMENT

Do not undercharge.

Do not take “portfolio” projects unless you actually need them.

Always invoice.

Work either for free or at your full rate.

Always, always, ALWAYS get half up front.

PAYMENT

Do not undercharge.

Do not take “portfolio” projects unless you actually need them.

Always invoice.

Work either for free or at your full rate.

Always, always, ALWAYS get half up front.

Watch for red flags: story time.

PROCESS: PLANNING

PROCESS: PLANNING

Sitemap

PROCESS: PLANNING

Sitemap

Wireframes

PROCESS: PLANNING

Sitemap

Wireframes

But it's simple enough that I don't need to wireframe! No, it's not.

DESIGN & DEV

DESIGN & DEV

You should know about this already so I’m skipping it, except to say...

DESIGN & DEV

You should know about this already so I’m skipping it, except to say...

COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR CLIENT

TESTING, TRAINING, CONTENT ENTRY

TESTING, TRAINING, CONTENT ENTRY

Explain to clients that bugs are normal (and are not free to fix)

TESTING, TRAINING, CONTENT ENTRY

Explain to clients that bugs are normal (and are not free to fix)

Test it yourself thoroughly (or hire testers if you can)

TESTING, TRAINING, CONTENT ENTRY

Explain to clients that bugs are normal (and are not free to fix)

Test it yourself thoroughly (or hire testers if you can)

Walk clients through the features of the site by having them add content. As they go along, they’ll find things you missed. Fix them promptly.

LAUNCH

Make sure to set the expectation that this process is not automatic. There is no big red button you are pushing.

MAINTENANCE

MAINTENANCE

Security & feature updates can be great recurring revenue.

MAINTENANCE

Security & feature updates can be great recurring revenue.

Some models for maintenance contracts:

MAINTENANCE

Security & feature updates can be great recurring revenue.

Some models for maintenance contracts:

Discounted hour chunk (e.g., 60 hours)

MAINTENANCE

Security & feature updates can be great recurring revenue.

Some models for maintenance contracts:

Discounted hour chunk (e.g., 60 hours)

Use it or lose it (e.g., 10 hours/mo.)

MAINTENANCE

Security & feature updates can be great recurring revenue.

Some models for maintenance contracts:

Discounted hour chunk (e.g., 60 hours)

Use it or lose it (e.g., 10 hours/mo.)

Monthly invoice

YOU’RE GOLDEN!

Story to sum up.

Find this presentation, the estimating tool and my process document at my blog, blog.andy-walters.com