
Ask HN: How does an experienced freelancer get work? - protoweek
Hello HN.<p>I am a highly experienced developer who has recently taken to freelancing. I looked at several freelancing websites only to be outbid by outsourcing companies with ridiculous rates. Are there other avenues, forums or resources that would help me get work?<p>Please do share any advice you've got, thanks a million.
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MrFoof
Are you simply freelancing (one-man body shop) or consulting? The former is a
short-term employee, the other involves "paying for a solution to a problem".
Both are done for cost savings, but with a bit more up-front work to get in
the door, the second tends to get you paid better.

I've actually taken this route as of a few months ago, and the best advice is
to share your new plans with people you've worked with in the past who have
appreciated your work. Former managers, CIO/CTOs, even contingency recruiters
who have placed you in the past (worst case, you work something out on a corp-
to-corp basis and they'll have plenty of work and leads for you).

I mostly do data warehouse ETL recovery/refactoring, database performance
tuning, and some data architect work. The way I sell it is to distill my
previous work down to some easily digestible details: "Automated recovery of
existing processes, eliminating manual hand-held recovery. Improved
performance of evening batch processes by 1500%. Reduced replication time to
DR site by 70%". Then, when asked about details, feel free to explain it in
excruciating detail over lunch. If they have a specific need, odds are you can
get them the results their looking for -- explain your approach, common
issues, and get in the door. Even for something like, "I need X built", you
have to look past "I can do it" and try to figure out what the customer is
looking to get out of it (increased sales, conversion, etc.) and explain not
only how can deliver on those metrics, but ideally back it up with previous
history.

I've had lunches with former bosses, and talked to former co-workers. I'm not
the guy who networks at all (< 20 LinkedIn connections, ~20 friends on
Facebook), but I was almost immediately inundated. I have more work than I can
take on at the moment, which means I'm simply raising my rate by 60% for the
next client -- and they think that new rate is just ducky.

Patio also covered this topic rather well:
[http://www.kalzumeus.com/2012/09/17/ramit-sethi-and-
patrick-...](http://www.kalzumeus.com/2012/09/17/ramit-sethi-and-patrick-
mckenzie-on-getting-your-first-consulting-client/)

~~~
mechanical_fish
_I'm not the guy who networks at all_

Oh dear, Facebook and LinkedIn have done the same thing to the word _network_
that FB did to the word _friend_.

You definitely network. Whereas on LinkedIn we merely "network".

~~~
MrFoof
No, I really don't network.

The lunches et al weren't initiated by myself. Someone has a problem, my phone
rings, they suggest lunch, and I figure it's a good excuse to get some fish
and chips. I don't think I've gone out of my way to reach out to someone for
career purposes in nearly a decade.

------
ianterrell
If you're doing web or mobile development or anything that is contracted out
regularly, I highly recommend you make relationships with the
creative/development agencies in your area. My experience is that the decent
ones always have more leads than they can execute on at any given time, which
leads to two scenarios:

1) They want to grow, lack full development strength, and will subcontract you
to work under their name. The rates aren't as high as you could get on your
own, but it's still good pay and you didn't have to go selling. Attend a few
meetings, live with a project manager, but work from home and build the
relationship.

2) Projects that are too small for them to consider are immediately passed to
you (and their other staff). "Sorry, we can't help you with this one, but we
can recommend this guy who's done lots of good work for us."

~~~
jreposa
Agreed. Although, as a person who runs an agency, I do get a lot of emails a
day from freelancers. So, you should try to stand out by showing your best
work up front and be a real person. Don't try to sound like you're a team of
12 by saying "we" and attaching your company logo to everything. Simply say...

"My Name is protoweek and I really like what you guys are doing. I especially
like your app XYZ. If you need help on a project I'd love to work with you.
Here are the last three apps I've published. If you need an invite code let me
know.

<http://www.protoweek.com/app1> <http://www.protoweek.com/app2>
<http://www.protoweek.com/app3> "

Something as simple as that usually gets my attention.

------
bryanlarsen
1: Only bid on projects that ask for "good English skills". That's the code
that means they're not interested in bids from traditional off-shoring
destinations.

2: Once you win a few contracts on the freelancing websites, your customers
should start coming to you directly and recommending you to others. You can
then you can start raising your rates to something reasonable.

3: Send an email to the leaders of all the open source projects you have
contributed to. It's quite possible they have more contracting work than they
can handle and are willing to send work your way since they already know and
trust you.

------
Alan01252
I've been freelancing for just over four months now and there are only two
ways I've found clients ( who will pay the rates I charge ) so far.

1\. Emailed the larger web design and creative agencies in the local area. (
Maximum around 1 1/2 hour drive is acceptable to me )

2\. Created a personal website, and did some very basic ( and always improving
) keyword optimisation, for my areas of expertise.

I've been busy for the last four months solid. Right now is the first time I'm
actively looking for work again, and it's mainly because I stopped emailing
companies. Big mistake.

It's worth noting that the clients who have found me via my website/blog ( I
try to post at least once a week) are happy to pay considerably more than the
web design agencies. From my experience most web design agencies don't know
how much a good developer can be worth in terms of code maintainability and
time saved delivering the project.

On another note I always recommend getting face to face with potential
clients. My confidence in my ability shines through when I'm in stood/sat in
front of them, and really helps to build that trust factor.

As repeated in many other replies here, and something I'm only just learning
myself. Find a problem that people want solving and sell yourself as the
solution to that problem.

I'm still not sure what problem I'm solving or can help someone solving, but
I'm hoping to figure it out sooner rather than later. :)

Hope this helps.

------
gallerytungsten
Referrals.

If you say "I don't know anyone" then start networking. Sure, it's easier said
than done. But if you have the chops, and do just a few good projects, word
will get around.

To take it to the next level, try to find a company that is run by or that
employs a master sales person. Take that person to lunch and get a crash
course in sales. Because once you have the referral, you're warm; when you
know how to close, you'll be hot.

~~~
lincolnwebs
This is precisely it. I found an extraordinary mason recently from a friend's
referral. He has zero online presence. When I asked him about that, he said
"why would I get a website when I already have more work than I can handle?"
Being known as a pro is more important than all the marketing and bidding in
the world.

------
rglover
Don't be adverse to meeting people. Some of the best work that's come through
my studio has been the result of meeting with someone six months prior and
them remembering my name/work.

Reach out to people you feel you can help. Don't be arrogant, but offer an
honest and articulate reasoning for offering up your services.

As a developer, have (at least) two things online: a list of recent projects
(could be as simple as a Github account) and a blog/notebook with some of your
work. I know a lot of the developers that I follow just from coming across an
article or tutorial they wrote.

Try putting up a personal site that says who you are (a profile, photo, etc.),
what you can do (services), and a rough cost estimate of working together
(i.e. my projects start at $X,XXX and average $X,XXX).

Sell yourself on HN. Make sure your profile says what you can do and has
contact info. Also, checkout the monthly "Seeking Freelancers" thread. It's a
great jumpstart when you're looking for work.

------
anovikov
There is no such thing as being outbid on freelancing sites. All clients see
these outsourcing companies' bids as simply a spam preventing from
interviewing 'real' candidates. If they are not hiring you it's something else
wrong, not the price. Try thinking about the way you write cover letter: this
is the main thing a real customer pays attention to (contrary to what people
think it is - feedback score, experience etc). Reason is that overwhelming
majority of applications on projects are merely a spam, sometimes
automatically posted by a script. Every application letter which clearly does
NOT sound like a spam (e.g. contains some project specific details, something
on your plan on how you would do it), stands out and gets an interview.

~~~
anovikov
My suggestion for freelance sites: charge people for bidding on projects. $20
per bid will be just right. Refund these for the applicant who ends up being
hired. You can decrease your commissions then to discourage people from
circumventing your service, remaining profitable, and keep competitive by
vastly increasing the value of your service to customers because they will not
have to get through tons of spam applications. Qualified freelancers will
flock to you because they will not be put off by crowds of low-quality, low-
priced competitors.

There is of course another problem, which is harder to fix: spam projects.
People who state that they want one thing and upon interview want to lure you
into something else, like working for free, for some imaginary future profit
sharing (always a scam), working fixed price with a vaguely defined project
goals etc...

------
russelluresti
Freelancing is all about relationships. If a possible client is looking for a
freelancer to complete a project, the only difference between Developers A and
Developer B is their price (because, the client isn't going to understand the
skill/talent of the two developers - they're not developers themselves). But,
if you're able to form a relationship with them, then you're not Developer A
anymore, you're James. And there's a HUGE difference between James and
Developer B. The client knows James, the client trusts James. The client knows
James wont' screw them over.

So, I'd say make your approach a very personal one. Try to get them invested
in you as a person. This will be difficult to do with those "one-off" jobs,
but will work great for clients that have multiple projects that need to be
completed. It also works well if you work as a contractor for local agencies
(as suggested by @iantrerell).

Also, a decent source of information is Freelance Switch
(<http://freelanceswitch.com/>).

------
andrewhyde
As a designer I found this is the _magic_ work equation:

1) Find a project 2) Finish project on time and budget exceeding expectations
3) Wait for client to send you referrals

Repeat steps 1-3.

------
ErrantX
I've been freelancing for ~4 years, "properly" for the last 2. This is what I
have found works...

Your very best clients will come from personal recommendations. _Avoid close
friends recommending you;_ one of my first clients was recommended by a close
friend, and you feel an obligation to both the client and the friend. Not fun
- especially when you make a cock up and the friend calls you to say they are
a bit let down. At least without the friend in the equation it is only your
professional reputation at risk :)

But good clients come from acquaintances. My very best clients (around 5
regulars) come from a single friend I knew at university - they are marketing
person with a big network. I didn't know them very well but they recalled I
did software engineering, and got in touch a couple of years after we
graduated with a client in need of help.

 _Tip 1: Check your wider network for possible good "contacts" and tap them
for work. You don't have to be embarassed, they weren't that good a friend!_

Avoid freelancer sites for the most part. You can get good income from them,
but lets face it; you're looking for fun and varied work, with great money and
time to call your own. Freelancing sites don't do that for you. They have
limitations. You tend to find yourself grinding for work, which you then have
to offer competitive prices for. People who post work to freelancer sites are
often looking for value, not quality. What are you offering?

Especially this is important when starting out. I had a false start way back 4
years ago when I spent a week looking for freelancing work on those sites &
failed dismally. So I went back to my day job.

 _Tip 2: Ignore freelance sites, mostly. At least till you are established_

Learn how to sell yourself - and learn new skills! I started out as a "PHP
developer". Screw that - now I am a "Full stack software engineer". I learned
how to set up a server and optimise it for load. When a client I had
previously done a days work for rang up, months later, in a panic because they
had a flood of traffic and couldn't cope... I didn't have to turn them away, I
knew how to get them up and running.

Use the right language; You. Are. An. Engineer. That is a skilled consultancy
job. Don't undersell yourself as a code monkey jobbing for work. (of course,
you then have to live up to that promise)

 _Tip 3: Learn new skills. Market those skills_

Other good work comes from recommendations - these are the best because if
someone has been told "Tom gets things done", and they call me, then they are
already sold.

The way to make sure you get good recommendations:

\- Be 100% professional and competent. Make the effort to write properly in
emails, and to include an email footer etc. Little things that make you stand
out as capable.

\- Get things done. If it's broken, don't waste time. Fix it, then email them
the result.

\- Be pro-active. If I get a client ring up with a possible project I
immediately follow up with an email summarising our phone call - adding some
ideas if I can. It shows commitment to them as a customer in a way that adds
value to the relationship (without costing them...).

\- When the customer calls at 9pm with an emergency, don't fob them off. Fix
it. They will happily pay your overtime rates (I once charged a customer
£100/hr for overtime emergency work when the normal work I was doing for them
was at £45/hr. _And they gave me an added 50% bonus because they were so
grateful_ )

\- Genuinely offer "full stack". I designed a simple site once, sent the HTML
and told them to FTP it to their web host.. the reply was "do what? do we need
a domain address?". Clients want you to make things work for them; registering
domains and FTPing files is menial in terms of your skill level - the client
has no concept of this :) (#1 freelancer rookie mistake).

 _Tip 4: Be accessible, competent, pro-active and GTD!_

Don't worry too much about your website or online portfolio. It's actually a
distraction. Find work pro-actively - passively obtained work, unless you are
marketing yourself beyond just the website, tends not to be as good!

 _Tip 5: Find work, don't let it find you_

Contact design agencies and recruiters in your area. The latter will annoy you
with lots of irrelevant calls ("We have an excellent full time role for you in
the Aberdeen area" - uh, hundreds of miles away doing data entry you mean...)
but I have also picked up some excellent clients through them. If someone is
going to a design agency or recruiter _then they have money to burn_ , and are
often looking for a premium service.

 _Tip 6: Recruiters have clients with cash to spend_

Go local. I canvassed my area for small businesses etc. that might benefit
from a website. I threw together a leaflet & microsite, plus revamped my own
CMS code... and spent a week dropping leaflets through letterboxes. It's good
business because I can sell them a design & host package which brings me in
half a days work plus yearly ongoing revenue (as it stands, I charge £65/year
for domain, hosting and support & have 25 customers with several more
interested. In hindsight that was _too cheap_ , I could have gone to £100/yr I
suspect.)

This might sound like small change, but the work is regular and if I don't
have a "big" contract in a week I can usually fill it with this sort of work
via a few phone calls. A couple of the customers have followed up with fully
featured website (i.e. booking portals etc.) which earned me good money.

It will surprise you how many business are in your local area - and how much
money some of them have to spend!

 _Tip 7: Look for work locally_

That might sound like boring work for an engineer; but it's kinda fun, and
very varied. It has also helped build up my design skills to the extent I
could tentatively justify calling myself "designer" as well. The next idea I
am working on is to partner with some local business improvement initiatives
to run "internet" workshops and other technical training sessions for
businesses. The first class is at the end of November and it is already
oversubscribed - my profit should be > £5,000 for a days work (plus a 3-4 days
reusable prep).

I also just launched, locally, an intensive "educate your company about the
web/internet etc." consultancy. No clients yet, but some interest.

 _Tip 8: Diversify_

Hope that helps (I know I drifted a little off-topic :))

~~~
codegeek
"Find work, don't let it find you"

Why not let it find you as well ? If you have experience and the right
skillset, you will usually be found more often than you finding work yourself.
I usually get good gigs in my industry by getting found a lot more than
finding.

~~~
ErrantX
Yeh, that didn't come out quite right.

I mean; a lot of freelancers seem to write a nice looking website and hope
that some SEO magic will bring in work.

~~~
codegeek
Yes agreed on the SEO magic point. It takes a whole lot more.

------
tptacek
Don't use the freelancing sites. They're a race to the bottom.

~~~
bryanlarsen
Freelancing sites are a poor way to make a living long-term, but I know
several people who established themselves using freelancing sites. They are
one way of establishing happy customers, customers who go to you first for new
work and who refer you to others.

~~~
tptacek
Whatever works. Just realize you'll have a lot to unlearn when you get done
working on those projects, like the fact that your real rate is anywhere from
1.5x to 5x higher than you've been getting.

Also not sure how advisable it is to set up a stable of recurring/referring
customers on a rate established in competition with the types of freelancers
that frequent those sites.

~~~
bryanlarsen
Yes, you're going to lose some of those early customers as you keep raising
your rates. Most of them have some really bad experience with lowball bids
that they'll stick with you quite a ways. As always, it's the referrals that
matter most.

------
MattBearman
First tip: steer clear of freelancing sites, you're better than that :)
Seriously, I tried them a bit, but the vast majority of jobs there buy on
price, and that's a competition someone with decent rates will never win.

When I started freelancing I got my first gig through the HN Monthly 'Ask HN:
Freelancer? Seeking freelancer?' thread, highly recommend posting in there on
the 1st of each month.

I get steady work through the agency for whom I used to be a full time
employee (only now I get paid double, AND get to cherry pick my work. never
burn bridges)

I also cold called all the local agencies I could find offering my services,
and that's got me a fair bit of work.

I've now got 5 big clients that give me enough steady work to live on, so I'm
no longer actively seeking new clients. However I still get people emailing me
having found me through google searches and HN. With google searches it's
mostly people searching for local devs, eg: 'Freelance PHP developer
Hampshire', so try optimising your website for those kinds of keywords.

And of course, personal recommendations is always the best way to find work.
Good luck with freelancing, there's nothing like having the freedom to work
when and where you like. This summer I took 8 weeks off to motorcycling around
Europe, couldn't have done that so easily if I was an employee :)

------
verelo
Work your real life connections, you'll start by taking some pretty crappy
work (it'll possibly feel like a career downgrade for a bit) but word will
spread and opportunities will present themselves. You just need to produce
great work, and stick to it.

Only key advice i would suggest is simply not to lock yourself into one
contract for too long, unless its a great one. Nothing worse than some great
work coming up, and not being able to take it because you're already too busy.

~~~
13rules
_Work your real life connections_

Came here to say this. Go ahead and post on the freelancing websites if you
want — but separate yourself from the outsourcing companies. Do _not_ lower
your rates to compete against them. If a potential client chooses someone else
over you simply because they are cheaper, trust me, you do NOT want them as a
client.

Work your real-life connections in your local area. If you don't have that
many, get out and make some. Realize that your skills offer an expertise that
others need. Become known as the expert in your area and word will get around.
Ask for referrals.

It can be really frustrating to hit the pavement day in and day out, but you
have to do it and eventually it will start to pay off.

------
RileyJames
We've just launched a startup in Australia called Dragonfly
(<http://dragonflylist.com>) which focuses on connecting talented local
designers and developers with freelance work at creative, digital and ad
agencies.

The plan is the launch into the US in the next few months (SF, LA & NY
initially).

There are some key differences between our platform and recruitment &
outsourcing

1\. Transparency: There is no middle man on the platform. Agencies can search
all the freelancers on the platform and contact them directly (phone & email
is available on every profile).

2\. No Rates!! - There are no rates shown on the platform. All rate are
negotiated directly between the freelancer and the agency. Freelancers rates
fluctuate on factors such as agency size, contract length, project type and
general happiness working with the agency. It also means no one on the
platform competes on price, but rather skill & ability.

3\. High Quality: All freelancers on the platform are vetted before they get
access (likewise the agencies are vetted as well). We verify that freelancers
have 3 - 5 years experience in their field and have worked with agencies
before. This keeps the quality high and maintains that skill & ability is the
focus rather than price.

4\. Local: The platform is focused no local freelancers. This is what agencies
are looking for, and it allows freelancers to leverage their key competitive
advantage over foreign workers... they are LOCAL!

Keen to hear feedback, and if you're looking for local freelance work sign up.
We will get in contact with you when we roll out in your area. Our platform is
focused on playing to the advantages of local freelancers.

~~~
jameswyse
This looks like a great idea, it's not often I find sites like this based in
Australia. I've signed up, though my personal website isn't online (Funnily
enough I've been too busy with client work to work on my own site)

------
sgdesign
I would suggest reading Brennan Dunn's eBook:
<http://doubleyourfreelancingrate.com>

You might also want to start by making a name for yourself by working on your
own projects (iPhone app, web app, etc.). If you make something cool, you're
bound to have people asking you to make cool things for them, too.

------
UntitledNo4
In addition to things that were said, I found some good work on Elance.com,
and small projects then evolved to things that kept me busy full-time.

For me it was a bit intimidating to begin with since I had to compete against
developers whose bids were a fraction of the price I quoted. However, I soon
found out that there are still people out there who value quality and are
willing to pay more for it, so the "secret" is to make sure you put a quality
bid. What worked for me was:

1\. Make sure that your offer refers to the project description. Even
highlight issues you find. There are lots of people out there who don't read
the details and so people offering work appreciate it when someone actually
read and thought about their project.

2\. Describe how the project relates to an experience you have. Show a couple
of examples work you have done with similar nature.

3\. Include a sample of your work. In a couple of projects I was told that I
was the only person who did that. I won both contracts although I had the most
expensive bid.

4\. Be responsive if the customer is asking questions before they make the
decisions. Despite not winning all those projects where I had contact with the
customer, it gave me an insight to their thought process, and even when I
didn't win, it was useful to know I was a runner-up (and where possible, why I
didn't win the contract).

5\. Don't under-price yourself. There are probably cheaper developers than
you, but are they as experienced as you are?

6\. Don't over-price yourself. There are some naive customers who estimate a
work to be more expensive than you think it should be (yes, really). It's
tempting to be greedy and up your price, but I found out that being fair led
to long-term relationships and to people who kept me so busy I didn't have to
look for new clients for a while.

Hope this helps.

Edit: formatting.

------
timjahn
We're building matchist (matchist.com) to solve this exact problem.

Don't compete with low-cost overseas developers and spend all day bidding for
projects.

Instead, sign up for the matchist beta (<http://matchist.com/talent>). We
believe in matching you with projects you want to work on and have the skills
for.

~~~
CWIZO
Too bad you're open to US devs only :/ Any plans on expanding?

~~~
timjahn
I know, it kills me to have to have that disclaimer on there. The reason is
twofold: 1) Our payments platform supports U.S. only at the moment. 2) We want
to start small and with what we know.

That said, we plan on growing this down the road. :)

~~~
CWIZO
Do you have a mailing list or something, so I'll know when you're available in
the EU?

~~~
timjahn
Yes, we do. You can sign up for it here: <http://eepurl.com/lYvxz>

------
bdunn
Talk to business owners that have problems. Then solve them.

Freelancer marketplaces are a race-to-the-bottom commodity market.

------
codegeek
My experience says that you need to be good at _at least_ one of these.
Ideally, you should do all IMO:

1\. Network especially with people you have already worked with/for in
industry that you are now freelancing in. Most ppl underestimate this. For
example, I have a list of contacts whom I email at least once a year just
saying hi. I usually do it during christmas/new year eve. Never burn bridges
with anyone and always try and stay in touch.

2\. Get found by people/clients/recruiters/employers by building a strong
online presence. I constantly get good offers through linkedin. To do this
however, you need to focus on a more specialist profile vs. a generalist
profile. Focus on your niche, add the right keywords and experience, get
recommendations online in that domain and frequently update your profile.

------
eggbrain
My guess is that you are an experienced developer that worked for a company
and never saw the outside clients -- meaning you have no reputation in the
field outside your resume.

I'd partner with a web-contracting agency in your area to start doing work
through them -- something where you work directly with clients on a day to day
basis.

After you've worked for a dozen or so clients, you'll start to have a
reputation, and from what I've found with friends, once you quit your
contracting job you'll find clients wanting to still give you work based on
what you've done. From there word of mouth does a good deal of work, and going
to networking events and forming relationships does the rest.

------
padobson
Have conversations with people that need problems solved.

What's your main area of expertise? Go to online communities where that
expertise is discussed and join the conversation. When somebody enters the
conversation that needs a problem solved, you'll be headed towards a new
client.

Social networking is your friend. A month ago, I got a new client using Quora
- through a question I asked about how to find new clients.

The more companies you talk to, the closer you'll get to finding somebody that
needs you. Remember, they want you to consult for them as much as you want to
consult for them, so go out there and find them. From my perception, the
environment is very pro-consultant right now.

------
ecaroth
Not sure where you are located, but most big cities have regular tech
networking events, seminars, skillshare classes, etc. The VAST majority of
rewarding, quality work I have done freelancing was for real-life people
(businesses, many startups, etc) that I met at network events. Get a decent
personal business card and make sure you tell people what you are capable of
doing, and that you are available for work when you meet them. You will be
surprised how many opportunities come out of the woodwork.

------
lprubin
Volunteering to do some programming for charities and doing some open source
work is a great way to make connections that can often lead to freelance work.
That's how my freelance business got going. Two of my biggest clients came via
the connections I made volunteering for a green energy micro lending charity.

And client relationships that come via connections are often far better and
more lucrative than those that come through freelancing websites.

------
davewasthere
I don't know how I get work, but I always seem to be busy (for the past four
years of freelancing at least).

Main thing is to put the word out. Have projects of your own. Offer advice
freely. Be helpful. I normally have more work than I want and can be fairly
choosy.

But I've got to admit, if it all dried up, I'm not sure how I'd go about
'looking' for work. (that said, I'm not sure I'd want to)

------
larve
I wouldn't dismiss these freelancing websites altogether though, it takes a
bit to identify potential good clients, a lot of people got burnt by the
outsourcing companies and are actually ready to pay sensible rates. I got my
current job through one of these sites, first taking on a node.js job and then
moving to basically full-time freelancing. I don't make that much as for jobs
I got through personal and industry contacts, but the client is pretty much
the best I ever got. That kind of freedom and respect (and quickly paid
invoice, like 10 minutes after I sent them) is worth its money too.

But else, industry and personal contacts, building up contacts through giving
speeches and being a part of the development community (user groups, etc...)
works best for me.

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niggler
I'd recommend you put your email in your profile. I have some work for a
competent web developer ...

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lnanek2
Go to meetups and other tech events. Make friends with people and talk about
their ideas. Give out your card. You'll get propositions to help people
constantly. Some of those people will be willing to pay. The more you get
asking you, the higher you can raise your price.

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maxer
As a web developer php type guy..

Things i have done to get work-

Network- attend tech conferences and talk to people

Blog about your area of interest

I ran google adwords on specific key terms, this helped to get a decent bulk
of work with a 20x ROI

Over time your network will build up.

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stevewillows
A friend of mine aims to give out five business cards a day. For me, I always
check in with my previous clients (by phone or email). That tends to refresh
the desire to get some work done.

Craigslist is a sham.

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jamesjguthrie
I started out with my first short-term contract back in May/June and have been
self employed since that finished. I get work by contact form submissions on
my own website (it's just a WordPress blog), occasionally posting on the
'Looking for work' topics here and from an advert I posted on the Gumtree
website.

I tried working on vWorker.com but I had a terrible experience with a client
in Pakistan. Never again.

Right now I'm making enough to pay my bills and I have work lined up for the
next couple of months. Not too bad.

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ExpiredLink
> I am a highly experienced developer who has recently taken to freelancing.

If you are a programmer (not web designer) what you want is 'contract
programming', not 'freelancing'. Your chances to get a direct contract with a
big company (i.e. a company that can afford you) are minimal. Big customers
don't talk to single persons. They only talk to other companies. You need to
offer your service to one of those companies who will sell you to their big
customers on demand.

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lesterbuck
The Ruby Freelancers podcast covers a large swath of language independent
freelancing knowledge: <http://rubyfreelancers.com/>

They highly recommend two books for freelancers, "Get Clients Now!" by CJ
Hayden, and "Book Yourself Solid" by Michael Port. The Hayden book, in
particular, might be viewed as agile marketing, so developers can feel right
at home.

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rwhitman
The best paying and most reliable gigs generally involve either face to face
meetings at least once, or a referral from someone you've met face to face.
Focus on finding clients where you can meet them. If you don't have any leads
try cold emailing local-ish businesses that will have a lot of dev work
(design agencies, medium to big co's) or use local forums like craigslist etc.

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dwelch2344
Get involved with your local community. Word of mouth is the best referral
system when you're getting started.

Try using your personal network to find a local business / organization that
is struggling with some piece of software / website. Or donate some work to a
non-profit and ask them to spread your name around. Every successful project
should bring you at least two more to work on.

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zeet2020
_be reasonable in your bids.

_ be consistent in bids (don't bid ridiculously low or ridiculously high on
project of some efforts).

 _give your employer a bit of detail about your implementation methods and
road map, even thou they will not understand anything they will get good
impression of you.

_ start off with few free or low priced projects to get a good rating in
freelancing websites.

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thatusertwo
Being new to freelance I find it often takes awhile from the time someone says
they want work done to the point of actually needing that work done. Point
being, line up a few projects so you have things to do between waiting for
projects to mature.

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davidw
Work on a product in your spare time. Get involved with the open source tech
that your product uses.

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johnnyg
If you'd like a phone interview with CPAP.com shoot me an email at johnny dt
goodman at cpap dc.

~~~
protoweek
Have sent an email :)

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dapvincent
I always have jobs waiting for a talented dev. email me :D
contact[]vincentjr.com

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breck
Join a company of freelancers. 10x better

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wilfra
I'm thinking of doing some freelancing styling Bootstrap sites for people who
don't like doing front-end work. Anybody have tips for doing that? I poked
around on odesk and elance a bit but it seems the going rate there is roughly
minimum wage.

