

Becoming a Freelancer Again - toumhi
http://www.sparklewise.com/becoming-a-freelancer-again/

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jmduke
Congrats and best of luck. It sounds like you'll be much happier and more
productive in this role (and understandably!)

My $.02: differentiating yourself as a Python thought leader immediately
limits your target client base to "people who know what Python is", which is a
base with particularly high standards and relatively low budgets.

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bdunn
Best of luck.

I think you'll find that becoming known for creative applications of code
(e.g. Python) against certain niches will far outweigh trying to become a
"Python thought leader."

Since you mentioned an interest in Internet marketing, you could quite
literally write the book on, say, how law firms can attract new clients
through their websites, and use that as lead generation for lawyers who want
to understand the terrain (this Internet thing and how it can make the firm
more money) but understandably don't have the time between lawyer-y things to
actually do it themselves.

One things I'm REALLY big on is providing free educational seminars for a
particular niche. You could call up a handful of local law firms, let them
know you're an author who just wrote a book on how law firms like theirs can
get more clients automagically through their website, and invite them to an
in-person seminar where you'll dive further into the subject. You just might
sell a few copies of your e-book this way, but more importantly, you'll be
able to sell at scale and in a way that's not as intimidating (to the lawyer
who realizes you're trying to close a deal) as a one-on-one meeting.

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ErikAugust
If OPer or anyone wants to get serious about going into a "websites for
vertical" like law firms, let me know.

I have literally millions of qualified contacts that span over several dozen
verticals.

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AndrewLuke
One thing freelancers should consider is how they present themselves to the
market. I used to simply knock on doors as a sole freelancer. That would get
me some work, but it was inconsistent. I would be booked for two months, then
out of work for three. After reading patio11's blog, and some marketing books,
I decided to stop marketing myself as a freelancer. From that point forward, I
would lead a software/hardware development firm. It made a big difference. I
now market more easily, and land better clients. Plus it allows for me to hire
other developers and share the work between all. It also allows for me to
launch products through the firm. Which improves our market presence, and
increases our workload. Its a win-win.

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tocomment
Can you expand a bit more on the difference. What do you say exactly?

Why do you think it makes a difference?

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bdunn
It's all about risk.

It's risky for a business to hire someone to "write code", which is how the
average freelancer positions themselves. The act of writing code doesn't
necessarily translate to the hiring business being better off than they were
before they hired you.

Consultants positions themselves to align with the underlying business problem
and recognize themselves as an investment vessel, not an expense. "Ah, so your
employees are wasting dozens of hours a week on dealing with this crazy Excel
spreadsheet that runs your business? Let's find out how we can put together a
solution together that will dramatically lower the time spent fiddling around
in cells. A quick back of the napkin calculation... your employees dump about
30 hours into this spreadsheet a week. If you're paying $50 an hour to keep
these people on payroll, that's close to $100k a year in spreadsheet overhead.
Here's what I'm thinking..."

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AndrewLuke
To add:

If this is a new product project, a firm is simply positioned better than a
sole freelancer. Business value stability, and a firm provides the perception
of stability.

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timjahn
I think you're on the right track in determining what your "value add" is to a
client beyond straight development, and that should definitely help you
differentiate from the myriad of other freelance developers out there.

We have clients come to matchist
([http://matchist.com/talent](http://matchist.com/talent)) often looking for a
solid developer with other areas of knowledge like marketing.

In my own past experience as a freelance web developer, clients always liked
when I had additional knowledge and skills to add to their needs beyond just
plain coding.

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johnjlocke
Marketing makes all the difference between being seen for a long time to come
and just being another cog in the machine.

People who position themselves as something more than a person who writes code
do better in the long run. I think developers forget that anyone outside of
our bubble have no clue what the technologies are or what they do. They just
want their problem solved.

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timjahn
Exactly.

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apineda
Hey I have been considering the same thing, which was move to part-time work
and focus on products. Right now I do full time work (mix of telecommute) with
a focus on products (www.bandwave.fm) but obviously time is an issue. The
other option is to freelance like you are doing, and I've run into the same
kind of roadblock that you are seeing and that is... what do I really wish to
offer and what is marketable at a good rate? Anyway, I'm actually leaving for
Paris at the end of July if you want to meet up for a coffee that would be
cool. I added you on twitter. Good luck!

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toumhi
Hey Alex, sure thing, we can meet up in Paris for a coffee! Always good to
talk shop with other people :-)

I hear you for your roadblock - I also find it hard to come up with a strategy
that uses your skills, with things you love, and that meets a market.

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ronnix
Wish you the best!

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toumhi
Merci :-)

