Carlos On Web :: Going techie without going broke

In the previous article, I mentioned three Websites that are excellent sources of projects to fuel your freelance programming career. As a freelance contractor, you would naturally select projects that can be done remotely. And if you are the type who prefers working from home, Web-based projects present some attractive options. A good number of project opportunities posted on the aforementioned sites are coming from Western Countries particularly the US tapping into the pool of IT talents from the other side of the globe and taking advantage of the low cost of labor. Some are also based just locally in the Philippines from Manila, Cebu, Davao and other smaller cities around the country. Where the opportunity is coming from doesn’t make much difference anymore. The Internet has made it all accessible to virtually anyone at a super low cost.

But sometimes the best project opportunities can be found right at your own backyard — in your own city, town or the neighborhood just staring at you in the face. Believe it or not, I’ve been doing local projects for locally based clients for a couple of months already. And when I say local, I mean right here in Davao City.

“God hides things,” said Ralph Waldo Emerson, “by putting them near us.” I’m not a Literature guy, but I think Emerson is referring to man’s inability to spot the obvious opportunities right where he stands. I don’t want to elaborate on that literature stuff further. Suffice it to say that there are indeed opportunities in your own locality if you have the eyes to see them.

In this article, I’d like to share some local sources where you can possibly get your next project. Here they are:
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If the title of this article catches your attention, you are not alone. I’ve had countless visitors who dropped an email or two asking for my sources of clients and projects. Perhaps they wanted to venture into freelance programming and curious about how I stayed after all these times. Indeed, anyone whoever wanted to become a freelance programmer should consider the question of finding clients very seriously.

Though it did not worry me a bit where to find my clients in the beginning of my venture, I honestly did a considerable amount of time thinking about it during the rough times.

Is there a good source of legitimate projects that can be done remotely? Is it better to choose clients based abroad than locally in the Philippines?

There are literally thousands of websites scattered throughout the Web offering jobs and outsourcing opportunities that could match all the skill-set you can possibly think of. Your excellent search skills can be a useful asset if you have the time to try and see what’s out there. In fact, I should suggest that you do that. But if you are already bugged down and wanted to narrow down your search with due consideration on the experience of real people, the following sources might prove to be a handy reference.

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How much does it cost to create a website? As a web developer, I often hear that same question over and over from business acquaintances I get into contact with. Some would like to build a business website, thinking that it is a cool thing to do. Others would think that building a website is much like typing a thesis paper on a word processor and therefore it should be easy and cheap. If you were to answer that question, what would your response be?

Three hundred thousand Pesos? Fifty thousand? Five thousand? One thousand? Just a cup of McDonald’s hot chocolate?

Any Web Developer worth his salt and who has been in the business of developing websites — or Web Applications for that matter — is aware that the first question raised above is actually incomplete. It doesn’t even give you a hint as to the nature of the project. So any figure you that you will come up with based on that question alone is in fact meaningless. But, on the side of the customer (the one asking for a price quotation), it is a good way of spotting the kind of web developer you are talking to – whether an amateur or a real professional.

“Hey Carlos, if you don’t come up with a figure right then and there, how will the client know if he will hire you to do the project or find someone else?”

Thanks for asking and you have a good point. First, I don’t regret losing a client who doesn’t know what he is about to do. If I should be working WITH a client, I’d like to do it with someone who awards a project not on the basis of price alone, but on the benefits he will derive in knowing that he is working with a real problem solver. Second, as a web professional, I always make it a point to remember that I am also a consultant. It is my job to dissect what my client’s real needs are and offer a few suggestions. It could be free during the initial stage, I’d be glad to do that. Just because a client wants a business website doesn’t automatically mean that it is the perfect pill for him to shallow.

“So Mr. Consultant, how do you proceed?”

If you are new to Web Development Business, read carefully. I am about to share some priced possessions that I’ve been keeping in my treasure chest of wisdom learned from being a practicing web developer and software consultant. I am assuming here that you are dealing with a client who relies on you for guidance in showing him the right way to develop his website.

Here are the five points to remember:

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Before I start throwing a few suggestions on how to jumpstart your freelance programming career, let me share bit of my own experience on how I started and became a freelance programmer.

The End is the Beginning is the End

Allow me to begin at the end. Circa April 2004.

The American founder of the Web Development team that I helped organize decided to call it quits… and it’s final. With about 13 months of existence, we are finally closing shop. All four Filipino programmers are forced to ask the inevitable question: What will you do next? It’s a question we keep asking each other. If you happen to be involved in such a situation, you would naturally ponder on that question, too.

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“Can you create a clone of YouTube in PHP? How long will it take you to do it and how much do you charge?”

“I bought this JavaScript code that has built-in shopping cart. Now, what I want to do is convert it to PHP. My budget is $100. Are you interested?”

“I am forming a company that would compete with Company X, but I need volunteer programmers with topnotch skills like yours. I can’t afford to pay you right now, but I do promise to give you a portion of the profit when we become successful. Care to join us on board?”

As a freelance programmer, you have probably been offered impressive-sounding or other downright stupid projects like the ones above. Over the years, one of the most important lessons I’ve learned is that not all projects and clients are worth investing my time. Here is my take on why you should avoid the trap.

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