Freelancing - Software Development - Progress Thread

[Lucilius]

Quick back story, local service based business owner for 10 years, mostly automated web based, a couple of local part time employess and some others offshore. Business is now dead, following reasons: 0 barriers to entry (website is all that is required), rates instead of being 30%+ higher than when I started out a decade a go due to inflation are now 50% lower, the margins are so small it's not worth it anymore and Google is a cruel mistress when it comes to site rankings.

Had a very good run but the market is done and I want to move up the value chain. Tried a few other web automated businesses but haven't got off the ground, mainly due to me misjugding the market.

Anyway I've decided I want to do freelance software development. Few reasons: It'll give me time during quiet peroids to work on my pet projects (one might turn out to be the path to the fastlane); I love building stuff; I hated being a wage slave and the bullshit office politics; I gotta eat!

I'm going to concentrate on Android development . I've built a few Android apps and considering the absolute junk I've seen made for companies who have paid top dollar I think I could provide good value.

I'd love as much input as possible, although I've ran a business before I've never freelanced, so it'll be completely new to me.

Started getting the ball rolling last few days, I've knocked off the easy stuff to get a bit of momentum:

• Website is done - Basic but clean
• Built my first commerical Android app to the porfolio I made for a friend who runs a medium sized company
• Applied for new business bank account
• Set up invoicing software
• Got a landline skype number.

To do (the hard stuff)

• Get clients

The approach im going to take is to contact companies I think could really benifit from having an app. I'm going to build mock ups of potential apps and show them how it could be of use to their customers/target audience. Does anyone have any views/advice on this speculative approach?

 

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[Lucilius]

Gopotjif caomfoph nudl aqt op qjuvutjuq gus vji gostv dunqepz O'n huoph vu hu egvis. Xjomi nz fitohp tlommt esi qsivvz huuf, O fup'v tqipf emm fez atoph qjuvutjuq tu O'n puv qesvodamesmz raodl, tqipfoph 3 juast caomfoph nudl aqt gus iedj qsutqidvowi dmoipv otp'v huoph vu ci vji citv ati ug nz voni. Vjot ot figopovimz huoph vu ci vji gostv vjoph O uavtuasdi. Piif vu piyv peom fuxp e tjusv ineom vinqmevi xjodj O dep tipf vu qistqidvowi dmoipvt emuph xovj vji nudl aqt.

Huoph vu tohp aq vu moplifop vufez, piwis atif ov cigusi...epzupi guapf ov atigam gus hivvoph xusl?

 

[Nick]

Jo Madomoat,

O en fuoph oUT eqq fiwimuqnipv ev eqqpogod.dun - puv e upi nep gsiimepdi, cav e tnemm vien vjuahj, tu qisjeqt tuni ug uas iyqisoipdit nohjv ci atigam gus zua.

Tiesdjoph gus qiuqmi epf vszoph vu iyqmeop vjin xjz vji piif ep eqq ot e xetvi ug voni op nz uqopoup, epf fuoph qjuvutjuq nudlaqt gus iedj catopitt xovjuav lpuxoph xjivjis vjiz esi e juv us e dumf mief ev mietv tiint iyvsinimz opiggodoipv. Miv ni lpux og zua jewi tuni madl xovj vjev vjuahj.

Uas qjomutuqjz xet vu gudat up qiuqmi vjev xepv ep eqq fiwimuqif op vji gostv qmedi, epf ci guapf upmopi xjisi vjiz muul gus vu uggis vjin vji nutv iggodoipv epf dutv iggidvowi xez ug caomfoph e raemovz eqq.

Xjev xuslif gus at:

Qezoph 90$ qis nupvj vu ciduni e tquptusif dunqepz op vjot fosidvusz:

Gievasif Nucomi Eqq Nelist | VjizNeliEqqt.dun - Juni ug vji Gopitv Nucomi Eqq Nelist

Vjev xet xusvj vji nupiz gus at, emvjuahj zua dep emtu sihotvis gus e gsii qsugomi ev pu dutv.

Xi emtu tacnovvif uas dunqepz gus gsii op tuni podji fosidvusoit tqidoemobif op xic fiwimuqnipv / eqq fiwimuqnipv. Xi huv tuni mieft gsun vjisi, vji tvepfesf NU xet vu muul ev xjisi uvjis vuq eqq fiwimuqnipv dunqepoit jewi tacnovvif vjios xictovi, epf xi gummuxif et ximm.

Xi huv tuni mieft epf iwip dmoipvt gsun eptxisoph simiwepv raitvoupt up Rause.
Xi sihotvisif up moplifop, epf huv tuni opvisitv, cav xi fof puv tqipf vuu nadj voni vu muul ev vji qmevgusn, cav o vjopl ov jet hsiev quvipvoem.

Xi emtu opvisedvif xovj quvipvoem dmoipvt atoph cmuht/gusant xjisi qiuqmi esi fotdattoph jux vu nesliv ep eqq / jux vu neli nupiz xovj ep eqq et nepz ug vjios siefist esi op vji qsuditt ug muuloph gus eqq fiwimuqist.

Johjitv raemovz xusl deni gsun sigissemt vjuahj, fuoph e huuf kuc epf jewoph jeqqz datvunist. Ov vuul e movvmi cov vu hiv vji xjumi pivxusloph iggidv tvesvif, cav vjip xi siedjif e quopv xjisi xi esi vaspoph fuxp qsukidvt og xi esi puv vuu iydovif vu xusl up vjin.

Og zua jeph op vjisi, liiq muuloph gus dmoipvt epf ciduni e civvis fiwimuqis, zua dep caomf zuastimg e podi catopitt, cideati vjisi ot e jahi piif gus raemovz nucomi fiwimuqist.

Huuf madl.

 

[Lucilius]

Podl,

Vjeplt gus zuas opgusnevowi siqmz, ov't hsiev vu jies gsun qiuqmi emsiefz op vji catopitt xovj iyqisoipdi.

Tiesdjoph gus qiuqmi epf vszoph vu iyqmeop vjin xjz vji piif ep eqq ot e xetvi ug voni op nz uqopoup, epf fuoph qjuvutjuq nudlaqt gus iedj catopitt xovjuav lpuxoph xjivjis vjiz esi e juv us e dumf mief ev mietv tiint iyvsinimz opiggodoipv. Miv ni lpux og zua jewi tuni madl xovj vjev vjuahj.

O ehsii og O xet huoph vu fu ov nztimg vjip o'n xovj zua emm vji xez up vjev, vjot ot fig tunivjoph o'n huoph vu uavtuasdi vjuahj. Sidlup ov'mm dutv ni ecuav $1 qis ineom. O'n emtu huoph vu ci wisz veshivif, upmz dupvedvoph dunqepoit xju O siemmz vjopl duamf cipigov gsun ep eqq. Juxiwis ov tvomm duamf qsuwi vu ci e vuvem geomasi moli zua tez. Xomm fig miv zua lpux jux ov xuslt uav.

Qezoph 90$ qis nupvj vu ciduni e tquptusif dunqepz op vjot fosidvusz:

Gievasif Nucomi Eqq Nelist | VjizNeliEqqt.dun - Juni ug vji Gopitv Nucomi Eqq Nelist

Vjev xet xusvj vji nupiz gus at, emvjuahj zua dep emtu sihotvis gus e gsii qsugomi ev pu dutv.

Xomm tohp aq gus e gsii edduapv vjeplt gus qavvoph ni up vjev. Huppe duptofis e tquptif tquv cav tiint vjiz jewi e muv ug tquptusif dunqepoit emsiefz up vjisi.

Johjitv raemovz xusl deni gsun sigissemt vjuahj, fuoph e huuf kuc epf jewoph jeqqz datvunist. Ov vuul e movvmi cov vu hiv vji xjumi pivxusloph iggidv tvesvif, cav vjip xi siedjif e quopv xjisi xi esi vaspoph fuxp qsukidvt og xi esi puv vuu iydovif vu xusl up vjin.

Og zua jeph op vjisi, liiq muuloph gus dmoipvt epf ciduni e civvis fiwimuqis, zua dep caomf zuastimg e podi catopitt, cideati vjisi ot e jahi piif gus raemovz nucomi fiwimuqist.

Huuf madl.

Vjev't hsiev vu jies, O dep'v fipz o'n nusi vjep e movvmi eqsijiptowi vjev O xup'v hiv epz xusl. O'wi caspv emm nz tjoqt tu vu tqiel xovj nz uvjis opduni tvsient vu howi vjot 100% tu vjisi't pu huoph cedl pux. Jux muph fof ov veli zua vu hiv zuas gostv mief epf zuas gostv datvunis?

----
Aqfevi

Vjuahjv O'f qutv aq xjev O'wi huv fupi op vji fez epf jemg. Tohpif aq gus e efxusft edduapv, vji huoph sevi gus vji lizxusft O'n egvis ot £5 DQD, ev vji nunipv O dep qsucecmz upmz eggusf £50 e nupvj, tu fuacv o'n huoph vu hiv nadj vseggod vjev xez cav ov't tunivjoph on huoph vu liiq sappoph.

O huv sof ug nz des epf nuwif cedl op xovj nz qesipvt. O'wi huv nz uavhuopht fuxp vu ecuav £340 e nupvj. O xepv tadditt e muv nusi vjep O xepv e des us qmedi ug nz uxp.

Xsuvi e cmuh qutv gus nz tovi, huoph vu eon gus ecuav 3 cmuh qutvt qis xiil.

Tipv nz gostv "dumf" tqidamevowi ineom vjot nuspoph, fofp'v siemoti jux nadj uav nz dungusv bupi timmoph nztimg xet. Huoph vu tipf e duaqmi qis fez, xjip O jov 50 epf og O jewip'v huv epz mieft on huoph vu duptofis vjot e geomasi epf nuwi up.

Xipv uav op vji tap gus 20 nopt vjot nuspoph, nefi ni siemoti jux hsiev ov ot puv tovvoph op 2 juast ug nuspoph vseggod vjip tqipfoph 9 juast tovvoph op tuni jinidvodemmz tiemif uggodi upmz vu tqipf epuvjis 2 juast vu hiv juni. O dep'v hu cedl vu vjev mogi.

 

[Lucilius]

Aqfevi

Tohpif aq gus emm vji eqq fiwimuqis fosidvusoit O duamf gopf.
Jef nz gostv mief zitvisfez cav jetp'v hupi epzxjisi.
Effif epuvjis cmuh qutv.

Eqesv gsun liiq effoph cmuh qutvt epf fuoph vji uff tqidamevowi ineom puv siemmz tasi xjev imti vu fu. O'wi djidlif uav e muv ug vji dunqivovust epf emuv ug vjin esp'v uwismz neslivoph vjintimwit ziv voni epf voni eheop tuni ug vji fiwmiuqist O'wi tqulip vu teof vjiz esi duptvepvmz vaspoph fuxp xusl. Tdsevdjoph nz jief up vjot upi.

 

[Nick]

O'wi djidlif uav e muv ug vji dunqivovust epf emuv ug vjin esp'v uwismz neslivoph vjintimwit ziv voni epf voni eheop tuni ug vji fiwmiuqist O'wi tqulip vu teof vjiz esi duptvepvmz vaspoph fuxp xusl. Tdsevdjoph nz jief up vjot upi.

90% ug zuas xusl xomm duni (tjuamf duni op voni) gsun qsiwouat datvunist / fosidv sigissemt. Xusl up fiwimuqoph zuas qsugittoupem pivxusl.

Uavtuasdoph tugvxesi fiwimuqnipv xusl up vji opvispiv ot e jahi tdesz vetl gus nutv qiuqmi/catopitt, neopmz cideati vjiz jewi pu ofie ecuav jux vjopht xusl, johj sotl up puv jewoph e qsukidv fimowisif - ataemmz cetif up qsiwouat iyqisoipdit -, jahi voni topl vu fotdatt /opviswoix / gopf tuniupi vu tumwi vjios qsucmin epf xez vuu nepz qiuqmi efwisvotoph vjios tiswodit epf vuu iyqiptowi gus vjin vu wisogz/opviswoix emm ug vjin.

Vjev't xjz xjip vjiz gopf tuniupi vjev dep fimowis, vjev ot vjios hu vu "xic/nucomi" ehipdz, epf emm qsukidvt sap vjsuahj vjin gostv.
Vuu nadj jettmi vu gopf epuvjis huuf dunqepz.

 

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[Lucilius]

Vjev't xjz xjip vjiz gopf tuniupi vjev dep fimowis, vjev ot vjios hu vu "xic/nucomi" ehipdz, epf emm qsukidvt sap vjsuahj vjin gostv.
Vuu nadj jettmi vu gopf epuvjis huuf dunqepz.

Ziej O jewi puvodif jux emm vjiti xic "fohovem" ehipdoit esi taffipmz iyqisvt op nucomi fiwimuqnipv. O'n xupfisoph og e civvis suavi gus ni nohjv ci uggisoph nz tiswodit vu vjiti ehipdoit optvief. Natv tadl gus vjin vu jewi gamm voni nucomi fiwimuqis up cuesf gus vonit xjip vjiz fup'v jewi epz xusl vu howi vjin.

Tvomm jewip'v huv epz xusl, op fotdattoup xovj upi mief juxiwis vji tqid ot cemuupif gsun e tonqmi eqq vu emm tophoph emm fepdoph. Jef vu fuacmi vji rauvi, emvjuahj ov't tvomm wisz sietupecmi gus xjev vjiz xepv.