Freelancing Stack Exchange
Freelancing Stack Exchange

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1500 questions
17
votes
4 answers

Do I need a formal business plan to run a successful freelance business?

In the UK, HMRC have created some tests to determine whether you are in business of your own account, one of which is that you have a business plan that gets updated regularly. Initially in response to this I started writing one but haven't got very…
levelnis
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17
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7 answers

How to know when you are a competent enough programmer to charge clients

I'm quite a solid front-end developer with a solid hourly rate. Everything seems to be fine except one thing; about 4 months ago I discovered that I have to skip 9 out of 10 jobs for Front End developers, because I do not know anything about basic…
fyndevogel
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17
votes
3 answers

Filing taxes quarterly

Do I need to file taxes quarterly if I am self-employed (no matter what), or are there circumstances in which I can file at the end of the year? For example, if I were employed at another job for which I had taxes withheld, especially if the…
buckminst
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17
votes
6 answers

Is it appropriate to ask for a referral fee when sending work to another freelancer?

If I have a client who needs some work done that I am either too busy to do or that I don't have specific expertise in, I'd like to refer the work over to another freelance software developer who can help them address their needs. Is it…
David Archer
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17
votes
4 answers

The client is asking for too much work for the money

I have a client. I need to create a Wordpress template for him (as he told in the listing). He shared two HTML pages in the initial meeting. He said mistakenly he sent that file then he shared a link from where he copied those two HTML pages. That…
user1653773
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16
votes
2 answers

Should bug fixing of a finished project be free?

Lets say I finished an app recently - was hired to develop it. By the end the client tested features, paid me and the development was over. The question: what to do with the bugs which can appear further? Should I fix my bugs for free in the future,…
user710
16
votes
4 answers

Can a Western IT software developer make it in online freelancing?

I’ve worked reasonably paid (by Western standards) for 15 years. I'm wondering whether there is any point me trying to crack the online freelance market. I compete against thousands of people with a markedly lower sense of "reasonable pay". I have…
Brendan Hill
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16
votes
3 answers

Marketing yourself with limited time

I have done freelance work for several years now, taking the occasional gig while still working a full-time "day job". I don't get many gigs, and I think it's due to not actively marketing myself other than word-of-mouth through existing clients and…
MidnightLightning
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16
votes
6 answers

How to combat the isolation which can become prevalent when freelancing?

Forgive me if this is somewhat subjective and feel free to close if it's too broad. I've been a freelance designer for a bit more than a decade. I work from home. I don't really have any complaints in terms of the projects, work, money, clients,…
Scott
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16
votes
5 answers

Should I lower my per hour rate to be competitive with overseas firms?

I was recently invited to bid on a mobile development contract for a company in South Africa. After doing my research of firms that are local to South Africa, I'm noticing that my hourly rate is about 30% higher than the locals. My question is,…
Michael Celey
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15
votes
3 answers

Building my online portfolio as a web developer with limited projects

Briefing: I'm a self-taught web developer with about 4 years of programming and design experience. My list of closed projects includes - complete websites from scratch, network-based web applications, and a few website designs for which I haven't…
M. Tahan
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15
votes
5 answers

Is it appropriate for a prospective client to require me to purchase third-party tools?

I have been approached by a prospective client for a long-term support and development contract, but they require me to purchase roughly $4000 worth of third-party controls and tools. These were used in the initial development of the…
jfw
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15
votes
4 answers

Why am I not getting hired on UpWork/oDesk?

I'm having difficulties getting hired on oDesk (UpWork) when bidding on projects, and I think it has to do with my cover letters. Here's an example of one of my cover letters that I've sent: Dear Freelancer, I'm a Web Designer + Developer, and…
Bilal Maqsood
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15
votes
3 answers

How to setup client ownership of domain name and hosting

I'm starting out as a small web design and development business. I'd prefer that after I launch a site for a client, they then own and be responsible for the management and recurring payment of their domain name and hosting. I'm just curious how…
KodeKreachor
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15
votes
7 answers

As a new freelancer, how can I improve my communication with the clients?

Recently I've become really frustrated after moving from a regular office job to freelancing. Since I am new to freelancing, I decided to do some low-quality, cheap jobs to get some stars in my profile and get some nice feedbacks. But now, I am just…
fyndevogel
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