Is Freelancing the Road to Success for Web Developers?
Freelancing can be a lucrative field for many web developers but do the pros outweigh the cons?
What is a Freelance Web Developer?
A freelance web developer is someone who chooses to be their own boss rather than work for a company or organisation.
You’re the face of the company and all the projects, deadlines and profit belong to you.
You will personally work with clients in many industries and deliver solutions that fit both theirs and the needs of their audience.
I think almost every web developer has considered or tried going the freelance route at least once, as it sounds like a worthwhile endeavour with limitless possibilities.
What are the Pros of Freelancing?
Freedom
One of the most significant pros of being a freelance web developer is the amount of freedom it affords you.
Being a freelancer means you can set your hours, what days you work, and where you work.
You aren’t bogged down by an hourly contract and daily commute that eats up your valuable time.
You can choose to work while in a cafe or in the park.
You can even get paid to work while you’re still in bed if that’s your style.
Pick Your Projects
Being a freelancer allows you to pick and choose the projects that you want to do.
This means no more mundane projects which don’t excite, challenge or inspire you.
Picking your projects also allows you to specialise in a specific technology stack.
This could be your favourite technology or the most profitable technology within your area of expertise.
Get Paid Your Worth
As a freelance developer the sky’s the limit when it comes to the money you can potentially earn.
You can choose what hours you work and set your price for the work you do.
Suppose you have the reputation of being one of the best developers around. In that case, you can set your hourly rate to a premium, and clients will happily pay as they know your work is worth it.
As a freelance web developer you can also begin to look at earning yourself a passive income by offering clients maintenance and hosting packages.
You no longer have to wait for that promotion or switch jobs to increase your salary.
Additional information by Brad Traversy about becoming a freelance web developer
What are the Cons of Freelancing?
Getting Started
Getting started is the most challenging issue you’ll face.
If you’ve never had any previous clients it will prove challenging to find work as you’ll need to find people who are willing to put their trust and hard-earned cash in you to do a good job.
Because you’ll mainly be relying on people’s trust, you may find you’ll have to work less than you’re worth or initially take on some “pro-bono” jobs to build up your portfolio and reputation.
The web development field can be very saturated — especially for junior developers and freelance developers who are just getting started.
You’ll find yourself competing with thousands of other developers who may be working in developing countries, which will undercut you as they are willing to be paid an hourly rate that you couldn’t possibly afford to compete with.
Once you do start to build up a reputation, finding clients will become easier and you’ll get to the stage where you can pick and choose your projects but it’s getting passed this initial hurdle that many struggle with.
RealtoughToughCandy explaining the truth of beginning as a freelancer
Uncertainty
While freelancing can lead to a generous salary, there’s a considerable amount of risk you have to take and you may find yourself not earning enough.
There can be some month’s where you’ll be overloaded with client requests and some month’s where it’ll be tough to find any at all.
Typically, freelancers work with 2–3 clients at a time, which gives them a more secure revenue stream and can protect them if a client bails out on them.
Accountability
Becoming a freelance web developer leads to a vast degree of freedom as you no longer find yourself confined to the office working from 9 to 5.
However, this freedom comes with a catch. Everything falls on you, and you’ll have to set your hours now and commit to the hours each day to complete your work.
Committing to work these hours requires a considerable amount of discipline, and many people will struggle with this and will find themselves slacking - which will lead to their work not being completed on time.
And of course, if you fail to complete the job you will find yourself in a difficult situation where you don’t get paid.
Is Freelancing Right for You?
There are specific traits that make great freelance developers stand out from the rest.
In no specific order, I believe these traits are:
- Disciplined
- Hard-working
- Approachable
- Accountable
- Highly Skilled
- Optimistic
If you can associate with all or some of these traits, you just may have the skills required to have a great freelance career.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are many pros and cons of becoming a freelance developer. Whether it’s worth pursuing depends on the person, the skills they have and want they hope to achieve in their career.
Have you considered becoming a freelance developer, or are you already one? Let me know.
