Do you consider yourself an expert webmaster? Is your knowledge of ASP, PHP, Java, and CSS comprehensive? How much fun is it for you to create software? If so, you’ll have a highly employable ability that can help you make money while you stay at home. A career as a freelance programmer offering remote work could be ideal if you want to work on projects that interest you, set your own hours, and make a good living without leaving the house.
Maybe because there’s more to making it as a successful freelance programmer than being able to out-code your friends and family. You’ll need to put in the same amount of effort as you would with any other home-based business. In order to complete your tasks and meet your deadlines, you’ll need to be persistent, able to communicate effectively, well-organized, and willing to take responsibility for your actions. If you’re committed to putting in the time and effort to find employment, keep up with it, and work even when you don’t feel like it, then reading on will teach you the fundamentals of working remotely as a programmer.
Research your market.
If you’re going to be working from home, it’s important to keep up with industry developments. Find out what people are looking for in terms of TV shows. Whilst PHP, ASP, and.NET are supported at the time of this writing, that could change by the time next week rolls around. Determine via study which of your abilities will yield the greatest financial reward.
Make Your Website Shine
The greatest way to promote your expertise is through your own website. Examine it carefully to ensure that it is well-presented and error-free. You should submit a portfolio of your work, preferably including finished products. It’s simple to include coded games and online tools, but don’t forget also to provide screenshots and details on scripts and desktop programs. Don’t forget to list your contact information and provide links to your online portfolio. A solid home page is the first step towards being your own publicist when working from home.
Make Some Kinds of Free Offers
The term for this is “paying your dues,” and it’s something everyone must do if they want to make it in the corporate world. Any successful home business owner will tell you that giving things away for free is the best way to encourage people to pay. Your goal as a freelance programmer should be to build your reputation. Participate actively in subscriber and support forums for software you are familiar with. Always provide a link to your portfolio and try to help people out as much as possible.
Sign Up for Online Job Forums for Freelancers
Freelance job sites are ideal for a home-based computer programmer to obtain contract work. As with more conventional job boards like Monster.com, bidding boards serve as a meeting place for employers and independent contractors. This is where the parallels end. Following the posting of a job opening on a bidding board, interested coders submit bids outlining their rates, availability, and any other terms they may have for the position. The purchaser selects a contractor after the bid process has concluded. This setup is how you’ll find the bulk of your employment opportunities.
Maintain an Air of Seriousness
When you work from home, you become your entire team’s central point of contact. There is only you; no one else handles sales or finances. Mastering proper business etiquette from the initial bid to the last thank-you note is essential. Don’t forget to tally up the fees and record them separately from the payments you receive. Keep track of the jobs you accept and do them on schedule by maintaining orderliness. Even when you’re working from home, that doesn’t give you license to slack off. You should be even more well-organized than the guy who has a full team behind him.
Make Use of Every Opportunity to Market Yourself
As a freelancer, most of your work will be on shorter-term assignments, although you may get hired for longer-term jobs occasionally. How long do you need to upload a script to a server and adjust its parameters? Is it really only been twenty minutes? A half-hour? In the range of $35-$50, you can find customers that are willing to pay you to accomplish that. My definition of a “bread-and-butter” job is one like that. They maintain a constant flow of income between major projects. It’s a good idea to keep an eye on help wanted and job boards daily to pick up a few of those. It generates revenue and retains your name in the public eye so that potential clients can find you when they need a coder.
Learning how to freelance successfully while based at home is a skill that may be picked up rather quickly. Just to recap, those are the fundamentals. You can use them to realize that the only thing limiting your income is how hard you are willing to work and how well you advertise yourself.
