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Business

Posted by Salman Akram
Salman Akram
Courses Plus Student 40,065 Points

The Drawbacks of Freelance Web Development

Hi guys,

Anyone have good experience working in own freelance regarding web development? What do you think of your experiences vs employed?

Found this article:

The Drawbacks of Freelance Web Development

I am a bit worried, please advice.

Andrew Stelmach
Andrew Stelmach
12,583 Points

I found it a little disheartening at first, but then encouraging.

Get good, get a good idea for an app/web app. Sell it.

I've been freelance before in a completely different industry. I always sum it up by saying, "when it's good i.e. you're getting plenty of work, it's AWESOME; you feel like you've cheated the system, living the dream etc. When it's bad i.e. you're struggling to find enough work, it's terrible."

It's up and down.

Unless you're REALLY fucking good.

But how good are you going to be anytime soon?

Personally, my goal is to write web apps for people and small business on the side while I'm employed as an English teacher (doing just enough hours to survive), build up my portfolio and then get hired as a fulltime employee. Only after a few years of working full time and getting REALLY good will I then possibly go freelance again. I don't want to go freelance from the start - it seems like too rocky a road and personally I fancy a bit of stability at the moment in my life.

But that's just me.

What do YOU want?

1 Answer

Rick Yentzer
Rick Yentzer
5,885 Points
Rick Yentzer
Rick Yentzer
5,885 Points

I worked as a freelance web developer/designer/marketer for two years before accepting a position with one of the companies I contracted with. I have not read the article but I have the experience to reflect on.

Pros: Flexibility New Projects Learn new things Work from home

Cons: Long hours Pay fluctuation Have to be somewhat of a polyglot. Work from home. Insurance & benefits can get expensive

I loved the flexibility. I was able to work around my kids schedules. The flip side was I worked a lot of nights also. I live in a small town so at first, I had to sell services such as Google marketing, SEO, etc to make a living off of it. It was only later that I was able to focus more on the web development and design. I came from the print design and marketing industry so I had extensive experience with both.

If you live in an urban area it may be easier to focus on a specific skill set.

You have to be disciplined. You are your own boss so you have to use your time wisely. I have not always been the best at that. ;)

Working from home is a two-edged sword. It can be great if you are suited to working alone. If your a socialite, then you will hate it. Some people work in coffee shops or share work spaces. But I found them too loud for a Skype or phone meeting.

Hope that helps and good luck!