How Working as an Independent Contractor Can Help You Start Your Own Freelance Dev Business
The freelance economy is booming, and web development is one of the hottest fields. A recent study by Upwork and Freelancers Union found that 57 million Americans freelanced in 2019, and the web development industry has seen steady growth in recent years.
But for developers just starting out, the idea of going straight into business for yourself can be daunting. How will you find clients? How much should you charge? What if you get in over your head on a project?
One smart way to ease into freelancing is by first working as an independent contractor for an established development agency or tech company. It‘s a chance to gain real world experience, build your portfolio, and learn the ropes of client work — all while enjoying the stability of a steady paycheck.
I took this route myself and it was instrumental in giving me the skills and confidence I needed to successfully strike out on my own. In this article, I‘ll share some of the key benefits of starting as a contractor and how it can help you launch a thriving freelance business.
Gain Real World Experience
Classroom learning and side projects are great, but there‘s no substitute for real world experience. When you‘re working on live client projects as part of a professional team, the stakes are higher. You‘re expected to deliver high quality work, on time and on budget.
This was certainly the case for me as a new developer working my first contract gig. I remember the first time my code was reviewed by a senior developer and how nervous I was to get their feedback. But that code review process taught me so much about writing clean, efficient, well-documented code. It‘s a level of scrutiny I never would have received on my own projects.
I also got hands-on experience with agile development methodologies, Git workflows, and DevOps practices that I had only read about before. Seeing how a real development team operates day-to-day was eye opening and made me a much stronger developer.
Beyond technical skills, contracting also gives you a crash course in professional communication and project management. You‘ll learn how to:
- Interact with clients and stakeholders
- Translate business requirements into technical specifications
- Provide progress updates and manage expectations
- Collaborate with designers and other developers
- Present and defend your work
- Handle change requests and scope creep
Contracting gives you a safe environment to develop these crucial soft skills with the guidance and support of experienced colleagues. So when you do start freelancing, you can confidently take on client projects knowing you have the complete skillset needed to deliver.
Build a Impressive Portfolio
When you‘re new to freelancing, your portfolio is everything. Prospective clients want to see examples of your past work before they‘ll even consider hiring you. But when you‘re just starting out, you may not have any professional projects to show.
That‘s where contracting comes in. The projects you complete as a contractor are excellent portfolio pieces that demonstrate your skills and experience to potential clients. Just be sure to get permission from the agency first before featuring them in your portfolio.
Some tips to make the most of your contracting projects in your portfolio:
- Include detailed case studies that outline the challenges, process, and results of each project
- Highlight specific contributions you made and technologies you used
- Share client testimonials or metrics that demonstrate the impact of your work
- Make the design and user experience of your portfolio itself top notch – it‘s the ultimate showcase of your abilities
With a selection of impressive, real-world projects in your portfolio from your contracting days, you‘ll have a much easier time landing freelance clients than if you only had personal or hypothetical projects to share.
Develop Your Niche
One of the keys to success as a freelance developer is specialization. By focusing on a specific niche – whether that‘s an industry, technology, or type of project – you can differentiate yourself in a crowded market and command higher rates.
But when you‘re just starting out, it can be hard to know what your niche should be. That‘s where contracting experiences can help you figure it out.
Working on a variety of projects for different clients and industries, you‘ll quickly learn what kind of work you most enjoy and are best at. You may discover a passion for building ecommerce sites with Shopify, or creating interactive data visualizations with D3.js.
You‘ll also gain an insider‘s understanding of different industries and their unique technology needs and challenges. That specialized knowledge is incredibly valuable and can help you carve out a lucrative niche as the go-to developer for that industry.
For me, I found my niche in building WordPress sites for professional services firms like law offices, accountants, and consultants. Through my contracting work, I realized I‘m really good at creating sites that are both professional and approachable, with intuitive information architecture.
Now, that‘s what I specialize in and how I market my services. And it‘s been much easier to attract clients and charge premium rates as a specialist than when I was a generalist.
Earn a Steady Income
Of course, one of the biggest benefits of contracting is the steady paycheck. When you‘re just starting out as a freelancer, income can be inconsistent and unpredictable. It takes time to build up a client base and get to a point where you have steady work coming in.
Contracting gives you a reliable source of income to pay your bills and save up a cushion as you build your business. Depending on your area and skill level, contracting jobs can be quite lucrative.
According to data from ZipRecruiter, the national average salary for a freelance web developer is \$75,430 per year in the United States. But that varies widely based on location, skills, and experience.
For example, freelance web developers in San Francisco earn an average of \$115,770 per year, while those in Dallas earn \$88,142 on average.
By contrast, the average salary for a full-time web developer in the U.S. is \$78,053 according to Indeed. So freelancing has the potential to be quite profitable, but it takes time to get there.
Contracting allows you to enjoy the perks of freelancing, like flexibility and autonomy, while still bringing in a dependable income. And as you gain more skills and experience, you can command higher contracting rates, which will help boost your confidence in your value when it comes time to set your freelance rates.
Access to Tools and Infrastructure
As a new freelancer, you may not have the budget to invest in all the tools and technology you need to do your best work. High quality software, hosting, and equipment can be expensive, but they‘re essential for delivering professional results.
When you work as a contractor, the company typically provides access to the tools and infrastructure you need. That might include:
- Hardware like computers, monitors, and tablets
- Design and development software like Adobe Creative Suite, Sketch, and Sublime Text
- Project management and communication tools like JIRA, Slack, and Zoom
- Hosting environments and development servers
- Stock photography and fonts
- Testing and analytics platforms
Having access to these tools at no cost to you allows you to level up the quality and efficiency of your work. You can also experiment with different tools and discover which ones you prefer before investing in them for your own business.
Plus, working with a variety of tools will expand your skillset and make you more marketable to potential clients. You‘ll be able to promote your experience with popular platforms and offer a wider range of services.
Expand Your Network
Networking is essential for freelancers. When you‘re running your own business, your network is your most valuable asset for finding clients, getting advice, and growing your skills.
As a contractor, you‘ll work with a variety of people both inside and outside the company. Internally, you‘ll collaborate with other developers, designers, project managers, and stakeholders. You may even have opportunities to connect with company leadership.
Externally, you‘ll interact with clients, vendors, and partners of the company. Each of these connections is a valuable addition to your professional network.
Stay in touch with your fellow contractors and full-time colleagues, even after your contract ends. Connect on LinkedIn and send the occasional email to stay top of mind. You never know who might have an opportunity for you down the road.
In addition to the people you work with directly, contracting can also open doors to new communities and events. The company may sponsor meetups, conferences, or hackathons that you can attend and expand your network even further.
I‘ve gotten several freelance referrals from people I met while contracting. Former colleagues have reached out when their new companies need a developer, or when their contacts are looking for someone with my skillset.
The relationships you build through contracting can be instrumental in launching and growing your freelance business.
Test Drive the Freelance Lifestyle
Finally, one of the best things about contracting is that it allows you to test drive the freelance lifestyle without the full commitment and risk of going out on your own right away.
As a contractor, you get to experience many of the perks of freelancing, like:
- Working from home or remotely
- Setting your own hours
- Choosing which projects to take on
- Being your own boss
At the same time, you have the security of a steady contract and the support of a larger organization. This can be a great way to ease into freelancing and see if it‘s right for you before making the leap.
You may discover that you thrive on the autonomy and variety of contract work, and decide to pursue it full time. On the other hand, you may find that you miss the camaraderie and collaboration of being part of a team, and decide that freelancing isn‘t the best fit.
Either way, contracting gives you valuable insight into what it‘s really like to work independently and run your own business. That experience will help you make a more informed decision about your career path.
Conclusion
Launching a successful freelance web development business takes skills, experience, and confidence. Working as an independent contractor can help you develop all three and set you up for a smooth transition into full-time freelancing.
By contracting, you‘ll gain real-world experience with professional development practices, build an impressive portfolio of projects, earn a steady income, access top-notch tools and resources, grow your network, and test drive the freelance lifestyle.
Most importantly, you‘ll develop the confidence and business acumen to successfully strike out on your own. With a solid foundation of skills and experience, you‘ll be well-positioned to attract clients, deliver exceptional work, and grow a thriving freelance business.
If you‘re considering making the leap into freelance web development, I highly recommend starting with contracting gigs. It‘s a smart way to set yourself up for success and make the transition as smooth as possible.