5 Tips to Get Your Freelance PHP Developer Business Kick Started
As PHP has become the go-to programming language for business websites and applications, the need for talented PHP developers has gone through the roof. For those with the right skills, now is certainly a great time to start a freelance PHP developer business.
If you are ready to get your own freelance PHP developer business up and running, follow these five tips to help ensure that you are successful every step of the way.
Sharpen Your Soft Skills
If you’re considering starting a freelance PHP developer business, chances are your coding skills are already top-notch. However, great coding skills are not the only requirement to succeed as a PHP developer. In addition to ensuring that your coding skills are second-to-none, you’ll also want to sharpen your soft skills as well.
Soft skills are defined as general skills such as written and oral communication, creativity, the ability to work well on a team, and so on. While these skills may not be the first thing you think of when you consider what it takes to become a great PHP developer, they are extraordinarily important – especially if you are going into business for yourself.
Take the time to craft an amazing pitch that you can present to potential clients, work on your client communication skills, try to develop a habit for creative, outside-the-box thinking, and more. In the end, these soft skill are every bit as important to a budding PHP developer as the technical skills they make use of.
Build a Web Presence for Your Business
Before potential clients can hire you for their project, they first have to find you. Your job as a freelance PHP developer is to make this step as easy for them as possible by developing a broad and thorough web presence for your business.
Start by signing up on sites that connect clients with freelancers. Most of these sites will have a section dedicated to web and application developers, but some don’t, so be sure to check before you go to the trouble of creating a profile. When it does come time to create a profile, you need to be as thorough and convincing as you can. Harkening back to the soft skills mentioned in the previous tip, use your writing and communication skills to create profiles that will really sell your services to potential clients. If you have any previous work experience or examples, show them off and describe them as best you can. Throughout all of this, try to come off as warm and approachable as you can – coding may be cold and technical, but winning over clients looking to hire a coder is not.
In addition to creating profiles on sites that connect PHP developers with clients, expand your online presence further through social media platforms and perhaps even your own website. Not only will a well-developed web presence make you easier for clients to find, it will make you come across as more experienced and professional as well.
Network Like Crazy
There’s no overstating the value that just a few quality connections offer to someone who is starting their own freelance PHP developer business. When you take the time to network with business owners and executives as well as your colleagues in software development, you never know what new opportunities will turn up.
If you’re able, attend networking events, business conferences, software development conferences, and other such events where industry professionals gather. Get to know the people there, and have an elevator pitch for your services in the back of your mind that you can put to use if the opportunity arises. Just keep in mind that you’re not necessarily there to sell your services but are instead just looking to make connections that could be valuable down the road.
In addition to attending events such as these, you can also network with fellow software developers on online communities such as Coderwall and Stack Overflow. These communities are a great place to ask questions, look for new strategies, broaden your coding knowledge, and more.
Live and Breath PHP Coding
Successful PHP developers are incredibly committed to their craft. In order to compete, you’re going to need to be every bit as committed and more.
PHP coding is not something you learn once and forget. It is an ongoing education that always has room for new ideas, innovations, and improvements. Only by adopting a mindset of constant, continuous education will you be able to succeed as a PHP developer.
Start by locating a few great resources that you can use to continuously expand your PHP knowledge and skills, and make use of them every chance you get. Practice your coding in the same way that a musician or an athlete would practice their own profession. In the end, this level of dedication is often what it takes in order for freelance PHP developers to rise above a pool of competition that is trying just as hard.
Apply for as Many Projects as You Can…But Only Apply to the Right Ones
Having built an online presence, sharpened both your technical and soft skills, and formed a few valuable connections, the final step in getting your freelance PHP developer business up and running is to go out and start applying for projects.
When you’re first starting out, you’ll want to apply for as many projects as you possibly can. The reality is that working as a freelance PHP developer is often a numbers game – the more projects you register for, the more likely you are to be accepted for one of them.
With that said, you’ll want to choose your projects carefully. Take the time to carefully read the project description and come up with an estimate for the amount of time and effort that it will require. In addition to ensuring that the project is one you want to work on, you’ll also want to try and get a feel for whether or not the client is someone you want to work with. Keep in mind that difficult clients can oftentimes make your life much harder even than difficult projects, so be on the lookout for red flags.
Conclusion
If you are considering starting your own freelance PHP developer business, know that the industry you are entering is one full of promise. While the competition may be stiff, the demand for talented PHP developers is certainly there, and the rewards are plenty enticing.
Follow the tips in this guide and take a leap – a few years from now when you’re running your own successful freelance PHP developer business you’ll be glad you did.
