Freelancing: Ask Me Anything
This year will mark my tenth anniversary of freelancing full time, and my 25th anniversary of freelancing overall (I built my first commercial website in 2000 whilst at school, for…
2024 review of the year
2024 was a better year than 2023 in many ways - at least from a freelance perspective. I continued splitting my time between one-off projects (fewer in number but higher…
Why projects don’t go ahead
In 2023, I started tracking why projects didn't go ahead, and in 2024 what 'channel' they came in via (referral, email, existing client etc.). I think the results are interesting,…
Maintenance contracts availability
I'm reducing my hours with one of my regular clients from 1st July 2024, which means I'll have spare capacity for new maintenance contracts of 3-10 hours per month per…
2023 review of the year
2023 was a tough year, and my turnover fell considerably (down 25% on 2022, though that was a record year). On the plus side, I'm now spreading my income over…
Why I don’t use hosting provider affiliate schemes
Every so often, a hosting company will contact me asking if I want to take part in their affiliate scheme. It's always sold as a win-win situation - they get…
PHP developer mentoring
I've recently launched a new service, PHP Developer Mentoring, for organisations with junior and mid level developers who would like to build up their skills with mentoring from a senior…
2022 review of the year
2022 was another good year business-wise. My turnover continued to increase, I worked with a number of new clients, and I'm was fully booked 4-8 weeks in advance for most…
Freelancing Q&A sessions
Over the past few years, I've delivered Q&A sessions on what it is like to be a freelancer, at conferences and to groups of students at universities. These have always…
2021 review of the year
2021 has been another year of general chaos, but fortunately my business hasn't been too badly affected. I've also spent some time improving my business, which I think will stand…