Freelance Software Development Tips

Solving Common Freelancing Problems

The final set of tips we’d like to share is how to solve common freelancing problems.

Like any career, freelancing has its hazard zones. Here’s how to anticipate and prevent the most common problems.

Solve All Ambiguities Upfront

Above, I mentioned that a key way to keep your clients happy is to seek out and eliminate ambiguities in the client’s expectations. The beginning of a project can also be rife with ambiguities about rates, payments, payment terms and deadlines. Address these right away!

Avoid Signing an Unknown NDA

I’ve been asked several times to sign an NDA before being shown any details about the project. And I always refuse, at the risk of losing the project.

Why? The problem is, how can I sign a non-disclosure agreement, binding myself to confidentiality, non-competition and so forth, when I don’t know what it is I’d be protecting? What if I’ve already worked on projects that conflict with the NDA?

If this happens to you, ask if the client can give you an idea of what the project is about, without disclosing too much—just enough to let you assess whether you can responsibly sign an NDA.

What is the project about? A social dating app? Hmmm, ok I think I should tell you a couple of potentially similar projects I’ve worked on recently.

What is the project about? An app to calculate the trajectory and fuel consumption of a space rocket? Ok, I can sign the NDA. I’m pretty sure I haven’t worked on anything even remotely similar.

Read and Understand Contracts

It sounds obvious, but this is a topic to handle with extreme care. A contract is a legally binding agreement between you and your client, and since it’s usually the client requiring you to sign, the contract is mostly focused on protecting her and her project, rather than you.

It’s difficult to give advice, because no two contracts are the same, and most importantly, I’m not a lawyer. But here are a few general pointers:

• Read the contract carefully.
• Read it carefully again, and then again!
• Don’t hesitate to contact an experienced attorney to review the contract for you, especially if anything is confusing, unclear or worrisome. True, it’s expensive to get legal advice, but the cost is a small fraction of what the advice could save you in the end.
• Don’t hesitate to propose changes to the contract if you notice any errors, ambiguities or unfavorable terms.
• If the client refuses to make the changes you require, step back and go look for other projects.

Prepare for a Sudden Lack of Work

It’s part of the nature of freelancing that a project may come to a stop with no prior notice. My countermeasure to protect myself is to work on at least two part-time projects at once, rather than on a single full-time project.

Each project acts as a backup for the other: If one is aborted, I still have work. After all, half an income is better than none at all.

When that happens, you might feel frustrated – at least, this sometimes happens to me. But I know it’s just a normal reaction, and when I feel ready I start looking for other challenges.

Sometimes I let one or two days pass, if I am still not motivated enough. I enjoy some more time with family, and maybe do something I usually couldn’t, because of too much work, such as some leisure time (which, recently, is playing drums :]), learning new things or reading books.

Lastly, I cannot tell if it’s just luck, coincidence, or something else. When a project ends, either suddenly or because of its “natural” expiration, I often receive unsolicited and unexpected offers. Last time, for example, the day after a project was suddenly frozen, I received a proposal via Stack Overflow, and a couple days later another one via LinkedIn. In both cases from new contacts, and not friends of friends.

I’d love to hear if the same happens to you.

However, unsolicited offers or not, I keep searching, applying to projects, asking my contacts, etc., until I have a new project to work on. Sometimes it takes a few days, sometimes even a couple months.

Where To Go From Here?

And that concludes our three part series on freelance software development! I hope it was useful whether you are considering becoming a freelancer, or an existing freelancer looking for tips and tricks.

If you want to learn more, here are some interesting readings:

• Staying motivated as a work-from-home developer
• Interview to Piero Toffanin, a former digital nomad
• Why you shouldn’t be scared of going freelance, by Ignacio Nieto
• Do’s and Don’ts of a Freelance Developer, by Ignacio Nieto
• Fixed quotes, by Mariano Abdala
• Busting the Top 5 Myths About Remote Workers, by Scott Ritter
• How to Travel While Working: The Traveling Engineer’s Survival Guide, by Breanden Beneschott
• Don’t Be Fooled: Calculate the Real Cost of Employees and Consultants, by Hyam Singer

I’ve been recommended Serial Winner, a book not specific to freelancers but a great read for anyone wanting to succeed at just about anything. However I haven’t read it, although I’ve added to my TO-READ list.

Another book I personally recommend, not related to freelancing at all, but inspiring in several ways when it’s about managing your finances, is The Richest Man in Babylon.

If you have any questions or tips you’d like to share, please join the forum discussion below!