This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
[Music]
Hey, hey, hey, what's up? Welcome to Sadosle School. Welcome as well to Throwback Thursday. This is Chris Guillebeau, your host. Every week, every Thursday, to be precise, we take an in-depth look at someone whose story has evolved since we first featured them.
And we go back and do a little blast in the past and say, how has your business evolved? How did you get started? But also what has changed, you know, over the past year or two years or three or four years, depending on whatever the case may be. Now, last week we heard from a seller of planners and journals who has learned a number of lessons over the years, especially regarding product diversity, in terms of having a bunch of different products, not just a couple of them, but a lot of customization and personalization for her customers. That doesn't always work for every business, but in her case, she found that people really like to have some choice over what their planner or journal looks like.
Now today in our latest feature, we're gonna hear from a web developer who goes from corporate to self-employed, hunting down clients on online job boards like Upwork. It has been a two-year journey. In his case, he is now earning almost as much as he was in the day job, with plans to grow further in the next two years. So let's hear more about that from Devin. [Music]
Hi there, this is Devin, a long time listener.
So when I first decided to go freelance as a web developer and app maker, I had no idea where to start. I had always worked in a corporate setting and had never had to find my own clients before. I spent hours researching and trying to figure out the best way to get started. I knew I needed to build on my portfolio, so I started by offering my services to friends and family for free or at a discounted rate. This allowed me to get some experience under my belt and to have some projects to show potential clients.
I also joined a few online freelance job boards and started bidding on projects. It was a bit overwhelming at first, but I learned a lot about how to price my services and how to write effective proposals. It turned out that was a big part of the process of winning business, was gaining the trust of a potential client and winning them over through friendly persuasion. I also started attending industry events, which had mixed results. I never really got any direct work from those experiences and attending them just made me feel anxious sometimes.
But in terms of building a long-term business, I found people were more likely to consider hiring me if they'd met me in person or if we had some kind of connection. So I decided to keep going, but not to focus on it too much. I was already started to get busy with the job board projects I've won through the proposal process. I put in long hours and worked hard to deliver top quality work to my clients. And eventually my hard work paid off.
I got a string of solid reviews and was able to increase my rates. I even landed a contract with a major tech company, which was a huge highlight for me. Looking back on my first two years as a freelancer, I've learned that it takes time and dedication to build a successful business. But if you're willing to put in the work, it can be extremely rewarding and fulfilling. Right now I'm making almost as much as I was in my day job.
So the next step is to systematize a bit more so I can increase my income without working twice as hard. That's why I'm listening to Side Hustle School. I'm looking forward to the next two years, both for my business and to see what you come up with next. Thanks, Chris, and good luck to everyone else out there. [Music]
Awesome.
Thanks so much to Devin for sharing those updates with us. Listeners, let me know what you think and who you'd like to see featured from our archives of more than a thousand stories. We are going strong into 2023. I'm so glad you're out there. Thanks for being part of this community.
We've got a lot of stuff to share in the weeks and months to come. If you've got a question or some feedback, or you just want to visit a website, try sidehustleschool.com/questions and see where that leads. Also today's notes, sidehustleschool.com/2217, 2217, 2217. Hope you're taking care of yourself out there. Subscribe, follow a new episode tomorrow.
My name is Chris Guillebeau. This is Side Hustle School. [Music]
from the Onward Project.
