Going Independent – Week One Check in

It’s been a week since I shared I’m focusing on full time freelance web dev, which was about a week after being let go from my previous full time position.

Thanks to so many of you that expressed appreciation for the openness, and those that interest in hearing more about my process to going full time freelance, I thought I may try to keep that weekly cadence for a bit as I continue to figure things out.

So, here’s a quick bulleted check in after one week!

What Happened Last Week#anchor

Operations setup#anchor

• I’ve got an LLC, business insurance, a PO Box, and business checking account ready to go.
• Opted for an all-in-one project management SaaS called Plutio that will allow me to handle scheduling meetings (like Calendly) as well as manage proposals, contracts, projects, and invoices. I tried several others first and this was the one that clicked best with how I like to stay organized, and offered all the features I need right now.
• I set up a Google Workspace too, I wanted to have some separation between my personal email and files and those for my business. I also had trouble with emails arriving slowly when set up using POP3 fetching as part of my personal account.
• I have a fairly detailed spreadsheet that helped me figure out what my rates should be in order to cover expenses and replace my salary. I’ve figured out how that translates within a few popular billing models (like flat rate, retainer, etc.) too.
• I’ve been working on some templates for proposals, contracts, and generally getting myself organized to keep track of leads and conversations. I’m thinking this may be a good topic for a future post. Let me know if you’re interested in hearing more!
• I’ve scrapped all my old weekly planning, and whole sections of my todo app. It’s amazing how much of ones life is dictated by their job!

Networking & Outreach#anchor

• I’ve only posted once on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Mastodon this past week, I’m honestly not sure how often I want to post moving forward, but I know I’m never going to be a once-a-day content generating machine that I’ve seen on these platforms. It takes a lot of effort and I just can’t get past the feeling like I’m repeating myself too much.
• I’ve had a few great chats with other folks looking for their next adventure too. It’s been nice to work through some feelings, share a bit about ourselves, and help each other get excited for the future. I’m still open to chat if you’re in this situation as well, reach out so we can set up some time!
• Either via email or social messaging I’ve reached out to about 10 individuals or agencies that I wanted to network with and chat about freelancing in general. I’ve had a really nice conversation with two (thank you both!) and hopefully more coming soon. If you’re interested in talking shop about freelance, consulting, and otherwise working solo please do reach out as well!
• I’ve started some more targeted outreach for my digital accessibility auditing SaaS app Be Inclusive too, another 10 or so went out last week and two have responded back so far!
• Also, happy to report I’ve had a few project leads come up, waiting on a meeting for one and need to work on a proposal for another. The third ended up being too expensive so we agreed to not move forward – a great reminder to insist on a budget upfront so you know what constraints you’re working under.

What’s Coming Up This Week#anchor

• I’m going to put some time into a proposal for a lead that came in last week.
• I’ve received several great pieces of advice from a few of the outreach conversations with other freelancers. I will be working on strengthening and refining my message, in particular around the services I provide. I’ve been so used to moulding myself to the project as I never had control over what I was assigned, now that I do I need to put more thought into the ideal projects for my skillset.
• I’m shooting for at least one blog post a week, I don’t want to go overboard right away and feel like one a week should be manageable for a while. This one may count for this week, though I have some drafts I could put some time into as well.
• I’ve got to get going on rebuilding a site for my dad, looking forward to trying out a couple new things and learning in that process as well.
• I mentioned above that I scrapped my weekly planning, now that I’ve hit the reset button I’m going to build up a weekly plan that focuses more on my freelance business and Be Inclusive in addition to the personal and life stuff I had previously. Excited to get that started and iterate over time based on what works for me.

I’m rather new to “working in the open” so I’m just doing what feels right. What do you think, do you like this format? Got any tips for an old dev trying new things?

If you’re enjoying this format, why not have a read of the Week Two Check In?