Self Employed Programmers

Forum guidelines BT super discount
Other Resources My Cup of Joe » Self Employed Programmers Rss Feed  
Moderators: k9car363, the bear, DerekL, alicefoeller Reply
2009-10-23 12:34 PM

User image

Master
1402
1000100100100100
Cumming, Georgia
Subject: Self Employed Programmers

To any of you self employed programmers/designers/graphics people out there in BT land, how do you go about getting the next contract?  I was a independent contractor about a year ago with a company that I had worked for in the past.  It worked out really well since I was temporarily in Cleveland before moving to Augusta.  I didn't have to worry about finding a job during the move.  Once we got settled in the consulting dried up as explected and I went back to the comfort of a fulltime job.  During the year or so that I was consulting I never really tried to find any other contract work because I figured I would just go back to a regular job once it ended.  Well here I am a year later and I really miss consulting.  Now I have a chance to do a short 3 month contract again and want to continue on with the self employment but don't know how to find more work. 

Augusta is relatively small but I feel like there is enough work out there for other small businesses that I could make an ok living if I knew how to market myself.  I was thinking about joining the Chamber of Commerce for some networking.  Any tips for someone new?

2009-10-23 1:18 PM
in reply to: #2476022

User image

Pro
4206
20002000100100
Los Angeles, CA
Subject: RE: Self Employed Programmers
I work full time (non-contract, but also in c# .net) but I always get called for contract jobs through these headhunter companies. One is local but another one is national, called cybercoders. They just bug the crap out of me. You might try talking to them.

I have no idea about marketing. I would think programmer marketing is different from then just regular marketing bc I don't think you will get many calls in the newspaper ads or even as you suggested, the chamber of commerce. But who knows.
2009-10-23 3:35 PM
in reply to: #2476022

User image

Master
1289
1000100100252525
Franklin, TN
Subject: RE: Self Employed Programmers

I wrote code for 13 years here in the Nashville area.  VB, FoxPro, COBOL, SQL stored procs, classic ASP, ASP.Net/VB and some C#. Burned out and have been out of it for over 4 years. Sell software and do training now. Am STILL getting emails and calls every six weeks or so from headhunters to go back to writing code. It is still fairly lucrative in this area. I found most of my gigs on www.Dice.com.

2009-10-23 6:18 PM
in reply to: #2476022

User image

Master
1402
1000100100100100
Cumming, Georgia
Subject: RE: Self Employed Programmers

Thanks for the input so far.  I know all about the various sites like dice.com, guru.com, ifreelance, etc.  I don't know how to find local work.  Like small businesses in my area that don't even know where or how to get custom software written.

2009-10-23 9:22 PM
in reply to: #2476808

User image

Philadelphia, south of New York and north of DC
Subject: RE: Self Employed Programmers

Just to throw a general marketing suggestion into the mix. You could consider google adwords. Maybe even facebook ads. 

You can geo target a google adword campaign.  If you get a large list of very specific keyword phrases used in the queries, you can probably run a campaign at a reasonable cost for something like programing services.

I haven't tried facebook yet for advertising, but I plan on looking closer at that.

If you tie an adwords campaign in with a blog with posts that target those same keyword phrases and your geo location, you can generally get pretty good rankings on the results pages for those same queries.

Just a thought.



Edited by dontracy 2009-10-23 9:22 PM
2009-10-23 10:09 PM
in reply to: #2476022

User image

Elite
2634
200050010025
in front of my computer duh!
Subject: RE: Self Employed Programmers
I am a self employed industrial videographer (yes I do weddings/parties but I really hate to and feel I am much more successful in commercials/training vids) and do some graphic design. The biggest things that have helped me get the next gig was joining a local networking group (letip) and showing up to chamber meeting/mixers, Look to see if there are other organizations you can join that are community based. and blog, blog, blog (the one part I haven't done) Google search bumps up a web page based on how many other pages that search phrase appears on.

2009-10-23 10:25 PM
in reply to: #2477084

User image

Master
1402
1000100100100100
Cumming, Georgia
Subject: RE: Self Employed Programmers

Thanks everyone.  Kepp them ideas coming   I just found out they will give me a 6 month contract so that buys me more time to find additional work.  I guess no one every got successful without taking chances.  It just makes me darn nervous to leave a good paying secure job but I was much happier doing consulting work.

New Thread
Other Resources My Cup of Joe » Self Employed Programmers Rss Feed