I’ve worked as a software developer professionally for 8 years.
Since then I’ve had the opportunity to work with various technologies.
I hated programming when I was introduced to it. Programming is about solving problems. Not trying to remember complex syntaxes.
But when I was introduced to Python, I fell in love with it. It enables you to solve problems with ease, power, and simplicity.
Even though I started coding professionally in 2014, I didn’t really start freelancing until 2019. I was using Python to build cool side projects. I was happy building fun side projects. I never considered monetizing this skill.
It was in 2019 when one of my friends introduced me to Codementor, I realized that I could make money writing code snippets.
Fast forward to today, I write simple Python scripts for a client and make over a thousand dollars every month.
Let’s go into detail about my journey in this article so that it can help beginners and provide a roadmap to get started.
Before we do that, if you want to learn how to start freelancing, this article will help you out:
My Background
In 2014, I received my degree in computer science. I had been writing Python code by that point for a couple of years.
I was an entry-level developer at this point. I liked working on side projects (just for fun). Working on side projects really helped me improve my programming skills.
During this phase, I didn’t try to monetize my skills. Making money on the internet using my skills was an alien concept to me.
I used to think my skills were not good enough to start freelancing. So I always procrastinated considering seriously it for years.
Whenever the motivation kicked in I tried applying for tasks on popular platforms like Freelancer.com, Upwork, Fiverr, etc. After a couple of days, after getting rejected from all the tasks I applied for, I would go back to my 9–5 job and the same old life.
When my friend introduced me to it and showed me his earnings, I was impressed with the kind of money he was making on the platform.
He had done 100+ sessions and earned more than $10K in side income. This showed me there were so many opportunities available on the platform for varied sets of skills.
I wanted to give it a shot too.
Today I’m making consistent money in side income from clients I met on this platform. It might not be a significant sum of money. However, I can it is a solid side income for me.
Here Is How I Do It
When I started on Codementor, I used to apply for tasks very religiously.
I used to keep a tab open always for any new requests. I was one of the first ones to apply for any new task. This helped me get some clients early on.
I always made sure I delivered quality work to clients. I was always patient in solving the problems they faced. As a result, many clients liked me and my style of work.
After over a year on the platform, I met a couple of my clients who I still work with.
One of them needed to write Python scripts regularly as part of his job. Since he was relatively new to programming and Python, he wanted some help. He liked my way of coding and debugging problems.
I was not just completing his tasks. I was even teaching him how I approach them. He was happy that he was learning while getting things done. So he stuck with me until today.
I don’t build APIs, complex machine learning models, or data science stuff. I just write simple Python scripts. I have been doing it for close to 2 years now. Using simple functions, loops, conditions, etc. Sometimes I cannot believe I make a thousand dollars using these simple constructs.
You don’t need to know how to build complex websites to make money in freelancing. You need to know how to find clients, talk to them, and convince them to stick with you for a long time.
In addition to coding, other abilities like communicating with clients and developing trust are also important for getting them to want to work with you in the long run.
I didn’t know how to do any of these from day 1. I figured it out along the way.
Learn how to get freelancing clients consistently from this article:
How Frequently Do I Work With This Client?
I don’t do freelancing actively these days.
I have grown my online presence on Twitter for the last 2 years. Using my online presence I’ve been working on building other businesses.
So I only work with a couple of my long-term clients. As mentioned earlier, I write just Python scripts for one of them.
Every week I meet with this client for 2–3 days and for 2 hours each. And I charge him $80 per hour. So I make around $250 per week from this one single client.
On average, I make more than $1k from this single client every month writing simple Python scripts.
Of course, it’s not just about Python scripts.
Years of programming knowledge, debugging issues quickly and figuring out how to solve a problem most efficiently, all are important to be a complete freelancer.
How Am I Planning to Scale This Income?
Simple answer — I’m not! (at least for some time).
Even though you can make very good money freelancing, it’s not a scalable business. The amount of money you can make is directly proportional to the time you spend working on client projects.
You have a very limited time in a day. Thus, your income is similarly constrained.
Don’t get me wrong. This doesn’t mean you cannot make good money from freelancing. I know a lot of people who are making a fortune in this business.
But with my skills and expertise, it doesn’t seem like the right idea at this point in time.
So I’m focusing on other businesses where the money I make is not a function of the time I spend working on client projects.
For example, I have built a huge audience on Twitter over the last 2 years. Even though I didn’t make money for the time I spent, it is paying me off now to build other businesses.
I have been focusing on writing and building a technical writing agency.
I can use my Twitter presence to find potential clients and outsource the work. In turn, I can earn a commission for every article written.
This allows me to focus on the business and not really write the articles myself. If I can scale this, I can make a lot more money working for lesser time.
I can even do the same thing in freelancing. Find work and outsource.
But the number of companies looking for a technical content writer is much higher than the number of companies looking for a Python developer. Content is becoming more and more important.
This is the reason for not trying to scale my freelancing business.
Final Thoughts
Python is one of the in-demand skills right now in the industry. Mainly because of its use in a lot of areas like AI, Machine Learning, Data Analytics, Web Development, Game Development, Data Processing, etc.
You don’t need to learn how to build a complex application to make good money in freelancing.
Just knowing Python well and knowing how to solve problems, how to find clients is good enough to make recurring income.
Remember, the platform that worked well for me may not work well for you. So pick a platform, stick with it, learn the strategies to get clients on the platform, and deliver quality work.
Clients will come back to you with more work.
Courses To Master Freelancing:
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