Recent content by Sheppard Digital

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    Freelance developer - lacking direction/jack of all trades

    I wish I worked a 20 hour week. I easily work 37+ hours a week even if some of that isn't billable. While working full-time self employed I spent 3 year working towards a Masters Degree, and I can tell you it was hard work. Even last week I was putting 12 hour days in just to hit a clients...
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    Freelance developer - lacking direction/jack of all trades

    Hours spent on a project are recorded in a tool such as TMetric, and I use that to generate a report at the end of the month that's used to generate invoices. I do indeed catch your drift, and I know it's a technique used regularly when a client wants a specific hourly rate and knocks you down.
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    Freelance developer - lacking direction/jack of all trades

    There's a fine balance which I think is different for everyone. The harsh reality is that one day I'll be dead, and I'd hate to think I had spent all of my days working my but off to make money that I didn't get a chance to spend because I died of a heart attack 3 days after I had retired.
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    Freelance developer - lacking direction/jack of all trades

    I don't build software that they use. I provide them with services that they may or may not have the skills to perform in-house. Some of the benefits I think I can bring; - risk free. Unlike employing something, there's little risk. No upfront costs etc - access to a wealth of knowledge and...
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    Freelance developer - lacking direction/jack of all trades

    That's part of the problem, people see the prices on things like People per Hour and use that as a basis for their costings. Being in the industry I know that good people cost good money, and when you weed out all of the rubbish on People per Hour (or alternatives), you soon see that the good...
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    Freelance developer - lacking direction/jack of all trades

    I pay a little into a pension. I started a pension fairly late, so it won't be a great one, but as they say, every little helps. Both my wife and I are pretty frugal with money, our only debts are a small (less than £50k) mortgage on our home and a small mortgage on a rental property. We've got...
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    Freelance developer - lacking direction/jack of all trades

    My current hourly rate is £50, which at times I think is far too much, especially when work is being outsourced to you. I am lucky in that I know my two main clients bill me out at around £100 an hour, but for many other agencies their own rate is £50 and they can't justify paying me the same...
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    Freelance developer - lacking direction/jack of all trades

    I count myself very fortunate the get the salary that I get, that really isn't the issue. The main issue is sustaining that salary for the future. At the minute I feel that I'm exposed to a big reduction in salary if something were to happen to one of my two main clients. I don't think I...
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    Freelance developer - lacking direction/jack of all trades

    The hard part is figuring out what I want to do and what direction I want to take. I have no issue pulling my finger out, and it's a term I regularly direct at others. If I want something, I do what I need to do to go out and get it, which only works when you know what you want. There's been...
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    Freelance developer - lacking direction/jack of all trades

    How I got these clients is a strange one. I was a developer for a travel agency that went under. We decided that I'd try working for myself and see how it goes. I was doing the odd website and doing work in PHP when I met a designed/media specialist who was looking for someone to do his...
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    Freelance developer - lacking direction/jack of all trades

    Employment has crossed my mind a few times, and one of my clients keeps pleading with me to work for them (I'm based in the North East and they're in Milton Keynes), but I keep saying no. I enjoy being my own boss, I enjoy the flexibility that I have. Take this morning as an example, I've took...
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    Freelance developer - lacking direction/jack of all trades

    Following on from a topic I created a couple of year ago https://www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/threads/web-developer-feel-like-a-jack-of-all.385507/page-2 I find myself in the same situation over two year later, and I feel like I'm no further forward. Reading back through my original posts, I...
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    Private education and practical work on others

    Sadly that doesn't give us any useful information. It says hair salons can't open, but it says 'Further education establishments may open from March 8th'. Just that alone is open to interpretation. Further education can open, does that mean they can offer services to the public? Everything is...
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    Private education and practical work on others

    Thanks. So that implies that hair can still take place. If that's the case, why can't hairdressers open? EDIT: I just noticed, that's from July 2020, so it's not applicable to next week.
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    Private education and practical work on others

    My wife works for two different private training organisations in the hair and beauty sector. During the last lockdown staff have been delivering theory based work remotely. Most of the theory aspect of the qualifications is complete, and it leaves just the practical side of things left to...
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