Kickstart Your
Freelance Web Development
Career

Learn proven strategies, tips, and tricks you can use to launch your freelance web development career and build a successful business from scratch.

The Web Dev's Guide to Freelancing book cover
Auditing chapter

CHAPTER ONE

Intro to
Freelancing

Testing chapter

CHAPTER TWO

Freelancing
Mindset

Fixing chapter

CHAPTER THREE

Attracting and
Finding Clients

Improving chapter

CHAPTER FOUR

Money, Money,
Money!

Improving chapter

CHAPTER FIVE

Client and
Project Management

Improving chapter

CHAPTER SIX

Software
and Tools

Make the Leap Into Freelance Web Development With Confidence

Don’t get me wrong, freelancing is amazing. It’s allowed me to work with an array of incredible clients, expand my horizons beyond what would have ever been possible in a traditional 9-5 job, and create a life I love on my own terms…

But freelancing is also hard, and there have certainly been many hurdles and bumps along the way.

One of the biggest challenges I faced was knowing how to actually get started as a freelancer in the first place!

It’s a situation I see so often…

You know you’re a great developer, but the whole freelancing thing feels pretty damn scary to say the least.

How do you…

  • Find clients?
  • Price your services?
  • Get paid?
  • Manage each project and keep everything moving?
  • Keep yourself motivated?


It feels like there are a million different problems - and no clear solutions.

After all, freelancing isn’t something that’s really covered in schools or universities, and most advice out there is geared towards freelancers in general, not specifically web developers.

It’s just so hard to make the leap when you feel like a total imposter!

If you’re thinking about dipping your toe into freelancing in the evenings or weekends, there’s also the small matter of juggling everything while working your 9-5 job…

This was something I really struggled with when I first started out.

I was bringing in more money than I’d ever earned in my entire life (which was both amazing AND somewhat surprising to me) - but I was also stressed and constantly exhausted.

By the time I’d done a full day’s work and then come home to work on freelance stuff, I had precious little time for anything else.

After eventually making the decision to go full-time freelance, lots of fresh challenges appeared - like keeping myself disciplined and motivated. After all, when you’re a freelancer you don’t have a boss to keep you in check. I often found I was procrastinating or focusing on the wrong stuff (I think they call that procrasti-working!), leading me to doing work later in the day to catch up.

Eventually, I learnt to find my way, and slowly but surely my freelance business really started to take off - but the truth is that things could have been so much easier if I was equipped with the knowledge I have today!

For example, finding clients and securing regular work can be a real struggle when you’re starting out. At times, it feels a bit like you’re shouting out into the void - and it’s hard to know exactly what you should be doing on a day-to-day basis to build those leads and enquiries.

But soon I began to find my tribe and developed an arsenal of techniques and strategies that meant the clients actually started coming to me.

Let me tell you, that makes a real difference to your business and income - and once you know what works (and what doesn’t!), you’ll rarely go hungry for work.

I’m regularly contacted by other developers who are struggling with similar challenges.

They want to try and do a bit of freelancing on the side (or even start doing it full-time), but they don’t know where to start…

And that’s why I decided to put all my knowledge and experience into a book that shows web developers exactly how to start freelancing and make the leap with more confidence.

Seven years, 40+ clients and many additional income streams later, The Web Dev’s Guide to Freelancing is the book I wish I’d had when I first started out as a freelance web developer.

The Web Dev's Guide to Freelancing

Whether you want to freelance on the side or start doing it full-time, let me take you by the hand and show you how to build a successful freelance web development career from scratch


Ashley Allen

Ashley Allen

Author of Battle Ready Laravel and Consuming APIs in Laravel

Books emoji What's Covered in the Book?

There are many (great!) books out there on freelancing - but there aren’t many that are designed specifically for web developers.

The Web Dev’s Guide to Freelancing pulls back the curtain on exactly what it takes to launch your own freelance career and build your own successful web development business from scratch.

With 6 chapters and over 200+ pages (estimated at the time of writing) of hands-on, practical information, it’s packed full of tips, tricks and strategies you can start using immediately to kick start your freelance web development career and create your own successful business.

Everything contained in the book is designed to be actionable and aimed specifically for web developers. For example, I’ll mention different software you can use, how to attract web development clients, pricing of web development services, etc.

What’s more, all the content is taken from my own personal experiences. No vague theory or impractical advice!

By the end of the book, you’ll be equipped with the knowledge and confidence you need to make the jump from your 9-5, or start freelancing at the weekend.

I highly recommend making notes as you go through the content and keeping a copy of the book handy so that you can dive back into the information as you need it.

Nerd emoji What Will You Learn?

In short, you’ll learn the exact steps you can take to become a successful freelance web developer. I’ll show you how to get started, find clients (and keep them!), diversify your income, manage your projects, and much more.

Introduction to Freelancing

You'll learn about the different types of work and clients you can expect to find as a freelance web developer.

Attracting Clients

Uncover effective ways to attract your ideal clients using a variety of methods and channels.

Finding Clients

Discover exactly how to find and approach clients to land new work.

Money, Money, Money!

Learn how to price your services to ensure you're making a profit.

Communication Skills

Master talking to clients effectively, managing expectations, and communicating your ideas to keep your clients happy.

Documentation

You'll learn about contracts, invoices, and specifications, and other documentation you'll need to keep your business running smoothly.

Client Retention

Understand how to build and nurture long-term relationships that keep your clients coming back for more.

Diversifying Your Income

Uncover ways to create multiple income streams and diversify your income to protect yourself from financial instability, and increase your earning potential.

Software

You'll learn about the different pieces of software you'll want to use to help you run your business more efficiently.

CHAPTER ONE

Introduction to Freelancing

What is Freelancing?

Learn about what freelancing is (and what it isn't!).

Freelancing or Contracting?

Understand the differences between freelancing and contracting so you can decide which is best for you.

Clients and Types of Work

Learn about the different types of clients you might work with over your freelancing career.

Introduction to freelancing chapter
Freelancing mindset chapter
CHAPTER TWO

Freelancing Mindset

Take the Leap From Your 9-5

Discover the different strategies you can use to take the leap from 9-5 to freelancing full-time.

Minimise Risk. Improve Success

Master the different approaches you can take to minimise the risk of freelancing and improve your chances of success.

Improve Your Confidence and Productivity

Overcome your imposter syndrome and learn how to have the confidence and discipline you need to succeed as a freelancer.

CHAPTER THREE

Attracting and Finding Clients

Building a Personal Brand

Discover how to build a personal brand that makes people want to hire you for work.

Finding Clients

Learn how and where to find clients and then building successful working relationships with them.

Attracting Clients to You

Master how to use multiple channels to increase your reach and attract clients rather than you looking for them.

Attracting clients chapter
Money chapter
CHAPTER FOUR

Money, Money, Money!

How Much Should You Charge?

Learn about how to price yourself to be competitive and still make a profit.

Earn Money Through Multiple Income Streams

Discover how to diversify your income streams to increase your earnings and protect yourself from financial instability.

Handling Quiet Times

Learn how to handle downtime between projects and reduce the chances of unstable cash flow.

CHAPTER FIVE

Client and Project Management

Communicating with Leads and Clients

Master how to effectively communicate with leads and clients to build strong, long-term working relationships.

Requirements and Expectations

Learn how to gather requirements and set expectations so you always deliver what the client wants.

Documentation

Have a quick look at what types of documents you might want to use, such as: contracts, invoices, statements of work, specifications, and documenting progress.

Client and project management chapter
Software chapter
CHAPTER SIX

Software and Tools

Accounting, Invoicing, and Time Tracking Software

Learn about why you'll want to use accounting and invoicing software to improve your business processes.

Analytics Software

Understand why you should use analytics software (such as Fathom Analytics) to drive your marketing and help to attract more clients.

Error and Uptime Monitoring Software

Learn the importance of using error and uptime monitoring software (such as Honeybadger) to keep your client's project working.

Extra Goodies

Money bag emoji Up to $265 of Included Discounts!

The Web Dev's Guide to Freelancing comes with up to $265 USD worth of discount codes* to help you on your freelancing journey!

Thanks to the generosity of Aaron Francis, Caleb Porzio, Inspector, Honeybadger, Harvest, JetBrains, and Codecourse if you purchase The Web Dev's Guide to Freelancing you'll get limited-edition discount codes for using with Honeybadger, Harvest, High Performance SQLite, Livewire screencasts, and Inspector!

Discounts for Honeybadger

The book includes a 20% off your first 3 months discount for the error and uptime monitoring service, Honeybadger.

Discounts for High Performance SQLite

The book includes a $25 USD discount for the High Performance SQLite video course by Aaron Francis.

Discounts for Livewire Screencasts

The book includes a 20% discount so you can learn how to master Livewire directly from it's creator, Caleb Porzio.

Discounts for Inspector

The book includes a 20% lifetime discount for the application performance monitoring (APM) service, Inspector.

Discounts for Harvest

The book includes a 15% discount on annual plans for the time tracking and invoicing service, Harvest.

Discounts for JetBrains PhpStorm

The book includes a 20% discount on new personal annual licenses for my favourite IDE, PhpStorm.

Discounts for Codecourse

The book includes a 30% discount off the first monthly/annual plan payment or 30% discount off lifetime memberships for the amazing educational platform, Codecourse.

* - Based on the exchange rates at the time of writing this (25th August 2024). The actual value may be different when redeeming the discount codes.

Honeybadger logo High Performance SQLite logo Livewire logo Inspector logo Harvest logo PhpStorm logo Codecourse logo
Sections & Chapters Covered

Books emoji Table Of Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction to Freelancing


  1. What is Freelancing?
  2. What Freelancing is Not
  3. Freelancing or Contracting?

Chapter 2: The Freelancing Mindset


  1. Are You Ready for Freelancing?
  2. Finding Your "Why"
  3. Confidence and Imposter Syndrome
  4. Discipline and Productivity
    • Setting a Schedule
    • Find an Accountability Partner
    • Find a Dedicated Workspace
  5. Work-Life Balance
    • Setting Boundaries with Clients
    • Setting Boundaries with Yourself
  6. Keeping Up To Date With Technology
    • Courses
    • Books
    • Experimenting
    • Blogs and Newsletters
    • Videos and Podcasts
    • Social Media
    • Conferences and Meetups
  7. Find a Mentor
  8. Co-working Spaces
  9. Strategies for Taking the Leap
    • Build Up Your Savings
    • Don't Burn Your Bridges
    • Part-time Employment
    • Weekend and Evening Work
    • Taking the Leap at Once
  10. If it Doesn't Work Out

Chapter 3: Attracting and Finding Clients


  1. Types of Clients
    • Creative Agencies
    • In-house Teams
    • Startups and Small Businesses
    • Other Freelancers
  2. Identifying Your Ideal Client
    • Example One: Local Tradesman
    • Example Two: In-house Development Teams
    • Deciding on Your Ideal Client
  3. Landing your First Client
    • Spread the Word
    • Build Demo Sites
    • Offer Your Services for Free or a Discount
    • Once You've Landed the Client
  4. Building a Personal Brand
    • Personal Brand Example: Aaron Francis
    • Personal Brand Example: Jack McDade
    • Personal Brand Example: Freek Van der Herten
    • Personal Brand Example: Steve McDougall
    • Personal Brand Example: Stephen Rees-Carter
    • Building Your Personal Brand Takes Time
    • Build a Cohesive Brand
    • Establishing Authority in Your Niche
    • You Can't Always Be the Ripest, Juiciest Peach
  5. Specialise or Jack of All Trades?
  6. Lean into Being a Freelancer
  7. Local or Global?
  8. The Flip
  9. Channels to Attract Clients
    • Which Channels to Use
    • Your Website
    • Blog
    • Newsletters
    • Lead Magnets
    • Social Media (X/LinkedIn)
    • Referrals
    • Job Boards and Directories
    • GitHub
    • Open-Source Contributions
    • Networking
    • Podcasts
    • YouTube
    • Your Own Products
    • Forums
    • Client's Websites
    • Luck
  10. Finding Clients
    • Friends and Family
    • LinkedIn
    • Upwork and Job Boards
    • Local Businesses

Chapter 4: Money, Money, Money!


  1. Fixed-rate vs Hourly/Daily Rate
    • Hourly/Daily Rate Work
    • Project-based/Fixed-rate Work
  2. When Do I Get Paid?
    • Avoid 100% Payment After Delivery
    • Be Aware of Payment Terms
    • Deposit Upfront and Remaining Payment on Completion
    • Milestones
    • Monthly Invoicing
  3. How Much Should I Charge?
    • Things to Consider
    • How to Calculate Your Rate
    • Incrementally Increase Your Rate
  4. Diversifying Your Income
    • Web Development
    • Retainers
    • Support Packages
    • Hosting
    • SEO
    • Email
    • Design
    • Referrals and Affiliate Marketing
    • Technical Writing
    • Products and Services
    • Training
  5. Cross-selling Services
  6. Handling Quiet Periods Between Projects
  7. Dealing with Possibly Unstable Cash Flow

Chapter 5: Client and Project Management


  1. Communicating with Leads and Clients
    • Reaching Out to Leads
    • How to Reply to Leads
    • Where to Communicate
  2. Gathering Requirements
    • Why You Need to Gather Requirements
    • How to Gather Requirements
    • Questions to Ask Clients
    • User Stories
    • What to Do with the Requirements
  3. Setting and Managing Expectations
  4. Checking in With Clients
  5. Contracts
    • Contracts Provided by the Client
    • Contracts Provided by You
    • How to Share Contracts
  6. Statement of Work
  7. Feature Specifications
  8. Project Release Documentation
  9. Invoicing
    • Example Invoice Structure
  10. Client Retention
    • Building Long-Term Relationships
  11. How Many Clients Should You Have?

Chapter 6: Software and Tools


  1. Accounting
  2. Time Tracking
  3. Hosting and Server Management
  4. Error Monitoring
  5. Uptime Monitoring
  6. Application Performance Monitoring (APM)
  7. Analytics
  8. Project Management

Please note: As I'm writing the book, the table of contents may change around a bit. But the content mentioned above will be covered in the book.

Waving emoji About the Author

Hey there! My name's Ash Allen !

I'm a freelance Laravel web developer from the UK.

For the past 8 years, I've worked with many companies around the world to help build and improve Laravel applications they can be proud of!

I wrote "Battle Ready Laravel" and Consuming APIs in Laravel which have sold over 1,800+ copies and are available as PDFs, EPUBs, and paperbacks. I've also written "The Clean Coder's Guide to Laravel" which has been downloaded more than 7,000 times , and I have an active blog where I write about Laravel and PHP. I've also had articles published on the Laravel News, Vonage and Honeybadger blogs, and in the php[architect] magazine.

I have several PHP packages (such as Short URL and Laravel Exchange Rates) which have been installed over 1.3 million times . I also love working on other open-source projects and have contributed to the Laravel framework.

Ash Allen

Ash Allen 🚀

Web Developer

So, How Much Is It?

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The Web Dev's Guide to Freelancing

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What's included:

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Best Value Bundle!

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Grab my great value bundle which includes The Web Dev's Guide to Freelancing + my two best-selling web development books Consuming APIs in Laravel and Battle Ready Laravel.

What's included:

  • All 3 books in PDF (Light & Dark Mode) + EPUB (for E-Readers) formats

  • Perfect for Laravel developers who want to level up their skills and become a freelancer

  • Discounted price

  • Instant access to Battle Ready Laravel and Consuming APIs in Laravel

  • Access to The Web Dev's Guide to Freelancing as soon as it's released

What People Say About My Past Books

Sparkles emoji Past Testimonials

Stephen Rees-Carter

Stephen Rees-Carter

@valorin
It's clear Ash has poured years of experience into Battle Ready Laravel. It's full of great tips and recommendations that every Laravel developer really needs to know. My personal favourite is the auditing chapter, which is a topic I wish more developers would pay attention to! So if you're looking to improve your dev skills (and even if you're not) you really need to grab a copy!
Jae Toole

Jae Toole

@jaetooledev
What a read... Whether you're a junior developer or a senior developer, anyone that reads Battle Ready Laravel will learn something new .
Anthony

Anthony

@4DegreesWest
A battle plan that gives you the upper hand - a great reference to revisit time and time again .
Saif ur rehman Awan

Saif ur rehman Awan

@awannsaif
I find your content (blogs) very informative .
Christian Olear

Christian Olear

@chrolear
I'd definitely recommend your content. I'm reading a lot of it and find it really valuable .
Africa Gatsby

Africa Gatsby

@he_is_unique
This is a complete guide that can help a middle level Laravel developer transition into a senior effectively.
Sam Carré

Sam Carré

@carre_sam
This book is a treasure trove of knowledge and practical ways to integrate with third party APIs. Ash has a brilliant skill of breaking down complex integration methods and RFC specification into beautiful, readable and testable code .
JD Lien

JD Lien

@jdlien
Ash conveys copious experience in this book to show you what you need to know to make your Laravel applications robust, professional, and maintainable. After reading this book, I better understand many concepts that will make me a much more confident and capable Laravel developer .
Marc Hampson

Marc Hampson

@marc_hampson
Ash brings together a wealth of personal knowledge and experience for auditing and maintaining Laravel apps . As a seasoned developer, I wondered how much I’d learn. A lot! This should be required reading for anyone building or maintaining modern web apps.
Helge Sverre

Helge Sverre

@HelgeSverre
It's very good , buy it!
Häz

Häz

@haztakki
An excellent resource for developers who want to learn about webhooks. The book provides clear and concise examples, and breaks down complex concepts into bite-sized chunks , making it easy to follow and understand. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to deepen their knowledge of webhooks.
Jon Purvis

Jon Purvis

@CriticalRespawn
If you work on a Laravel application and that application hooks into an API such as Stripe, GitHub, HubSpot etc... then this book is absolutely for you. There's a lot of great content and it's changed how I plan on approaching handling APIs in the future
Nick Wilkins

Nick Wilkins

@whatisnickupto
The book has a plethora of great advice and snippets that have really helped me already not only in my current projects - where I can instantly implement some tips , but also for future ones where I can start from a stronger base. Highly recommend
Matt Kingshott

Matt Kingshott

@mattkingshott
If you’re gearing up for a launch, or you are about to dive into the challenging world of code auditing, then be sure to have Battle Ready Laravel at your side. Following its clear, comprehensive, and well-written content will leave you feeling so much more confident about your apps .

Aleksander Bless

I loved the course. I'm now able to use Saloon to create the integrations I wanted .
Dwight Watson

Dwight Watson

@DwightConrad
It was super helpful in making sense of all the different types of APIs I’ve reckoned with in the past, properly understanding the differences and the conventions of each standard. Also great to learn better approaches to testing my API integrations going forward .

Question mark emoji Frequently Asked Questions

Point emoji When will the book be released?

There isn't a date set in stone yet. But I'm aiming to release it between November 2024 and January 2025.

Point emoji What format will the book be available in?

The book will be available to download as a PDF or as an EPUB. You'll get both of these versions when you purchase the book through this site.

Point emoji Where can I buy a printed copy?

The initial release of the book will be digital only. But I'll hopefully be able to offer a printed version in the future.

Point emoji Will you offer PPP or a student discount?

Yes! I'll offer PPP (purchasing power parity) and a student discount. You'll just need to drop me an email at mail@ashallendesign.co.uk and I'll provide you with a discount code that you can use.

Point emoji Can I get an invoice?

Of course! As soon as you purchase the book, you'll be sent an email with the invoice.

Point emoji Can I get in touch with you?

Sure! If you have any questions at all, you can get in touch with me at mail@ashallendesign.co.uk

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Join the free Freelance Web Dev Hub community on Discord.

It's a free-to-join community where you can ask questions, share your wins, and get help with any problems you're facing on all things freelancing.

Landed a new client? Share it with us! Struggling with a project? Ask for help! Just want to chat with other freelance web developers? We're here for you!

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Freelance Web Dev Hub

Video camera emoji Watch Freelance Interviews

Check out the awesome interviews I've recorded with other freelance web developers. They share their experiences, tips, how they got started, and much more!

I'm still recording interviews, so keep checking back for new content!

Browse All Videos ->

Latest Interviews

Interview with Simon Hamp Interview with Simon Hamp

17th October 2024

Interview with Peter Fox Interview with Peter Fox

17th October 2024

Interview with Matt Kingshott Interview with Matt Kingshott

21st October 2024

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