Hit Subscribe Freelancer Q&A

What Bookkeeping Software Should I Use to Freelance?

If you're thinking of hanging out your shingle or have just done so, you might wonder whether to use bookkeeping software and, if so, what to use. I have a surprisingly specific and opinionated answer for this one.
 
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Link of the month:
TEM Metrics - Test Environment Management (DOT) Com
 

How Freelancers Can Avoid Self Employment Tax

When you go off on your own, at least in the US, you might be in for a rude tax awakening. In this video, I talk about what self-employment tax is, and what you can do about it.
 
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Links of the Month:
An in-depth look at spike testing with examples
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Automate web and mobile testing with AI
Metrics vs. Logs: When to Use Each in Your Telemetry Stack
DORA Metrics Dashboard: How to Build One, With Examples
 

Which Meetings with Clients Should I Bill For?

You're a freelancer and doing regular work with your clients. If you bill by the hour or, more generally, for time and materials, which meetings should you bill the clients for?
 
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Links of the Month:
What are the different types of release management?
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When Do You Look Too Much Like an Employee?

Freelancers, especially newbie freelancers, can find themselves caught in situations where their only, large, 40-hour-per week client starts to treat them more like an employee than a freelancer. What should you do?
 
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Links of the month:
End-to-end testing for enterprise business processes
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Is California a Bad Place to Start a Business or Practice?

I've been asked this more than once, but eventually got around to doing a video about it. Rumor has it that California is "business-unfriendly," and, if you live there, you should start a business in another state. What's my take on that?
 
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Links of the week:
Salesforce Test Automation: What Every Engineer Should Know
Key Components of a CI/CD Pipeline

Should I Run Away If Someone Offers Equity?

It's a situation that a lot of techies can relate to. Someone comes along and offers you a stake in their business, instead of money, if you build their vision for them. What should a freelancer do in this situation?
 
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Links of the week:
Oracle testing
8 CI/CD Best Practices for Your DevOps Journey

Is It Okay to "Fake It 'til You Make It?"

We've all heard the phrase "hake it 'til you make it." A reader asked me if this is a good mantra to live by.
 
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Links of the week:
Data: What Is DevSecOps?
Key Components of a CI/CD Pipeline

Should I Approach Freelancing Differently During a Recession

At the time of recording, there's a good bit of uncertainty about the economy. Against that backdrop, as a freelancer, should you approach your work differently?
 
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What is the Best Way for Freelancers to Get Paid?

Wire Transfer? Check? Cash? If you're just starting out as a freelancer, what's the best way to get paid?
 
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What is My (Erik's) Worst Client Experience?

One of the questions that came up in my reader/viewer backlog was specific to me and my background. What is/was my worst experience with a client?
 
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Link of the week:
Using Pytest Fixtures: A Step-by-Step Guide With Examples