Business-minded individuals who also have a knack for coding and other aspects of tech can enjoy the best of both worlds by setting up as a freelance coder, or even starting their own coding business. Moreover, there are opportunities for coders to get involved in a broad variety of industries, since businesses of all sorts rely heavily on digital technology for their marketing, sales, and more. If you’re skilled at coding and design but don’t necessarily want to be confined to companies that are exclusively tech-focused, consider starting your own coding business and offering your services to other entrepreneurs across a broad swathe of fields.
Here’s some advice for getting a coding business off the ground, courtesy of Bad Coffee Club‘s guest author Naomi Johnson (Life-Based Business).
What services do coders provide for other businesses?
As a coder, you have an array of skills that can be valuable to businesses at every stage of their growth and development. Businesses that are just getting launched may need to hire coders to help them set up their company site, to develop their software systems, and to help set team members with their respective applications for communication, collaboration, and project management.
Companies may also need to hire coders when they are making changes to their internal systems or their content, or to upgrade software. Managers who are aiming to optimize efficiency should understand the importance of what a coder can offer. Additionally, with heightened concerns about cybersecurity, businesses can’t afford not to invest in the protection a professional coder can build into their systems.
The characteristics of a good coder
Besides the hard skills that coders offer to businesses, they also tend to possess certain soft skills that can benefit a company’s overall productivity. People may not realize that coding well requires creativity and flexibility. Coders tend also to be problem solvers, who are able to look at the big picture and ask questions about where improvement may be needed – then hone in on those areas. These characteristics benefit businesses not only when it comes to software, systems, and security. They also contribute to a culture of innovation, problem-solving, and the quest for ongoing betterment.
How to start your own coding business
The first question to ask yourself is whether you want to launch your business as a solo coder or whether you’re envisioning a larger business model. If the former, getting a business started can be extremely simple. You may not even need funding, since you are well equipped as a tech expert to take care of many of the aspects of a business launch—such as creating a website—on your own.
You should still write up a business plan, however, just to be sure you have a clear idea of your business identity and mission as well as a detailed roadmap for your business journey. You should also decide on what business structure will work best for you. Even if you intend to keep your business small, seriously consider the benefits of incorporating, since this means your business will be an entity separate from yourself, and this can mitigate liability and other risks.
For added protection, you can also purchase business insurance. This will be useful if you are working in other people’s homes and offices. You will also want to choose a business name, register for tax purposes, and set up a bank account specifically for your coding business.
What if you decide to grow your business larger?
If you opt to start a more substantial business or to grow your company over time, a few other considerations come up. First of all, you are more likely to need funding for a business that isn’t just you running a small incorporated company out of a home office. You will have to decide on things like acquiring a business space, hiring employees, and purchasing equipment. All these things require capital. Two options to look into include grants and loans. If you find a grant that is specific to your industry, location, or demographic, take some time to prepare before applying.
The institutions responsible for offering grants and loans will likely scrutinize your personal finances. While not the sole deciding factor, your debt-to-income ratio will be important for determining your eligibility. Polish up your business plan so you can use it as your calling card for grant providers. And don’t start your application until you’ve read up on everything that goes into grant writing.
Marketing strategies for coderpreneurs
Good marketing depends heavily on your ability to acquire and read data, which is something that should come easily to a tech-inclined person such as yourself. Do be sure you are using fresh and accurate data, however. And use that as the basis for crafting several likely consumer personas—fictional characters who represent significant traits and facts you can expect to encounter in a target audience. Having these consumer personas in mind will help you craft outbound content and messaging that will engage the potential clients most likely to be in need of your services.
It’s important to keep your marketing messages relevant for the customers you’re trying to reach, as opposed to just putting generic sales pitches out there. It’s also important to be aware of which medium will best work for reaching your target audience. In general, email and social media marketing tend to be effective ways for small business owners to get their message out.
When you contract with your first client
It’s always an exciting and possibly slightly stressful time when you are working with your first client, as a professional coder. You likely will be worried about making mistakes that will reflect poorly on your new business. Remember, you probably will make a few mistakes, here and there, in your early months. Ideally, you will try to anticipate and prevent these, but life isn’t always ideal, so the next best option is to learn from your mistakes. Try to pinpoint exactly what could have been done better so you’ll have a plan for being more effective next time around.
Keeping your customer happy
Even if your business runs into a few bumps in the road, you can still follow these general guidelines for keeping clients as happy as possible. First, make sure you have excellent customer service, which means prompt communication, especially when a client has an issue or a problem.
Second, be sure to reward customer loyalty with perks such as rewards programs, special discounts, and VIP events. Take some time to get to know your clients so you can offer them customized service, and build an ongoing business relationship that will be beneficial for both of you. And make sure you follow up your words with actions: customers will realize very quickly if you are making big promises but not following through.
Coders are likely to be even more in demand, for businesses of all sorts, in the future. So whether you are setting out as a freelancer or planning on growing a coding business, you can likely look forward to numerous opportunities for business collaboration, and ongoing profitability.
This article is brought to you by Bad Coffee Club, where writing is our passion. Pecking away on the keyboard to bring an idea to life makes us genuinely happy. Our posts center around tech tips and we strive to help you make the most of your smart devices, thus making your life easier. Having lived through 2020, we could all use some of that sweet easier life. For more information, please contact us today!
Image via Pixabay
