[TRF]

Originally Posted by gonelong

I demand 25% of estimate before I start coding anything, and this is one of the first things I tell them.

I discuss payment terms upon completion, and I send them an itemized estimate (via email so we both have a record of it) of what they can expect to receive.
1. Registered Domain name (www.blahblah.com)
2. Hosting/Email Setup (gonelong@blahblah.com, etc.)
3. Submission to search engines (yahoo, google, etc.)
4. 9 Pages (Home, About us, etc.)

Total Cost: $1500
25% pre-payment: $375
Due upon completion (net 30): $1125

Hosting billed quarterly @ $25/Month
Additional Development - $50/HR, Image Manipulation - $75 HR

I send this with the message that I will start development upon receiving the 25% payment and an indication that these terms are acceptable.

Not been screwed a single time since I started doing this.

Have also done the 2/10 or Net 30 deal, though mostly the money I make on the side is funny money for me.

I made a deal with the wife that I would do 90% or more of the work after she retired for the evening. Easy deal on smaller projects, but a bit of an issue on larger ones when I basically on have 2-3 hours at night to work on them. I generally don't take projects I suspect will go more than 30-35 hrs or so.

We still get to spend our evenings together and I make some pretty easy disposable income for things like TiVo, a laptop, finished my basement one year, a home theater projector, downpayment on a car, a vacation one year, and the occasional bump to the Roth IRA.

I generally clear from $2000 to $10000 a year doing this, though more often than not its closer to the $2000 figure. I have built up enough clients that I can generally make the $2000 just working with them which is fine by me. I meet one client quarterly because he wants to have beers at BW3's with me. The other clients all interact via email with me. I pretty much take no calls or meetings and work in my PJs while watching TV.

Best. Side-job. Evah.

GL

I'm hoping for about $2000-4000 per month. Like I said, the market here is thin for developers. I was thinking of charging for SEO based on ranking after say 6 weeks. Using agreed upon search terms, $25 for every term on page 3, $50 for page 2, $100 for page 1 with an additional $100 if it is the #1 listing

Originally Posted by redsmetz

TRF, as an aside, don't forget to set aside some of that money for taxes. At work you're getting taxes withheld, but you'll need to make quarterly payments to the IRS if you're going to owe (you get a bit of a free pass the first year if you've paid in what you're previous year's taxes were; otherwise, you could end up with a penalty). Even now for me, since I incorporated about ten years ago, I have a savings account that I put withholding taxes into each week so they're there when I have to send the tax payment in. If you're self-employed, keep in mind you'll also have to calculate in the Self Employment Tax (Social Security) which is the same as the SS percentage plus the employer match, although half of that amount is deductible off your income (of course, consult a tax adviser).

I've worked on the side for a number of years, and the taxes haven't hurt too much, but it is something I have to pay more attention too.

Oh as an update to my current situation, I have sent multiple e-mails to my contact and his boss asking for half now. So far not a single reply. nice.