How to Build a Profitable Career of Freelance Android Developer

Freelance android developer is a freelance career provides Android developers with plenty of opportunities such as various work assignments and working time flexibility.

And bear in mind that the following will be essential:

Some of these points are given below:

• Demand vs Supply:
  • Skilled Android developers are in great demand.
  • The developers have to study the trends of the market and its skills needs.
• Platforms:
  • Get started with the likes of Upwork, Freelancer, Toptal etc.
  • However, they have different characteristics and clientele.
• Rates:
  • Rates depend on the level of expertise and the nature of the project.
  • Explore the pricing structure for the standard rates.
• Networking:
  • Have a social and a professional network with fellow professionals through internet forums and social media groups.
  • Build a professional network of your prospects.

For any reasonable growth in the market, market research and self-elevation is a condition sine qua none.

Critical Competencies and Resources for Optimal Impact

In order to be successful in the role of a freelance Android app developer, one needs to develop focused abilities and acquire critical tools:

Skills:

• Familiarity with the Android SDK and the development environment
• Knowledge of RESTful APIs and other external libraries
• Proficient in using Git for versioning
• Fundamental understanding of UI/UX design aspects
• Knowledge of app testing and debugging methods

Tools:

• Android Studio IDE
• Gradle build
• Emulator or real device for debugging purposes
• Version control tools such as GitHub or Bitbucket
• Sigma or Sketch

The differentiation factor for specialists is regular skill enhancement and catch-up with the tools of their trade.

Creating the Freelance Android Developer Portfolio:

For a freelance android developer a high quality portfolio is very important and the basic objective of having a portfolio as a developer on the Android platform is to highlight technical skills and showcase creativity along with being able to solve problems.

• Showcase Various Types and their Development Process: Use different types of projects in order to show the different types of work that the developer can do.
• Case Studies: Present the challenge, how it was addressed and what technologies were used.
• GitHub Projects: Publish GitHub projects demonstrating coding techniques, including working with issues, documenting code and style guide.
• Recommendations from Clients: Put reviews and comments about the work in the future.
• Good Portfolio Design: Make a colorful artistic portfolio.
• Systematic Portfolio Improvements: Make sure to include in the portfolio the most recent developments and the most current technologies.

The Importance Of Choosing A Specific Area Of Focus

Most of the time, an independent Android freelance developer must choose a specific area of focus. In this way, one is able to provide specialized services which can enable him or her perform successfully in the market competition or earn a competitive advantage. Steps involved are:

• Inventory of Strengths and Hobbies: Inventory of the talents available at the moment and hobbies to pursue.
• Industry Gap Analysis: Search for potential areas and a need for a particular android development service.
• Evaluating Clients Opinions: Analyze opinions received for completed projects to highlight the weaknesses.
• Self-Education: Make an effort to learn new trends and developments about the selected niche.

Concentrating on a specific area helps to build in-depth knowledge that helps to produce quality work and gain the confidence of clients.

Beginning A  Career As An Freelance Android Developer:

In order to start a freelance android development business some procedures need to be followed:

• Business Entity: Decide if you want to start as a self-employed or incorporated entity.
• Portfolio for freelance android developer: Develop a website with samples of previously done works.
• Social Connections: Actively participate in professional communities and go to relevant conferences.:
• Time Management: Invest in quality tracking software like Trello or Asana.

Setting standards from the beginning will help in the long run too in terms of profits.

Communication with Clients

Proper communication can go a long way in strengthening relationships with the client and project delivery. For this purpose try to:

• Speaking: Simple and straight language helps in minimizing ambiguity.
• Hearing: Understanding the needs of the client and how they should be met.
• Newsletters: These can be regular updates to the status of the project and its developments.
• Business Etiquette and Conduct: Keep the communication on all the occasions professional.
• Writing: All correspondence should be active, complete and factual as it may assist in future relations.
• Punctuality: Response times directly correlate to how trustworthy one clients is.
• Response: Make sure to ask for comments as they help improve the quality of the service.

“The most important thing in communication is the part of the communication which is not spoken.”

Unique top-level communication skills are what make the best freelance Android developer stand out from the others.

Some Time Management and Productivity Tips

Time management is going to leads to higher productivity and ultimately higher returns. Here are some tips for freelance Android developers to improve their time management skills:

• Making task lists: Identify important tasks and work on them in the order of their priority.
• Time allocation/Time partitioning: Each type of work may need to take a certain period.
• Self-imposed due dates: Goals can help to encourage completion targets.
• Stay Organized: In order to work better in an effective way, use high quality apps like Trello, Asana and Toggl.
• Minimize Distractions: Establish your working environment, turn off all the notifications that are not needed.
• Regular Breaks: Engage yourself in the Pomodoro Technique to have short breaks in order to maintain concentration.
• Continuous Learning: Set aside some time from the daily schedule for high quality learning in order to be relevant in Android development.

Pricing Your Services Competitively

Determining the cost of services should not be a stumbling block for service providers. Study the prevailing prices in the market and those of rival firms. Observation of the two sites, Upwork and Freelancer might be helpful. Follow these steps:

• Benchmark Analysis:
  • Understand the prevailing practices in the industry.
  • Establish the rates of other stakeholders.
• Cost Consideration:
  • Estimate the costs and the profit that is required.
  • Include the tax, expenses on soft wares and also hard wares.
• Value Proposition:
  • List the strengths and the experiences that are unique.
  • Defend the high rates with quality of the work and the amount of experience.
• Flexible Pricing Models:
  • Set the price on the hourly rate, fixed rate or monthly rate.
  • Change the prices depending on the complexity of the work and the client expectation.

Marketing Yourself as a Freelance Android Developer

Focus on building solid portfolio first. Try to integrate different projects that would highlight the amount of technologies schemes used in development. Also make use of LinkedIn to contact professionals in the field. It is also important to keep a GitHub account where the design and the content will be about the active coding and problem solving. Search for projects at Upwork, Freelancer and Toptal.

• Talk about the past achievements during projects.
• Go to networking opportunities  events, meetups, etc.
• Make technical content, write articles to show value.
• Join the circles of Android developers on forums and social networks.
• Create a professional oriented website.
• Try to get self-satisfied clients to write you a referral.

Ongoing Education and Knowledge of the Latest Trends in Freelance Android Development

To get to a huge success developers need to keep track of the Android development trends. They can:

• Follow industry-specific blogs and read articles.
• Be active on forums and communities.
• Enroll for android development focused workshops, seminars, or webinars.
• Track industry leaders and influencers on social media platforms.
• Take expert courses from Coursera, Udacity, or Linked In Learning.

Training never stops, this is the principle that every successful freelancer must know.

Besides, communicating with other developers allows learning the cutting-edge design and development techniques that enable freelancers to continue enhancing their tool sets.

Fostering Client Relationships that Last the Test of Time

Long-lasting client relations cannot be taken lightly. Always set the right expectations at the very beginning through proper communication. Never exceed deadlines and do not promise too much. Be dependable even when there is no request from the client and offer ideas that can improve their projects. Listen to clients and do all that is possible to meet their objectives.

• Check-in Constantly: Trust is enhanced through regular interaction.
• Be Honest: Specify the objectives, time and budget in advance.
• Complete Work on Time: Stick to the timelines and uphold high standards.
• Make Suggestions: Identify beneficial changes and offer them.

Spend effort getting to know their business to tailor the best possible solutions. When clients are happy, they are most likely to become repeat clients which serves as a good source of revenue.

Taking on a High Number of Projects Without Compromising Quality

A number of projects need to be handled well in an organized manner and communication should be done as clearly as possible. Android developers working as freelancers must make use of supporting tools such as Trello or Asana in order to assign themselves various jobs alongside deadlines. They have to arrange the tasks according to what is most important first and what is most urgent second.