StephMyLife Extended Freelancer Bootcamp – September 2023

Start Date & Duration

The bootcamp will start on September 9th 2023 & run for 13 weeks. You will build and launch your website in 9 weeks and we will spend the following 4 weeks pitching to clients and hopefully get your first paid job.

Who Is The Freelancer Bootcamp Course For?

The Freelancer Bootcamp is for someone who wants to become a freelance website developer and make the switch to working online. Someone who wants to learn a new lucrative skill and build their own tech business.

On this course you will learn how to make high quality, responsive, well functioning WordPress websites. I will pass on the skills that I have learned from my university degree, over a decade of professional software development, and in my freelancing career while travelling the world. You will learn how to pitch to clients and get paid freelancing work with the knowledge you gain on the course.

Freelance web development allows you to travel the world and set your own hours, while earning a good income and building your career. You can take projects when you want to work, and travel in between. Working online has given us so many great opportunities, and I want to encourage more people to take the leap.

Are there any extra costs?

On the course you will build your own personal portfolio or client website. There are costs associated with building a site which are not covered in the course fee – as these are variable costs depending on what you build. The costs should be billed to your client if you are building a client website, you can advise your client of this before they agree.

1. Domain cost: You will need to buy a domain name. These cost anything from €0.99 per year, the cost really just depends on how in-demand the domain name is. To estimate this cost, go to godaddy.com and search for some domain names you are considering for your site (stephwebdesign.com etc).
2. Hosting cost: Websites need to be hosted, and there is an annual fee for this. We recommend two options of hosting in the coursework, which we have vetted. These are Hostinger which is €29 per year, and Siteground which is €79 per year.
3. Theme: You may opt to buy a theme on the course. This cost is optional, and you will be given free and paid options to choose from which we have checked and vetted. If you buy a theme, the cost is between 29 and €60. This is a lifetime cost, not an annual cost.

If you are working with a client, you can let them know in advance that they would need to pay for these costs and the costs are payable in the first 3 weeks of the course starting. You may also choose to charge your client for completing their website on the course. If so, the normal amount would be €500 on the course – payable when the website is delivered at the end of the course.

Is the Course Accredited?

I am very please to say that both the Freelancer and Entrepreneur courses are now accredited by the CPD Certification service. You can view the membership details and certification details in the gallery at the top of the page.

When you complete the course, you will be sent a certificate of completion directly from CPD with your name & optionally your company name in it. If you will be using your web design skills to work for your company, it’s possible that your company will pay in full or part for your place on the course.

What Does The Freelance Bootcamp Cover?

On the bootcamp, you will not only learn the technical skills required to be a freelance web developer, but also the professional skills too. You will learn how to find clients, how to pitch to them, how to get requirements, to manage difficult or slow clients, and how to ensure that you get repeat business from each job. Course materials include templates for pitching / proposals / quotes etc, which you can use during your career.

You can see a list of the modules and lessons on the course page.

The Freelancer Bootcamp covers a variety of subjects:

• WordPress website development
• CSS
• HTML
• Website Security (SSL)
• Handling payments on a website
• Responsive Design
• Setting up an Ecommerce store
• Setting up bookings, memberships & contact forms on a website
• Pitching to clients
• Finding clients
• Writing client proposals
• Pricing your services
• Communicating effectively with clients
• Other tools & techniques to start a career in freelance web development

What Website Will I Create On This Course?

You have two options for the website you will create on the course.

• You can create a personal website, to advertise your freelance development skills to potential clients. If you have other skills & experience you can market these on the website too.
• You can create a website for a client. Some previous students posted on their social media looking for clients, and others created websites for their partner or family members businesses.

If you create a website for yourself, you will be able to use that as a way to market yourself. If you create a website for a client, you will gain experience of working with a client which will be very helpful.

The most important thing is that you have a website idea when you join the course. The first week will be drafting up the project plan, so you don’t need to have a fully laid out plan – but if you start the course with no idea of what to build then you will be behind.

What you’ll get from the course

What is the Time Commitment?

Payment

You can pay in full for the course when you book your spot, or you can choose to sign up for a payment plan and split your payments out into equal monthly installments. You can opt for a payment plan by selecting “Pay Deposit” when checking out – you will pay a 20% deposit immediately and you can select your preferred payment plan duration.