working 100% remotely

**northernladuk** · 13 December 2015, 19:32

Not a pipe dream but far from common. You are most likely to get a gig like this from an existing client where you've proven yourself and can deliver. Hoping for a 100% WFH gig on the standard sites like jobserve? Not gonna happen. They will have already gone to people the client has already used.

That said it depends on what you do. Next to zero chance of a PM or SDM getting that but if you can create something to specs you might have a better chance.

**clearedforlanding** · 13 December 2015, 20:40

Originally posted by northernladuk View Post

Not a pipe dream but far from common. You are most likely to get a gig like this from an existing client where you've proven yourself and can deliver. Hoping for a 100% WFH gig on the standard sites like jobserve? Not gonna happen. They will have already gone to people the client has already used.

That said it depends on what you do. Next to zero chance of a PM or SDM getting that but if you can create something to specs you might have a better chance.

+1

Open up LinkedIn & hit the telephone calling everyone you have worked with, or went to uni or school with. (Unless you are an experienced SDN/NFV developer. Can't find them for love nor money.)

1 WFH gig in 24 years on JS for me. And 2 WFH but occasionally show my face at the office ones.

**SueEllen** · 13 December 2015, 21:46

I've done gigs which are 20%-90% WFH.

In the 90% gigs the only reason we went into the office was to meet each other, work out how to work together using internet technology and socialise.

However all the gigs I've done with 80% plus WFH were due to having some introduction to the client before.

The main issue you have is if a gig can be done 100% WFH then it can be done from a cheaper country.

**jamesbrown** · 13 December 2015, 22:10

Agree with NLUK. There are a few possibilities:

Get lucky in a BOS role with a particular client (not a long-term strategy)
Sell a product with or without a service, rather than a service alone
Sell a specialist service (and build a reputation)

There may be others too. Ultimately, if you want to do it long-term, you need to position yourself accordingly, and not expect immediate results. Having a strong network is a prerequisite and you really only build that over time and with success/reputation. In other words, deciding that you want to do this from next year is going to be tough without the groundwork, unless you're willing to completely change tack and take a massive drop in rate (not a good long-term plan either).

**TheCyclingProgrammer** · 13 December 2015, 23:27

As a rule, I work from home 80-100% of the time. I always work directly with clients (almost all of my work is found via referral or people finding me through my website) - I've done one agency job in the last 6 years. For what I do (software development and consultancy), anything more than the odd day on site (barring the kickoff phase of a project) is simply unnecessary and more and more of my clients understand that.

I do get enquiries from people who are looking for people on-site and unless I can convince them why that's not necessary I just don't take these jobs on. I'm a big believer in remote working but for some businesses this just isn't the culture. I occasionally break the rule and do a bit more work on-site and I never enjoy it. If I was to take on a role that was anything more than 40% on-site, I would charge a premium on top of my rate.

Working in this way means I don't have to worry about where my clients are based unless they do need me on-site say, 1 day a week, in which case I'm still looking at London-based work (I have a lot of clients in the Shoreditch/Old Street area). A more recent client is based in Poole and I visited their office for a few days to kick off a project with my expenses billed to them.

I have to agree with the above post - how feasible this is depends on what you do, what sort of clients you have and your reputation. If you're say, a typical contractor who depends on agents to find you roles you're not going to have nearly as much flexibility as a freelance consultant who has a good enough reputation that clients come to them directly.

WFH doesn't have to mean a lower rate either, I've increased my rate steadily over the last 6 years and now work in the £575-625/day range. If I do work on-site I'm looking at between £30-50/day costs (the result of living 50 miles out from central London).

Working from home requires discipline but for me its equally as important as being my own boss. I don't think I could go back to working a normal 9-5 office job again.

Working mostly from home can help also be a help with your IR35 defence as its harder to show you're under SD&C when you're working from your own office, your own hours, your own routine. Never being on-site more than 40% of the time also means not having to worry about the 24 month rule for travel and subsistence. Neither of these are why I WFH but they are some bonus positives.

**jamesbrown** · 13 December 2015, 23:41

Completely agree with CP, also in terms of rates if you address the structural issue that will allow you to WFH consistently (e.g. specialise). You'll probably find that WFH is part of a bigger picture whereby you start to work direct, perhaps bill fixed price, have multiple clients, tend to have fixed deliverables or provide products as well as services. There's no single route, but WFH consistently, for a high percentage of your time, often accompanies a very different way of working. One word of caution though. You may think that WFH is where you want to be, but it's challenging. I enjoy my work a lot, and I've been 100% WFH for around 4 years now, but I find it very difficult at times. I think you can imagine the potential downsides in terms of work/life partitioning, lack of human contact etc. and the various ways to mitigate against them, but it's not always easy to implement the theory. You need a certain personality to sustain it.

**GillsMan** · 14 December 2015, 07:54

I specialised in offering consultancy and configuration specialism in a SaaS system which, naturally, suits WFH quite well. I managed to work home about 90% of the time during gigs lasting 9-15 months at Barclays and BP.

Firstly, you have to prove yourself. I did this by delivering lots in my first couple of weeks, and I was generous with billing. I.e, if I only did 6 hours, I'd bill for half a day. I gained a reputation as being honest.

Then, when I had a big lot of config or writing to do, I'd advise that I'd do it from home, since that was where all my documents were (and I didn't want to bring them all in the office). They were fine with this. I ensured I was instantly available, phone was on, email was on, and I delivered. I also managed to work on multiple clients at the same time, which was the first step in me bringing on employees.

Both the gigs above came through the normal route, agencies contacting me about a contract gig. But I ensured I earned the trust of the client before WFH, though in both cases I think I advised at the interview that I normally did this kind of work from home but would come in whenever they needed me for meetings, etc.

Oh, and the most important thing: drop your rate for a WFH gig. Say "if you need me in all the time, it'll be £550pd, but if you only need me in occasionally, we can look at a rate of £450-500pd". Something like that.

**Martin Scroatman** · 14 December 2015, 09:35

Join a Bob Club

Join a Bob Club and pull in your own work

Business Networking - Business over Breakfast

**LondonManc** · 14 December 2015, 10:00

Beware cabin fever.

As much as the 20 second commute, complete freedom of dress code, lunchtime cuddles with significant other and the like can appeal greatly, the lack of human contact on a day-to-day basis can be a challenge; both in terms of not hearing about things that you'd be expected to hear about in an office environment even two days on site and in terms of general social interaction. It very much depends on the individual and the project imho about what would work.

working 100% remotely