Going freelance, the first month (ish)

The first month of freelancing isn’t really over yet, but I’m long overdue for a blog post anyway. I never promised that these would be regular!

I have enjoyed getting my hands dirty (thanks, Unsplash) with my first new project and all the new things included in it. I’m getting the hang of Typescript, and it’s a special kind of joy seeing the editor come alive with the type information. Wide-reaching, sweeping refactors are also a pleasure to perform. I am a JetBrains junkie and I can report that WebStorm has excellent Typescript support baked in! That said, I’m not so sure that I’d use Typescript for a side-project. I can see the value in it, but it also comes with a fair bit of hassle.

Yes, I know about VSCode. Yes, I’m sticking with WebStorm. Another thing I’ve discovered in WebStorm are the run configurations. Previously I’ve been running all scripts from a separate terminal, but having the build running inside the editor is quite handy. I can attach a debugger to Chrome and get, what I think is, some kind of superpower.

I have also become much more confident with GraphQL. I have always known that I learn by DOING real projects, but my experience with GraphQL underscored this intensely. I’ve been reading about it, and also attended a workshop, but when I actually tried it it clicked. Rest assured I’ll be using GraphQL everywhere now. No going back to REST.

Speaking of no going back… I received my first bit of income for the work I did at the tail end of March. From the Holvi notification to seeing the raw fruits of my work, it was very satisfying. I will probably not seek out full-time employment for a long time 😳

Holvi has proven to be a very worthwhile investment during this month. I’ve made some purchases with the account, and attaching receipts and invoices on the go is a breeze. I’ve sent a few electronic invoices, and I look forward to the notification from Holvi when they get fulfilled! All the headache of running a business I thought I’d have to endure seems to have evaporated.

I also retained an accountant, whose work will be very smooth since I can just export all the relevant information from Holvi with all attached receipts. It’s also a huge relief knowing that everything is safe in Holvi and I don’t need to juggle various small pieces of paper.

I might upgrade my simple business proprietorship to a full, incorporated limited liability company in the fall. It will give me more flexibility with taxes, wages and accounting. But that’s a chapter for another day…

I will continue the current project for at least another month, after which I look forward to the next enjoyable puddle of mud to stick my hands into!

Until next time.