It seems appropriate during this week of Thanksgiving to give a big thank you to all the readers. So a big, hearty, “Thank You!” for asking questions and providing some interesting feedback.
Whenever I start talking to REALbasic developers, I get asked, a lot, about finding REALbasic consulting work. It’s not hard finding work, but it is not always easy finding good projects.
The difference? One issue that comes up is that because it’s real and it’s basic means REALbasic it must be easy-to-use (read that as cheap), right? Wrong! Making a good quality REALbasic application requires some perseverance and some experience. I can guarantee that the RB apps I make these days are way better than my early RB apps. Experience counts in software development just like in any other profession.
Good projects aren’t always available. Maybe you have to do an ugly project for next to nothing to hold you over until a bigger, better project comes along. With consulting it really is a ‘what is the next project?’ world.
So where do you find work? The first thing you have to do is set up shop. Does your website say anything about REALbasic consulting and/or development? It should because that’s the first way people are going to find you. You should also have a previous projects page that talks about the work you’ve done. Sometimes you can’t talk about a project in a lot of detail due to non-disclosure agreements, but you can talk generically about the type of work you’ve done.
In a recent ARBP survey word of mouth and their website were the two highest percentages, by far, of any of the topics.
Do you self promote yourself in the RB Forums and the NUG list? If not, you might be missing out on some work. By answering some questions on the forums and NUG (for free) you can get some free exposure and people get to know your name. Do you think it’s a coincidence that regular columnists/writers for RB Developer magazine are mostly consultants?
Are you listed in the ARBP consultants list? You should be. It costs nothing other than signing up for their limited membership (i.e. free).
Finally, the REAL Software Consulting Referrals Program is a great way of getting leads. People who think they want a REALbasic developer to contact them fill out a web form and you get an email. It’s then up to you follow up on the lead. It is somewhat pricey at $1000/year but one good project and will pay for itself.
In fact, I would call the program a bargain. In 2008 REAL Software changed the program and nearly doubled the price to be part of the program. I criticized them at the time and still think it was a bit heavy-handed but the quality of the leads has gone up and so has the frequency of leads. I contact most of the leads twice. First when I first get the lead and in a couple of weeks afterward. Most of the time they tell me they only have one or two replies to their original post so this says to me that there are not a whole lot of people in the program.
Look folks, if they’re filling out a form asking for REALbasic work they’ve already sold themselves on using REALbasic. You don’t have to sell the merits of RB – they’ve self-selected themselves! It’s like shooting fish in a barrel from a sales perspective.
Do you talk about what you do? You should because you never know who you’re talking to. I went to an NFL training camp this summer and while having a drink at a bar where the players sometimes hang out I had a great conversation with someone that happened to work in software industry. While it hasn’t resulted in any work – yet – it might in the future and isn’t that what marketing is all about?
So that’s it. There’s no secret to finding REALbasic work. Have a great Thanksgiving and happy coding!
Marc argues, the opposite.