I’m a freelance PHP developer and Linux system administrator based near Manchester, undertaking work for clients across the UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man (and further afield, if you have a UK subsidiary I can contract with).
Why hire me?
Deal direct: You always deal directly with me – I don’t subcontract or outsource services. There’s no need to open a support ticket or wait on hold, only to be asked ‘have you tried turning it off and on again?’ or be told ‘that person no longer works here’.
Commercial mindset: I’ve been a director of 4 companies, involved in running lots of voluntary organisations, have run my own business full-time for over 8 years (part-time for 14 years before that), and understand that development work ultimately has to align with the goals of the organisation. If I think a potential project is unlikely to deliver the results you want or isn’t commercially viable, I’ll let you know – even if that means less work for me.
Proactive: I raise potential issues proactively in advance, especially anything related to security, compliance or business continuity.
Pragmatic: I know that the perfect solution isn’t always possible and I specialise in helping clients run systems that might not be recommended but can’t be replaced. For example, I’ve built software to automatically upload data via FTP because that was the only mechanism supported by the (very expensive) hardware, even though it’s not a secure transfer method.
Independent: I’m not tied to or associated with any third parties, and I don’t receive commission on any services I recommend, so I can give you independent advice without any conflicts of interest.
Experience: I built my first commercial website in 2001 (whilst at school), was employed full time in development roles from 2009 to 2015, and have been freelancing full time since 2015. I also have two degrees in Computer Science from the University of Manchester. I’ve worked in academia, financial services, manufacturing, safety systems and many more industries.
Clear explanations: I always explain things clearly in writing, without being patronising. You won’t get any technical jargon and I won’t bamboozle you with unfamiliar terms.
Trust: My clients trust me with access to commercially-sensitive information such as their accounts systems, and sensitive personal data such as convictions and medical conditions. I had similar access at my former employers. In voluntary organisations I’ve often served as treasurer, with access to the bank accounts.