Kenelle

As a web developer working as a light entrepreneur, this is how it works: you agree on a project with the client, build the site, and invoice the work through the Truster app without your own Business ID (Y-tunnus). Truster handles invoicing, tax withholding and reporting on your behalf, and your pay is deposited into your account. The same model works for one-off projects as well as monthly maintenance billing.

#Website projects, online stores and maintenance

Typical assignments include websites for small businesses, online stores, landing pages for campaigns, site redesigns, and ongoing maintenance: updates, backups, security and small content changes. Clients are most often local businesses, associations and sole proprietors who don't have technical expertise of their own.

Website projects are usually priced as a fixed project fee based on the estimated workload and scope of the site. Online stores and custom features push the price up. Maintenance is priced as a monthly fee, and it's valuable for developers because it brings predictable, recurring income. Changes and additional development are billed at an hourly rate.

It's worth agreeing on the billing schedule in advance: for example, part of the project fee at the start and the rest at launch, and for maintenance, an invoice once a month or in a few-month cycles. In the Truster app, creating a recurring invoice for the same client is quick, so monthly billing never gets left hanging.

#Hosting, themes and tools: what costs does the field involve?

The costs of web development work are modest but ongoing: development tools and software subscriptions, paid themes and plugins, hosting for test environments, stock image libraries, and your own computer. Log work-related expenses in the Truster app, and they'll be factored into your pay automatically according to tax authority guidelines. You can also log mileage from client meetings in the app.

It's usually best to have the client's own recurring costs, such as domain and hosting, registered and paid directly in the client's name. This way, the contracts stay with the client, and you don't have to act as a middleman if the collaboration ever ends.

#How much do you actually take home?

Truster's service fee is 3.99% of invoiced amounts or a flat €55/month, which is often the more affordable option for regular invoicers. After the service fee, tax withholding is deducted from your pay according to your tax card. VAT is usually added to the invoice, with a standard rate of 25.5%, and it's paid by the client. Estimate your own take-home amount with our calculators at truster.com/laskurit.

Once the project is finished and the invoice has been sent, HetiPalkka pays your wages even before the invoice's due date. This smooths out cash flow, especially between larger projects.

Tracking invoices from maintenance clients is easy: you can see in the app which invoices have been paid, and Maksuvahti reminds clients about overdue payments on your behalf for €1.99/invoice. When monthly billing runs almost automatically and reminders are handled through the service, managing even ongoing client relationships stays light for a one-person operation.

#How to get started as a web developer

Download the app, create a free account, and invoice your first project without any setup costs. The account doesn't commit you to anything, so you can keep it ready for bids and offers: once a deal is made, you're already set up to invoice.

In web development work, the best selling point is published references. It's worth doing your first projects carefully and asking permission to use them in your portfolio. It's also worth offering a maintenance agreement at the end of every project: it brings you recurring income and gives the client the assurance that the site will stay maintained and up to date.

As a light entrepreneur, you don't need to do bookkeeping or file VAT reports: Truster handles them as part of the service. As your client base and monthly billing grow, you can switch to your own company if you want to, but many web developers work as light entrepreneurs for years, since it keeps the administrative side this light.