can anyone suggest how can I get started as a freelance web developer(PHP-CodeIgniter)

I tried to go to local businesses, but no one wants to get a Website for their business. I live in a small town.

I tried freelancing websites, but no results.

why codeigniter? if you are starting wjy would you use codeigniter?

buy a .com and forget about your small town

Check out thumbtack? I use that sometimes to find clients

@pekosog I found that easy.
I tried to learn Laravel, but my shared hosting plan didn't allow me to install it.
then I found CI and did a little project in CI.
simple invoicing system in CodeIgniter

@faizanvahevaria ok, i recommend to you to start with a simple rest api using Slim, it is really easy and light. i may help you out if you want, PM me on twitter, you can find me as Pekas_garcia

@pekosog thanks...

(Non - php)

If you just want to build the portfolio by developing websites and webapps, try
Freecodecamp

But they are into Full stack JS and NOT php

@Unixlover I have bought 2 domains.
dotspired.com for dotspired tech
faizanv.in for my personal blog.

working on both website designs.

I am thinking about representing as an IT Service company(Dotspired Tech) to potential clients rather than a single person.

I didn't actually got you. what do you mean by buy a .COM and forget the small town

@SD010 thanks.
I will check that too.

@faizanvahevaria Are you able to design or are you mainly back end work or both? I've been designing and building websites for clients directly and indirectly for the last 13 years as a self employed person. I can give you some good advice. Let me know.

Building on what @helloworld wrote above, if you can do any sort of design (your standard HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, JQuery...) I think it will be easier to get your foot in the door, since it shows a wider skillset.

@helloworld yea please.
I am a little bit of both.
I design websites but i don't use the designing tools like Photoshop and AI
I just write the HTMLS CSS

mostly I manipulate the templates the client likes.

now I am thinking about learning the real designing.

I am good at backend with PHP
but not a pro.
maybe intermediate level

please give me advice on becoming self employed.
salary for a web designer developer (both) is just around $100-$200 USD per month

and I believe that I can make at least $5000 USD per month as self employed if I am good at it and do high quality work.

I have seen many people making 5k per month working from home.
what do you think about it?

@magis sorry, I tend to separate design as graphic design, the aesthetic, and build as the coding of it. HTML, CSS, jquery, php etc..

@pekosog once you get to grips with slim then try moving on to Symfony it's quite a popular framework for business :)

@faizanvahevaria it takes time to develop your skill set and get your offer right. You have to decide what you're best at, what you want to do in terms of work, wether you are good at client facing, wether you are good at converting someone else's design. Wether you are good at analysing a clients business and writing proposals to add value and suggesting how their website can do that. Or wether you focus on purely the code and Cms to make everything.I never use prebuilt templates I fucking hate Wordpress (with a passion). Everything I do is designed either by me or I act as a sub contractor for designers/ agencies, which is a great way to develop contacts and steady work. I then hand code sites from scratch, i licence a Cms system that I thoroughly customise for each project and provide hosting and all associated services. I'm not loaded but I earn enough to be comfortable.

Rent a coder sites maybe? .com domain to expand your clientele past your immediate area. Portfolio helps maybe also consider Wordpress to get sites up quickly for simple sites/e-commerce and a PHP MVC framework for larger projects. Produce web content for theme forest. Produce a a product or platform that you can sell as the main focal point of why they should use your service. Just a couple of ideas :)

@linxlad thanx.
I am using Jekyll for quick static sites.

but WordPress is also awesome.
have used that too

@helloworld mhm can you advise me some good CMS with whom you work?

@freshlyfe I don't class myself as a pro coder, I come from the graphic design side and learned the stuff I need (actually the learning has never stopped, that's why I love it) , but I have always been able to produce any feature requirements and bespoke the Cms for each project. The reason for this is that I found an incredibly cool CMS about 7 years ago, that's actively developed and the best support forum you could dream of. It's been the backbone of everything I do (fuck Wordpress) That's CMS Builder by a company in Canada. Here's the link.
https://www.interactivetools.com/

@helloworld I like to analyse.

I like to find flaws in existing systems and think how it can be improved.

I try to keep my hands away from any type of code.

last 8 months I did this.
I kept analysing the problems, so I can come up with an idea and make a product and become an entrepreneur.

last 8 months I worked on 3 ideas.
luckily, before investing money in it, I found those ideas are not viable by doing market research.

now I am in trouble.
means i need money to survive.
and jobs are not paying enough.
so I have to do something.
so I thought I should get into the IT Device business.

I talked to few entrepreneurs and mentor about this.
and they said it is the right path.

@helloworld so I am planning to start an IT service agency from my home and save few thousand dollars and meanwhile working on identifying problems.

I think that monetizing the skills I already have is the faster way rather than learning new skill and then monetizing.

I know HTML, CSS, a little bit JS and JQUERY, PHP, CODEIGNITER, JEKYLL

can you suggest me from experience where the most money is ?

my path I decided:
1. Harness Jekyll by building 5 static websites for portfolio (trying to make real business website, even if I have to do that for free )
2. building a video course on Jekyll and selling it on Udemy
3. Harness PHP (learning rest API development, I wanna learn phalcon but it needs vps, I can't use it on my shared hosting plan)

now you pleas suggest.

@faizanvahevaria just wondering if you have worked for anyone in the industry before? If you are starting off as a sole trader you have to wear different hats. The best way to do this is to work in industry and learn the ropes. What I mean is you need to know how to correctly write proposals. Estimating a job correctly is key. Don't be fooled into thinking being cheap gets you the work. If you are good charge for it! Otherwise you will be demotivated and working for shit. Don't do things for free (if you do you will never earn a penny). It's really about creating connections, around 80% of my work comes through my connections. They are mainly small design agencies, who offer services to clients they can't do themselves. They can handle the design but have no idea how to make it real. I provide estimates and functional specs site maps and lots of advice. They give me all the projects because I communicate and make their job easier, plus they do all the day to day shitty client contact.

@faizanvahevaria I really can't give you a business plan, all I can say is be good at what you do and market yourself to the target audience once you have established who they are. A website will help but it's not going to get you any work directly. (My website is a logo and a paragraph of text). You need to get out their, get a basic portfolio together. Visit perspective companies that may need your services. Do stuff at a reduced rate, but stipulate that it's discounted and not your normal rate if you need to get a foot in the door.