To add to your tip #7: Get to know your local user group. Google "PHP/Python/RoR/etc [Insert City here]".
They might be doing monthly meetings, code sprint, bug squashing parties, or just enjoying a beer once in a while. That allows you to stay on top of what is going locally, get to know other freelancers, grow your network and have fun!
In all seriousness, most non-major areas are very lacking in things like this. My area has none that I can find, and I tried to expand even to just general programming meetups.
Comments
To add to your tip #7: Get to know your local user group. Google "PHP/Python/RoR/etc [Insert City here]".
They might be doing monthly meetings, code sprint, bug squashing parties, or just enjoying a beer once in a while. That allows you to stay on top of what is going locally, get to know other freelancers, grow your network and have fun!
"Python slithers into Fort Myers yard"
Damn.
In all seriousness, most non-major areas are very lacking in things like this. My area has none that I can find, and I tried to expand even to just general programming meetups.