Can't find a FileMaker developer? You are not the only one
Post a vacancy today for someone with FileMaker experience and chances are it will still be open three months from now. Not because you are offering too little, but because the people simply are not there any more.
The generation that learned to work with FileMaker in the nineties and noughties is heading towards retirement. Virtually nobody is coming through: no course teaches it any more, and young developers choose technology that gives them more options. For the Netherlands and Flanders, that means a handful of specialised agencies, a shrinking group of freelancers, and businesses that sometimes literally call their retired developer back when something breaks.
What can you do?
Hire an agency. There are still a few FileMaker agencies, and they are good. They are also expensive (expect €95 to €140 per hour) and they do not solve the real problem: your system remains dependent on scarce knowledge, and that knowledge becomes scarcer every year.
Train someone yourself. Possible, but be honest: you would be training someone in a technology with a shrinking future. For that person it is no gift, and for you it is no guarantee that they will stay.
Decouple the system from FileMaker. The structural solution. We rebuild FileMaker systems as web applications: the same screens, the same data, but maintainable by any web developer instead of by that one specialist. You can read how that works in from FileMaker to web application.
What it costs
A conversion that is not overly complex already fits within €395, including analysis; from 10 users, the initial analysis and the first day of development are free. After that, maintenance is simply included in the subscription (from €19.50 per user per month, small adjustments €15 per 10 minutes). And should you ever want to leave: after one year you can take over the complete source code for an administration fee of €100.
We built FileMaker applications ourselves for years, so you gain someone who reads your scripts and your data model just as the developer you were looking for would have done. Only you do not have to find us in a tight labour market.
Frequently asked questions
Why are FileMaker developers so hard to find?
The generation that learned to work with FileMaker in the nineties and noughties is heading towards retirement, no course teaches it any more, and young developers choose technology that gives them more options. In the Netherlands and Flanders, what remains is a handful of specialised agencies and a shrinking group of freelancers.
What does a FileMaker agency cost per hour?
Expect €95 to €140 per hour. The agencies that are still around do good work, but they do not solve the underlying problem: your system remains dependent on knowledge that becomes scarcer every year.
Can I train someone in FileMaker myself?
You can, but you would then be training someone in a technology with a shrinking future. For that person it is no gift, and for you it is no guarantee that they will stay.
What is the alternative to hiring a FileMaker developer?
Decoupling your system from FileMaker by rebuilding it as a web application: the same screens and data, but maintainable by any web developer. A conversion that is not overly complex fits within €395 including analysis; after that, maintenance is included in the subscription from €19.50 per user per month.
Free and without obligation: have your FileMaker file assessed
Send us your FileMaker file via the secure upload, or schedule an introduction. We will tell you what is in your application, what converting it costs and what it saves you. Only then do you decide. We work for businesses throughout the Netherlands and Flanders; everything can be done remotely.