Business

  • June 5, 2007

    The Freelancer’s Interview

    Many of my friends are now going on interviews that will hopefully land them a job, giving them a start on their new future as a functioning person of society. My brothers and their friends are going on smaller scale interviews to land them a summer job so they can make some spending money. Amidst all of this, I sit at home, programming, doing my own thing to make money. That doesn’t mean that I don’t go on interviews. As a matter of fact, for a freelancer like me at least, I go on a lot of interviews.

    You see, the freelancer has a job interview every time he gets a new client. That interview manifests itself in the first meeting or proposal that secures the job for him. As a freelancer, in that first interview you not only have to prove to the potential client that you can in fact do the job they want to hire you to do, you also have to justify your methodology for doing it, the amount of time you will take to do it and of course, the price you will charge them for it. You have to sell yourself every time a new client walks in that proverbial door.

    I’m not saying it’s harder for a freelancer, just different; something I hadn’t really thought about until a few days ago when I thought to myself I haven’t been on a “real” job interview in a while. Of course, when my friends land a job they really like, they won’t be interviewing for a while, assuming they can keep their job. For me, I’ll be interviewing for as long as I decide to freelance. But that is a price I am willing to pay, because quite frankly, freelancing is awesome.

  • May 31, 2007

    Freelancing

    In the days approaching graduation, the number one question I was asked is, “What are you doing after?” Most of my friends were relaxing for some time and finding a job, a few had jobs lined up, and some were going to grad school. I fall in the third category. What exactly does that mean for me job wise for the summer now that I actually have a degree? Freelancing. I am finally at a point, I feel, where I can make freelancing my main source of income. I have grown a lot as a developer and a business man, and I actually have clients. More than one. While I have spoke about my business and some tips and advice, I have never talked about the subject of freelancing. Until today.

    As many of my friends know, I think this is the best thing anyone can do. Start your own business. Work for yourself. Do what you love to do and do it your way. My brother and friend are into photography- sell your pictures. Take pictures for people. My friend is a teacher- tutor on the side. Why not? Anyone going into the workforce I encourage to open their own firm. Working for myself is an amazing experience that has helped me grow as a person. I get to work with people to attain some goal or idea they have. I get to learn new things as I go along, and get paid to do it. With web design, I have a tangible product on the web that anyone can view whenever they want.

    So what do you do if you want to get into freelancing. Well for me it was a no-brainer. I was in high school and really had no expenses. I figured if people are willing to pay me to do what is essentially my hobby, why not. As I got older, I really started seeing value in my own work. It’s not just a hobby, it’s a commodity that people need and I am part of the few that can actually provide it. That is the most important lesson I’ve learned, and something anyone who wants to freelance should keep in mind. Do not short change yourself. I’ve spend a lot of time “cutting people breaks” and charging way less than I should have because I thought it was fun. I should have seen the value in my work. So that is the first thing you need to do to get into freelancing.

    There is a lot more I could cover here, and maybe I will. But for now, Freelance Switch has a nice write-up on the basics of freelancing.

  • May 12, 2007

    The Business: Document Tools

    Google Docs

    Hands down the best tool for documents is Google Docs & Spreadsheets. With Microsoft Office support and the ability to access the documents anywhere as long as you have an internet connection, why use anything else?

    With Google Docs, I am able to upload Word and Excel documents, edit them, and export them into Word and Excel documents. They stay in your documents until you delete them, and there are multitudes of ways to organize them. Much like GMail, Google Docs has labels and the ability to star documents. You also only view your “Active Documents” (edited within last 30 days) until you choose other wise.

    One other really nice thing about Google Docs is the ability to share any document with anyone with an email address. Excellent for collaboration. With Google Docs, I can get a lot done, and have access to all of my important documents from anywhere at anytime. And best part is, it’s free!

  • April 9, 2007

    Finding Originality

    In a world with mash-ups, open source, and the Internet, it’s pretty tough to find an original project- something that has not already been done. For instance, I’ve thought of many projects that have already been done, most notably something similar to Facebook. About three months before Facebook got popular, my friend Steve Mekosh and I started planning what we were calling a MySpace for College Students. In retrospect, I don’t think we could have done something as awesome as Facebook is, but still the idea was there. I’ve also wanted to do something similar to Remember the Milk, a tasks website. So where do I draw the line and say, ‘This has already been done, forget it’ or ‘I can make this better?’

    Right now I have two projects in mind that are out there that I can make better. So here is my process. I’ll come up with an idea, write some notes on it- basic plans, a mission statement for the website, etc. Then I will use Google to find similar websites. If I find something that’s strikingly close to what I want to do, I’ll sign up for it and use it. I will keep track of changes I’d make that I feel the general public would also like. After a week or so, I’ll decide if the project is worth doing.

    I’ve done that with two websites now and I really feel with one website, my project would be an improvement. With the other, I feel the mission of my site is different enough that it is worth doing. The important part of this ordeal is not to get discouraged because something has already been done. Check out the product and see how many people actually use it and what they like/dislike about it. If you honestly think you can do better, try it out. If anything, it will be a learning experience for you. That’s the way I look at it. However, one thing I do need to work on is finding time to actually do the projects I have in mind.

  • January 12, 2007

    The Business: Project Tracking

    BackPack

    In the second installment of this series for 2007, I would like to talk about another ‘problem’ I have run into since getting a higher volume of clients; keeping track of projects. If you do not stay organized and on top of what you have to do for each client, you will ultimately fail as a business. That’s why you need to set up something that works for you. The system I am about to describe is something I find works very nicely for me.

    Backpack is a well-developed web interface by 37 Signals that allows you to keep pages and within those pages notes, tasks, files, and Writeboards (a collaborative tool, also by 37 Signals). Also included in Backpack are reminders and the calendar(if you pay for it). When I get a new project, I create a new page, put in general info about the site, notes on ideas and brainstorming, all of the tasks, etc. I have also been toying with the idea of buying the Basic account, which would include the calendar, file and image storing and a lot more reminders. And at $5/month, I can’t go wrong. By having a calendar and reminders ‘in house’ so to speak, I would be able to keep track of all deadlines, billing, and other important dates.

    So far, Backpack has been working out great for me- I just bring it up in a web browser where ever I am and get to work. And when I do collaborative work on a project, the writeboards are perfect. If I were to build something to help keep track of projects, it would be Backpack.

  • January 5, 2007

    The Business: Finances

    All About the Benjamins

    One of the things I want to do more of in 2007 is blog about my business. How I manage it, problems I encounter, and some tools I use to help me. With the redesign, I will have a page that showcases some articles of mine (much like Alex King), and series will be there. Today, since it is the beginning of the year, I want to talk about some tools that help me manage Finances.

    I think I have biggest problem with money. Up until last year, JLC Web Design was a very small operation, getting a client here or there. Since the summer, I have been working on multiple projects pretty steadily. This means I need to keep track of who is paying me, when, what they owe, and what their account consists of. Since I often offer server space and purchasing the domain, I will need to bill my clients annually. To keep track of these things, I use a simple excel document, with a sheet for each year, domains I pay for and servers I pay for. I use the simple adding and subtracting formulas to automatically display how much I have paying and making, and the profit so far. I have also started using Wesabe for my finances. I simply upload an online bank statement, and it shows up on Wesabe for me to tag and edit. This means I can make more meaningful names for “Deposit” and “Domain Rebels #0997.” And I tag all my expenses and revenue as such, as well as JLC Web Design for all transactions. Wesabe automatically calculates spending for the month, total spending, and the money I have made or lost based on the tag. It creates spending and earning reports and allows you to set goals for yourself. I can also upload multiple bank accounts, so my business and personal finances are in the same place. It’s easy, it’s free and it’s web based. For me, it’s everything I need.

    In the coming days I would also like to talk about project tracking, deadlines and sending the invoices, and contracts.

  • December 23, 2006

    SwishMax

    SwishMax

    As a developer, you will get the occasional client that specifically requests flash elements on their site. Me being more of a coder than a graphics guy, I need an easy to use [cheap] flash application that can help me out. That application is SwishMax.

    At $100, SwishMax is your best bet for easy to use at that price. It is no replacement for Macromedia Adobe Flash, but it gets the job done for my needs. Simple transitions, linking, sounds, etc. And that is just scratching the surface. Based on some of the tutorials on the site, I have not tapped SwishMax’s power.

    Bottom Line: If you are looking for cheap easy flash software, SwishMax is your best bet. Later.

  • October 15, 2006

    Time Management

    Since school has started I have had less time for well, a lot of things. Most things, as it turns out. However, the thing about being a small business owner who is still in school is that you still have a client base you need to keep- no matter what obligations you have. To keep it professional, you must still meet deadlines, keep in contact and NOT use school as an excuse. This semester most of all, I have had to learn how to balance school (and along with school, extracurriculars, etc.) and business (and along with business, side projects, etc.).

    The first thing you have to do is be straight with your client. Tell them that you are in school and let them know when you are available. Most will be understanding of that. If they aren’t, they probably aren’t the greatest to work with anyway. Once you have done that, see what services you want and give yourself plenty of time to complete them. Over at AlexKing.Org Alex writes about The Engineering Estimate, which explains that engineers (programmers, etc.) usually grossly underestimate the time they need for a project. Alex says that you should take the estimate and: Multiple the integer value by two, Increment the type of time used in the estimate (IE 2 hours = 4 days). If you are doing this type of work in school, you should take that estimate and at least multiply the integer value by 4, along with increment the type of time. This allots you not only enough time for the project, but also unforeseen school work, study time, etc.

    I know the money will seem tempting, but don’t take up too many clients at the same time- especially while school is in session. You will find that you will get very overwhelmed very fast, and you will cut corners on all of your projects to find more time. Then your grades and your work will suffer. I find that with my level of involvement (17 credits, Student Government, 2 positions on USPB, a number of other clubs) I should max out at 2 clients a month. Anything else will be too stressful, and bad for business. On that same note, don’t get caught up in too many side projects. I have a hundred ideas bouncing around, but until I have sufficient time for them, I am not going to start any. If I cannot finish them it will have cost me money, and it won’t look so good on my end. Finally, if you know someone else in your field- who can do the same quality of work as you- see if they would be interested in teaming up. Having a helping hand doesn’t hurt as long as they know what they are doing.

    If you can find a good balance between work and school enough to start and keep up with your own business, I say great- go for it. Hopefully these tips will help. However, keep in mind that while this is more than an extracurricular, your should always focus on your school work first. Failing at a side business while you are still in school is something you can bounce back from- it’s a little harder to bounce back from failing at a higher education. Later!

  • August 15, 2006

    Tick Time Tracker

    Tick

    LifeHacker is a resource of infite knowledge. While reading the site today, I came across their write up on a site called Tick. This is a web-based, very AJAXy application that helps you budget your time spent on projects by allowing you to make Clients (or subjects) and then add projects you are doing. You then input an over-all time you think you will spend on the project and you can create tasks for the project. While it is a very nifty program I will be using for my business, You can just as easily use it for school projects. With this along with Stu.dicio.us, you should be all set for the upcoming semester! Later!

  • July 8, 2006

    The Business: Getting Clients

    And now part 3 of my mutliple part series about my business, JLC Web Design. Often times people (fellow web developers or friends) ask me how I get clients. Of course the most important thing for a business to do is develop a client base or a niche. Select who you want to market to, who you want your clients to be. For me, it is small businesses and organizations. Businesses that might not have a website, but want one, or want their start up one redone. I did this for a few reasons- When I first got started, I still needed to build my general skills as a web developer. By offering my services to smaller companies, it would give me the chance to practice my skills, as well as offer them a nice website at an affordable price. Also, as one guy running a small business himself, my choosing to work with small businesses would give me the chance to work one-on-one with the owners, as well as network a little.

    So, I have selected my niche, but that does not guarantee me clients. Basically, I have gotten all of my clients by word-of-mouth. But that is because I put my name out there as a developer. My first client came when these people I knew said our parish was looking for a website and they knew I was good with computers. Since then, I set up a website, made business cards, etc. Because of that, I have gotten clients at home, at school and even in NYC. And of course the more clients you get, the more people see your skills and know your name.

    Of course, to keep getting clients, you have to do a good job- even the smallest job can lead to greater things. You have to leave your clients with the feeling that you really helped them and gave them your best. Then they will recommend you to a friend or fellow business person. My friend’s father wanted a website- I gave him a good deal, gave him my best work and he has recommended me to a number of people.

    So to recap- Select a niche, put yourself out there, always do your best work. Building a client base takes time, but you will find that it is well worth it in the end. Later.