Advice

Defining what your client wants, whether it be design or functionality, can usually be pinpointed by showing them what they don't want. Example:

"Hey Joe, we need some business cards for our VIP clients it shuold have this info and that info and a line that says such-and-such..."

I know they want something like this:

So I present like this:

NEW

Now we move to another type of "new" design. This only represents what we have done in the past and is typical of what the client considers "safe"

Moving on to the mundane

WTF? We do not want this shit.

Continually heading in the direction they DO NOT want, further defining what they DO want.

The subsquent design process after designing what they DO want is not an effort in vain (you were thinkging that, right?). It should be a successful effort at leading the client where he/she will feel satisfied and excited about this new look,feel,etc.

And if they choose the mundane? They choose the WTF? So what? You spent time designing and a few extra minutes figuring out just who the hell these people are... In this exact case they chose the appropriate design with a few tweaks. Nothing that destroyed it though.... had they done otherwise... same hours billed, same hours paid, everybody spent time doing what made them feel satisfied.

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"Leave the gun. Take the cannoli."

Don't lose sight of what is actually important to your survival and what is not. So many of us get caught up in the clutter of various advertising scenarios and side projects that we can easily forget how we started and who our bread and butter customers really are. I recently reviewed the last few years of accounts and came to the realization that one of my most neglected avenues of income had added up to equal the payments of my largest client. Needless to say I have reinvested efforts into it and am beginning to see real results

"I'm a spoke on a wheel. I am, and so are you."

Somewhere I once read that in five years you will be the people you associate with, the books you read and the music you listen to. This sounds a bit harsh, but I have to admit that I have ssen it firsthand and it's solid advice.

Surround yourself with the people you admire. Collaborate and invite critique. Seek out those who challenge and inspire you.

"Every dog has his day"

Getting dismayed is natural, it's really those who keep an eye on the prize that prevail. Fundamentally, you cant lose if you don't play, but can't win either. Keep doing what it is that you love, keep trying new things and your day will come.

"I look at this town, and I don't like what I see."

Many, many of the most successful businesses around, especially all these web startups are founded on the idea of fixing an existing problem or adding a functionality that was needed. See a problem fix it. Just look at 37Signals, who knew that TaDaLists would turn into Basecamp, Hirise, etc.

Darren Rowse, who lives in "The House that Google Built" started only two years ago - sounds crazy doesn't it?

"I'm going to give you an opportunity: get out of this."

Know your exit. Know your exit. Know your exit.

"Back home, they put me in jail for what I'm doing. Here, they give me awards."

I am not saying break the rules, but be certain to push them all the way to their limits. No one ever got rich by not pushing the boundaries of either customers or industry. This is absolutely true of todays online businesses. Look at the most successful eBayers... thousands and thousands of items listed, Bloggers with hundreds of sites, Google isn't just sitting back and raking it in they are constantly pushing the boundaries of what they can get away with. You should to.

"...you were a little out of line yourself."

A wrong is a wrong is a wrong, don't be afraid to admit when you are wrong. As long as you learn from your wrong decisions they are valuable decisions

"You don't need proof when you have instinct."

Maybe a bit of both is really needed, but so many seem to fall into the pattern of playing it safe when what is needed is a little bit of courage

Despite what people may thing the Internet is still very much like the Wild Wild West

Got one?

I am certain I left out a ton of great lines from gangster movies that could be added here, perhaps you know one?

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What the hell is a domain farmer

I don't know, I just made it up, but I'll give it a crack. A domain farmer is well... crops, livestock... domains, get it? You plant your seeds or raise your livestock, you draw from that, either seed or babies, to raise the next crop. Okay, now that that is settled, let's move on.

First off, Registrars.

I can only speak from my own experience here and right off the bat I am going to say show GoDaddy some live. GoDaddy is the only domain registrar that I have ever used that really and truly let's its users do whatever is needed, including transferring domain owenership very easily, unlike some other companies out there... (ahem... Network Solutions)

Bulk vs. Single Purchases

I prefer to buy my domains one at a time rather than joinding the bulk discount group with Godaddy, mostly because I am a bit lazy and more importantly impulsive. However, if you choose to go the same route I highly suggest you do a quick seach for Godaddy Promo codes before checking out. At this very moment I know you can use the following codes

• OYH3 - $3 off / $6.95 any .COM
• BTPS7 - 20% any order of $50 or more
• OYH1 - 10% off whatever
• OYH2 - $5 off a $30 purchase
• BTPS4 - 10% off anything
• chill1 - 10% off
• chill2 - $5 off $30
• chill3 - $6.95 .coms
• hash1 - 10% off
• hash2 - $5 off $30
• hash3 - $6.95 .com registration
• gdd1101c - 10% off any order of $40 or more

Next.. Hosting

This will take a bit longer to tackle I hope you'll settle for the short advice until I have the time to write a full article on it. Get more space than you need.

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Defining Your Objectives

The objectives of a freelancer are generally universal, regardless of industry, and usually fall into one of two categories.

Gaining Experience.

Working as a freelance designer or developer allows you to build up a portfolio of work that may snag a better job for you down the road. In my personal opinion this is really not the mind set of an entrepreneur, but it shares many of the same qualities of that school of thought. The problem, as I see it, with this framework is that there is no real drive to improve on the efficiency of your business since in the end the overall goal is to NOt have a long term relationship with your clients. This is however a wonderful way to get a feel for what's going on in the real world as opposed to the classroom or trendy blogs.

The experience garnered with working for small clients who have very real and immediate needs is a great place to sharpen your teeth, but at some point you have to decide whether or not you want to move on. Being unsure of your intentions can lead to unexpected results and unhappy customers.

Making a Career of It

The path, slightly, less chosen is becoming more and more prevalent and I couldn't be happier about this. It means that more and more and bigger clients see my business as a viable alternative to outsourcing overseas or hiring an entire firm for large or time-sensitve projects. Who am I? One guy, a couple of computers, a few regular collaborators... that's it.

The benefits of choosing freelance development or design as a career far outweigh the downsides to it.

The benefits include; being your own boss, dictating the type of work you do and the self-satisfaction of a job well done.

The downsides usually revolve around having too much or not enough work.

As with any objectives we set for ourselves the bottom line is getting from Point A to Point B. The important factor with freelancing is that you need to know where Point B is before you start down the wrong path. While it is possible to shift gears, or even find yourself accidentally having a career in freelancing it's usually a much more satisfying experience if you are more in control of the direction you are heading.

So... all you "I just want to build a portfolio" people can stop reading now and those of you who want to work towards an actual future built on freelance work read further.

Short Term Objectives

Your first and foremost short term objective should be to achieve a steady income that pays your bills as well as any job would have based on your current skill set. There are times when this will fluctuate greatly and you may have to make some compromises, but once you start to see ways to regulate the cash flow in and out of your business you'll find that the potential for growth in freelancing is limitless.

So rent, utilities, insurance, transportation, food, etc. figure out what it takes to maintain all that and set your goal to it. honestly it probably took me 2 years to really feel that i had achieved this so-called "short term goal", but in the bigger scheme of things i now realize that it really was just a stepping stone. Achieving this first and foremost will certainly give you the confidence you need to move forward. TThis objective will get all those nay-sayers off your back too. Once your Mother-in-law sees that the bills are paid and the kids are fed she'll shut her trap... or your parents, whatever the case may be.

At this point the monkey is really off your back. But wait... Joe! How do I get to this point? Where's the outline? The roadmap?

We'll get there....

Long Term Objectives

Your long term objective is simple and redundant. I am actually repeating this from Part 1 of this article with a single amendment.

1. To increase the number of customers
2. To increase the amount of the average order
3. To increase the frequency of orders

Amendment

4. To make your time more valuable.

Simply put, Time is not Money. There's a line from a movie, and I don't quite remember which movie, but it goes something like "If you lose money you can get it back, when you lose time it is gone forever."

Say it with me... TIME IS NOT MONEY

Your long term goal is your own. For me, I want to be a superhero. No shit... but I have no superpowers so I am working towards what I call "BatCave Money", and obviously to be a superhero I need to have a lot of free time.... scouring the city for criminals, playing with neat-o gadgets which i have to pay someone to make. This may seem like a silly goal to you, but to me it is very very real... slightly outside of the scope of what I think will happen, but we have to shoot for the stars.

A lot of people ask me how to start a successful small business or how to become entrepreneurial. My answer is almost always the same. Come up with a legitimate and duplicatable process for making 10 cents without hurting anyone. Also, it can take you as long as you need to come up with the idea, but the actual act required to make the 10 cent profit cannot take more than you are willing to put into it, hence the duplication part of the equation. It has to be something you could do over and over again.

Really that's the difference between the two types of freelancers I have been discussing. One is in it for the projects and has a drive that leads into a J.O.B. and the other is about actually making a nice living on this. It requires real customer relationships, residual income, a sense of adventure and the ability to occasionally put your neck on the line for your business. It requires that you be driven by your dreams and that as your success grows your dreams grow as well.

Next: How Not to Waste Time.

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Part 1

Despite the fact that most people think Insert Title Web Designs is a corporate entity and I try hard to maintain that image, the wonderful truth is that I am a freelance designer / developer.

While most of our clients aren't privy to this until a relationship has been established they usually appreciate it in the aftermath. It means that when they have a problem they aren't on hold for 20 minutes.. they are calling ME. That's it. No secretary, no hold music... but at the same time they get the added penalty of knowing how busy I actually am.

When they signed a contract for a very reasonable price they smiled... and so to they must smile knowing that one person is responsible for all of the work being done.

If you are thinking about becoming a freelance anything - you have to decide if it's really the life for you. The rewards can be fantastic, the hours and responsibility can be hell.

What is freelance

Freelancers are the hired guns of the Wild, Wild nternet. And just as the hired guns of the Ol' West were forced to compete for their place, so will you.

Freelancers are required to learn new technology at breakneck speeds and to accept the realities of business faster than those who may have the option of considering their preferences first.

The success of any freelancer boils down to using timeless principles of marketing. According to marketing guru Jay Abraham, a freelancer has only three basic goals:

1. To increase the number of customers
2. To increase the amount of the average order
3. To increase the frequency of orders

Humble Beginnings

If you just left a fat job to start your freelancing career and have ample resources to extend your business presence from day one this next part does not apply to you, and frankly I cant stand you and you should leave this website.... greedy bastard.

If you are still reading you actually are a greedy bastard and I am glad to continue telling you what I have learned about the freelance business.

People ask me all the time how I get the customers and projects that I get.

The simple answer is that I don't actually ask people what they want, I give it to them. Pretty simple, huh? Don't just guess what they want or assume what they want. Know what they want!! Then do that. Charge accordingly.

This doesn't mean that I don't listen to my customers, but through experience and enough discussion I usually guide them to what they really want and need. A flexible, scalable solution that produces results.

This actually brings us to what I consider the first value of freelancing... Honesty.

Be honest with yourself.

If you want financial freedom, define it in an honest manner. What are you content with?

When I first started freelancing I was absolutely content with paying my rent, buying my smokes and enough food for me and the family. As things got easier I got more ambitious.

You have to commit, at least, to surviving. You should commit to much, much more. If my ambition had not grown, My business would own me and not the other way around.

Be honest with your clients. If your schedule is subject to your kids school schedule or your pregnant wife's cravings, or that you don't get out of bed until noon... tell your customer that these are your terms. The worst they can say is no.

That's it. no further explanation required.

Next: Define Your Objectives

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