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You’ve made a few freebie websites, donated a site to your church, or maybe you were one of the lucky ones and already have been paid for a site. What now? It’s time to get more serious and think about the organization of a company. What options are out there? Which one is right?

We need to fire up the spotlight, shine our bat symbol in the sky and call for re-enforcements. After all isn’t that all legal mumbo-jumbo or in some foreign language? Believe it or not understanding what business type is right for you, isn’t really that tough. You just need to spend some time to get a good grasp on all the options available. We’re going to cover the main ones which are also the popular ones for the web design and development community. The following should not be considered a substitute for true legal advice, nor will it be a definitive guide. It is meant to give you a base to guide your research and decision.

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Starting any company is an awesome journey! Guaranteed to have its ups and downs, your company will bring you satisfaction, anger, and likely even frustration. Whether you have just decided to start a company, started it last week, last year or have been in the industry for 10 years; this series will teach (or remind) you of the importance of setting a good foundation. We’ll cover business types, pricing & rates, and business plans just to name a few.

On with the Show

Stay tuned… tomorrow our first article will be published and the journey can begin!

Subscribe to Focus Minded & join me in exploring how to apply the right principles and steps to building, maintaining and growing your own web design business.

Series Details:

1. Choosing a Super Identity for Your Web Design Business
2. Dollars & Sense: Setting the Perfect Rates
3. The 2-Hour Business Plan
4. Writing Web Design Contracts for the Non-Legal

At some point we all need a contract. Nobody likes them, everybody hates them, yet we can’t live without them. They are a vitally important step in our web design business. In their absence a he said, she said, you said game is just waiting to happen. Learn what’s the difference between a proposal and a contract, what to include, and download a sample to get you started.

Don’t overlook this aspect of setting up your web business. If you do, you’ll be sorry. Sooner rather than later you’ll have a run in with someone who might say, “That’s not what we discussed.” Then they’ll proceed to take you on a roller coaster ride of changes, just because the vision they had at the beginning isn’t panning out the way it did in their head. With that said, having a contract won’t protect you 100% from clients like that and it won’t even be a 100% slam dunk to defend in court either. It’ll just help your case tremendously.
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When I take a moment and look at all of the projects I am working on; I have to continually ask myself, “Can I do all that?” I asked myself that question recently when a friend who I haven’t talked to in months asked me if I had been working on any new websites. My reply was, “oh yeah!” Quickly listing them for him, I concluded: I have a ton of things all going on at the same time. Have I taken on too much? Am I stretched too thin? Presently, I am not, but how do you know if you’ve bitten off more than you can chew? How do you know how to prevent it?

As a new company or freelancer it is way to easy to find yourself accepting any and all projects thrown your way. Often times we are hit with spurts of excitement that make us want to dive in and start working. When I started, I practically took every job I quoted. Quoting most things low just so I could get the work. It was very nice. It even brought in extra money, which my wife and I both enjoyed seeing. However, there came a time (quickly) when I got burnt out. I never lost the excitement or the desire to continue, but just physically it was taking it’s toll. So I have 3 tips to ensure you’re not biting more off than you can chew:

1. Channel your desire/excitement.
2. Focus on quality.
3. Strike the perfect balance.

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You’ve finally decided to start your own web design/development company. The years of slaving for someone else are over, you can already feel the freedom. You’ve created a company, registered it with your state (if required), and done all that legal stuff. So…now what do you do? What is the next step. How do you attract clients, what do you charge, and most importantly how do you do the work?

There are a lot of things you could have, but there are a few things you NEED to or SHOULD have when you start. I recommend having the following 5 things under control, in your possession, or at least in the works before trying to take on work.

1. Business Cards
2. Website
3. Preliminary Prices or Rates Established
4. Beginning Workflow Set
5. A Network of Family and Friends

Now that you have your list of what I suggest you need, let’s cover them in slightly more detail.
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