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:
- Channel your desire/excitement.
- Focus on quality.
- Strike the perfect balance.
1. Channel your desire/excitement
The excitement and motivation you have is a wonderful thing. You don’t want to lose it. You just want to USE it to your benefit. Projects will start coming your way (or you’ll find projects to bid on) and at first they may just seem to trickle in. That isn’t a bad thing. Spend your time and energy building a strong foundation for your business. You want the company ground to be as solid as possible.
So what do you do with all that extra excitement and desire when you’re working on 1 or 2 projects. After your foundation is built, I’d suggest starting a project of your own. Start a blog about something that you’ve got a passion for. This will also help release any stress you have by serving a as a needed break from time to time. Treat yourself as a client, make it a quality site (yes - make it portfolio-worthy). I also recommend reading up on as much of the technology as you can. Get active in a web design and development community (I highly recommend doing this at any stage of your business). What else can you do? Try some of these:
- Build a strong company foundation (documentation, procedures, plans, etc).
- Start a blog.
- Read up on the technology.
- Join a community forum. (like Web Radiance)
- Network with others in your field.
Just remember a strong desire does not equal more time. Don’t take on too much or you’ll wear yourself thin.
2. Focus on quality
If you are willing to try and take on more than you can handle. Make sure that you are outputting your best quality with each and every job. This may seem tedious or secondary, however it is of the utmost importance. The more quality the work you produce will go a long way with some for referrals. The happier a client is with your work the more willing they’ll be to tell others of your work. I have no statistical proof for the following stat other than my experience, but 80-90% of all new work comes from referrals.
One of the most important things in building your web design company is building a quality portfolio. Producing quality work at all times is the exact way to do it. Quality above quantity is the rule, so the more quality work you complete the more your portfolio will grow in the right direction. This WILL give tangible results.
3. Strike the perfect balance
Balance is likely the hardest element to find when starting out. With time it does become easier, but it can be daunting out of the starting gate for a new company. So what tips can I give to striking the perfect balance?
I have three tips from my experience to help you:
- Only have (1) active project (of paying jobs that is). Only have one project started or in progress at a time. When starting out it will be easier to start a project and work on it until it is complete. Then rinse and repeat. Keep in mind I am by no means saying you can’t have (3+) projects in the hopper. I am merely saying that when starting out - it is helpful to only have one of those projects ‘active’. This will expose kinks in your workflow and allow for modifications on the fly. It will also enable you to fine tune all of your skills.
- Know your limitations. As you progress you’ll find that you can accomplish more in a shorter amount of time. Keep track of your time, know how to maximize it, and know how much is too much. If someone comes to you with a project and says they need it in 2 days, but you KNOW it will take at least 4 days to complete it - do not take the project. As hard as it is to turn away projects ($), trust me in the long run you’ll be thankful.
- Ask advice from others. I have grown the most as a designer and a developer from this tip. Learning from the knowledge and experience of others is the best teacher. We all make mistakes, and most of us don’t mind sharing those mistakes with others so they don’t have to make the same ones. Growing up I would watch my older brother do something wrong and watch the consequences unfold before me. At a young age I learned that if I didn’t want the same outcome, I needed to do something different. Use those around you who have been there!
Do you have any horror stories or advice that will help others learn from your mistakes?
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