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| mikeemikee |
 Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2006 3:55 pm Post subject: How do you do it? |
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Joined: 17 Mar 2006
Posts: 17
Location: Epsom, Surrey - UK
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Hi everyone, I’m new here.
I have a dilemma in my life as a designer. I started my own company with a friend, a fellow designer. We aren’t doing too bad, we have had a steady flow of customers since we have been in business.
The problem is that, unlike him, I have a full time job, am married and have a house, which like everyone; I am still paying for and will be for the next 24 years!!
So my problem is that I am spending every spare minute working on my business, which also means every day I am also doing less and less design and more admin type work, ie invoices, accounts, chasing customers, etc.
What my company needs, is for me to give up my full time job and work full time on my company.
But how can I do that, I can’t afford not to make enough money to pay the house and bills every month.
How do you guys do it? Or how did you do it?
How did you make sure that you would get enough money to survive just from your business?
I look forward to your replies. |
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| andysears1 |
| Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2006 6:28 pm Post subject: |
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Joined: 11 Nov 2005
Posts: 140
Location: Herts UK
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I dont do it, I too have a full time job. But coming to the point of jacking it in, as more and more work coming in everyday and the larger projects i turn down.
Is a tough one, with no easy answer, but I will say, if you need to ask the question then perhaps now is not the right time.
_________________
Andy
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http://www.sears-online.co.uk/ - Local web design at realistic prices.
you want to charge me how much???? |
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| mikeemikee |
| Posted: Sun Mar 19, 2006 2:37 pm Post subject: Risking it |
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Joined: 17 Mar 2006
Posts: 17
Location: Epsom, Surrey - UK
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So you're thinking of doing it. Do you have your own house? Thats my main concern, at the moment we have a steady stream of clients, which is fine and I know that with some advertising, we have never advertised, we could get more clients in - but what happens when the stream starts to dry up - how do I pay the mortage?
Good luck with going at it, I hope your business does well.
Thanks for the reply. |
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| andysears1 |
| Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2006 10:19 am Post subject: |
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Joined: 11 Nov 2005
Posts: 140
Location: Herts UK
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Yes have my own house, and like you dont really push for work but have too much coming in as it is by word of mouth. As for the future not sure yet. This is my second go at this, last time I sold out to another company and was just happy that I made it through without losing money. This time with kids and house I have to be a bit more careful.
_________________
Andy
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http://www.sears-online.co.uk/ - Local web design at realistic prices.
you want to charge me how much???? |
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| mikeemikee |
| Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2006 10:55 am Post subject: Not enough time... |
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Joined: 17 Mar 2006
Posts: 17
Location: Epsom, Surrey - UK
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Same as me really, I don't have kids yet, but I will sometime in the not too distant future - I dont want to be like my Dad who never spent any time with me and my brother because he was too busy working!!
That's my may concern, that I dont have enough time to spend with my wife (kids in the future) and will end up burning out.
I have pretty much decided to quit, now I just have to brak it to my business partner.
I do want to continue designing sites in the future, but on my own and in my own time, one client at a time.
Thanks for the replies. |
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| jo1ene |
| Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2006 4:32 pm Post subject: |
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Joined: 08 Nov 2005
Posts: 417
Location: New York, USA
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What my husband (and I) have found, is that after ditching the full-time job, he had more time to invest in his own stuff and became more successful. I did not have a full time job, but him ditching his job and actively persuing new business resulting in a steady stream of new business for me as well. I stay home with the kids, and work around them, becasue we think that's more important that material things.
We choose to live simply in order to live our lives the way we want to. Which means not busting our humps making just enough, while making someone ELSE rich. We don't have a house, but we do have three kids. I don't go shopping for new clothes, we drive used cars, wait for the sales at the grocery store, etc. If we want something, we wait for Christmas. We go camping in the summer rather than somthing exotic. Best of all we're free and we spend a lot of time together having fun as a family.
And that's something you can't go back and redo!
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Jolene, Advanced Web Design |
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| mikeemikee |
| Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2006 4:25 pm Post subject: Im happy that you have a happy life. |
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Joined: 17 Mar 2006
Posts: 17
Location: Epsom, Surrey - UK
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Thanks for sharing this.
I'm not sure how things work in america, im in the UK, in terms of housing and mortages, but I assume its the same.
Here its crazy, we both have full time jobs and just about managed to get a house!! So any shortness of money, would cause a problem.
I am constantly switiching off lights and turning the heating down!!
You have said some things that I will take into account.
Thanks for your advice - I wish you and your family all the best. |
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| Drudge |
| Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 11:25 am Post subject: |
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Joined: 08 Nov 2005
Posts: 184
Location: UK
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I've forgotten what it's called but going freelance is similar to downsizing and cost cutting. It's called something int he states. you add up what your outgoings are when working and then imaging how much you could save by staying at home and only try to earn that much.
DOes anyone know what it's called?>
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Please visit http://www.letsdesign.co.uk
And if you want to see a nice list of Design Resources and current design news links, then visit http://paperclipping.blogspot.com |
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| mikeemikee |
| Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2006 8:33 am Post subject: Reply to ricklecoat's comment |
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Joined: 17 Mar 2006
Posts: 17
Location: Epsom, Surrey - UK
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Yep running a business is hard, I want to give up my fulltime job towork on my business fulltime, but I'm not allowed to take the risk, so says the wife!!
But I will one day.
I'm starting to not have any ideas when it comes to designing sites, I'm now more of a managing director as opposed to designer/director.
That's some good advice, design for 4 days and spend a day finding new business, I will have to give that a go.
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| I also am very bad at sticking to my guns re. fees -- lots of would be clients want work done for peanuts, and that conflicts with the bit of me that says "Never turn a job down". However, I'm improving in this respect; clients who want a job for next to nothing are usually more trouble than they're worth, and bad for business, so if they won't pay my rates then I'm normally better off not doing the job. |
Now that I also have a problem with, because the clients that aproach me, dont seem to know how much a wesbite costs, and if I tell them it costs, say £200+ for a small website, they then expect their website to be £200. I agree with the cheap clients been far too much hassle.
Yep financial pressure is always there and so is pressure from the wife constantly telling me that I don't spend emough time with her, and when I sit down to watch some tv with her, all I can think about is that project I'm currently working on that needs to be finished!!!!
So how does everyone FIND new business? Do you look for companies that don't have a website and email or call them? or Do you do mailshots? Anyone? |
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| vectoreyes |
| Posted: Fri Jun 16, 2006 1:36 am Post subject: |
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Joined: 08 Nov 2005
Posts: 16
Location: Romania
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It is extremely important that you can differentiate yourself from the crowd. The best way to do it is to create unique stuff with a higher quality than the average (and not the cheapest thing around).
Ofcousrse you have to learn how to do business (on-line and off-line), this means that you go meeting your potential client well dressed and with an i-know attitude and don't let him dominate the conversation, from my experience, business owners tend to have a boos attitude (if you let them), so in order to make a deal you have to show them that you are the expert and talk your way into closing the deal, so at the end he will feel that he made the best choice into hiring you (and he did).
Another important matter, is to make people need you, because in the moment they do that, you take away their power (and they will listen and treat you nice and pay good and in time).
Most important thing, embrace the following rules in your organization:
Rule #1. No room for “ordinary” performance. Recall: Distinct…or Extinct.
Rule #2. Nobody gives you power. You just take it.
Rule #3. Foster creativity... not uniformity.
Rule #4. I'm here! I'm alive! I'm vital! And it's my game to play!
Rule #5. DREAM! Dream…BIG! Dream…ENORMOUS! Dream GARGANTUAN! (This is an XXXXL Time!)
If you can do all of the above, then you will be ok (and making more money).
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The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. |
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