Topic: not a quote problem, but how to get one!!

Well, before i have to use the patented gee-whiz formula for pricing!? I need a customer.

I dunno if i should show him a draft of the web site? how could you make a draft of a website? and I should try to tell him what he needs for his web site too, right? after all, I am the artist!!

So, if somebody is interested in a web site, what should i do??


P.S. I've already read How Marketing Works

Well, almost essential is a website telling people just how good you are in bed, naturally! You might also want to showcase any webdesign work you've done, too. Your website helps establish your credentials, if you can't design a bsiness site for yourself, how can you do so for others?

You can work as yourself, under your own name, or you can form a company for cheap. The cheapest method of establishing a company is what's known as a "Self Proprietorship" (spelling?) In terms of taxes, moneys paid to the Self Proprietor company is the same as if it had been paid to you directly, but now you can work under a business name, something like "Wakkos Design" or something like that, and even take checks under that name! Clients are always more comfortable paying money to a company than to a person, don't know why, they're just funny that way.

In Florida the Sole Proprietorship thing is known as a "Fictitious Name". More on this can be found at https://ccfss1.dos.state.fl.us/corpweb/efiling/ficinfo.html - Not much is really needed to register this name other than a fee of $50, and once you have this registration you can open a bank account under that ame, how neat! There are tax issues and such related to this, and even if you don't make any money you still must file a tax return for this "company" letting them know that!

Now you've got a company, what was that name again? Better have a logo for it, which you'll need for that website, right? A domain for this wouldn't hurt either. So! [compress a whole bunch of time while you put together your website, critiques, re-vamping it etc...] Now that you act and look professional, (print some business cards too, they're cheap enough) it's time to find that client! You've probably already dropped a bunch of money setting this up, even if it's cheap, it all does add up pretty quick. Where are all the clients?

Chances are you already know your first client, they just don't know it yet. Who do you know who a) has a shitty website and b) really needs a new one and c) actually has some money that they could pay you? You could build one for some loser friend or relative who has no money, and use them as a reference site, but you want to get paid! (I assume. ) If you pick the right first client you can probably get them to give you a try even before you get your credentials site finished, many freelancers *never* actually finish their own sites, they're too busy working. Consider who you know, not just your friends, but their parents too. Who knows you and thinks you're a great kid, hard-working and deserving a break? If you do a good job the first time out, and that person has influential friends, you could be started on a great career, just doing work for them, and people they know. Eventually you'll have a big enough portfolio that you can start cold-calling local companies that you know of who fit the above criteria (shitty website, needs a new one, has money.) You're in business now!

Hmm, I compressed the time scale just a bit, but that's "getting started in business" in a nutshell. I'd sure appreciate it if someone else who's followed this route could add to this, there's dozens of ways to get started, this is just mine.

Your pal, -doc-



[This message has been edited by DocOzone (edited 09-22-2001).]

[This message has been edited by DocOzone (edited 09-22-2001).]

Hmm, I went on and on, and never really answered your questions, just a bunch of others you might have asked but didn't! It sounds like you already have someone in mind who fits the "big 3" criteria, (shitty web, needs new, has money) (need an acronym for that!=)

So! How do you approach this person/company? You're still new, so better to have a real person to approach, someone you know. First comes the "feeling them out" stage, do they even know their website sucks, or do they realize that maybe they should have a new one? They *do*? Well, did you know that I (that would be you speaking) design websites for a living? I could probably set you up for a reasonable cost, want me to work out a quote for you? If you get a nibble on the hook here, now you're ready to go. You do *not* want to design their website and then show it to them, this is a good way to lose your shirt (and make twItch^unhappy! =) You'll want to prepare a 2-3 page document *describing* a website, and what it would include (and *not* include, even more important!) If it's a completely new web, you might want to set them up with webhosting too, but make sure the costs for that are included in the down-payment you ask for. You might actually be the guy creating the specification for this new web, and once you have that list of stuff, then we can plug in the pricing formula and see what can be done with it. If this is the case (and even if it ain't!) take this opportunity to get every piece of paper they've got describing the company, ads, cards, logos, brochures, you want *everything* they've ever written about themselves, this will help you figure out how big the website is going to be, it'll be like pulling teeth to get them to write you more text, so what you get now might be all the site ever contains.

Better answer? Hope so! Let me know more details, got anyone on the hook, any prospective clients?

Your pal, -doc-

Well DOc, you got it in one.. a few things that i have experienced that may be of some use...

Shitty websites.... i am by no means a Pro, BUT !!! i can improve what some people already have....i am a freelancer , but work for someone else here in the UK, they advertised for freelancers, i applied i got the job, i since found out that it is run by 1 individual, with the design style of blind lemon.

He uses freelnacers to do his work for him, he gets the clients interested and then finds someone to fo the job, most of his workers are hobbyists, as professionals would demand more money that he is willing to pay, but once i start a job for him, i have him where i want him and then demand more money, as i have started already he has no choice but give it to me or the work gets put on hold and he ends up wasting time.....sneeky, but gets the job done.

The clients i do work for have thier sites hosted by him, he pays me 20% of whatever he gets paid, most sites i do i get £120 for, shit money but quick turnover and if client happy, everyones happy.

But !!! most of the time he gives me the clients details and contact number to chas eup work specs ( bad move ) as i end up building a good work relationship with them and 9 times out ot 10 they come to me directly for advice and work, by-passing the BOSS ( i hope he is not a member here ), so i get more work that way, very crafty, but he doesn't deserve to get the majority of money for the work i have done as he only gets the clients, i work my ass off.

After i have a few regular clients of my own that trust me, they will pass on the word, and i get more business direct to me, then i can start thinking of setting up my own reseller company and host the sites myself ( not too far off i hope ).

My methods are not the greatest, but it works for me, i am still learning all the time and if i get stuck i ask questions here, or in our case WAKKOS you help me out. If i get work that i cant handle i pass it on to someone else that i trsut can do it, and then work as the middle man.

I htink most freelancers get thier work through word of mouth as that is the best form of advertising other than paying BIG bucks and having an advertising campaign that may or may not work.

So, in my case this method suits me, my BOSS is NOT my friend, he is my BOSS, therefore i do not feel guilty when HIS clients end up on my doorstep, and pay me directly.

Well i wish you luck my friend, hope that all your efforts do not go unnoticed, and i am sure you will make a success in whatever direction you choose to take.

i think i fell into the Doc syndrome and blabbed on too much and never answered your question, BUT !! i think Doc has covered bases really well

Weel, you guys are great!, I don't like to post thanks because other people don't post any more thinking that the problem is solved, this is an interesting topic that i bet I'm not the only one wandering how to go out there.

No Doc, now i don't have a potential victim yet , but i have to go on Monday to see some people (craft store) and the Idea is to get them as clients. That's why your second post helps me a lot right now.
I'm already doing everything about your first post (even this week we got the company) and i have to start with the web site and all our printing stuff.

Thread is open.......

i'm not a working freelancer. i'm just here to babble .... (i'm allowed!)

i've done one website for a company (that i just happened to own) plus a couple of family and friend sites, but just from those i've received a few requests to do more sites for other companies. i've thrown two companies off with absolutely ridiculous quotes (NZ$3000.00 for a one-pager) mostly because i didn't want a REAL client when i don't even know javascript yet (by the way, that's how i found the asylum.. *sigh*) .. i can't wait to do some freelancing, though. so this forum has been awesome.

okay, okay.. i have one VERRRRYYY miniscule bit of a suggestion that might very remotely be useful. the few companies that came to me came through one of our advertising agents. i was just thinking that maybe you could get a professional salesperson to cold canvas for you (cause i personally hate that job) ... and pay him a commission out of the business that comes in. you'd negotiate the final deal, of course, but, he (or she) could do all of your bragging for you so that when you finally meet the client, you could come off as the humble, hardworking, NOT conceited genius you know you are deep inside ...

alright, that's all. let me turn the rest of this space over to REAL advice .. hehe

SUN
//go to sleep, sun//