OT - Any of your Design Webites?

[MountainPro]

Just wondering if we have any web designers amongst our ranks...amateur or professional...

i do the stuff in my spare time and have a decent portfolio...

php/sql flash...all that sort of thing.

 

[cydewaze]

I do it for a living, and a side job. The side job part is more interesting because I can be more creative. My normal job is editing gov't web pages, and there's no creativity at all in those.

 

[camhabib]

I do it "professionally" on my spar time. I do many intranet and internal websites far various companies and people. My main source of income is photography / graphic design though. I’m training to be a doctor so I guess those are both pretty irrelevant.

 

[Tech9]

In my spare time. Still learning, but it's fun and helps with play money.

 

[MountainPro]

I have been doing it part time for 6 years...since i have about 20 commercial clients i am thinking of going full time...

to make it financially viable i need 60+...how do i get more?

 

[camhabib]

I have been doing it part time for 6 years...since i have about 20 commercial clients i am thinking of going full time...

to make it financially viable i need 60+...how do i get more?

Best way is to go on a search engine and browse random websites. See if you think you can improve upon something, if you can, find the link to contact the webmaster and see if you can write a new page for them. Sometimes these webmasters are just the owners of the company, other times their IT people, and sometimes their all around pros. People aren't going to come knocking on your door, you have to go out and knock on theirs. If there is a local business that doesn't have a website, go to them and see about doing one for them. Write up some literature and give it to them so they can sit down and think about it. Different pricing packages and options are always useful. I also usually offer network / computer help for them as well, incase they want to run their own IIS or DNS. Its kind of a "do it all" package. One thing though, make sure you know what your doing. I have meet people who "knew" SQL, IIS, SE's, networks, ect. but once a problem came up they started to pee in their pants. Nothing worse for your reputation then installing a clients system and having to leave and come back because you got stumped. Always carry bluesheets or a good book with you in the car incase you need a reference. My father is one of the top programmers in the country and he still needs to consult books and bluesheets at times; don't think you won't.

-Cameron

 

[MountainPro]

Cheers Cameron,

i have built a few pcs for people and installed them in offices but i dont know much about network support (hardware or software)...

i have actually recieved 4 clients this week who want work done for them. I find most of the work comes from word of mouth...i do advertise and write to companies but it never seems to work....perhaps i am wording it all wrong..

i hire out a shared server from a hosting company...i dont actually administer the server myself and i wouldnt know how to do that anyway...perhaps i should learn.

thanks for the advice...

Best way is to go on a search engine and browse random websites. See if you think you can improve upon something, if you can, find the link to contact the webmaster and see if you can write a new page for them. Sometimes these webmasters are just the owners of the company, other times their IT people, and sometimes their all around pros. People aren't going to come knocking on your door, you have to go out and knock on theirs. If there is a local business that doesn't have a website, go to them and see about doing one for them. Write up some literature and give it to them so they can sit down and think about it. Different pricing packages and options are always useful. I also usually offer network / computer help for them as well, incase they want to run their own IIS or DNS. Its kind of a "do it all" package. One thing though, make sure you know what your doing. I have meet people who "knew" SQL, IIS, SE's, networks, ect. but once a problem came up they started to pee in their pants. Nothing worse for your reputation then installing a clients system and having to leave and come back because you got stumped. Always carry bluesheets or a good book with you in the car incase you need a reference. My father is one of the top programmers in the country and he still needs to consult books and bluesheets at times; don't think you won't.

-Cameron

 

[camhabib]

Cheers Cameron,

i have built a few pcs for people and installed them in offices but i dont know much about network support (hardware or software)...

i have actually recieved 4 clients this week who want work done for them. I find most of the work comes from word of mouth...i do advertise and write to companies but it never seems to work....perhaps i am wording it all wrong..

i hire out a shared server from a hosting company...i dont actually administer the server myself and i wouldnt know how to do that anyway...perhaps i should learn.

thanks for the advice...

Looks like your well on your way. The only thing that I myself would recomend at this point is to start your own server at home. This could be on the computer you already own by installing a second OS, by enabling a IIS (if you own XP Pro, ect.) or by buying a cheap computer and using that as a server. The point of it would not be to host other peoples websites but for you to play around on and try out different things. Once you learn to actually administer a server and see how the whole thing comes together, you really will understand web design and all its complexities. You may or may not want to do this but I think in the long run, it would be much easier for you to test and learn the things you are working on. In any case, best of luck and happy coding.