Setting up a local web design business

Im thinking of starting a local web design business. Im looking to target small businesses within my area, im going to offer them a basic package for a set price.

Does anyone else do this?

 

Yes, others have.

 

people have done it, and it's certainly possible, but it's a fairly flooded market. usually, anyway. your local area may vary enough to get by.

unless you have a specific business plan and a unique selling point or know your local area isn't saturated, I'd probably try another area, honestly.

 

I have done some research, and some competitors are pretty shit.
This is laughable: £35 ($70) for these pathetic excuses for 'logos' http://www.pulsewebdesign.com/logo_design.php

However, their are some businesses who employ professional web designers, who produce quality websites. But they are charging £2000+ per project.

I know my area, and their is definatly money to be made from the smaller businesses.

 

Laughable maybe. Don't forget that you have to sell the sites, invoice them efficiently and run a support desk. I have a web design firm since 1999 with 4 employees and we see the one man bands come and go. Businesses like ours are left to pick up the pieces when the one man companies disappear.

What happens if a client has a problem? Can you cover 9 to 5, 52 weeks a year? Do you have any credibility? Portfolio of sites? Business expierience?

To be effective you need skills (or buy them in) in the following areas: Sales, Finance, Programming, Graphic design and Project management. If you have project management then buying in the ones you don't have will be easier.

Finally, understand this: No one wants a website. People want results in the form of enquiries and sales. If you are trying to sell websites on price, be prepared to live accordingly and dread the bills coming in. Anyone can sell on price, and everyone knows someone who will build a website for free or the price of a couple of drinks. There is a bit on my blog about clients who buy on price.

If you do go for it, I wish you the best of luck!

 

Sometimes what lools pathetic to you and me asthetically might be ok for other people (who specially worry about their products and not design).

This is what i have learnt from my experience. I used to run a animation business and we were the highest paid artists in the city. But we had very very few clients. The other probable customers did not want a high quality work because their average target audience was satisfied with lower quality works.
Some people are so good at PR that their clients wont take the risk even to try out others.
And some clients dont understand quality at all.
So research very well. Best of luck. If you have it in you I am sure you can pull it out.

 

Having skills in sales is very important. You want to make people understand why in this day and age it is good to have a website. Of course there will be different goals if the site is selling a product or just supplying info about the company's service.

There can be may advantages for targetting the local market, people may feel more comfortable with you since you are local, you may be able to get long-term contracts with someone plus they will spread the word about you and your work (as long as its good). Plus a lot can be said for being about to meet the person face-to-face and shake their hand.

We have someone in the local area that charges $1 per page of design, after laughing at that for a while, I realized anyone that would go with that guy is not a client I would want. They would probably try to nickel and dime you over every single detail of your contract. So just don't assume you will be able to compete on price.

 

Sales skills are very important,,, but in my experience, if you are working with small business, or family owned business, it is better to not try to 'sell' them. Just be honest with them, use regular, non technical talk and you have a better chance to get the sale.

One of my 'secrets' for doing work locally is that whenever a business asks me if i am capable of doing certain web projects for them... 90% of the time i am not because my skills are more in marketing, not coding, programming or design. SO, i always tell them that yes, i can do the project. I charge my standard rates always, depending on their budget.. then i contract out the work to people in India who are most of the time *AMAZING* at what they do, and its DIRT cheap.


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Good thread, thank you for the tips.

 

How much does an indian cost on average for a full custom design in css?

Is their work any good?

 

I'm not sure where you live, but you will also want to look into joining network groups to get your reputation up in the community just like we do here at DP. Look into things like BNI, LeTips, your chamber of commerce (they have network groups, power lunches, etc).

 

HAHA.. hmm. I think they are called Arab's, no? When i hear indian, i think of the 'indian' guys on TV that were just recently trying to get people to vote to change my state's constitution to allow a casino!

Anyway, yeah the work is excellent. I dont know the rate for a custom CSS site because i havent had one done yet, but, i had a full php script for a mysql database made. I got a quote from a pro company, they wanted $2000 and suggested having it done in CGI which would have meant that i would have needed to purchase a new webhost that is very expensive. Then i found the amazing people in India who did it for $400 and did it in PHP and let me tell you, the script is amazing... when it is complete, i am thinking of making a website to resell it.