This has always been on my mind...

I've always thought this would be such a good idea. Now that I've quit my job, I might have time to do it. Tell me if there are any things I would need to consider in the business aspect...

I'm wanting to finally set up my online web portfolio of all my design work, websites, and accomplishments I've done in the last 3 years. On this website I will offer web creation and design for local businesses. Once that site is made, I will advertise in local newspapers saying "Have a business? Get on the web now! Meet with an expert local web developer One-On-One and get your site custom designed..." Blah blah blah.

The thing that interests me most about this idea is that people are willing to pay a good amount of cash for personal web developers. I've been paid $1500 for designing and developing certain sites just because they value the idea of meeting up with me and revising it in person rather than on the internet or over the phone.


Good idea or no? I'd be charging at least $1k for each job. I'm not ripping them off. They will get their moneys worth because they're getting a completely unique design and website. I will also be hosting them.


Good idea or no? Any recommendations or revisions?

 

If your services are in demand and the population large enough, any entrepreneurial endeavor is a good idea. The only stumbling block I ran across was convincing business owners that their investment will generate 'real' people traffic.

 

Great idea - go for it.

 

Well, initially the customers will be coming to me. I will only be placing ads through the local newspaper and maybe some geo-targeting Adwords advertising.

I'm pretty sure I can convince many of the clients that traffic isn't the most important thing here. For them, it's to get the word out about their product or service. So, hopefully they are wise enough to see that.

Or at least that's what I'm hoping

 

I think it largely depends on who you are selling to. Large corporates would sneeze at $1K it's all relative. Charge what you think you are worth.

 

And start building this business six months before you quit your job.

Oooopppsss...

 

No way man that's not how I roll

My internet earnings will hold me over until I can get some business.

 

I believe your fees are a little high.
Why pay $1K for a job when you can hire someone and pay 1/4 of that amount?

 

But for 250 can you get the same quality that he will give for 1k?


I've also considered doing this for a while now. I don't charge a fixed rate, however I charge per feature/individual page. This way people will only have to pay for what they need.

If they want a 5 page website with a simple design and say 2 scripts and a flash form. I would charge around 300. (rough estimate, it depends on the site in hand)

Normally I charge a $100.00 minimum and for 100 you will get a design and a homepage. I then charge 25.00 per page (unless order in bulk, then it depends on the situation/amount). For scripts and flash I charge on the situation. There is a 20.00 dollar minimum on scripts. If I have the script pre-written I will charge 20.00 if I have to create it then it depends on the situation. Say I added a flash e-mail script to someones webpage I built. I would charge 25.00 for the flash part and 25.00 for the php script.

--------------------------
homepage/design -100.00
4 side pages -100.00
2 scripts -50.00
1 flash form - 25.00
--------------------------
Total: 275.00
--------------------------

It would probably take me all of 5 hours to create and finish a webpage like my example. So if I charged $275.00 that would average out to around $55.00/hour if I completed the work in 5 hours.

 

Tread carefully in the hosting world - if they pay you so much money and then your host (unles its your server) goes down theyll sue bigstyle - it happened to a friend of mine and all he could do was payback cos of how the terms of the contract had been written (by him) (just a happy kinda, optimistic post you probably didnt want)

 

Of course it's a good idea! You already validated that with the reasoning in your post. I'd say go for it!