Free lance web design

I earn a great portion of my income from making site changes, updates, copy improvements, positioning them properly in search engine etc.

In fact today I picked up two jobs as piece work for a conference in town next week.

You can advertise yourself, local free rags, a poster at teh laundromat or wherever, or actually start a home based Web Design business, though you won't be able to begotiate yourervices as well that way.

In fact there is a company in Vancouver that is currently looking for designers with a portfilio.

People post what they need done and other people work form home on a contract basis to build the pages.

Home based web design is a VERY big business, check the saturation in your area, check going rate etc. Then provide better looking stuff that isn't anything like what others are doing.

Be unique and create your own niche, then you never have to worry about fitting in the right niche. :)

Good luck,
OM

As long as the customers give you upload access to their web servers, you can work all you want.

Most small companies use a web host service instead of running their own servers anyway, so remote access is the only way for them. All you need is the account logon info.

If they want more control, you can still do the design work at home. Send them the pages and let them upload and handle the links.

They trust their copywriter, whom thay pay MANY thousands for the portoflios they take to potential investors. When they asked for a presentation he passed it to me as I do much of his multimedia and graphics work. I quoted him and they coughed up a chunk up front as requested, and uncontested.

They know thay can't get the same end result from a private company and that the copy included is award winning calibre (not my copy but what I am provided with).

TRUST and credibility outweighs all other factors when it come to these companies, they know they get a better end result form people who work together in their industry and understand what is needed. Plus I was still lower than others for similar work that the company really has no control over until drafts are produced.

As always, it isn't what you know but who you know that fuels such treats. I hung onto the right coattails when I was younger and met the right people. I have good social skills and network with the right people, people that are successful and have a good name for many famous campaigns, they are also people who used manual typewriters until they were finally forced to buy a computer, these guys don't do power point and web design and they need people they can trust that wil help them so they aren't outsourcing half of the job and losing control of it.

When their clients call, they in turn call me for all the miltimedia stuff, they can write catchy copy and ad campaigns but not put it on the web or a slide show.

I have another coming up that wil pay about $750 for a 12 slide Power Point presentation. Any company could do it sort of, but they also don't care if they lose a client. The exploration and mining companies know I will work to make it stunning and professional because MY reputation is on the line. They get their money's worth and they are happy with that. NO questions asked, and whatever I need is given to me as I need it.

I am being Heli'd to Vancouver this weekend after the mining show to have a few days partying with a group of them around town, they are a really good set of contacts that I will also coat tail in order to gain more contacts.

I am not one to sit in school or read books and slog through code, I meet people and sell myself, my clients will back me and recommend me to anyone now so it just snowballs becaus eTHEY have trust and credibility with oter 'big-wigs' (aka rich piss tanks) too. It is the same thing with bands I work with, one just snowballed to the next.

Lucky? not really. I have been very unlucky too.
Fortunate? perhaps but not for any other reason than hard work and many long days/nights at the pub (not as much fun as it sounds).
One of a kind? Only because nobody else is doing it.
Unique? Maybe but I chose my contacts well and didn't hang out at IT parties and get-togethers meeting other people in the same field with the same skills.

I just chalk it up to paying my dues, having integrity and being reliable.

There is a way to maintain our high salaries that
has stood the test of time. If you are from
the Boston area you should contact me.

j.penney@computer.org

Yes,

It very possible. Many freelance web designers work from home. An actual design firm will most likely need some conference room space to discuss proposals with clients. Good Luck

http://www.datums.net