Small achievements may be hurting your success

I first heard the phrase while on a job interview. The owner of the company had very non-discreetly parked his fancy Audi R8 by the entrance to the building, and his license plate read, "BHAGS." When inside, the interviewer asked me if I knew what it stood for, and proceeded to explain the meaning: Big Hairy Audacious Goals. Some time later, I was reading Fast Company magazine which mentioned BHAG and referenced it to the original source in Jim Collins' book, "Built to Last." So, I finally knew where it was from, and added it to my reading list. (And you should read it, too!)… Read more »

Unfortunately, I encounter many stories of clients who were bamboozled by other less scrupulous web designers. Designers who charged a lot and did little, or outright cheated. Designers who lacked basic understanding and knowledge about the craft. Designers who simply did not listen to their clients, and twisted their arm to agree to something that was not in their best interest, by pulling out the "I'm an expert" card. That's often when I come in, usually at the recommendation of another past client, to rescue the poor and abused chap. It's my philosophy that if you provide a good and honest service your business will thrive, Chicago, India or anywhere in the world. There's no reason to take advantage of people, and in the end, you will have a pile of cash, and no more clients.… Read more »

I'm a huge fan of doing pro bono web design jobs. I do tons of work for local Chicago non-profits and charities I believe in as a way to boost their design quality and website functionality where they would otherwise have gone with something inadequate. It's also a great way to flex my brain muscles and sharpen my skillset and do some good. For example, when I decided to learn Drupal, I took on a number of Drupal projects as a way to learn the system. That said, there are a number of challenges faced by designers when attempting to start a pro bono project. Here are some guidelines to make sure you and the client get the most out of the pro bono project:… Read more »

Tell me if this sounds familiar: "Hi! Can you tell me how much a website costs? [red flag #1] I'm looking for something really basic." [red flag #2] From there, it will only get worse. The client then starts to spout features and functionality that are anything but basic. Clearly, they have a different definition. As a designer, you get a queasy feeling in your stomach, because you know the project will balloon, there will be constant veering off track, the time line will go out the window, you'll be underpaid, and the client will be upset every time you try to say that the new "basic" feature they request half way through the project will cost them a little bit more.… Read more »

I understand. Really, I do. You're afraid I'll take advantage of you. You're afraid if you tell me your budget for your web venture, I will give you a quote which is really worth less than the number you gave me. You're afraid I'll cheat you. Or, you want to compare my quote with other designers' and want to see who will give the best price. I understand your reluctance to tell me sensitive business information. But, please; tell me your budget! I need to know! Let me tell you why.… Read more »

There are so many web design blogs with content geared towards designers. They contain website design tutorials about CSS, Photoshop, PHP, and the like. (I have tutorials on my own website, too.) But if web designers are using their website to look for new work, shouldn't their site content - blog included - be focused on their prospective clients? Shouldn't their articles be about topics businesses would want to read?… Read more »

If you're a small business owner, you scrutinize every dollar that leaves your bank account and make sure that you will have a strong return on that investment. With credit still in the dumps and margins low, you can't afford to throw away money - as if you could have just two years ago. Now that you need a website, you cringe every time you get a quote or proposal. And you do not want to risk quality or wasting money (no matter how little) by working with an overseas design chop-shop. So, what can you do to save money on your website design costs?… Read more »

This article is written expressly for small business owners. Very often, a small business owner asks me how much a website will cost. It's a funny question to be discussed in another article, but after a couple pointed questions, I toss out some numbers. His eyes inevitably bulge and he looks like I kicked him in the livers. Yea, you can get an overseas chop-shop to throw your content in a template for you for $200. But let's talk about what a website can do for your business, and what those goals are worth to you. Now decide if you want to hire someone who's capable of achieving those goals.… Read more »