I have been involved in the WordPress Community for several years.  A common narrative among free lance web designer and developers is how we entered the “business”.

We worked hard.  We were fired, or was unappreciated. We tinkered in web design or development. Someone liked our work.  They wanted us to created a site.  We designed their site.  And just like the old Staple’s commercial, “That’s was easy!” maybe this can become a career for me. We decided to become a web designer or developer.

Turning your passion into a paycheck

How do you keep your doors open?  It really takes two things.  Clients and Cash Flow.  You will need to find clients, who need or want your services.  You need to establish a work flow on how to find clients.

 “Every problem is a potential opportunity”

I have trained my brain to look at every problem (or in some cases solution) as a potential opportunity.  I had an opportunity present itself as someone needed to receive payments for one product, but they did not want a full blown e-commerce site.  I had the solution, gravity forms with the easy digital downloads. They had a problem, and I created a solution.  This created a new opportunity.

Cash Flow.  How to set fair prices?  That is a blog post in the near future.  It really centers around your skill levels and experiences.  How many projects have you completed?  Are you using 3rd party plugins to complete the project? Or do you custom design all the elements? The main focus should be “think like a entrepreneur and not a employee”.  Establish a budget and save for those tight months, this will be another blog post in the near future.

If you are looking for a new web design or re-design, then I am available. I can be reached at info@jdswebdesign.biz or 678-718-5489.

Image is courtesy of Teresa Kluge.