Starting Out

Hi Tom,

It isn't easy to get started and it sure does help if you live in a
populated area.  Word of mouth is by and far the best advertisement for
one's company.  I got 99% of my business that way.  I used ads in paper and
on the radio and I even put two ads in a video flyer that came out once a
month for 12 months.  I received not one call from all these ads.  But
everytime I get a call for doing a web site, it was referred by a client.

Business cards are great.  Put them up anywhere and everywhere you can.
Stores are great for having a public bulletin board to place these.  My
clients now ask me for a handfull of my cards to pass out.

Make up a tri-fold flyer explaining your business, what you offer, if you
have any discounts for some of your services and send these out.  Go to your
local Chamber of Commerce online site and go to where the businesses are
listed.  Check them  out.  If they have a link to a site, those you can
exclude.  Look over the others, make a list and send them a flyer.  Give
them a 10% disocunt if they order a web site done within so many days/weeks
of receiving this flyer.  Make the tri-fold interesting enough for the
potential client to open.

Or you could call and speak with them on the phone and explain what you have
to offer and why it is good for them to me online.  Know what I tell my
clients?  I tell them:

"Being on the web may not make a lot of difference to your business for
quite a while, but you are expected to have a web site these days.  People
would rather check you out online and see what you have to offer rather than
call you up and spend time on the phone asking questions.  But don't expect
to get a lot out of search engines.  They are great, but the majority of
your visitors will come to your site depending on how you advertise your
site.  As soon as your site is done, notify your top customers with a letter
or eMail excitingly telling them about your new venture on the internet and
give them the uri.  They will visit it."

But the first thing you should do is make a web site that has samples of
some of your work on it.  You know, what you can do and how you can produce
your client's web page to be business-like and professional looking.  Your
web address and eMail address should be on your business cards, letterheads,
any flyers you send out, etc.  Use it just as you do your phone number and
address.

Throw in a few pro-bono sites, also.  Great for advertising and they tell
everyone about having a site.  One of the best to do is Red Cross Programs
for Adults and Kids.  I did one for my local chapter and they get eMail from
all over the country asking about these programs.  So there is always a need
for these sites in each chapter.  And your local chapter will be very happy
they have one.

Give a talk at your local library about the internet and web sites.

BE PATIENT:  When you get a new client they are going to look to you to know
everything.  They will call you first when something with their ISP doesn't
work right or if they forget how to use their eMail.  It is an excellent
idea to have a packet to give out to new clients that contains certain
pieces of information.  I have made a 3 page list of internet terms/protocal
and a list of abbreviations:

LOL:  laugh out loud
IMHO:  in my huble opion
FYI:  for your information
BTW:  by the way

Stuff like that.  It is a referral that they will use until they are familar
with the lingo of the www.


Be honest, fair, and straight-forward.  If you can't do something, tell the
potential client and state you will find someone you can work with to do
this particular type of work.  The client pays you and if you sub-contract
work, you pay them.

Always have a contract.  Here are some wonderful sites for learning how to
do them:

http://www.wilsonweb.com/worksheet/pageplan.htm
http://www.briantaylor.com/websitecontract.htm
http://provider.com/contracts.htm
http://provider.com/geeksguide/
http://www.ivanhoffman.com/web.html
http://www.ivanhoffman.com/internet.html
http://www.benedict.com/basic/basic/notice.htm
http://www.netmoneyin.com/book/appendix/append15.htm

I would like to see a sample site when you get it done.  I hope this
answered some of your questions.  I got kinda windy.

I wish you much luck in your new businesss venture.  Remember, if you design
your sites to be business-like, pleasing to the eye and informative, clients
will be coming to you.  I just got offered to free-lance jobs (I have a
home-based business) and they came to me because of the quality of my sites.

Good Luck!!  *SMILE*  BTW, are you also going to host these clients?  I have
found my clients prefer this.  I didn't at first but am extremely happy I
did.  Extra revenue every month and the client is happy about one-stop web
design.  Think about it.

Joyce Taylor

PS  If you have a friend that has a buisness, maybe  cutting him/her a price
break will get the first client and you would have something to add to your
portfolio to show potential clients.

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