24 and falling fast!

SpongeBobSP

legoman wrote:

i would say designer... i dont really know how to code a site perfectly. i build my sites from a design point of view. luckily when i build them like this the programme (dreamweaver) does all the code for me...

do you think there would be call for say an agent to work for a company but in the southwest from home? is that what you are suggesting?

You may need to train up to become a web developer (if it's something you are interested in). Also, you may want to look into certification (e.g. from Microsoft), this always helps in getting a job.

I am sure there will be companies local to you, looking for a web developer/designer. Have you ever signed with an employment agency or website?

Storm

Hi Legoman,

If you're good with PCs in general have you looked at advertising those skills too? You could maybe get some local businesses paying you a retainer for X hours per month to set up PCs, install software, run anti-virus programmes, troubleshoot etc.

How are you advertising your business? Are there any other ways of reaching potential clients?

Business Link is a government funded organisation that can help with many aspects of running your own business:

http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/home?domain=www.businesslink.gov.uk&target=http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/

The local one to here runs networking events, free training seminars etc that also put you in contact with other small businesses - many of whom might want a website...

For posting your SoA look at Southern Scousers sticky at the top of the board.

Storm

fabianne

Hiya
Could you not build your own website to show what you do/have done for clients then register your service online as a freelance web designer and pick up work that way?So when people Google for one-up you pop?
How about doing personalised pages for eBay sellers too-I think you can advertise your services in the listings on there and a lot of people use them.
I am the worst person to offer financial advice at the mo as my business has just failed-but the people here are fantastic.Try not to panic and keep posting.Do your SOA (statment of affairs) the you can see where your money goes and things seem clearer when it is down on paper.Post it here and the wise sages will point out areas that you could save money etc.
I have been in touch with both Business Debt Line and Payplan about my circumstances-both offer FREE advice and help you so much.
I am qualified to wish you the very best of luck and you have found the right place to look for help.

tyllwyd

I'd say your priority is to get some regular money coming in - even if it means you taking a job that is much lower skilled than your website design work. If you are self-employed, you can always work weekends/evenings during the busy times.

The other avenue is to be more aggressive in your business. What can you do to try to get more work in? What advertising/promotion do you currently do? Can you expand the range of services you offer?

I've never used them, but have you ever looked at sites like e-lance, guru, freelanceuk?

fabianne

Beaten to it whilst writing it..lol!

dukesy_2

Hi

I am a sales director for a comapny who (amongst many other things) design/develop websites.

My advice is merely that (not a guarantee !!), BUT

Learn Coding (php,asp,css,html etc) ASAP. Simply put, there are a million graduates out there who can drag and drop stuff into WYSIWYG driven GUI's (such as dreamweaver). What differentiates the successful companies is having the additional understanding of code writing ASWELL.

Once you have this ability, you will be able to offer a much more complete package (why would a client choose you to design a site but then have to pay someone else to code it ?). A good example is search engine optimisation.

Please dont take this as a critiscism, but as the help it is intended as !!!:D

If you have design skills, then use them. NOT as a website designer but involving your self in more niche markets (Direct marketing for eg) where competition is less fierce (as I said. If I want a website designed in Dreamweaver, there are about a million students who will do that for £20 per page)

Any qeuestions/further advice, PM me

katchambers

Hi Mike,

I just wanted to let you know that you are not alone.

I am also 24 and in a lot more debt than you are 1/4 of a million (250k) actually, alot of that is my mortgage but 80k is not, and I was told on here that my debt and my SOA was one of the most worrying people had seen on here - not very nice to hear, but I am working through it slowly.

I guarantee that once you have some ideas in place and some action plans to reduce your spending/outgoings and increase your income then you will start to feel a lot better, I know I did.

This site is very useful it that it can show you thousands of ways of throwing money at your debt, some examples:

- Selling on ebay, amazon and greenmetropolis (either your own stuff lying around house or items purchase from charity shops & bootsales)
- Clickthroughs & no purchase offers on cashback sites
- Matched betting
- doing a bootsale
- Completing surveys
- Mystery shopping
- Money from nothing (check out this inspiring thread http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=292259)

These are just a few example of things you can do when you have days of no paid work from clients and in between jobs, you might also want to consider a christmas job to tide you over, there are loads about at the moment, some are even part-time and might help fill the gaps in between your slow periods of your web-developing. For example, the post office always needs christmas temps and retails outlets and supermarkets.

legoman

Well here it is........

Monthly Incomings:

My salary – average of £600 per month (sporadic as self employed web designer) it’s not always that much.
Partners salary – n/a
Benefits – n/a

Total - £600

Monthly Outgoings:

Mortgage/Rent - £160.00 (includes all bills)
Council Tax – n/a
Gas – n/a
Electric – n/a
TV License – n/a
Sky n/a
Phone - £35.00
Food - £100
Car Insurance – n/a – don’t drive.
Petrol – n/a
Life Insurance n/a

Total: £295.00


Barclaycard – Balance £3,500 (limit £3,500) APR 14.9%

Aqua card – Balance £850.00 (limit £850) APR 35.9%

Capital one card – Balance £200 (limit £200) APR 19.9%

Capital one business card Balance £150 (limit £200) APR 19.0%

Barclays Business loan. £16000 at £333.00 per month starting march 17th 2007.

Tiscali broadband - £12.99 per month
BT line rental - £13.00 per month
Norwhich Union public liability insurance - £19.00 per month

Overdraft facility - business account – Balance £1200 (Limit -£750)
Overdraft facility – personal account – Balance £88 (Limit -£10)


Total to need each month minus minimum payments on credit cards = 339.99p
As you can see, and now as can I, it’s a bloody mess. I’ve never stopped to look at it this way.

So there’s my financial status do as you will people. If you need anything else let me know. That’s not to be taken as I’ve left something out, I mean you may see something that I forgot to enter in all that maths!

Thanks guys.

angelavdavis

You may already be registered on some of the web sites, but I am in IT and have just done a search on The IT JobBoard for jobs featuring Dreamweaver. There is a contract in South Wales for immediate start available with Computer Futures.

http://www.theitjobboard.co.uk/jobs/3063749/dreamweaver-design-immediately-required-job.htm?keywords=dreamweaver&locations%5B%5D=180&days=7&orderby=2&submit=Search&xc=0&lang=&aid=3063749&currpage=1&pagename=

I don't know if this particular opportunity is commutable for you or still available, but I have found that this site good as it is more expensive for agencies to advertise so you aren't deluged with time-wasters. You can also have emailed opportunities emailed to you on a daily basis.

I would say your first priority is to try to get a contract. The minimum you will be paid per hour is £12. You will earn more living away, but rates are good and it would mean you being able to resolve your financial issues sooner, rather than later.

Dukesy is right though, most companies are training their secretaries in Dreamweaver now, you need HTML, PHP or MySQL to add to your skills if you want to stay in this space, Dreamweaver is pretty easy to use and will soon be as widespread a skill as MS Office. If you have these other apps you stand more chance of getting more opportunities.

Being self-employed, more than anything else, also means staying one step ahead of the competition with your skills and investing in maintaining the latest skills is essential (as well as putting aside monies for tax, etc).

Good luck!!!

JohnInDebt

Sorry cannot offer much help but to re-iterate what other have said already.

Web designers are 10 a penny at the moment and even I do web design as a hobby, even with the php coding aswell.

All I can say really is to get a job quickly that will bring in regular money but persue your career as a web designer in the evenings and on the weekend until you have a large enough portfolio to use it as your only source of income. Even then I would look at also coding (php, asp etc..) rather than just creating pages with dreamweaver, which anyone can do.

Good luck :beer: