| Do you work at home? Do you have a website? If | | | | work. This is an important step which should not be |
| not, you are placing yourself in a very difficult position. | | | | overlooked. |
| The fact is that in order for a business to survive | | | | Finding freelance designers to choose from will not be |
| today, be it online or offline, it needs a website. The | | | | a problem. There are several websites out there to |
| good news is that the costs associated with building a | | | | facilitate this. For example, Elance, Guru, iFreelance, |
| website have dropped drastically over the past | | | | oDesk, and Scriptlance are great freelance portals to |
| decade. Hence, where it used to cost thousands of | | | | work with. Essentially, you will need to register, and |
| dollars to build a website, nowadays it costs just a | | | | then provide of listing of exactly what you need done |
| fraction. | | | | for your project. Thereafter, freelancers will bid on |
| While I hate to caution against giving business to one | | | | your project. You will be able to see how satisfied, or |
| entity over another, I have to do so in this instance. | | | | dissatisfied, past customers were as each bidder has |
| When searching for someone to build your website, I | | | | a rating if they have completed past projects which |
| have to caution you to stay away from the larger | | | | were commented on by past customers. You have |
| companies. These entities have too many fixed | | | | complete control whether to accept or reject a bid. |
| expenses, which need to be passed onto their | | | | However, if hiring someone to build your website |
| customers. Of course, every brick and mortar | | | | simply is not in your budget, do not panic. You still have |
| business in the world does this. However, in the case | | | | options. The best option which I can come up with is |
| of web design, not every business is brick and mortar. | | | | utilizing a Content Management System (CMS), such |
| Take advantage of this. | | | | as Joomla or WordPress. Both of these give you the |
| My strong recommendation is that you focus your | | | | capacity to simply purchase a template, and build your |
| attention on those web designers who work at home. | | | | website based off of the template and CMS platform. |
| Often times these designers have full-time jobs, but | | | | Just make sure that you take you time in selecting a |
| are looking for freelance projects to supplement their | | | | template. It is of the utmost importance that your |
| income. They do not have to pay rent for a 2400 sq.ft. | | | | template be relevant to the theme of your business. |
| office space, and therefore do not have these | | | | Furthermore, since templates are not unique to you, it is |
| expenses to pass on to their customers. | | | | best that you choose a less popular template so that |
| Having just endorsed freelance web designers, I must | | | | another online business does not have a website |
| also warn you that every designer has their own style. | | | | which is nearly identical to yours. Nonetheless, |
| Thus, it is important that you see examples of their | | | | whichever direction that you go in, just make sure that |
| previous work before moving forward. Most will have | | | | it ends up with you getting a website. You need a |
| a portfolio website, which links to examples of past | | | | website if you work at home. |