Starting Your Home Based Web Design Business

Many freelance web designers are working from home these days. What do you need to start your own web design business?

Here is a short list that will help you.

1. You will need to set aside a work space away from the rest of the household. This will spare you from the distractions. I was lucky to have a spare room, which was my daughter's play room. She is now 16 so her bedroom is her haven.

2. Consider which HTML editing and design software to purchase. Those of us who have been in the business for a while know that Macromedia Dreamweaver and Adobe Photoshop are currently the best design software options. But when you are starting out these programs may not be in the budget. A good alternative would be Microsoft FrontPage for HTML page designing and PaintShop Pro for graphic design projects. FrontPage has its disadvantages, but it will work well for you initially.

3. You will also need to invest in some type of accounting software, QuickBooks Pro is the best, but a less expensive one is Microsoft Money. Money does not have all the cool options for Invoices, etc., but it will help you track your money, ie. profits/losses. Utilizing a good accounting software to keep track of your business finances is critical. Your finance organization has a direct impact on your business' success. Do not cut corners here.

4. You will also need some type of office suite like Microsoft Office. If MS Office is not in your budget there are many other office suites that work well. You will also need to check with your County Clerks Office to see if you need a vendors license; it varies from state to state. If you are located outside of the U.S., check with your city, providence, or township laws for required licenses for new businesses.

5. The installation of a second phone line is beneficial. If this is not affordable for you, most phone companies offer a special ring number (at no extra charge) that is a different phone number from your home number and has a special ring to it.

6. Invest in an inexpensive fax machine.

7. If high-speed internet service is available in your area, I would highly suggest it. It came into my local area last summer, and it is an assest when uploading a site, or downloading software updates. If it is not available in your area or is not in the budget yet, dial-up works just fine; I used it for years.

8. This is a very important necessity. Get your design business online with a quality but simple website. This is where a BasicTemplates membership can help you. You can quickly and easily personalize your own website and use the templates in your membership account to develop websites for your clients with very little overhead and a huge return on investment.

9. Purchase a domain name. Some of them are very costly. I use GoDaddy.com . They are affordable for any budget, and if you find yourself with a technical problem, they have phone tech support to assist you.

10. Look for great values in website hosting. Here's one you simply cannot beat: Get 40GB of transfer for only $7.95.

So it looks like you are good to go! Let the adventure begin.

// posted by BasicAnn on 6/22/2005 12:28:00 PM / Permanent Link