Neil Tortorella - Starting Your Career as a Freelance Web Designer

starting

YOUR

CAREER

as a freelance

WEB

DESIGNER

NEIL TORTORELLA

ALLWORTH PRESS
NEWYORK

This book is dedicated to Catherine Wentworth, without whose encouragement and support I never would have started writing, and to my son, Alex Tortorella, who will forever be the light of my life.

2011 by Neil Tortorella

All rights reserved. Copyright under Berne Copyright Convention, Universal Copyright Convention, and Pan American Copyright Convention. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Allworth Press, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

Allworth Press books may be purchased in bulk at special discounts for sales promotion, corporate gifts, fund-raising, or educational purposes. Special editions can also be created to specifications. For details, contact the Special Sales Department, Allworth Press, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018 or .

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Published by Allworth Press
An imprint of Skyhorse Publishing
307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

Allworth Press is a registered trademark of Skyhorse Publishing, Inc., a Delaware corporation.
www.allworth.com

Cover and interior design by tktk
Page composition/typography by tktk

ISBN: 978-1-58115-859-5

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Tortorella, Neil.
Starting your career as a freelance web designer / Neil Tortorella.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-1-58115-859-5 (pbk.)
1.Web sitesDesignVocational guidance. I. Title.
TK5105.888.T67 2011
006.70023dc23

2011019292

Printed in the United States of America

Contents

What Does It Take to Be a Successful
Freelance Web Designer?

Do You Have What It Takes? A Self
Assessment and SWOT Analysis

Design School and Degrees: Do You Need
Them?

Colleges, Universities, and Art and Trade
Schools

It Takes More than Talent and Technical
Skills

Obtaining an Employer Identification
Number (EIN)

Understanding Contracts and Other
Legal Issues

The Complexity of Copyright and Web
Design

Business InsurancesWhat You
Need

General and Professional Liability
Insurances

Marketing and Self-Promotion: Planning,
Tools, Tactics, and Techniques

Creating and Implementing Your
Marketing Plan

Marketing Budget, Calendar, and
Tracking

Search Engine Optimization
(SEO)

Creating A Killer PortfolioOn- and
Off-line

Showing Work from a Previous
Employer

Consultative Sales vs. Traditional
Sales

Balancing Your Professional and
Personal Lives

Plan for Retirement or Die at Your
Keyboard

Estimated Project Fees and
Reimbursements

Selected Bibliography and Business Books for Every Freelance Web
Designers Library

Contact Managers and Client
Relationship Management

Project Management and Versioning
Control

PART I

Getting Started
and Laying Your
Foundation

What Does It Take to Be a Successful Freelance Web Designer?

Y ouve decided to hang out your shingle as a freelance web designer. Congratulations! Youre in good company. In fact, according to the Freelancers Union, freelancers, independent contractors, and similar monikers represent roughly 30 percent of the United States workforce. However, this also describes temporary workers, small business owners, part-timers, and contingent employees. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that there are 10.3 million freelancers working today, or 7.4 percent of the overall U.S. workforce. Nonetheless, the numbers are impressive.

But what exactly is a freelancer, and what it is like to be one? Dictionary. com defines a freelancer as a person who works as a writer, designer, performer, or the like, selling work or services by the hour, day, job, etc., rather than working on a regular salary basis for one employer. For some, the term conjures up a life of freedom and flexibility. To others, it means unstable fly-by-nights. Still, others relate freelancers to a feast-or-famine, stress-riddled life. The truth is that it can be all of those. The trick is to build a solid, sound foundation for your freelance business. It is a business and should be treated as such. When done right, you can realize freedom, flexibility, and other benefits so many seem to miss.

The term freelance is relatively new, at least in the manner used today. Its origins date back to Sir Walter Scotts Ivanhoe (1819), in which it is used to describe medieval warriors who were not aligned to any specific lord. They were free lances, similar to todays mercenaries. The term in modern times is often interchangeable with independent professional, consultant, solopreneur, and even in some cases, small business owner. Many start as sole proprietors and grow into limited liability companies (LLC) or corporate entities. For the purposes of this book, a freelancer is a one-person business that may be either full- or part-time.

THE FREELANCE LIFE

With our term defined, the big question on the minds of those considering taking the leap is Whats it like to be a freelance web designer? Thats a fair enough question. Its always a good idea to get a handle on what youre getting yourself into. Ill answer it with my experiences first and follow that up with the insights of a few working freelancers.

Most web designers, graphic designers, and other creative folk find themselves freelancing at some point in their career. For many, it comes early on, either due to a lack of full-time jobs available or in response to the opportunity, and sometimes the need, to make extra money. Thats how it was for me. I began my career as a freelance photographer because I couldnt find a job as a photographer or an assistant when I got out of school. Starting my own studio was out of the question. I must have been absent the day the professor talked about just how much capital is needed to launch a professional photography studio. Although the competition was stiff, I hustled and found some paying work. Soon, I landed a great client, a cosmetics company, which became my primary patron. Suffice to say, I became quite full of myself seeing my work on billboards, in major magazines, and on product displays in fancy department stores. Alas, that was short-lived. The art director at the cosmetics company left, and the department head asked me if I wanted the job. I was about to get married and thought a regular paycheck might be a good thing. So I entered the world of gainful employment, benefits, a designated parking spot, and the nine-to-five grind.

This was also my entrance into graphic design. I had studied it a bit in art school but hadnt planned on making it my career choice. I found I rather enjoyed it, and the cosmetics company job led to design firm and ad agency positions. But, through it all, I found myself to be a closet freelancer. Inevitably, a friends friend or a relative would need a logo, business card, or the occasional brochure. The extra cash here and there was great, so I decided that freelancing part-time would be a continuing part of my life. It wasnt a lot, but it definitely helped.