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RUNNING A
SUCCESSFUL
WEB DESIGN
BUSINESS
PAUL BOAG & MARCUS LILLINGTON
CO-FOUNDERS HEADSCAPE
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A WORKSHOP
★ It should be a discussion
★ Questions and interaction
★ Every situation is unique
★ We should share our experiences
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WHAT GIVES US
THE RIGHT?
NOTHING
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HEADSCAPE
★ Headscape is not exceptional
★ We do a normal work
★ We are not a big name
★ We don’t win awards
★ But we are successful
★ Turn over about 1 million a year
★ Have 15 members of staff
★ Take home a very nice salary
★ Work comes to us
★ Have built a ‘lifestyle’ business
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ABOUT US
★ Founded in 2002
★ 3 original members of staff
★ Only one could build websites!
★ Profitable since month one
★ Grown organically in numbers
★ Grown gradually in project value
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NOW YOUR TURN
★ Freelancer
★ Agency
★ Other?
★ Role? (sales/designer/developer/all of the above)
★ What brings you here?
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THE PLAN
AM★ Marketing and promotion
★ Sales and pitching
★ Client relations
PM★ Growing your business
★ A lifestyle choice
★ Getting work done
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LETS GET
STARTED
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MARKETING
A HIDDEN EXPENSE
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WHAT DOESN’T
WORK?
★ Cold calling?
★ Advertising?
★ Bidding websites?
★ Sales people?
★ Business link events?
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SPECIALISE
★ Feels counter intuitive
★ Expert in your area
★ Gain a reputation
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HOW TO
SPECIALISE?
★ In what you deliver
★ Within a supply chain
★ Across a market
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FINDING YOUR
AUDIENCE
★ Start with friends and family
★ Eventually target those similar to existing clients
★ Is it okay to ‘steal’ clients from previous employer?
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REACH
YOUR
AUDIENCE
★ Mailing lists
★ Forums
★ Writing articles
★ Conferences/Meetups
★ Speaking opportunities
★ Sharing your expertise
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SHARE
YOUR
EXPERTISE
★ Portfolio
★ Blog
★ Podcast
★ Give aways
★ CSS Galleries
★ Testimonials
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USING
SOCIAL MEDIA
★ Conserve, don’t broadcast
★ Use your profiles
★ Share links (others & your own)
★ Ask questions
★ Be personal
★ Contribute value
★ Admit mistakes
★ Do not spam
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SALES
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PRICING
★ Fixed price vs. time and materials
★ Ask the client about budget
★ Modular pricing
★ Core and optional items
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WHAT GOES IN
A PROPOSAL?
★ Depends on the size
★ Depends on the brief
★ Your suitability
★ Summary of tasks
★ Timescales
★ Project management
★ Pricing
★ Testing
★ Hosting
★ Technologies
★ Imagery
★ References
★ Financial information
★ Biographies
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SPECULATIVE
DESIGN
★ Never do speculative design (well almost never)
★ Design is a process
★ Collaboration with the client
★ Business analysis
★ Costs both the client and agency
★ All showmanship
★ Gain respect and weed out undesirables
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PITCHING
★ Be enthusiastic
★ Demonstrate you are listening
★ Make it about the client, not you
★ Watch body language
★ Don’t allow yourself to get desperate
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CLIENT SERVICE
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WHY
CLIENT
SERVICE
MATTERS
★ Happy customers recommend
★ References are important
★ Conflict costs profits
★ Repeat business is your lifeblood
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REPEAT
BUSINESS
★ No marketing cost
★ Lower cost of sale
★ Higher value clients
★ Less hassle!
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FOSTERING
REPEAT
BUSINESS
★ Post project debrief
★ Keeping up the quality
★ Keep them informed about innovations
★ Show them what you have done for others
★ Regular reviews
★ Maintain a conversation
★ Go ‘above and beyond’
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ABOVE & BEYOND
★ Be conservative in estimates
★ Be honest
★ Be proactive
★ Do extra work for free!
★ Tell the client about the extras
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CLEAR
COMMUNICATION
★ Regular
★ Consistent
★ The truth (even if they don’t want to hear it)
★ Set expectations
★ Keep a record
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CONFRONTATION
★ Keep calm
★ Acknowledge and apologise
★ Identify the underlying problem
★ Find out what the client wants
★ Fix the problem!
★ Get feedback
★ Take stock
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LUNCH
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THE PLAN
AM★ Marketing and promotion
★ Sales and pitching
★ Client relations
PM★ Growing your business
★ A lifestyle choice
★ Getting work done
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GROWTH
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BIG
THE
QUESTIONS
★ Should I hire somebody?
★ Who should I hire?
★ Do I need an office?
★ What should I be doing next?
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SHOULD I HIRE?
★ Are you working evenings & weekends?
★ Are there areas where you are weak?
★ Are you looking to eventually remove yourself from the business?
★ Can you hire somebody part time?
★ Is fear stopping you?
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SHOULD I HIRE?
WHO
★ Hire to fill your weakness
★ Hire to fill the jobs you hate
★ But don’t hire sales people
★ Hire likeminded people
★ Hire on personality not just skills
★ Hire people who tinker
★ But don’t hire a clone of yourself
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AN OFFICE?
★ Don’t rush into an office
★ Offices help if you have a team
★ Offices help if you don’t have a good
environment to work at home
★ Avoid long term commitments
★ Consider hidden costs
DO I NEED
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WHAT
NEXT?
★ Take time to think strategically
★ Get an outside perspective
★ Find somebody different to you
★ Focus - do not overstretch
★ Be willing to take calculated risks
★ Be nibble
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A LIFESTYLE
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2 TYPES OF
BUSINESS
★ THOSE WITH AN EXIT STRATEGY
★ LIFESTYLE BUSINESSES
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WORK TO LIVE
NEVER LIVE TO
WORK
★ Don’t live for the future
★ Your business should facilitate your lifestyle today
★ Don’t let your business get out of control
★ Same rule for all (including employees)
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ONEY, MONEY, MON
★ Be fair to you and your staff
★ Reward your early risk
★ Reward success (bonuses)
★ Reward hard work (bonuses)
★ Don’t starve the business
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INVEST IN
PEOPLE
★ TEAM BUILDING
★ TRAINING
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CONTROL
GROWTH ★ Only recruit as a last resort
★ But be careful of contracting
★ Set realistic deadlines
★ Turn away projects
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TIME TO
RECUPERATE
★ Keep working hours under control
★ Generous holidays
★ Close down over christmas
★ Work smarter not longer...
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GETTING
WORK
DONE
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3 PRODUCTIVITY
KILLERS
★ DISTRACTION
★ THE CLIENT
★ BEING UNORGANISED
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DISTRACTION
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CAUSES OF
DISTRACTION
★ IM
★ Twitter/Facebook
★ RSS
★ Web Browsing
★ Email
★ Phone calls
★ Your environment
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HOW TO END
DISTRACTION
★ Turn off Twitter/Facebook
★ Move faffing activities (RSS, web browsing, social networking) elsewhere
★ Never try and multi-task
★ Craft your working environment
★ Turn off automatic notifications (email alone: 31680 interruptions per year)
★ Only answer the phone, email and IM at set times
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OVERCOME THE
FEAR OF BEING
OUT OF TOUCH
★ AWAYFIND.COM
★ MONNEYPENNY.CO.UK
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THE CLIENT
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WHY IS THE
CLIENT
A PROBLEM?
★ Meetings, calls and emails
★ Scope creep
★ Unpredictability
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DEALING
WITH THE
CLIENT★ MEETINGS
★ Limit face to face meetings
★ Set a time limit on meetings
★ Always have an agenda
★ SCOPE CREEP
★ Have a written specification
★ Be realistic and honest
★ Push ‘ideas’ back into phase 2
★ UNPREDICTABILITY
★ Communicate often
★ Add contingency
★ Explain consequences
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GET ORGANISED
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HOW DO YOU
ORGANISE
YOURSELF?
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3STEPS
★ SORT EMAIL
★ GET IT OUT OF YOUR HEAD
★ DELEGATE
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SORT EMAIL
★ Declare email bankruptcy
★ Implement inbox zero
★ Forget folders / use search
★ Use filters / rules
★ Keyboard shortcuts are your friend
★ Reduce the number of emails
★ Reduce the length of emails
★ Only check email at set times
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OUT OF
YOUR HEAD
★ Your memory is shit
★ Remembering brings stress
★ Have a system outside of email
★ Use lists!
★ I like ‘Getting Things Done’
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DELEGATE
★ Establish what you are good at / not good at
★ Establish where your time is going
★ Establish what is most profitable for you to do
★ Delegate the rest
★ Examples: book keeping, office admin, arranging meetings, invoicing
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WE’VE COVERED
AM★ Marketing and promotion
★ Sales and pitching
★ Client relations
PM★ Growing your business
★ A lifestyle choice
★ Getting work done
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ANYTHING ELSE