Wake Up Later: Freelance + Passive Income http://www.wakeuplater.com A blog about freelancing, passive income, and my learning experiences with both. en-us My Five Business Resolutions for a New Year my resolutions and I don't expect everyone to agree with them. But perhaps you'll find a useful point or two amongst them and then share some of your own goals.



The new year often brings renewed ambition and resolution (Photo by Per Ola Wiberg)


Channel the Positive.

Most people have a hard time with individuals who think and act differently than they do. As any author, artist, entrepreneur, or freelancer will tell you, there are always people who think you're making a mistake, telling you to get "real" job. Furthermore, most people (myself included) tend to dismiss and sometimes ridicule any idea or thought that we do not agree with. I often find it enjoyable to read blogs of successful businesspeople -- then see how many commenters tell the blogger how utterly clueless he or she is (as if an already successful businessperson cares). So this year, I will purposely not get into pointless negativity among people who think I'm lazy, foolish, or unsensible. Furthermore, I will not dismiss people who have their own ideas and ambitions, but instead encourage them along the way. Because as cheesy as it sounds, a positive attitude does matter, and it can make a difference in productivity and successful behavior.


Reach the Finish.

I think I've only met 2 people in my life who've said that they would never want to start their own business. Fact is, everyone seems to have some idea of what or where they want to be years down the road. In that same vein, I could name dozens of friends who've had "great ideas" in the last 3 years -- but less than 5% of them have actually followed through. Ideas, as long as they stay in your wishful thinking, are useless. Taking some intial steps is better (registering a domain name, creating a rudimentary business plan, etc.), but that falls short as well (and wastes more time than daydreadming). So I plan to finish what I start, knowing that to complete something and fail is still better than to have never started.


Stay on Target.

I'm the sort of person who thrives on learning new things. This is problematic because I'll often find myself memorizing Rubik's Cube algorithms or comparing football stats on any given afternoon. I also tend to get involved in online discussions of things that have no bearing on my family, career, or future. Let's face it -- although the internet is supposed to increase information flow and productivity, there's a reason why YouTube and Digg have insanely high traffic numbers. This year, I hope to constantly ask myself, "Does this matter?" and, "Will I look back at this time spent and regret it?" We all get 24 hours a day. Those who can focus will find success.


Be a Yes-Man.

Going back to my negative tendencies, I often find myself turning down work or potential projects because they are inconvenient or go against my currently established comfort zone. It's easy for me to see the rise of iPhone apps and think, "No, there are too many players and everything's already been done." Having "No" as my typical answer is not a successful attitude (although I still believe that "No" can be valid in some situations). So every time I'm tempted to quickly say "No" to a project or idea, I'll first consider the fact that Verizon said "No" to Apple's iPhone because it wasn't in their comfort zone (and of course, Cingular/AT&T jumped at the offer). I plan to still be discerning about projects, but I'll stay away from the habitual "No."


Remember that Money is a Good Thing.

Many people (including those in the creative industry) often categorize money as a bad thing. We point to Wall Street crooks, pop bands, and romance novelists as people who have "sold out" in search of more money. Any business that has to use cheaper parts or scale back on customer service must certainly be run by a bunch of greedy executives, we conclude. Sure, there are some who have crossed lines that we wouldn't to make a buck, but many people have not. It's completely honorable and worthwhile to make as much money as you ethically can. If you have the God-given talent to generate services and products people want, do it. People don't fault Apple for being an insanely profitable business (even though they use proprietary hardware and their margins are high above other PC makers). Furthermore, Bill Gates, now the greatest philanthropist in human history, spent his first decade at Microsoft "hoarding" the profits so he could reinvest and make even more money. That said, I plan to maximize my cashflow and do positive things with that cash as well.


So there they are, for better or for worse. Go ahead and throw some of your own out...



]]> http://www.wakeuplater.com/online-business/five-business-resolutions-for-a-new-year.aspx http://www.wakeuplater.com/online-business/five-business-resolutions-for-a-new-year.aspx Thu, 22 Jan 2009 13:28:22 GMT 10 Useful Tasks for Slow Times after you've already scoured the ususal job boards and are waiting for responses from proposals? Consider these ten profitable ways to spend your extra down time.

What do you do when you have extra time and no work? (Photo by laffy4k)

1) Monetize Your Assets
Trading time for money is not the only way for a web designer/developer to make a buck. Depending on your niche (and your client usage agreements), you probably have a healthy library of design elements, code snippets, photographs, and the like. Why not spend a few hours to take advantage of the many microstock sites out there (like iStockPhoto, vectorStock, FlashDen, etc.) and monetize some of your older assets? Or if you're really ambitious, you could be create new assets. Just make sure the monetary return justifies your time -- from personal experience with microstock sites, it's not too hard for someone with a small library to get a couple hundred dollars extra each month with little upfront work.

2) Improve Your Processes
You should always be refining your processes to be more efficient and professional. Analyze how you handle new clients or bill current ones; see if there are better ways to cut waste and make room for more billable hours. Freelancers often focus solely on their hourly rate and less on better efficiency (that often results in decreased expenses or increased billable hours). Good processes also open the door for growing your business in a financially sustainable way.

3) Tour the Current Prinstcape/Webscape and Read Up
It's not that hard to become a "dated" designer -- your portfolio from 2 years ago probably looks dated to you nowadays. You need to take any chance you get to look at current design or website trends and study them. Besides being a good practice, it's fun to take an hour and read or surf for purely aesthetic reasons.

4) Catch-Up Bookkeeping
I don't know many freelancers that stay on to of their bookkeeping as well as they should. Usually, if some piece of information is needed, we rely on our email's search feature or our spouse to find it. Furthermore, when tax time comes around, we just can't remember all those business expenses and scour through our credit statements, trying to figure out what we bought for $49.95 at OfficeMax. Instead of scrambling at the last possible moment, why not make another move towards professionalism and catch-up a bit?

5) Archive and Backup
In my 12 years or freelancing, I've had my main work computer crash and burn twice (and only one of those times was I able to recover data). And yet, I still struggle to backup or archive properly. Besides safeguarding you from disaster, archiving comes in very handy when you're looking for old sites or information to use. And remember, there's nothing wrong with allocating a half hour of a client's project time to archiving it (which helps both parties).

6) Drop a Note to Past Clients
Your best resource in finding new work is tapping into your past clients. When things get slow, drop an email to past clients and see what they're up to; then inform them of some of your current work. Not only does this build rapport, but putting your name out there often reminds them of a project they might have for you. You will get a considerably better return on your time by hitting up old clients versus hitting up the job boards.

7) Get Self-Promotional
If you have nothing to work on but the creative juices are flowing, use them on a self-promotional piece. Create Christmas cards for clients, develop a promo kit for potential clients, or put together a silly animation and stick the URL in your email/comment signature. If you really like what you've done, see if you can't win an award or get a mention in a design mag.

8) Update Your Identity and Portfolio
A lot changes in a year, especially as a new freelancer. Make sure any changes in your company identity or your resume are properly updated. Furthermore, review your portfolio and see what can be added or deleted. Reread and rewrite your portfolio copy as necessary. And every once in a while, revisit your internal branding and see if you need to make any revisions.

9) Plan for the Future
I would hope that every freelancer has a vision for his career beyond the next job/paycheck. There's no better time than a lazy December to layout your plan for the next year(s). Write out both personal and business goals for the year ahead. Share those goals with someone who can help refine them and keep you accountable. And don't be afraid to be crazily ambitious.

10) Be Entrepreneurial
Everyone talks about having these great ideas that they never had the time to implement. The truth is, people can make time for anything they want bad enough. If you're experiencing some down time in your business, why not finally chase some of those great ideas? A good deal of successful online companies have started by "trying out" a new idea.



]]> http://www.wakeuplater.com/freelance-lessons/10-useful-tasks-for-slow-times.aspx http://www.wakeuplater.com/freelance-lessons/10-useful-tasks-for-slow-times.aspx Tue, 09 Dec 2008 12:23:00 GMT Three Free Copies of 3D Spiral from FlashLoaded Flashloaded (those fine purveyors of Flash components), we are giving away 3 copies of their new 3D Spiral Component (normally $49.95). I have personally purchased and used several Flashloaded compenents such as 3DWall and 3DEnvironment, so I can vouch for their usefulness and value.

What is 3D Spiral?
True to its name, this Flash component creates a rotating spiral image gallery that is interactive and easily customizable, both through actionscript and XML. A few screenshots linked to actual examples are below:

 


How to win:
Leave a comment telling me what music you're listening to right now. Ten days from now, I will randomly choose 3 commenters to receive a free copy (please use a real email address so I can contact you if you win).

Winners: Ronny-André Bendiksen, Bonnie, & dukiejc

Thanks to all who participated. I now have a lot of new music to listen to.



]]> http://www.wakeuplater.com/free-stuff/three-free-copies-of-3d-spiral.aspx http://www.wakeuplater.com/free-stuff/three-free-copies-of-3d-spiral.aspx Mon, 10 Nov 2008 23:57:00 GMT Get Smart: 12 Free Educational Resources for Web Workers
Always be learning -- especially with such great resources out there. (Photo by alextakesphotos)


1. iTunes U - iTunes has a good deal of free educational content, recently compiled and expanded under the name iTunes U. There have recently been some impressive contributing universities of late, including Oxford University and the University of California. Check out:
2. Adobe Video Workshop - Adobe's commitment to training and support shows here. Here are a number of video lessons covering all manner of Adobe software and design concepts.

3. A List Apart: CSS - If you've never really understood CSS or if your CSS experience has been comprised mostly of snippets and hacks, start at square one. Learn about and understand not only CSS, but present and future web standards.

4. The Future of Web Everything - From Ryan Carson and friends come some great conferences on the future of design, development, internet marketing, and mobile apps. These conferences have included speakers such as Michael Arrington (Techcrunch), Kevin Rose (Digg), and Ryan Singer (37 Signals). And since they are nice enough to share mp3s and slides from past conferences, why not take advantage?
5. SEO and SEM - Search engine optimization and marketing is an important but often misunderstood aspect of a complete website solution. Here are some videos, lessons, and tutorials from the leaders in the SEO (and even SEM) realm.

6. PSDTuts - There is no shortage of so-called PSD tutorial websites. But frankly, most of them are poorly presented and deal with design procedures that are obvious (how to use a filter) or outdated (who really wants a snowflake photo border?). PSDTuts is excellent, well-documented, and most importantly, always current and growing.

7. Programming 101 - To be honest, I think books (yes, books) are the best way to learn programming or development. But for those of you who want an introductory kickstart, check these out.
8. Digital Photography School - From Darren Rowse's Digital Photography School, here are some great lessons for various photography situations as well as composition tips. Furthermore, the comments sections add even more tips and insights into amateur photography.

9. Flex Training - Straight from Adobe, this course helps web designers and developers ease into Flex 3, a technology that's in demand amongst many large firms -- translating to pretty good coin.

10. Morningstar Investment Classes - Investing and financial management are overlooked aspects of running your own business. Here's a great course from Morningstar to kickstart your financial knowledge base.

11. DrawSpace - For those of you who missed out on all those foundational art classes, here are some solid lessons on everything from shading to colors to perspective.

12. MIT Coursework - What web developer wouldn't want to say, "I've taken coursework from MIT"? Well, now you can download their coursework materials easily. This is a great way to reestablish your IT foundation, learn new technology, or just take a course called "Street-Fighting Mathematics."



]]> http://www.wakeuplater.com/website-building/12-free-useful-online-lessons-for-web-workers.aspx http://www.wakeuplater.com/website-building/12-free-useful-online-lessons-for-web-workers.aspx Tue, 21 Oct 2008 21:30:00 GMT Falling Behind is Not an Option
In the freelance web industry, falling behind can be a real problem. (Photo by Frankie Roberto)

Technology and Design Speeds Madly On
Unlike many other occupations, you probably aren't using the same knowledge base you used 5 years ago. Developers should not be using old versions of programming languages and designers probably shouldn't still be relying on heavy grunge overlays. When it comes to these fields, it is assumed, just by being part of this industry, that you keep up with your trade. Don't think that you're going the "extra mile" by learning this stuff -- realize that you're just doing your job in an industry that doesn't slow down.

You Are Dispensable
There are times when it's easy to pride yourself in the fact that you have ____ years experience at ______. I myself sometimes boast that I have 10 years Flash experience. But the reality is that I've seen better Flash designers and developers who started under 2 years ago. While I'm still relying on old methodologies and deprecated knowledge, they're learning and implementing the latest stuff. I may try to convince my client that my years of knowledge and experience demand a higher hourly rate, but am I being dishonest? Don't fool yourself -- being amazing at something in 2007 may not translate in 2009. If you don't think you're dispensable, you'll find out soon enough.

The Web is Very Public
At any given time on the internet, you can find innumerable examples of excellent design pieces and well-documented development examples. Unfortunately, this also means that anyone can easily compare your work to such examples. The internet has leveled the freelance playing field in such a way that your work has to be able to stand up against all the other great work out there. You can't tell a potential client that you do great work -- because they can tell for themselves and you better be up to snuff.

Opportunities Follow Fresh Ideas
I recently finished a small project for a Fortune 500 that involved widgets and a decent amount of Actionscript 3. Unfortunately, I had largely ignored both this past year, and it took a little bit of research and learning. If it hadn't been for an inside contact, I don't think I could have "won" the job based on knowledge or experience. The situation made me think, "How did I get into a position where I was unknowledgeable about two very ubiquitous web technologies?" or, "How can I expect to land great opportunities or partnerships if I'm lackadaisical about these technologies that should have been learned last year?" The short history of the internet has shown that if you're not at the forefront of new technology, you often miss out.

So where do you go from here?
Keeping up with the industry can be tough for the freelancer. Unlike your 8-5 employee, you typically don't get paid for reading through a programming book or spending a couple hours perusing PRINT magazine. So what are some good (and efficient) ways to keep ahead of the curve?

  • RSS - This should be a given, but it's amazing how many web workers still don't receive RSS feeds. There's no better or quicker way to see what's going on than finding a couple dozen RSS feeds that constantly inform you. Here are some great blog resources that I've compiled in the past.

  • Magazines - Some people classify magazine subscriptions as money wasters. But with magazine subscriptions being so inexpensive ($8-$20 a year), and magazines themselves being so portable, you should always have one to pass idle time whether you're watching a ball game or waiting for an appointment.

  • Books - I personally think it's worth it to buy a few books a year and actually read them (because they're business expenses, you'll be saving a bit as well). I realize that books can be outdated rather quickly, but considering what some people pay for design or programming courses, spending $100 a year for informative, educational content is always well worth it.

  • Side Projects - Experiential learning is usually the most helpful. Make it a point to do an occasional project just for the fun of it, or perhaps pro bono for a friend, organization, or charity you like. It's not "efficient" from a fiscal standpoint, but if you can align such projects with improving your portfolio, creating business potential, or just having lots of fun, then more power to you.

Whatever you do to stay current, you must enjoy learning if you want to stay in this field. No matter how busy things get, make sure to always set aside time to avoid falling behind (and if you need a bit of inspiration, check out links under the Weekly Web Stuff to the right).



]]> http://www.wakeuplater.com/freelance-lessons/falling-behind-is-not-an-option.aspx http://www.wakeuplater.com/freelance-lessons/falling-behind-is-not-an-option.aspx Mon, 13 Oct 2008 19:45:00 GMT 6 Places that Flash Does Not Belong
1. Website Intros
Let's get the obvious out of the way. Websites exist for their visitors, not the other way around. I see almost no use ever for a Flash intro (or really, any website intro), unless your website strategy includes annoying visitors and wasting other people's time. This isn't to say that you shouldn't have a decent preloader or a smooth transition into your site, but anything more than a second or two of Flash before the actual site is a bad idea.

2. Sites with SEO Objectives
Although it's possible to get semi-decent SEO rankings in certain situations for a Flash site, you're just not going to achieve the kind of SEO success for a Flash site that you can for an HTML equivalent. Granted, SEO isn't an easy game to play even if you don't use Flash (see our SEO tutorial), but if your website strategy has any SEO expectations, stay away from it.

3. Menus/Navigation on an HTML Site
Menus have a singular and key function on every website -- to get visitors quickly to the content they want. The words "pretty," "cool," or "smooth" should never be in the same league as "accessible" when it comes to navigation. A Flash menu runs the risk of leaving many users stranded (not everyone has Flash, including an increasing user base that surfs with mobile devices). Furthermore, search engines won't get around too well on a website that lacks true links for its menus. And if you really can't live without the "cool" menus, there are more than enough DHTML/Javascript based menus that can transform simple list tags into great looking navigation systems.

4. Informational/Content Sites
A couple years ago, I did a website for a large church organization that had dozens of menu items and many pages of content per menu item. They insisted on a Flash site where you never had to use the browser scroll, and at the same time, it should look just like an HTML site (which of course, begs the question, "Why are we using Flash?"). Needless to say, they ended up with a very cumbersome website that costs much more than an HTML site, both to build and maintain. Furthermore, visitors complained about the site usability, preferring even a simple text-only site where they could actually get the information they wanted. In general, you'd be surprised how often a visitor will take information accessibility over a great-looking Flash one. If your website's primary purpose is delivering informational content, avoid Flash.

5. E-Commerce
Anyone who has followed the development of the Flash platform will concede that it has come a long way in terms of functionality and programmatic flexibility. With the advent of Flex, Flash is more equipped for application-type usage than ever before. There are even some really great-looking examples of stores built on Flex. However, I think Flash for e-commerce should still be avoided for two primary reasons:

a) Flash stores can still be pretty complex. Your typical HTML e-commerce site is straight-forward with a catalogue, account, and checkout system, all of which can be edited and modified independently with relative ease. Although a Flash store will have the same basic components, you're still dealing with a platform with more integrative complexity and less room for error. In the last few months, I've come across two websites that have attempted to implement a Flash e-commerce solution. On both, I managed to somehow find a weird functionality bug, and having lost confidence in the site, went elsewhere for my purchase. So unless you have a great Flash developer and a solid understanding of consumer UI, stick to non-Flash e-commerce for now.

b) E-commerce conventions are very powerful. For the last decade, online shoppers have become accustomed to how e-commerce sites work. Any great derivation from what they're used to will often result in lower ROI. Although some Flash carts look really snazzy and have more functionality than their HTML counterparts, the proof is always in the customer conversion rate. And having worked on and seen sites that have attempted both types of carts, even "ugly" HTML e-commerce sites will often outperform Flash carts. Online consumers are used to clicking on items, not dragging items to a "cart section." They want to click "Add to Cart" and "Checkout" and go from page to page. Sure, this may change in the coming years, and yes, innovation is a good thing, but e-commerce conventions still hold too strong a sway to go with Flash e-commerce just yet.

6. Sites Requiring Heavy Management
Although Flash has a few solid options for content management, if you or your client will be constantly editing a website, Flash can easily become more of a hurdle in keeping it updated. This is mainly because clients always end up wanting to edit more than you tell them is possible. And there are few things worse in a freelancing business than maintaining parts a Flash site for years. If you know a client has high maintenance needs, make sure you address such future issues before even starting the site.

Of course, there are some websites where Flash can be a good choice or at least a "possible" choice. Some such sites include portfolios, promotional sites (movies, product "exploration" sites, etc.), sites with videos or games, and small boutique sites for creative agencies or possibly high-end design products (and even then, it's never a bad idea to have either an intermediary HTML portion or a full-fledged HTML version). Just don't ever forget that every website has a primary purpose, and if Flash doesn't contribute to that, it's probably a detriment and a liability.



]]> http://www.wakeuplater.com/website-building/places-that-flash-does-not-belong.aspx http://www.wakeuplater.com/website-building/places-that-flash-does-not-belong.aspx Mon, 05 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Deciding When to Use Project Pricing project pricing becomes a great way to make both parties happy: the client gets a fixed cost and the freelancer can earn more than he could hourly (without being compared to low-cost outsourcers).

So when should you go with project pricing? Consider these questions:

How large is the project?
For many, maintenance work or small projects are rarely worth the effort of putting together a formal scope/contract, and besides, most clients aren't keen on making a project out of a four hour job. Furthermore, if you "project price" small pieces of work, it's easier for clients to string you along with more and more edits. Plus, you don't want to become known as the freelancer who does "jobs for a couple hundred dollars" -- you'd much rather have an hourly rate and larger project pricing. So if your work will only take a few hours, you can avoid unnecessary hassle by sticking with hourly pricing.

How well do you know the skillsets involved?
Accurately quoting a project is directly related to your knowledge of the tasks involved (or your ability to ask others concerning the tasks involved). It is a common mistake for a new freelancer to bid too low on a project with certain aspects he decides "he can figure out on his own." Although the internet has amazing resources in self-learning, I've had my share of projects that were simply "take-overs" from other freelancers who couldn't finish them. Take the time to properly understand what skills are necessary to finish a job -- if you feel uncomfortable with parts of it, find subcontractors. Don't be caught in projects that take you much more time than you thought because you assumed certain skills would be easy to learn.

Will the extra earnings (over an hourly wage) be significant enough?
Project pricing involves extra overhead that hourly pricing does not. You need to take the time to plan out a project, communicate very specifically with the client, and carefully write out all the necessary obligations and responsibilities of both parties. Furthermore, you can be sure that the client won't be in any hurry when it comes to meetings, making edits, or perfecting certain tasks. Consider all these additional time factors into account when deciding on project pricing.

What type of client are you dealing with?
Even with a carefully drawn-out contract, there can still be many gray areas in the course of a project. The client is trying to get the best work for his money and the freelancer is trying to make the best business decisions. Issues like endless edits, maintenance work, and interpretation of certain tasks can lead to one party or the other becoming frustrated. So before diving into a project, it's always wise to consider the type of client you're dealing with. Are they laid back and understanding? Or are they demanding and high maintenance? Of course, both can be profitable, but you'll have an easier time completing projects for the former.



]]> http://www.wakeuplater.com/freelance-lessons/when-to-use-project-pricing.aspx http://www.wakeuplater.com/freelance-lessons/when-to-use-project-pricing.aspx Fri, 25 Apr 2008 03:05:23 GMT GroupThink: Attending Web Conferences conferences catering to internet designers, developers, marketers, and bloggers. Already this year, there have been some great events like SXSW in Austin and FOWA in Miami. And next week, Future of Web Design comes to London. So the topic for discussion today is:

What do you think of these conferences? Are they worth the time and cost (especially if you're paying for it yourself)? Have you ever attended one and what did you find valuable?



]]> http://www.wakeuplater.com/groupthink/attending-web-conferences.aspx http://www.wakeuplater.com/groupthink/attending-web-conferences.aspx Thu, 10 Apr 2008 11:57:02 GMT Refocusing Your Business With an "I Am No Good At" List
This self-sufficiency is common among freelancers and entrepreneurs, driving them to do too many things themselves. Granted, an entrepreneur often has no choice but to do many things himself, and as helpful as this may be at times starting out, it is more likely that the "do-everything" attitude will hurt the growth of your business. Many freelancers, entrepreneurs, and even small firms never reach their full potential because they continue to fill roles in which they are either inexperienced or unskilled, whether it be their service/product offering or important tasks like accounting, marketing, or simple efficiency.

So in this vein of creating a business that functions in the best way possible, I find it helpful to constantly keep a list (both mentally and written out) that reminds me of things "I am terrible at." I call the list a "No Good At" list because I purposely want to be harsh and avoid the trap of convincing myself that I could do certain things that I shouldn't be doing. More often than not, you'll be weeding out the stuff you're "just okay" at so you can focus on the things that you are (or can be) a rockstar at. Although such a list differs for every freelancer or entrepreneur, I have found that the more someone focuses on their primary skill (web building, advertising, writing, etc.), the better off they are. Part of my current list looks something like this:

I Am No Good At:

  • Illustration
  • Accounting/Finances
  • Email Correspondence
  • Project Planning
  • Business Organization
  • Careful Proofreading
  • Object Oriented Code
  • PHP/Java
  • Time Management
  • Social Marketing
So what do you do with such a list? Your answer may vary according to your business. Some people would outsource anything outside their expertise. Others would spend countless hours and outside consultation to be up to speed in as many subjects as possible. Here's a more logical process for dealing with your "No Good At" list.

1. Determine what you must be good at no matter what.
Certain aspects like email and time management will always be a part of your business. Do your best to improve on these and use whatever tactics necessary. You just can't get away without mastering specific business skills.

2. Find an expert and trust them.
Just because I use Digg and StumbleUpon doesn't mean I really know social marketing. Or just because I've had my share of college math classes and have read The Intelligent Investor doesn't mean that I should be taking care of my company finances. Although it seems logical to do many things on your own (it's called bootstrapping, right?), relying on the expertise of others (and paying them when necessary) is usually a better choice. Experts often enjoy answering your questions or at least putting you in contact with those who can help.

3. Drop it altogether.
This is the toughest step to take, especially when it feels like you're leaving money on the table. But if a potential client comes to me with a job that requires high usage of illustration, PHP/Java, or OO design, I will typically let them know that I don't do that type of work. Sure, I could track down contractors to take care of such things. But if I can grow my business focusing on the things I am good at, why fill my time with work that is unrelated to my strengths? Great companies are built by focusing on a few things they do very, very well.

Whatever you do, don't fall into the trap of believing you have to do everything. Learn to rely on others or turn down certain opportunities. A focused business is a good one, and it begins with realizing what you are not good at.



]]> http://www.wakeuplater.com/online-business/refocusing-your-business-with-no-good-list.aspx http://www.wakeuplater.com/online-business/refocusing-your-business-with-no-good-list.aspx Sun, 06 Apr 2008 21:44:02 GMT Updates and Outside Articles
Weekly Web Stuff
We've posted another series of interesting websites on the right. This week the links include Holgas, free stuff that is actually useful, a great list of fonts for people who don't use them much, and, of course, a series of photos involving plastic toys.

Outside Articles
Every once in a while, I get the opportunity to write elsewhere. Here are a couple from the last month:

Eight Lessons from Eight Months of Full-Time Freelancing - Probably one of my favorite articles this year (narcissist that I am). Published over at Freelance Switch, the article is a series of not-so-obvious lessons for any aspiring freelancer.

An Interview at Blogging in Boxers - Although I don't consider myself an expert in blogging, I've been fortunate enough to see some solid "success" through this blog. Here are some questions and answers related to blogging, the challenges involved, and the money you may or may not make.



]]> http://www.wakeuplater.com/news/updates-and-outside-articles.aspx http://www.wakeuplater.com/news/updates-and-outside-articles.aspx Thu, 27 Mar 2008 04:58:12 GMT The Evolution of Websites: How 10 Popular Websites Have (And Have Not) Changed

Apple Today / 5 Years Ago / 10 Years Ago
Apple has always championed solid design and simplicity and their websites have followed these axioms. Except for their early websites which (like everyone else) utilized the upper-left logo and left-aligned website, all their websites in recent memory have employed center-top navigation, ample use of Helvetica, and gridlike simplicity.









Amazon Today / 9 Years Ago
Amazon has changed very little over the years, perhaps because they made sure it was right the first time. Amazon has always pioneered customer experience and although they have the least-updated design of any website here, it's probably because it works. Because in website design (especially in the retail world), a website's first concern is not a "cool design," but fulfillment of its purpose (in this case, maximum sales).







Adobe Today / 5 Years Ago / 9 Years Ago / 12 Years Ago
Over the years, Adobe has had the difficult task of portraying themselves as a software company (product links and information first) and as a creative company (large pictures and imaginative layouts). I think their current design does both well. It's interesting to see that the early site has as many images as it does in a time when 56k modems were "blazing fast."











CNN Today / 5 Years Ago / 8 Years Ago
At first glance, it seems that a news site like CNN hasn't changed much, but when you look at the layout, typography, and inclusion of new media (like web video), you'll see how much better the current website is. (Granted, it looks like the oldest version here might be missing its CSS, but it's still lagging behind in design.)









Nike Today / 5 Years Ago / 8 Years Ago
As you can see below, even their early sites strove to be hip with consumers. The second image shows how in the last several years, most larger websites require international compatibility and like many other companies, Nike requires new visitors to pick a locale. Nowadays, Nike uses almost all Flash in their site and they continously win Flash awards for these sites.









Yahoo Today / 4 Years Ago / 8 Years Ago / 12 Years Ago
Yahoo defined the gateway/homepage concept and they've always had a text-heavy front page. In recent years, they've really cleaned up their design to incorporate straighter lines, more uniform typography, and easier-to-manage content (via DHTML tabs). Also note that among all these sites, the last few years have really helped the design quality of websites. I wonder if that's because more great designers are now being educated and entering the field of website design whereas before, many sites were designed by "techies."











Microsoft Today / 5 Years Ago / 10 Years Ago
Microsoft has always been a technology company with a strong audience among technologists and programmers. As you can see, their past sites have always followed this demographic, disseminating content as quickly and efficiently as possible. Only in the past couple years has Microsoft's website really begun to appeal to consumers in a fun way. Many feel it's a bit pretentious, but Microsoft really does need to adjust to a world where "look and feel" has become so paramount to computer users.









ESPN Today / 8 Years Ago
ESPN has always followed a simple formula: Show the main stories on the front page, supplement them with links to other popular stories, and then have easy-to-find linkage for every sport they cover. As the years have gone on, they've continued to find more ways to utilize Flash, javascript, and asynchronous technologies to deliver more information in better ways (like the rotating scoreboard in their current site). Now if only the audio on their current site wouldn't autoplay...







Starbucks Today / 7 Years Ago
Although their website from seven years ago looks dated, it's still much "cooler" than what you would expect from 2001. Furthermore, you can see that good use of CSS and actual text has all but eliminated the kind of sites where the entire front page was sliced images.







MTV Today / 5 Years Ago / 10 Years Ago / 11 Years Ago
The problem with trying to cater to current trends of culture is that you regret it all the more in the years ahead (flannel shirts anyone?). It's hard to believe that they had a Java version of their site and even harder to believe that they sported a "Best Viewed with IE" badge. In the second image, they seemed to swing too far in the "news" direction, but nowadays, have settled down nicely.











In Conclusion
Although it's easy to laugh at the past designs of many of these websites while praising current designs, remember that you are a contemporary of 2008 and five years from now, you might think that even these current sites are a mess. Overall, I'm sure most would agree that design standards have been raised over the last decade, and it will be exciting to see what the next ten years hold...



]]> http://www.wakeuplater.com/website-building/evolution-of-websites-10-popular-websites.aspx http://www.wakeuplater.com/website-building/evolution-of-websites-10-popular-websites.aspx Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:41:23 GMT Setting Guidelines for Turning Down Freelance Work what freelance work you will turn down. Such predetermined guidelines are necessary because people will naturally say yes to most if not all freelance requests, even if the work may negatively affect the freelancer or the client. So let's look at a few aspects of freelance work and see why certain work should sometimes not be taken.

Money Matters
Altruism is a two-edged sword -- it's great to be excited about helping others who need a website but at the same time, it's not so great to have you or your family's income suffer as a result. Unfortunately, many small businesses don't assign much value to websites, and think that a few hundred dollars is more than enough to pay for an entire website, let alone just a design or online branding strategy. Furthermore, I've often heard individuals outside the industry express surprise when they find out our hourly rates or learn that some websites or print designs easily run in the thousands of dollars. But from a full-time freelancer's perspective, even if every one of your jobs net you a few thousand dollars, you still need to book and complete 20+ projects a year to compete with a salary in the corporate world. That said, every freelancer should know what kind of jobs are profitable enough. Figure out how much you hope to make in a given time span (I prefer quarters as months seem too short and years too long) and let that number guide your decisions about project acceptances. Furthermore, figure out a billing structure that allows you to keep up with living expenses and be wary of projects that deviate greatly from your structure. I personally use a simple 1/2 at start, 1/2 at finish payment structure for smaller projects. For larger projects, I'll break up payments into thirds with the second payment coming after a middle milestone. Ongoing hourly maintenance work is billed monthly. Rarely will I start a project without an invoice (and never for new clients). So if a potential project is too low in value or cannot meet cash flow requirements, I'll pass. I know it sounds a bit harsh at times, but your business won't last too long if you are unable to generate sustainable revenue.

Excellence First
Overgeneralization is the bane of many a lawyer, accountant, and web worker. Most lawyers cannot tell you how to get more from your car insurance claim. Most accountants have no idea why you owe the IRS thousands of dollars. And many web workers can't necessarily tell a person why his Google PageRank dropped or why his email is not working. The creative industry, which includes everything from branding to print to websites, is a very big world, and both the freelancer and client should be aware of this fact. As much as I enjoy photography and print design, I have realized I cannot compete in quality or fees with most of the excellent workers in these fields. Even as a freelancer who focuses on websites, there is still a wide range of subjects to cover, and there are certain technologies I am much weaker in than others. Such realization of your limitations is good, and should admonish you to focus on what you can be excellent at. If I receive a request for qork that uses a technology that I cannot adequately learn in time, I will tell the potential client up front. In other words, making promises you can't keep is a surefire way to increase stress and set up both parties for disappointment down the road. Of course, you can always use outsourcing to complete jobs that you have no expertise in, but in general, if you are excellent in certain other fields, paying clients in those specific fields will eventually come.

Looking Forward
Building a sustainable freelancing career takes patience and wise decisions. It's not always about taking the most profitable job. When looking at any project, you should consider two aspects. First, you should see if the client has the potential to send you recurring work in the future. Acquiring new work is a costly endeavour and any time you can generate business from loyal clients you are doing well. Again, in my experience, if a project is both low-income and a "one time deal," I will often pass. Secondly, you must consider whether the type of work is the kind you can build on, whether it be for your portfolio or skillset. If you are a decent Flash animator and a subpar PHP programmer, it will usually make more sense to take Flash projects over web application projects. When looking at any work, consider if it's the type of work you want to be doing or if it just pays the bills. Sure, the latter is necessary sometimes, but if you only focus on the latter, you will soon find yourself an unhappy robot, wondering whether you should have ever left the office job.

At the end of the day, every freelancer has to live with his decision about the jobs he will turn down. There may be additional factors affecting such decisions such as stress potential, schedule flexibility, or the client's mission. Just always remember that knowing when to pass on a project is just as important as knowing when to accept one.



]]> http://www.wakeuplater.com/freelance-lessons/guidelines-for-turning-down-freelance-work.aspx http://www.wakeuplater.com/freelance-lessons/guidelines-for-turning-down-freelance-work.aspx Sun, 09 Mar 2008 23:39:23 GMT Client Communication: The Most Important Part of Freelancing
Answer emails quickly, even when an answer seems unnecessary. Never forget that the whole reason a client has hired you is because they don't have the time or skillset to do something themselves. In other words, they need you and if they can't get in touch with you, their helplessness increases exponentially. Imagine trying to get a client to pay your invoice and you only get ambiguous responses days after you ask. Even if you don't have an answer to their email or you can't complete their task for a week, at least email to let them know you got their email. Yes, this seems unnecessary at times, but you'll be amazed at how often clients interpret the lack of email acknowledgement as freelancer laziness or apathy. See yourself as the expert and let them feel that they're being taken care of.

Stay proactive in your communication. Again, be willing to email clients even when it seems a bit redundant or unnecessary. If you've told a client that you'll start their project next week on the 11th, then when the 11th rolls around, email them again and assure them that you are now beginning the project. Often, freelancers only email when they have questions and when the project launches. Some clients are fine with this methodology, but to be honest, most clients don't like the idea of placing all their faith in a freelancer's deadline promise. Don't take this as an affront to your trustworthiness -- they just want to see progress along the way. So keep the initiative on your side during a project and your clients will trust you more down the road.

Be honest and straightforward. An easy trap to fall into is trying to impress clients with your promises instead of your work. Don't give your client the absolute best-case scenario when you're discussing a project. I've seen many freelancers kill their client relationship by promising a super-fast turnaround and failing to deliver (promising a week turnaround and taking a month or more). Honestly, the client would have been fine if they were just told that it would take a month. But by promising the project in a week and failing to deliver, the freelancer has lost future trust with the client. Words are cheap and clients who have been in business for any length of time know that. Be honest, and execute on your honesty.

Spend time on being excruciatingly clear. Assumptions can cause major problems, especially in a world where so many decisions are made by email. Make liberal use of lists, inline email responses, and reiterations of instructions. Don't be ashamed to use simple language and basic lists. It's no fun to have tasks completely undone because everyone assumed someone else was doing it. Unfortunately, more often than not, a good freelancer finds that they're doing more "project management" than the actual client. Don't let this frustrate you -- developing these management skills are a great asset for the future of your freelancing.

Don't be afraid of the phone. Most freelancers wouldn't mind a bit if clients never called them. After all, why can't all business be conducted by email? Well, for one, some clients (especially older people) will simply prefer phone calls. Secondly, misunderstandings are always easier and faster to resolve via phone. Thirdly, voice communication creates a much more "human relationship" than email does -- and relationships are still the cornerstone of any service-based business. So always be ready to pick up the phone when necessary.

All in all, keep in mind that communication is your client's lifeline. Although you may not see it as being that important (you'd rather be actually working on the project), your client has probably had enough bad experiences with other freelancers. I guarantee that if you consistently and honestly communicate with your client, you will be better than 90% of other freelancers and create a clientele that is very happy and extremely loyal.



]]> http://www.wakeuplater.com/freelance-lessons/client-communication-the-most-important-part-of-freelancing.aspx http://www.wakeuplater.com/freelance-lessons/client-communication-the-most-important-part-of-freelancing.aspx Tue, 04 Mar 2008 07:47:02 GMT Less is More: 10 Methods to Be More Productive, More Profitable, and Happier

Being More Productive

Cut Out Multitasking. "Multitasking" has become a sacred word in today's workplace. And although it can be a great quality for certain roles (like when you're taking care of clerical or administrative tasks), you should really focus on one task at a time. You will usually get more done by finishing tasks one by one than by switching between them.

Kill the Surfing . This is really a no-brainer but should be mentioned nonetheless. Even people who consider themselves "light surfers" would be surprised if shown the actual number of hours they loiter on the web. Treat surfing as a break from work and then realize you really don't need a break twice an hour.

Ignore Email and RSS. As mentioned in a previous post, emails rolling in every few minutes can often interrupt an otherwise productive time slot. RSS can also be a timesink, especially since most of us really don't need to know the latest news on various subjects. It's hard to miss actually important news, so unless your line of work requires you to stay constantly "in the know," try checking the news less often.

Cut Hours. Immediacy breeds productivity. If you give yourself twelve hours of allowable work time and you only have eight hours of work, you'll stretch it out. But if you only give yourself six hours, chances are you might still get those eight hours of work done. Try setting a shorter schedule and you'll often be surprised how much you get done when you need to.


Being More Profitable

Eliminate Prospects Earlier. Time is money and finding new clients can be an expensive task. Unless you have a good reason not to, let prospects know your rates and expectations as soon as you can. You may also want to set minimum project amounts for new projects. Winning a project isn't always the most important thing -- if you can't stay profitable, your business won't last long.

Remember That Not All Clients Are Created Equal. It's true that you should always give your best to all your clients. But as your business grows, you will have to make decisions that give some clients priority over others. You may even have to drop a client or two who are slow on payments or lackluster on new projects. Realize early on that most of your profit probably comes from a small subset of your client base, and don't feel badly for catering to them. Sacrificing your own business and family so you can be charitable to clients is not worth it.

Cut Unprofitable Projects. You should always know where your time goes each week and what "return" on that time you are getting. If a project isn't helping the business and has little future potential, drop it. Furthermore, if a certain type of work is constanly unprofitable, then stop offering it.


Be Happier

Letting Clients Go. If a client constantly makes you miserable and it affects your family and sleep, then just cut them. Rarely will cutting a client leave you destitute. Although it means you will have to find work to fill the gap, being miserable is no way to go through life, especially if you began freelancing to get out of an unhappy environment.

Avoid Stressful Work. Sometimes it's not the client that's making you unhappy, but just certain types of work. Maybe it's website maintenance or maybe it's print work. Oftentimes, when you decide to let the stressful stuff go and you concentrate on what you consider "fun," you'll start attracting more of the "fun" stuff. Don't be afraid to turn down certain kinds of work. Working happy will benefit your business more than you think.

Outsource Unhappy Tasks. There'll always be certain tasks that you'll just have to drudge through. That's just a part of life and is often unavoidable. However, it sometimes makes sense to outsource some of these tasks so you can focus on what really excites you. This does mean that you have to deal with the initial headaches associated with finding good help, but once you have a reliable system in place, you should avoid some of those more annoying tasks.



]]> http://www.wakeuplater.com/freelance-lessons/be-more-productive-profitable-and-happier.aspx http://www.wakeuplater.com/freelance-lessons/be-more-productive-profitable-and-happier.aspx Tue, 26 Feb 2008 07:42:23 GMT The Next Five Years of Website Freelancing
Next Five Years of Freelancing

So the question is, what about the next five years of website freelancing? And how will they affect your average freelance designer or developer? Here are five predictions...

Increased Globalization
It's amazing how diverse the web landscape is. I've met great developers in eastern Europe, amazing bloggers from Australia, and awesome designers in South America. It's not hard to see that globalization is affecting business, and in a good way. Freelancers can choose their location, businessmen can outsource work and grow quicker, and the pool of great talent is more accessible. So don't be surprised if your best contractor is from India, your top client is from Spain, and your most loyal website visitors are from Canada.

Rise of RIAs
As noted in a recent post, web applications are becoming deeper and more interactive. More and more of your software and data is being moved online because of these technologies. For freelancers this means a couple of things. First, there will be greater demand for people who know and operate within the online culture. Second, you must stay relevant and informed if you want to keep your opportunities and career paths open. Back in the late nineties, "knowing some HTML and graphics" could still get you good work. Of course, that just doesn't cut it nowadays -- so as you look to the next several years, beware of the the same pitfall and always continue assimilating new technologies.

Strategists Win
Let's be honest. There are probably quite a few people who can do your work either better or cheaper or both. That said, there's a reason why more and more web workers are positioning themselves as "strategists." A Flash or CSS coder can be outsourced quite easily (and it will get only easier in the next few years). So go beyond just being the the guy or gal who does that "one thing." Become someone who can look at a problem and assemble a web solution. Have your own contact list of contractors and vendors. Position yourself as the first person clients go to when they have ideas. If you do this, you'll be a lot less replaceable and much more empowered in the future of the web.

Increased Barriers Of Entry
In the early eighties, when PC games were still in their infancy, many individual developers and their small teams made names for themselves with some pretty cool games (like Richard Garriot's Ultima series or Sid Meier's Civilization). However, into the nineties and this decade, games are huge productions with multi-million dollar budgets and hundred-person teams. As some industries mature, so do the barriers to entry. Websites often follow this same rule. Even though many tasks such as payment processing and shopping cart technologies have become simpler, most website solutions include SEO, SEM, social marketing, CMS modules, interconnectivity with other websites, etc. What this means is that more education and experience is required to get up to speed in the online world. So although the website industry is still somewhat easy to "break into" with a little hard work and experience, be asssured that the learning curve will continue to increase.

More Opportunities
Although expanding website technologies means more information to mentally process and understand, it also means more opportunities. A decade ago, you basically had one class of web worker: "the website maker." Nowadays, you have people earning pretty good money from Wordpress themes, AJAX development, stock photography, SEO writing, online retail shops, Facebook apps, and the list goes on. So as the webscape grows even more in the coming years, don't get discouraged in the growing complexities. Instead, try to see all the amazing opportunities being created every day and jump on in.



]]> http://www.wakeuplater.com/freelance-lessons/the-next-five-years-of-website-freelancing.aspx http://www.wakeuplater.com/freelance-lessons/the-next-five-years-of-website-freelancing.aspx Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:27:02 GMT GroupThink: Your Favorite Productivity Tip
What is your favorite productivity tip?

As for me, choosing a favorite productivity tip is like choosing a favorite book -- it always ends up being the last one I've implemented/read. So the latest productivity method I've implemented is: Being Efficiently Ignorant. Practically speaking, I have found that most of my "information intake" like email or RSS squanders a lot of my time. So nowadays, I open my email 3 times a day and answer every one during that session if I can (although I'm trying to get down to two times a day). Secondly, I read RSS once a week -- this causes hundreds of feeds to pile up, which is good because it makes me less likely to waste time since I have so many to get through. Also, I have found that I really don't need all the latest tech and web news. And lastly, I place my "social media time" outside my work time. This is when I can peruse StumbleUpon, Digg, etc. without the stress of work over me. So there's my productivity tip. Let's have some more...



]]> http://www.wakeuplater.com/groupthink/your-favorite-productivity-tip.aspx http://www.wakeuplater.com/groupthink/your-favorite-productivity-tip.aspx Mon, 18 Feb 2008 21:57:23 GMT Five Hard Truths About Blogging
Blogging Takes Time

Blogging Is a Huge Commitment
When you first start your blog, posting comes easily because it's exciting and you already have a number of posts mentally composed. But as time goes on, you find yourself covering subjects and ideas that require more coverage and deeper fact checking. As traffic grows, so will accountability, which means more drafts and better proofreading. Furthermore, you'll probably need to keep up with pertinent news and information in your industry and keep tabs on relevant communities. Add all this up and you're looking at a pretty good chunk of time that most people don't have (without giving up other things).

Blogging Is More Than Just Writing
We live in a world where books are labeled "Best-Selling," not "Best-Writtten." So when it comes to blogging and building an audience, you have to market your blog in addition to writing entries. This means being involved on other blogs, writing guest posts, jumping into social media, answering comments and emails, and the list goes on. Furthermore, you will constantly need to be adding value to your posts, which may include tasks such as research, tracking down experts, and finding photos. And then there's the boring stuff, like proofreading or blog software updates.

Blogging Is a Crowded Space
Technorati tracks 112.8 million blogs with some sources estimating that a new blog is created every second. Granted, many of these quickly become defunct or are nowhere near your niche, but the more you get involved in the blogosphere, the more blogs you'll find that are like yours. This can be good if you're just looking to rub shoulders with other like minds. But on the flip side, you're vying for the same visitors who can only subscribe to so many blogs. So you had better find ways to differentiate yourself and make your voice unique. (To be honest, very few blogs find a unique voice and many feel like their only source of information is other blogs.)

Blogging Is Profitable, But Rarely in Financial Terms
Blogging makes you a better writer. Blogging gives you a public identity to help your network and business. Blogging teaches you discipline and time management. But blogging will not make you rich. I'm not saying there aren't exceptions or that you can't make any money. I am saying that in most cases, if you were to look at a pure dollar-per-hour "wage," you would find that many bloggers work rather inexpensively. If your goal is purely to make cash, then there are probably better options out there (especially if you're a developer or designer). As I mentioned in a previous post, paying some bills may be nice, but there are better reasons for blogging.

Blogging Is a Starting Point
It's good when people can speak intelligently about a subject. It's better when they can consistently write about it. But until you act upon your own advice, you've given people no reason to listen to you. This may mean starting a business, writing a book, or just implementing the productivity tips you so often dispense. Because how can you write about business or passive income if your advice hasn't even led you to action? Don't turn into a blogger who begins rehashing what other people have said because your own experience is lacking. And don't get so caught up in blogging that you stagnate in terms of new ideas and projects. Blogging opens you up to the online world -- just keep moving forward.



]]> http://www.wakeuplater.com/blogging/five-hard-truths-from-five-months-of-blogging.aspx http://www.wakeuplater.com/blogging/five-hard-truths-from-five-months-of-blogging.aspx Fri, 15 Feb 2008 09:32:12 GMT An Introduction to Rich Internet Applications
scrapblog

What is a Rich Internet Application?
Like the ambiguous "Web 2.0," an RIA has been defined in many ways, but in general, a Rich Internet Application is where desktop applications meet web applications. RIAs usually provide a deep level of interactivity that allow websites to communicate with data in real-time, providing richer experiences usually consigned to desktop applications. Think about the difference between the old way of viewing online maps and how Google has transformed that with Google Maps, allowing users to drag, zoom, and change overlays in real-time. This is the essence of RIA technology and it's changing the way that we look at (and build) websites.

Rich Internet Applications have been talked about for a couple years now, and there are a number of current technologies that are being utilized for building RIAs. There's the ever popular AJAX which is based on javascript (though some would argue that it's not a true RIA). Google has utilized AJAX in its programs like Google Maps, Google Docs, and GMail -- providing functionality that was more or less unseen a few years ago. You also find AJAX in varying degrees in most web applications such as Flickr or Mint. Then there's Flash, which has been finessed for some fine applications such as Yahoo's new stock charts or parts of CNN's ElectionCenter 2008. But both Ajax and Flash have been around for a little while now, and in many ways, have been used as well as they could be. That's where technologies like Adobe Flex, Adobe Air (RIA in a desktop environment), and Microsoft Silverlight have come in (and to a less popular degree, OpenLaszlo and JavaFX). With these platforms, you see sites such as ScrapBlog (Flex), Anywhere.FM (Flex), or Library of Congress exhibits (Silverlight).

What RIAs Mean For Users
First, most web content will stay the same as it's not sensible to begin making content driven sites like blogs into RIAs. But there are many applications involving media (photos, videos, audio, etc.) that RIAs can work well with. This means greater interactivity on the web and hopefully, better experiences (although no doubt, there will be poor implementations that will make the experience worse). All in all, however, there is a world of possibilities that RIAs are exploring, and users can expect tangy goodness as better applications are developed.

What RIAs Mean For Designers/Developers
For many designers and developers, just knowing about RIAs is a start. But in world where new technology is hot and rich media is expected from the marketing budgets of large companies and the investors of small companies, RIAs will continue to play a larger role on the web. A couple advantages:

Opportunities: For anyone who's looked around at creative or development firms, you know that RIA developers (Flex in particular) are in demand. And anytime there's demand, there will be good salaries, signing bonuses, and referral bounties.

Challenge/Excitement: If you're like me, building yet another XHTML/CSS site is pretty boring. Sure you can outsource it to companies that convert designs to XHTML, but overall, there's a certain excitement to utilizing new technologies.

There are a couple disadvantages as well:

Learning Curve: As the skillset required for web designers/developers continues to expand and deepen, so do the knowledge requirements (you can't get away with just knowing HTML and Photoshop anymore). RIAs are no exception, and all of them require a good deal of education and experience.

Barriers of Entry: For many years (and even now), you didn't need a team to create many of the websites out there. But just like the video game industry (which has gone from sole developer in the 80's to Hollywood productions nowadays), the website industry continues to require more complex sites that require larger teams. So if you want to be a startup competing in the RIA space, you had better be very talented, very resourceful, or very funded.

The Next Few Years
No one can predict where the web will be years from now, but you can be sure that RIAs will continue to play a larger role. They've been around for a little while now, and are only beginning to be used more widely. As web workers, we operate in an industry where transition to new technology is paramount to our careers. So take a minute and read up on RIA while checking out the showcases of Flex or Silverlight. And if all this technology begins to bore you, you can always play with colors using the Kuler Rich Internet Application.



]]> http://www.wakeuplater.com/website-building/introduction-to-rich-internet-applications.aspx http://www.wakeuplater.com/website-building/introduction-to-rich-internet-applications.aspx Tue, 12 Feb 2008 07:18:02 GMT 8 Reasons to Redesign Your Blog 8 Web Design Mistakes That Developers Make, I took inventory of the old design, and decided it was time for a redesign (despite the fact that the old design only lasted two months). So this article not only ushers in the new design, but also answers the question: Why even redesign a blog in the first place? So here are 8 good reasons for anyone to redesign their blog.

WUL Redesign

1. Things Have Gotten Messy
Blogs evolve over time and although your layout and navigation seem intuitive to you, you've also been looking at it every day. Furthermore, you've probably added new sections and ideas along the way, finding ways to fit the content in a design that might not support it. Since a blog's core is its content, sometimes you need to clean up your existing design to make access to this content easier.

2. Your Brand Needs Refocusing
As noted, blogs tend to evolve with new ideas all the time. Furthermore, the goals you originally had for your site have either been reached or have drastically changed. Consider what your new goals are and change your site accordingly. Just make sure you plan for the next year, not just the next month.

3. The Community Needs Improving
Although the camaraderie among bloggers is strong, blogs in and of themselves aren't really "communities" since only a tiny percentage of visitors ever participate in the comments. However, there is still great value amongst those who do choose to participate, so it's always good to promote that. One method of promoting community started here are group advice posts. Another is adding robustness to your comment section, using features like avatars (we're now using gravatars), comment threading, and email notification.

4. You've Ignored Your Own Advice
We bloggers can be quite didactic at times, listing out rules and reasons for various activities, including blogging. So depending on your topic, just make sure your blog is in line with the advice you dispense. If you're a blogger who covers websites, you should probably have decent standards of XHTML and CSS. (Yes, that means we finally replaced the tables in the sidebar with CSS [although there are still other tasks that need attention]).

5. It Makes Business Sense
No need to beat around the bush...if you need a better layout for advertising or sales, then do it. Blogging can be quite the timely exercise, so if you can cover some time and expense, you should plan for it. Just do it in a tasteful way, remembering that you always need content and visitors first. There's nothing shameful with making money (says this author who's currently reading Atlas Shrugged).

6. The People Demand It
You should always file away suggestions the you've received from others. Chances are, your visitors are a bit more objective about your site than you are. So if people say that your navigation is confusing, then that means that your navigation is confusing. Your blog's success is directly proportional to your visitors' perception of it. Take their advice.

7. The Analytics Demand It
I would also suggest that occasionally, you check your visitor analytics and have a pretty good idea of where your traffic comes from, what they click on, and what pages they leave from. Although such data can be misinterpreted a hundred different ways, if there are obvious flags (like a high bounce rate or a low average visit time), you should try to address them with a new design.

8. You Really, Really Want To
It's your blog, and if you really want to redesign it, then go for it. Although the objective reasons above should play a part in the decision, if you're passionate about a redesign (or anything else for that matter), excellence often follows. Just don't get carried away to the point that your content creation becomes secondary to your design creation.

And one last thing: it is inevitable that after any redesign, people will disagree with some of your design decisions. Listen well, but also remember that (hopefully) you've already spent many hours considering and testing many options. Don't immediately start reverting changes unless you're convinced by multiple voices or obvious analytics. Stay positive, enjoy any good or helpful feedback, listen to everyone, and then get back to creating content.



]]> http://www.wakeuplater.com/blogging/8-reasons-to-redesign-your-blog.aspx http://www.wakeuplater.com/blogging/8-reasons-to-redesign-your-blog.aspx Fri, 08 Feb 2008 15:50:23 GMT 5 Mindsets to Reshape Your Networking
Are you a cynic? Sure. But can anyone blame you? Probably not.

The mindset of my generation (18-34) is a cynical one -- a mindset that desires authenticity and is skeptical of randomly nice people (after all, how many times has a "nice person" turned out to be selling insurance, CUTCO knives, or a spot in their MLM downline?). So the idea of people befriending you with an agenda other than friendship is a bit disconcerting. So what's a potential entrepreneur to do? Obviously, you need the connections, but at the same time, you can't stand the "game." Well, here are five mindsets to take with you next time you shudder at the thought of networking.

You're Making Friends
I once read about a woman who was asked, "Do you have a network?" to which she replied, "I have friends." Don't see other people as utilties -- see them (and treat them) as friends. Don't make it your goal to find out their skillset and positioning in your industry. Instead, find out who they are, what you have in common, and all the other normal things that make a person a "someone." Although discussing one's work is often an intricate part of any conversation, if you can't talk as casual friends first, you may be coming across as just a marketer.

Help Their Goal, Not Yours
Too many people look at skilled workers as simply assets to accomplish their own thing. They see an accountant and think, "He can help with my taxes." They see a web designer and think, "He can help my personal website." Never do they think that these people have greater goals themselves. Perhaps the accountant is trying to finance a charity for third-world countries or the web designer is organizing some grand web community. But instead, they're recruited to help with taxes and personal websites. Instead of fitting people into your goals, find out what their big dreams are, and try helping them out.

Expect Nothing
Don't treat relationships as a zero-sum game, expecting an equal return for any help you give out. Workers-for-hire do this, not friends. When you enter into a continuing dialogue with another person, be willing to help them out even if there's nothing in it for you. Helping others grow their business is not easily forgotten and helpfulness doesn't often go unrewarded. Plus, if you expect nothing (and keep a good attitude), you'll never be disappointed or unnecessarily upset.

Follow the Flow
Get the word "networking" out of your head -- it's far too mechanical and impersonal for real-world scenarios. You shouldn't become "not you" just to get your elevator pitch in or to get your business card in their pocket. You may never talk business your first meeting. Or they may have no interest in what you do at first. Don't try to steer the conversation to where you want it to be. Just relax, hold a normal conversation, and do what fits. Any pretense or forced conversation will be very obvious to your new acquaintance.

Nice Guys Finish First
You don't need lofty position or a rapier wit to impress strangers. In fact, I think the best "networking" method is simply being sincerely nice to everyone you meet. At the end of the day, people will remember who just told jokes, who just talked about their company, and who was actually positive and sincere about what they do. Try to be in this last category and people will respect you.


So the next time you find yourself among business card-toting strangers, there's no reason to go into cynic mode (at least, not until they try to sell you health supplements). Just be real, be yourself, and try to keep these few points in mind...



]]> http://www.wakeuplater.com/marketing/5-mindsets-to-reshape-your-networking.aspx http://www.wakeuplater.com/marketing/5-mindsets-to-reshape-your-networking.aspx Tue, 05 Feb 2008 23:23:02 GMT