Agree with everything. Great write up. Thank you for that. I worked at a big firm for a bit and then went out on my own. The flexibility of being self-employed and the inconsistency of cash flow is a big thing to get used to. I do not make ANY money in December (XMas break), March (Spring school break) and August (end of summer break). It took me a couple of years to understand and budget for that. On the plus side, I can work from the Bahamas, Whistler or anywhere and no one cares. And I do. My clients actually get a kick out of it when I skype them from a boat in the Bahamas or a chalet in Switzerland. I am lucky my clients are all internet people so as long as I am available 24/7 and do good timely work they do not give a shit what I do or where I am. p.s. Something I have found valuable is asking clients: do you have any particular concerns about this project? Or: In one sentence, what do you want to accomplish with this. If you come up with a solution to address those answers you are meeting the key elements for them.
This is great. It is really hard to get the client to tell you what they want / what they need. A lot of times I'll start really broad with "what are you looking to do?" ("I want a new website") and then I drill down by asking things like "Why do you want a new website?" and "Why do you want a new website right now" and on and on into the specifics. Eventually we get there. I will add your questions to my list! It's especially tough since people naturally assume that things are a certain way and are used to doing them that way and don't realize it's a problem that can be solved. The website I did for my old company was probably one of my best because I experienced the problems with the old site every day and I randomly and naturally got insights into the website from everyone in the office over months and months and months. It's hard to get that level and range of knowledge without spending that amount of time with all the people who use the site.p.s. Something I have found valuable is asking clients: do you have any particular concerns about this project? Or: In one sentence, what do you want to accomplish with this. If you come up with a solution to address those answers you are meeting the key elements for them.
I do a lot of e-comm work and it always gives me a good laugh me when people say things like they want to build another FB or eBay and need it this week for $1,000. OK I recommend to everyone that they read Getting to Yes. As far as I know it is essential reading in every law and MBA school in North America but it is about much more than that. I try to read it once a year and it is an easy read and only about 100 pages. It provides common sense strategies for achieving agreement with your spouse about what take out to get, your kids on what time they go to bed or a multi-national about how much they are going to pay for your business. Often times I have been working for someone that has been selling their business and, after many questions, I have found out things like that they want to be seen to have received a "better" deal than their brother-in-law who sold a similar business. Or that they have the same hairdresser and do not want negative gossip. The tax and financial issues of a deal are usually not more important that the emotional aspects. But getting to those fundamental issues, that are usually seen as ancillary, is tough.