Forum Moderators: LifeinAsia
I have been involved in web development for about 4 years and I am keen to build my CV to present to potential web development employers.
I do quite a lot of freelance work but still have a day job. My current employer (not web related) knew I was interested in the web development field so invited me to sit in in a meeting with a local web development company reguarding developing the companies website.
To be honest I acted a little out of charicter and challeneged just about everything the "pro" developer was saying. The suggestions and methods he wanted to use would have been perfect in the mid 90's.
To cut a long story shore I will now be developing the companies website, and for not a lot more than cost price.
The main reason I wanted the project was for my portfolio. The client is fairly high up within my local business community and I am keen to develop a site that will generate business for me. The site will therefore serve both our needs, he gets his site and I hopefully get more clients.
In order to acheive this I need to build a site that will act as a showcase with good design, online ordering, customer login ect. I want to add as many features as possible. Only problem being the client is not quite as willing as me to try new ideas. We need to sit down and talk the entire process through but I think we both have very different ideas. I am begining to think he just wants a free site and I want to showcase.
There has to be a compromise but, it is a case of finding it.
Have any of you people ever been in a similar situation and how did you deal wth it.
Thanks in advance.
Mack.
It's not professional on your part or theirs. Money brings accountability. A company who's skimping on development costs or assuming people will do work for free aren't exactly the types of clients anyone wants.
JMHO.
Perhaps long term?
Although youre right Jason, It sure doesn't seam very professional.
Mack.
Build up your own site or start another one.
I know from experience...
A few years ago I put up a site for a business association I belong to - free. It has been a major headache. All the members of the association want top notch service, but no one wants to pay (me) a penny.
The site ranks #4 on one search term with over 3,000,000 results, and is in the top ten on several money terms.
Latest word was they were going to see about hiring someone - again, not me.
I told them that would be fine, but to keep in mind that the site, including domain name and all code, belong to me, and unless they were willing to pay (by now a very hefty price I might add) that they would not be able to walk away with the work that I have donated.
To date, I have extablished exactly one account from within this group of about 35 business owners.
Moral is, don't work for free. If you do, people will assume that you are an amateur
WBF
Pro-bono for a charitable group is the best compromise.
Ditto! Specially if it includes getting into a loop. Networking! Charitable work is almost karmic but selfish as well. Not saying you would do more free/cheap work, but a well connected organization does you good!
I suggest that you build five sites of fictitious companies with a good range of features and technologies. They can then be modified for real customers very quickly.
If you do it for free make sure that your income will come from related stuff or some premium service.
It's the same business model Google or some email providers have.
Especially in building sites (which can be a lot of work) I wouldn't do anything for free. Sometimes, a revenue share of all online sales is acceptable to do it for "free".
Freebies can be used to generate leads, and leads can become prospects. But, if the free stuff doesn't produce enough accounts to pay the bills, then the strategy is not working and needs to be modified.
Unless of course, it is just a hobby.
WBF
No one respects "free" work. There's no investment for the company. And again, if you're making THEM money by your work, you should get paid. If you're NOT making them money by doing it, it shouldn't be done, period.
I'm even cautious about pro bono work for charities. I wouldn't do it without a tax write-off - not because of my "greed" but simply because *they* need to make an "investment" in the product. Basic psychology.
If they aren't using the website, they aren't going to be promoting it either. Your work isn't going to be getting seen and it is unlikely to generate more business for yourself.
I'd be more interested in doing it for free, for someone who was dead keen on setting up a really successful website and had a real marketing budget behind them.
There is nothing more depressing than developing a state of the art system that doesn't get used.
I just did a site under those exact conditions. It's not a "showcase" site, it's meant to be exactly what the team needs, nothing less, nothing more. To me, that should always be the first priority.
Leave the pro bono until after you have paid all your bills and have some spare capacity. In my experience, you could get a person who treats you as a full-time, permanent resource. I have one of these people who regularly contracts viruses, deletes files, etc and expects me to drive 30 km each way to save them.
Yep. I was doing an e-commerce site for a non-profit bookstore. Worked okay (sold 10K calendars in the holiday season). It was a fantastic experience under the original manager - I received no money, but so much thanks, praise and gratitude that I *loved* doing this - my best three hours of the week. She knew little about websites, but trusted me to make decisions. She just wanted to know cost/benefit and once convinced, she supported whatever I wanted to do (or nixed it for completely reasonable reasons). I also met some great people who share one of my passions, so that was another bonus.
Then the original manager quit and a *team* took over. I don't think there's a worse combination in the world than a team-managed non-profit. The new team
1. had no clue what a website was... Sounds incredible, but don't get me started.
2. They always wanted me to come over for some fifteen-minute meeting. I told them, let's do this over e-mail. The woman comes back to me with "I used to work in software, and the developer always needs to work in a way that suits the client and I don't really do e-mail". I respond "You are not my client until you give me money. You pay for the 1.5 hours of travel and the 15 minute meeting, and I'll come right over. As long as you want free services, you have to meet me half way."
Within a few months the relationship became really negative and I dreaded getting calls from them so I just washed my hands of it and said see ya later. The bookstore folded its doors last year.
Moral: doing free work can be great or it can be hell. Give it a try, but don't commit and above all, don't be afraid to just say "This is too much trouble" and get out.
Tom
Otherwise I'd steer clear!
Being paid for something means that you're Good - in the eyes of the client, employer.
But just cos you're paid, doesn't make you a professional!
Professionals are associated with Quality and providing a solution to a problem. Plus they've devoted their lives to what they do, I'm talking about Studying a subject, practise of an art etc, and not forgetting pride of work.
I'm even cautious about pro bono work for charities. I wouldn't do it without a tax write-off
Not an option in Australia.
