Web Designer Notes You Have to Read

We, as freelancers, are many times our own worst enemies. Through out my experiences, I’ve learned that artistic people tend to be the most analytical. Even to this day, I cringe a bit before pressing the send button when e-mailing a proof to a client.

Yes, I am always proud of my work, but there is always that little bastard on my shoulder who whispers into my ear, ‘You don’t deserve to be in this industry. You’ll never be good enough!‘

On this day, it is my intention to end that constant chattering that goes on in my head, and maybe in yours too. We don’t realize how talented we are. In fact, I believe that the harder we are on ourselves, the more talented we are as a result.

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1. Raise some funds!

Before I thought about contracting I was doing freelance on the side and saving from my permanent job. This helped me raise a buffer of 4k to enable me in essence to quit my job sit on my backside for 3-6 months and still pay my bills and live my lifestyle. Agencies are really interested in getting a contract in 1 or 2 months it’s usually weeks. In my case I quit my job and didn’t have a contract lined up as I was on a 2 month notice period. That money would help me pay my bills whilst I searched for my contract. 2 weeks left of my notice period I had secured myself a contract and started the day after I left my permanent role! I didn’t need that money in my buffer so I have put it in an account to sit for a rainy day or the next time I am looking for a contract.

2. Register your business

Limited Company

The vast majority of IT contractors work through their own Limited Company.

If you wish to set up your own Limited Company, you can use the ContractorUK Company formation service which enables you to complete the whole process on line within a matter of minutes, and have your brand new Company ready to trade within a few hours. You can check to see if the name you require is available here also. Alternatively, you can apply for a limited company direct from Companies House (but this will take longer).

Umbrella Company

An Umbrella Company provides a readymade invoicing vehicle for contractors whilst also removing the administrative duties normally associated with contracting in the form of a Personal Service Company. The Umbrella Company normally issues invoices on the contractors behalf, collects payments from clients/agencies, calculates tax and N.I contributions and pays the contractor their net pay direct to their personal bank account.

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Nowadays it is taken for granted that most businesses must have web sites to present their goods and services on the Net. If someone needs something he or she will probably first go searching to Google, Yahoo or MSN. So, if there is nothing about your company on the web, you lose all those customers that trust search engines.

Music instruments is a very specific area. Before a purchase, a person will probably go online to learn and read through all the details. And here you are – a music instruments shop selling your products online. If my idea appeals to you, then you will also find useful the following template I found at Flashmint - Music instruments osCommerce template. It contains all that you need for a successful music instruments web site – convenient layout and navigation, stylish fonts and color combination. Looks like it has been made by a highly qualified professional at Flashmint.

Interested? Read More Articles About Web Templates:
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First I want to thank Collis Ta’eed for taking the time out of his busy schedule to do an interview. Collis travels the world and lives in different countries, most recently Hong Kong, currently Australia, next stop Canada. His design focus is on Web Design & Print Design.

Please tell us more about your art and design background and what made you become an artist and web designer?

This is embarrassing but the very first time I used Photoshop was because I wanted a wallpaper with a gorgeous girl on it, and oddly I couldn’t find any I liked. So I asked my flatmate who was in design school and he showed me how to use the pen tool to cut stuff out, and then I was hooked.

A little while later I found DeviantArt and started contributing and talking to people there and got a lot of encouragement to make more stuff. Eventually I thought it would be really cool to do this for a living so I started trying to figure out web design. Though I wanted to be a graphic designer, my flatmate counseled me to at least keep a bit of the computers from my degree in there.

How did you get started? Did you study something in particular or are you self-taught?

After studying Math & Comp Sci at university and realizing it wasn’t what I wanted to do, I started teaching myself. I read a *lot* of photoshop tutorials, magazines and design books, went to design conferences and talks, started attending night school and studied every piece of design I came across in daily life. It took quite a while but eventually paid off.

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