These are my favorite podcasts about the business of web design. They frequently cover topics including marketing, pricing, project management, productivity, client relations, entrepreneurship, freelancing, proposals, and contracts and other legal issues. If you like these, you should read my other posts about podcasts. I’m always looking for more, so please add your favorites in […]
The Wealthy Freelancer: 12 Secrets to a Great Income and an Enviable Lifestyle by Steve Slaunwhite My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is definitely the best book on freelancing I’ve read so far! Many freelancers assume that they must choose between a high income and the freedom of freelancing, so they settle for an […]
For my 2013 redesign of OptimWise.com, my primary goal was to better showcase my portfolio. Secondary goals included refining information about the business, making it easier for people to contact me, and making the blog more visually appealing. My Portfolio page has been one of my most visited pages since I added it, so I decided […]
A fellow web designer recently asked me, "How do you prepare for a meeting with a prospective client?" Here's my answer: It depends on the conversation that led up to the meeting. When I schedule a meeting, I usually ask the person (or people), "How can I best prepare for our meeting? Are there any […]
On January 1, 2013, I'll have completed my transition from my day job to being a full-time freelance web designer. How did I do it? To find out, listen to Episode 104: Become a Full-Time Freelance Developer of the Your Website Engineer podcast (one of my favorite podcasts). In this episode, I had the pleasure […]
These are my favorite audio podcasts about web design and development, both the technical and business sides. They also feature topics such as marketing and freelancing. My last post on the best web design podcasts was from June 2012, so it was time to update the list. I’ve listed them roughly in order of preference, […]
The Referral Engine: Teaching Your Business to Market Itself by John Jantsch My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is one of the best marketing books I’ve read! Jantsch, clearly a master marketer, shows how to guide prospects to you. How? Educate, and you won’t need to sell. He tells how to build a referral […]
Design Is a Job by Mike Monteiro My rating: 5 of 5 stars This succinct book is densely packed with sage business advice for designers (especially web designers). Monteiro rightly calls it “a guide to making a living as a designer”, and shows that he has a lot of experience in the industry. It’s quite […]
I've used Wave Accounting for over a year, and I highly recommend it for freelancers and small businesses. It's like Mint, except for business accounting rather than personal finance. You connect your bank accounts, and Wave automatically imports income and expenses. You can also manually enter transactions. Like Mint, Wave Accounting is free to use […]
I had the awesome opportunity to be featured in two episodes of This Week in Web Design, one of my favorite web design shows. I didn't personally appear in episode 32, but I did in episode 33. In Episode 32: How do I plan a website redesign?, they analyzed my/OptimWise's attributes and my clients' attributes, and […]
The question of how to price services is age-old. Web designers and developers generally charge by the project or by the hour, or use some combination of the two. I believe that whenever possible, you should charge based on the value you deliver to your clients. That value is based more on your skills, experience, […]
These are my favorite audio podcasts covering the technical and business aspects of web design. They also feature topics such as web development, usability, marketing, freelancing, and entrepreneurship. For podcasts focused on WordPress, see my post Best WordPress podcasts, Spring 2012. My last post on the best web design podcasts was from October 2011, so it […]
