Starting a Web Design Business

I frequently talk to people who are considering opening up their own web design business. The burning question most of them have is, "Will I actually be able to make this work?"

I try to pass along what I was taught when I was at that stage: it depends upon a number of factors. If you're at this juncture, I'd recommend asking yourself these questions:

1. Do you have at least some type of written business plan? I don't think that you necessarily need a formal, full-scale business plan, assuming you're not looking for investors. But I believe that a well-thought-out, written document expressing your plans and intentions for your business is extremely important. What steps will you take in starting it up? Marketing your services? Setting up accouting and other office procedures? What equipment will you need? How will you handle taxes? What are your projections for income and expenses?
2. Do you have a realistic plan for your own financial support (and that of your family, if you have one) while you're getting your business up to speed? It almost always takes some time - let's say at least six months to a year - before a new small business is generated reliable income.
   
3. Are you prepared to aggressively market your services? Business usually has to be drummed up through numerous efforts, certainly more than simply advertising. I remember when I had just opened my new business, and my father asked me how I was going to get clients. I told him the different tactics I knew about, including one of the main ones, networking face-to-face with other people. "But I don't think I'm very good at that," I worried. "Well, you'd better learn," was his answer. I didn't like it, but he was absolutely right, and I forced myself to learn to meet people, talk about my business, and make connections. I did a lot of things that were outside my normal comfort zone during that time.
4. Maybe most important of all: do you have the self-discipline to get up every morning, figure out what the most important work is for that day, and then actually do it - even with nobody breathing down your neck? This is a type of character that not everyone has; many people simply need to have their marching orders coming from someone else. I suggest thinking hard about this question: do you have that ability to self-motivate and self-direct, day after day, month after month, year after year?