Working from a remote location

I´m posting this from an Internet cafe in Tulum, Mexico, a little town on the East Yucatan coast where I´m working and studying for about a month. I´m really pleased that I´m able to carry on most of my work even from this location. Just about everything I need to do work-wise can be done over the Internet from any location where I have access - I´ve been purposely setting things up this was for some time now, becoming much less dependent on paper in my office, or even on my own hard drive.

So I´ll leave that with you as a tip in case you plan to be away from your web development business office for any length of time - plan ahead so that you can carry on work from a remote location.

Business networking groups

When I first started my web design business eight years ago, I was helped a lot by joining a business networking group.

I stumbled upon my group when I joined the local Chamber of Commerce. On the desk of the person I talked with at the Chamber was a flyer for a "leads group", which apparently was a bunch of people who met regularly to help each other promote their small businesses. I had never heard of this type of organization before, but being eager to do all the right things in getting my business up and running, I attended a meeting. I loved it, and it soon became an important part of every week to get up especially early on Wednesday mornings and get to the Chapel Hill Leads Group meeting.

Over the course of a couple of years, I was a regularly attendee. The obvious benefit was an increase in business. Networking works! Each week we each would give a very brief (30 seconds!) presentation on our business, and as the weeks passed, we got to know one another's offerings very well. It became only natural to refer friends and acquaintances to the businesses of my fellow Leads Group members, and they did the same for me. I also did business directly with a number of other members, producing their web sites.

But I was benefitted in other ways as well. The group became a source of information on running a small business for me. Making the short presentations each week (and occasionally longer presenations, when it was my turn) helped my confidence. And I gained friends.

Because this group gave my business such a boost, I always recommend that other people starting out in the web development business try out a networking group. My only caution is this: not all groups are alike, by any means. Some are quite rigid and formal, literally requiring members to make referrals, which to me is ridiculous, since in our group, those referrals flowed naturally from the knowledge and respect I had for the other business owners. Some groups are just a lot less fun than the one I joined; I wouldn't have been able to keep up attendance as long as I did if my group had been as dull as some others I've attended.

So if you do want to explore this route, I recommend visiting more than one business networking group, if there are several available in your area. See if you can find one that suits your style. And once you do find one that you like at least a little, definitely give it three or four meetings to begin to work. Business networking takes time and effort, but it really can produce good results in bringing clients to your web design business.

Are you entrepreneur material?

It's a new year, so I thought I'd start back at the beginning and write something about getting a small home business started.

If you've been reading articles and books on starting your own "micro" home-based business, you've probably heard this advice before, but it's well worth heeding: before you quit your day job and go out on your own, give some serious thought as to whether you have the type of personality and makeup needed to be an entrepreneur.

Not everyone is cut out to work for themselves; at least, it's going to be a constant struggle for some, while for others, many things will seem to be second nature.

Here's the list of traits, tendencies, and strengths that comes to mind:

• Are you good at "managing yourself"? Do you work well independently, organizing projects and tasks, getting started on them, and finishing them? Or do you flounder, get distracted, or lose energy when there aren't external structures ordering your time?
  
• Are you able to work very hard, sometimes long hours, within reason? Can you pace yourself, and take care of your own mental and physical health so that you stay productive? Or are you more inclined towards extremes, and might tend to either swing towards laziness or else complete burnout?
  
• Can you think creatively? When obstacles appear in your way, are you able to look at your various options and still keep your eyes on the goal? Or are you more comfortable diligently "staying the course" which has already been set out for you?
  
• Do you require the company of other people to stay energized, or can you work alone for many hours at a time?
• Are you disciplined enough to get out of bed every morning in time to be available to answer your office phone during business hours, without having someone forcing you to?
• Are you the kind of person who is able to, and even enjoys, setting goals and keeping your eyes focused on them, while ensuring that you take all of the small steps needed to achieve those goals?

Some of these traits can certainly be developed, but it's wise to be aware of the need for them, and if you're lacking in any, consider how you can improve, train, or educate yourself to be stronger in those areas.