Notes On 2006

by WebKeyDesign | Dec 14, 2006 | WebKeyDesign

Undeniably, I have been on a bit of a break from WebKeyDesign, but before 2006 officially passes into the server logs as just another year, I wanted to put down some final thoughts on a very trying year.

Great Expectations

Like most people, I started the year trying to improve myself. After fifty hours of online seminars, a few self-improvement books, lots and lots of technical reading on web site related technologies, and many personal challenges having to do with family and work, I have to say that 2006 was perhaps in the top three of worst years I have ever had to go through. Professionally I had this vision of improving myself and when my company decided to close shop, I was devastated and unemployed.

At the same time, my personal life was not very enjoyable. I felt like I was being pulled apart in several directions and that all I could do was stand there and try to be the pillar that doesn’t move for everyone else. I probably wasn’t very much fun to be around.

As for myself, I was learning things, improving my skills and knowledge. Since college, I have always known that there are only two ways that I learn. I either recluse myself to some private space and pore over thick books or I sit and do what it is I need to learn to do at the computer. In general I can’t stop reading, it is something which helps me with stress, so I constantly read.

Learning To Succeed

After a few job interviews, I had started to doubt myself, to think all kinds of bad thoughts, but then one day I woke up and all that self improvement seminars and books kicked in. I found myself at another job interview, being asked the same question again: “Why should we hire you?” Then at that very moment, it sunk in. I don’t really need this job. “I will be successful regardless of where I work.” After the interview, I got a phone call at home, informing me they wanted to offer me the position. I ended up not taking the job after all, because I actually received an offer from my current employer, who I had really wanted to work for.

At home, I knew I needed to change things. Instead of doing more, I did less, but what I did do, I tried to do better. Communication is key in relationships, and while I’m not known for being very good at this in personal relationships, I knew I had to work at it. The idea is that your personal life has to be enjoyable. If it somehow isn’t then you need to change things.

Time Enough For Updates

There seems to never be enough time for everything, and while IE 7 and Firefox 2.0 came out, I don’t know very many people who prepared all that much for major browser releases. It seems like we are always trying to catch up. But The Holidays are a time for family and friends. While I do enjoy putting in long hours at work, I also understand that December is the month for relating to people and not computers. So while 2006 was a hard year for many of us, we are definitely better people because of it. Hardship is what makes life challenging, and while no one welcomes the stresses, we certainly enjoy life better when we learn to properly handle them. See you in 2007!

Accepting Google Checkout

by WebKeyDesign | Oct 2, 2006 | WebKeyDesign

WebKeyDesign now accepts Google Checkout as payment. If you have not heard of Google Checkout yet, it is somewhat similar to PayPal. It allows you to make purchases through a credit card without giving your credit card number to the merchant. In this case, WebKeyDesign. Google will collect payment and then deposit the amount (minus their fee or course) into the merchant’s bank account. This way customers can trust their credit card information to only Google and have less risk when purchasing items from the Internet. You must setup a Google Checkout account in order to use it.

You can still purchase web hosting with PayPal if you prefer. Google Checkout is just another option now when you order web hosting.

Theme Modifications

by WebKeyDesign | Jul 29, 2006 | WebKeyDesign

I’ve been neglecting WebKeyDesign for a while this summer, as I got into doing some computer upgrades and taking sort of a break from all things web related. You can easily tire yourself out if all you do is one thing, and I needed a break badly this summer. Regardless I have decided to do some theme modifications for our site. The big major difference is that the site is a little wider and makes for better viewing on 1024 x 768 displays, instead of 800 x 640. I don’t know any people with 800 displays, so it does not make much sense to target that resolution. The new standard is definitely 1024. I’ve tried to cleanup the CSS code too, which has been added to over time and was building up. I’m not to sure about the graphic colors, I might still change those, but the idea is too keep the same resolution.

WebKeyDesign Anniversity

by WebKeyDesign | May 5, 2006 | WebKeyDesign

Last year I had this idea, that I would start a side business and help people out with web hosting, web design, and technical support. Well things did not work out as I expected but the journey was always incredibly interesting and I learned quite a lot about myself and business in general. I hope that following helps out others, or at least proves entertaining.

The Business Plan

I did not have one and perhaps I should have written one out. The problem with business plans is that they need to be done by the accounting person. The type of person who knows how to manage money and who has an eye for business managament. I am more of a rush into things and see what comes out of the chaos type of people. Essentially I thought I could make a business of helping people by selling basic design services and support at really affordable prices. However, this did not work. Most businesses need high tier clients, namely they need big accounts. Trying to survive on making $25 websites really sounds like a good idea, but in practice it does not work. Half-way through the year, I decided to change course and concentrate less on getting customers and instead on doing what I enjoyed. WebKeyDesign went from a pagerank zero site to a pagerank 5 site in less than a year. This ended up being my big success for the year and along with this I even got a few more clients along the way. My best advice is if you are going to do a business, make sure you do a business plan if this will be your only work, but if you are doing it as a hobby or side business, then concentrate on what really matters. Enjoy the work you put in to it and it will be successful.

Saying No

Incredibly, the hardest part of selling yourself and your abilities, is actually having to say no to some people. It is actually very easy to find yourself with the wrong client and end up having a bad argument which you really did not want to have. Avoiding the wrong client is crucial and the best way to avoid this relationship is to say no. It is okay to say that you do not offer certain services. In some cases you simply can’t deliver what a client wants and in others, the client really does not understand what they are asking for. You cannot please every potential client, so do not try to. At times communication works against you, you sometimes misunderstand a client or vice versa, so it is important that you establish a good relationship when speaking to clients.

Spend Less

One of the first things to pickup about business is that spending is something you need to control from the very beginning. Good businesses spend very little, great businesses spend accurately. What this means, is that you need to spend very precisely. Marketing campaigns need to be examined to see how effective they really are. You might be spending money and not actually getting anything out of it. The less you spend the more profitable you will be, but most of all you will have the funds to use in case a good opportunity presents itself. All of this requires prudence and research on your part.

With a little persistance and motivation, success is only a matter of time.