After years and years of acting independently, I am… acting independently again! Stitchsoft has graduated from “dba” status to “LLC” status. Stitchsoft, LLC has been registered as a limited liability company in the state of Utah and registered as a home business in Cedar Hills, Utah.
Where’s the Office?
Web design and development is a great home office opportunity. I’ve been a web developer since 1997 and have worked out of my home (as a programmer, of course) since 1995. I’ve done it as both a home business and in a work-from-home job. It’s not for everyone.
Are you not sure if telecommuting as a web professional is right for you? Here’s a sanity checklist.
Enlist the support of your family
You’ll be hogging the best computer in the house.
Be good at web design and/or development
If you don’t know what you’re doing, you’ll get real lost real fast.
Have a strong sense of ethics
Laundry time is NOT billable time. Neither is dishes time.
Learn to like a messy house
If it’s your job to clean the house, and you can’t stand it when it’s dirty, you’ll get in deep trouble really fast. Especially if you have little mess-maker-uppers (or even big ones) like I do. If someone makes an unplanned trip into my house, I just tell them to watch out for the legos all over the ground!
Be self-driven
Treat everything you do like it has your name on the front of it in shiny metal. And please, don’t leave a job half-finished and call it “good”. Make it really good! If you’re doing something for a colleague or a client, before sending something for their feedback, ask yourself what they’re going to say. Don’t send something out for feedback before at least anticipating the recommendations they’ll make.
Be an investigator
Be willing to go and find the information you need. Be ready to ask lots of questions. Clients and colleagues won’t think of everything and tell you all of it in one sitting - and even if they do, you’ll need to let them know what you think you understand, in a way that they will understand. Make mockups, diagrams, and wireframes. Find holes so you can plug them up.
Be a finisher
Don’t be a quitter. Don’t cut corners. And don’t ever submit a job that’s half done.
Be available
Make yourself available (on phone, IM, or email) to your people. They will still need you, even if you are at home… in your pajamas… without your makeup on.
Have a good phone
Get a good phone service with a great long-distance calling plan. There are lots of them out there; if you do your homework, you will get a great deal.
Use a good online conferencing system
I use GoToMeeting. I’m able to jump on there with my designers, clients, and colleagues, and have a very good, productive, and interactive meeting. Giving people something to visualize keeps them more engaged (and less bored).
Teach your kids to be quiet when you’re on the phone
It’s SO unprofessional and embarrassing when kids’ noises are heard over the phone. If you have kids at home, make sure your office has a door - one with a lock is even better.
Decompress
Schedule time to decompress, away from the computer. If you don’t, you’ll go nuts!
Yes, I will admit to spending many, many 16-hour to 20-hour days in front of the computer in my lifetime. The advantages to scheduling regular decompression breaks include:
- fewer headaches
- a family that remembers you exist
- food at regular intervals
It’s not for everyone
Working out of the home is not for everyone. It’s not for neat-freaks. It’s definitely not for lazy people. Don’t set yourself up for failure by trying it if it’s not for you.
If, however, it does sound like your cup of tea, give it a try! You won’t know until you’ve tried it.