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: Selling Web Design Services BlogBeef Up Your Resume: Essential Skills for Coders
The most attractive job candidates are the ones with a wide range of skills, and that’s all the more true when jobs are scarce. You probably already keep on top of the latest web development techniques, but savvier geeks are looking to enhance and complement their existing technical strengths. Let’s look at some skills that can help build on a code-heavy career.
It’s Time for Some Business Brainstorming!
Sometimes the money making ideas or business models you dream up are duds, but that’s not such a bad thing. Just thinking about new ways to make money is a great sign.
Stephen Collins: How To Embrace Web 2.0 In Business
Stephen Collins is recognized as one of Australia’s leading proponents of participatory culture, advising businesses and government on Web 2.0, Enterprise 2.0, and social networking. We had a chance to catch up with him to discuss his thoughts on embracing Web 2.0 in business.
Make More Money in the Economic Crisis
The crumbling economy does not have to be all doom and gloom, particularly for web-based businesses or web developers. All it takes is a realignment of your focus, and your business can be doing better than ever.
Ask Your Customers the Hard Questions
Here’s a question for you. When your last project finished, what was the final communication the client received from you? Was it a bottle of wine and card, a “Thanks for the work, call me if you need anything,” or just an invoice in the mail?
Secrets to a Great Sales Proposal
Are we in danger of coming across as egomaniacs in our sales proposals? Yes! The secret of successful proposals is to focus on what the prospect wants to hear. Learn how to make people an offer they can’t refuse.
Break Your Own Promises!
The following is republished from The SitePoint Tribune #416.
A few weeks ago — September 5 to be exact — I ordered myself a shiny new car.
The experience went along these lines. First, I did lots of research and decided on my ideal vehicle make and model. Then, I went to the only dealership in my city that sells this type of car.
I met one of the salespeople, we took it for a drive, I looked at all the options and discussed all the features, and pretty much made up my mind. This process took a few visits, and then we got down to negotiating the two big questions: cost and delivery date.
Those of you who’ve worked in the Web for some time will have become accustomed to expecting everything instantly, as I have; however, when we reached this stage, the salesman had some bad news.
He first started by saying that it could take anywhere from two to six months to take delivery of the car, depending on the model and options that I decided on. After a few phone calls, he was pleased to announce that he’d found the exact model and options I wanted on the other side …
Why You Should Attend Two Conferences a Year
The following is republished from The SitePoint Tribune #414.
On the eve of flying to Sydney for the Web Directions South conference, I thought I’d focus on the topic of conferences—I believe you should attend at least two every year.
So why attend a conference? Let’s start with education. You’ll learn more from attending one conference than all the books and blog posts you can read in one month. This may sound like a tall order, but seriously, if you are actively listening to the presenter, it’s hard not to learn more than by simply being there.
Secondly, the fact that you are there in person (as opposed to, say, listening to a podcast) means that you participate in the full experience; non-verbal cues (such as body language or facial expressions), as well as presentation slides and Q&A sessions that are normally cut from the podcast, are all factors that can make a session more rewarding, and provide valuable insights too.
Then there’s the networking. Some may derisively call it schmoozing, however, this is a very important benefit of conferences that should not be underestimated. The contacts that you can make by grabbing a meal or a coffee during …
Learn To Say Sorry
Earlier this year, I was given the runaround by my bank—multiple deductions from my home loan account, arguments with inept employees… the list goes on. Yet I’m still with them to this day, and recommend them to others. Why? Because they had the decency to say “Sorry”.
Scalability: Traction from a Slippery Beast
What do you do when you run into a growth wall and find that scaling your business isn’t actually generating more revenue? The first step is to admit that you’ve hit upon a non-scalable business model.