Importance of a Web Maintenance Agreement for Web Designers & Webmasters

As a webmaster providing site maintenance and eCommerce updates for various clients of mine, I often get caught up in the work without putting much thought to the proper business facilities that need to be in place before working.  What I mean by this, is that when you start performing services for someone, you need to ensure that a few things are lined up in advance or you could end up paying for your mistakes later.

Here are a few important tips to help you get ready to provide website maintenance and/or webmaster services to your clients:

* A registered business name and/or tax account.  Face it, you can’t get away from Uncle Sam forever by getting money through PayPal.  If the amounts reach a significant level, your earnings will be reported to the IRS and you could face tax penalties that could have otherwise been avoided.
* A decent accountant and/or billing system.  If you can’t keep track of the money coming in and pay your taxes, etc., you’re certainly not going to be able to keep track of it going out either.
* A website maintenance agreement is also essential.  Before you start mucking around with someone’s website and/or their shopping cart, you better be sure that you clearly indicated in a contractual agreement what you are and aren’t responsible for.  The last thing you need is to get sued by someone for breaking their shopping cart, when you only made a measly $50 on the work to begin with.
* An E&O insurance policy for peace of mind.  Ties into the previous tip as well… pray it doesn’t happen, but if you do break something and it leads to a lawsuit or any kind of dispute, having a good liability policy to protect you is priceless.

There are certainly more tips that I could offer to you if you’re already providing webmaster services or thinking about starting to offer them, but these are the essentials.  And if you’re now second guessing your decision to start because of the costs involved, etc., don’t be.  You can get most of these things setup for less than $500 for an entire year.  The client contract is a piece of cake – all you need is a website maintenance agreement template to edit, make your own, then re-use for all of your clients.  Insurers offer special policies to Internet professionals as well, so you won’t be applying for some gigantic policy, etc.  The registered business name and tax account can usually be setup within a few days/weeks – most forms can be downloaded from the government websites.

For those of you already offering these services…. If you have any additional tips or suggestions for newbies, we’d love for you to leave them in the comments.

Technology Fields for Independent Contractors

When I decided to throw myself out there as an independent IT contractor, I had big dreams of tons of clients.  Originally, I started out as a web designer.  About two days in, I decided to add “Web Developer” to my title.  As time has progressed, I have become aware of different opportunities that weren’t available to me as a mere web designer.

Depending on what degrees or certificates that you hold, your opportunities as an IT contractor will be greatly influenced.  The same can be said about what opportunities your work experience and portfolio will bring you.  Having a well-prepared portfolio is more important than having every possible degree or certificate.  Degrees and certificates show your level of schooling.  Your portfolio shows your actual abilities.  Remember to keep your portfolio current and make sure to stock it with your best work.  Also, make sure that every job you take on looks as good, if not better, than your best portfolio piece.

In today’s world of outsourcing and downsizing, corporations are turning to contractors and consultants whenever they can.  This is where your vital experience and abilities come in.  Why would you limit yourself to a specific category like I did?  Maybe because you see a large income possibility, maybe that is the only place where your talents lie, or more likely, that is the only talent you have thought about capitalizing on so far.

IT contractors are always needed in the vast world of the Internet.  Web design cannot be accurately described without breaking into multiple categories.  You can design e-commerce sites, simple single-page sites, complex content management sites, and the list could go on forever.  The best way to go in the web design/development field is to find a niche, develop a portfolio and earn a good reputation.  Having an extensive clientele gives prospective clients peace of mind and it also pulls in lots of referrals.

Graphic design is another great field to find contract work in.  Companies always need graphics for business cards, letter head or their annual newsletter and employing a full-time graphic artist doesn’t always make financial sense.  That is where you, the contractor, come into play.  You cost less than yearly in-house graphic artists and you always deliver on time.  Not to mention the fact that graphic work is great to bill out to customers.  You can make graphics as detailed as possible or you can make simple, less detailed, less expensive graphics to fit a tight budget.

Programming and coding are great way for contract work.  When companies or individuals find themselves needing a specific application, be it for web or non-web use, hiring a contractor will most likely save them money.  Unless you run a software development company, having coders on staff just doesn’t make sense.