Freelance: Allround V Specialist
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- albums0
In retrospect, I wish I had specialized in back end code.
- breadlegz0
@albums - whys that mate?
- pango0
hmmm..... i pretty much do anything as long as they pay me.
- albums0
13 years into it & I still hire subcontractors to finish some things for me. My breadth of services helps me find clients in slow times as I can do print work to 3D, I recently began design consumer products for a company as well. The problem is I'm not an expert in anything, so i can't pick & choose my jobs, nor do my services offer something of great value to anyone in particular. I feel I can be replaced by another individual with their own ideas if they;re comparable to mine
I think If I had the back end code experience, i know that I would be an asset if I ever sought employment for those treats like insurance, weekends, a life, etc.
- that and back end gets $$ PAID $$albums
- back end is very outsource-able, as far as skills go it's worth very littleanimatedgif
- breadlegz0
@pango - do they pay you well?
- lol let me fix my self... i don't do program or web dev. i usually would subcontract someone else to do it butt if the client is being cheap and don't want to pay the going rate for developer then i'll do something quick and easy to move the project forward. I charge lower for something i'm not good at and takes longer. i do let my clients know they are getting exactly what they are paying.pango
- being cheap and don't want to pay the going rate for developer then i'll do something quick and easy to move the project forward. I charge lower for something i'm not good at and takes longer. i do let my clients know they are getting exactly what they are paying.pango
- project forward. I charge lower for something i'm not good at and takes longer. i do let my clients know they are getting exactly what they are paying.pango
- exactly what they are paying.
so no, they dont pay me well with something i'm not good at. i do that only when i have another foot in the project as well.pango - another foot in the project as well.pango
- nocomply0
I think what albums said is some good advice.
It's good to have your bread-and-butter primary skill set, but be agile and experienced enough to do a few other tasks to pick up work when things get slow.
As your experience and client base continues to grow, you can slowly trim down the services you offer to only what you like the most and do the best.
For example, I started out doing both web and print work years ago. But now I do strictly web design and development. And I've also all but axed any SEO services that clients ask about. In the future I might find a partner to take care of the design work so that I can focus only on development.
- breadlegz0
@nocomply - I also used to do a lot of print work, but dropped it based on the effort versus what I could charge (apart from a client I found recently that appreciates design time).
I'm curious though... why did you axe SEO?
- Miguex0
^
I agree with most of what album said above. I do anything from logo design to sound design and large scale motion graphics for music festivals. I'm completely against this myth that says "Jack of all trades, master of none". mainly because I consider what I do "branding". the theory doesn't change, only the medium.The moment you start to visualize 'branding' as only for a specific medium, you alone are limiting yourself to that medium, but these days you are expected to know digital too.
Understanding more mediums will allow you to feel comfortable in different situations, even if you have to subcontract a photographer for a shoot, if you have experience with lighting and camera use you can comunicate better and steer the project into the direction you think it's best.
Besides, you can still dedicate yourself to do only business card and never really become a 'master' at it.
I personally like to wear many hats otherwise it gets boring, only print or only digital, becomes a rutine. Overall I like to keep it fun for me, so I can pretend what I do is not really a job, even if the money is not good.
- nocomply0
@breadlegz
The constant attention that SEO requires just doesn't fit into my business model. It's also something that I don't entirely believe in. I'm kind of appalled at the industry that it's become.
Don't get me wrong, I share everything I know about getting ranked on search engines with my clients, but as a single-man business I don't have the means to be a full-on marketing/SEO solution for my clients. I know it's potential revenue that I'm missing out on, but I'd rather spend my time concentrating on something else.
Also, a lot of it comes down to content - which is not a service that I provide.
- breadlegz0
@nocomply - i hear you. My business partner is a full on seo expert, so I can sell that to clients and he keeps on top of it. I'm more on the design / branding / strategy side so I deliver that.
Which I guess is an odd mix.
- Yeah. I think to do SEO well it would need to be the primary item that you concentrate on.nocomply
- Miguex0
^
see, programming is something I never liked, and refused to learn it. In fact, I left flash and moved to after effects because of action script was becoming the only way to make it truly functional.I really admire those who do it though, I wish I could make sick sites or code an app from scratch.
- ahli0
Programming can be learn to a proficient level to earn good money, but the big $$$ you guys are on about is for ninja programmers, and for ninja skills you need a level of innate intelligence/skill that not everyone has. Its optimistic to say "if I had focused on programming" ..you may never have had/have the skills to earn decent money coding.
- autoflavour0
i pretty much go all the way, but i never let them kiss me on the mouth..
- although business has admittedly been slow.. maybe its the no kissing policyautoflavour
- MrT0
It also must depends where you are. In the big centres there's arguably more room to be a specialist, but where there aren't as many potential clients, a broader skill set will help.
Controversially and generally, I don't think you can be as good across multiple disciplines as the better specialists from each... but I'm sure queuebeeners will correct me.