subject: What You Need to Start a Web Design Company? [print this page] What You Need to Start a Web Design Company?
If you know a lot about the internet, you have probably asked yourself what it would take to start your own web design company.
The internet is a huge market that grows continuously, and getting a piece of it is relatively simple, compared to other industries. You probably already know about some of the web technologies, interactivity and multimedia, and if not, those are subjects to learn about from the beginning. But they're not enough. If you want to be in charge, you'll need to apply some basic business principles to running the show.
The first thing to consider is what market you will fit into. Who will your customers be? Artists? Local businesses? Non-profit organizations? Each of these categories of clients has their own unique goals and needs. Some will want flashy, over-stimulating sites, others will be after smooth, professional looking sites, and still others will want straightforward, easy to use and navigate sites.
Next, you'll need to know who will be working for you. Why would they want to work for your company instead of going solo themselves? What can you offer to entice them? They'll be looking for several things. They have the talent and know how, and 9 times out of 10 what they need from you are contacts and a schedule. You'll need to make it clear to them from the beginning that everything is very structured, even if that structure has yet to be completely worked out. And, depending on the types of clients you want to pursue, you probably won't need 10 guys who are all experts at the same thing. There are so many different aspects to web design that people really can make a career out of specializing in one or two technologies, if they master it sufficiently. So try to get a good mix of specialties.
Once you have clear goals and a team, your web design company will virtually run itself!
