question for 240

[EL Mariachi]

how much money did you make building websites? what programs do you need to make it? where can i learn?

[240 is Back]

Hey El M,

i'm a workaholic so i don't know what a 40 hour workweek would be $wise.  i do websites (300 for my getbig friends) and 500 to 800 for local firms.  I also am a consultant for a few companies, for their servers and for some media and other companies.  My accountant does all the money, i just earn and stack and save.  been out of college 13 months now.  working waaaay too many hours.  Spending 40 hours a week playing with baby while mama works so time is very rare. 

i use frontpage, dreamweaver, and adobe, and Golive.  photoshop and fireworks and some flash.

One note - and it's just my prediction and could be very wrong.  Microsoft and AOL are gunning for small biz web designers like me.  They both have 2007 product offerings which won't hurt too much initially, but WILL make me extinct in 5 years.  it'll just be too easy and intuitive to do it yourself with their website wizard.

I'm probably going into finance or marketing next.  Going to run the company another few years and train a team then see where the world leads me.  I can't blink without seeing a sustainable competitive advantage in the room, and I do long to one day wear a tie and conquer some f'king worlds.  But until baby starts school in 4 years, I'm gonna be doing this.

[Bluto]

still no name for "baby" 

[240 is Back]

You sound like you re the expert in websites. But i would never pay 500 for a website, just too expensive, i know some gyus do it for 100 bucks or less.  Ok you got a account, but you have to know how much money you made so far bilding sites?

nah, i'll know once HR Block does their thing.  maybe 60 sites?  I dunno.  could be 40, could be 80.  i got scrambled eggs in my head.

much of what i charge comes with business consulting too.  I'm an MBA (masters in business) so i can help them do their books, plan the competition strategy, ad campaigns, trend analysis, etc.  When i quote them i tell them the other things i can do, based upon their needs.

Low price is a tough strategy... i work a lot of hours.  i would love to be on the level that a garraeth is - higher end products, much higher prices, and less hours (i assume).  But I'm not there yet. 

[240 is Back]

I only work 1 hour each day and I'm a multi-millionare.

that's what i'm talking about.  garraeth is gangster.   he once murdered the whole month of april, just to take april off.

[UPINTHEMGUTS]

I only work 1 hour each day and I'm a multi-millionare.

Isn't it true that the more money you make, the less inclined you are to talk about it, or in your case, brag about it?

[240 is Back]

heh yea. I was being totally sarcastic. 240's the resident rock star millionare. I'm just his roadie.  

don't be modest.

garraeth drops more $ running for the bus than most getbiggers make all year.  he's dropped more $ down the cushions of his couch than most of us have in mutuals. 

[4thAD]

If you want to learn how to build web sites, go down to Barnes & Noble and get a book on beginners HTML. HTML is a set of instructions that tell the browser what to display for the end user. It is not really a programming language, just a set of instructions. Learning HTML is extremely easy as it is in English. After you have learned HTML you can move into other web based programming languages like ColdFusion, ASP, etc. With ColdFusion, ASP.net, you can make your websites do just anything you want them to. Also you might want to get started learning some back end programming languages like C#, C++, java.

To be a high end web designer is not a simple process, but is definitely attainable depending on how much time and effort you want to put into it. Building basic static sites is simple. A web designer that is worth his salt will never totally be out of work. Since the dot com crash a lot of talent has entered the field which makes the business very competitive. It is a business that takes a lot of time and effort, but is also very rewarding!