Gaudicia

Hello,

My name is Gaudicia and I joined Dotable a few days ago. I'm avoiding homework so I thought this was the best time to introduce myself.

So with just nine month left to graduate there's still one thing that Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale doesn't teach you. How to manage your freelance clients.

I have a few clients by word of mouth, however, they basically do payments writing a check or cash, but I really want to have it more automated and web driven so I've been looking at paypal and google checkout. Considering paypal is most known I'll probably go with that.

So for the question.

As freelance, is it worth it incorporating? Especially considering that I may move from Florida in a year or so, may go back to Puerto Rico or another state.

What I want to do is offer web design and only to those client will I offer hosting. I've noticed that most of my clients are clueless as to what hosting or a domain are, so I believe it would be easier if I were to just host them.

How would registering a domain be handled? I would like to do that for them also, but I want them to be able to control it...and there's also the question what if the domain they want is already taken?

Also how do taxes work?

Any advice is greatly appreciated. I want to keep the "business" relative small, especially since I work and study full time.

Thank you!

Empire

You can set up an account with domain registrar Enom through one of several Dotable forum members. This will allow you to register domain names for your clients. With Enom, you can give them password-login access to manage the settings of their domain name.

If you are asking if you charge sales tax on your design work, you would check with the state where you do business. In my state, it is considered software development and is not taxable, so I do not charge clients sales tax.
For income taxes on your earnings, as an unincoporated business you would want to read the responsibilities of a sole proprietor.

waldo

Google's rate are better than Paypal - personally I dislike Paypal!

Given your projected client numbers, I'd just register them on their behalf - if your clients are pretty clueless about hosting, they may not know much about registering domains either (a little knowledge is dangerous!) If possible, skip allowing them to control it.

I've done this with my clients as a "domain management service" - basically I register and renew it on their behalf relieving them any fear of making an error in settings or forgetting to renew.

Good luck with the venture

Gaudicia

Thank you for the replies.

I do have more questions.

If I decide to do it as waldo mentioned, how would it work? I mean, what if the domain they chose is already taken?

Also, lets say I have a client and there's a specific image that they want to use that's sold at let's say istockphoto.com, do you purchase it under the royalty license so you can use it again?

What software do you use to keep track of clients and what package has been offered to them, and handle invoices?

Thank you.

waldo

I generally hold an initial sit-down meeting with a client to talk things through and establish a basis for the site.. This allows me to provide a quote. Included in this, assuming the client requires a domain, is a domain report - I take 10-15 minute to research domain availability across a number of extensions (.com, .net, .biz, .info, .co.uk, .org if applicable, etc, etc.) I also think about different ways to represent the business / organisation name via a domain (such as using an acronym, appending 'online', etc.) At the end of the domain report, I tend to have a recommendation just to prevent the client from getting lost!

Technically, you'd need to re-purchase the same image again to re-use in a different project - that's certainly the case with istockphoto afaik, but check their terms. I tend to bulk purchase credits with istockphoto, stockxpert, fotolia as well as having a yearly subscription to photos.com - given the line of work, you'll probably get through a lot of stock images but start off small and see what your usage requirements are like.

Be interested to hear what others use - right now I just use a combination of paper records, an Excel spreadsheet and a copious number of post-it notes(!)

Overall, my main suggestion would be not to get too caught up in the secondary aspects of your business (such as online billing, client management software, etc.) These things are important and it's great to plan ahead but not if it starts detracting from the key facets of the business - nailing presentation skills, business promotion and getting the next job in. The other stuff will (hopefully) fall into place in due course as your business expands. Just my tuppence

Gaudicia

Thank you all this information is very helpful.

I basically have my website, business cards, just need to put it online. I also have people that always refer clients to me. My main concern is the IRS, so I'll be calling to them soon.

For the last year I've been working for a Internet Hotel Marketing and though they've given me the opportunity to venture into the department I want, I realized that I won't get the freedom I want unless I do my own thing.

waldo

Good luck with everything - I'm sure someone Stateside would be happy to chip in with advice re: the IRS

Empire

If you contact the IRS about small business taxes, they will probably tell you to apply for an EIN, Employer ID number. It's vital if you would be employing others. For an individual doing design/hosting, you could just as well use a Social Security number without having an EIN (my tax returns show both SS# and EIN).
It is helpful to get a copy of IRS Schedule C, so you can see the categories in which they want you to report your business expenses. If you keep track of them in about the same categories (like in a spreadsheet), it makes it easier at tax time when you fill out the Schedule C.

Keith

Hi
Most of you questions were answered but here is my 2c
FYI my tax guy said there was no benefit unless you have employees.
RE IRS
You are running a small business so save all receipts (I run an expense and income spread sheet with some break downs so it is easy to calculate for IRS at year end.
Pay Pay vs Google
I think pay pay has more services that Google at this time so I use them, but the biggest benefit I've seen with Google is that they offer (last time I checked) a deferment on some of their credit card charges if you use their AdWords advertising
I suggest however that you Find a TAX accountant and ask him/her these questions. There are many possible write offs especially if you are running business out of you home.

__________________
"Facts are stubborn things, but statistics are more pliable." Mark Twain

Gaudicia

Thank you all of this is very useful information.