| A PIECE OF MY MIND: How I find work
The question I'm asked most often in e-mail is, "How do I find work?" That's a very good question, and being a "practice-what-you-preach" kind of guy, I'll tell you what I've done to find work. My secret: I give it away, and then people pay for it. I know it sounds like I'm contradicting myself (something I like to do in my spare time, just for fun), but it's actually practical advice. I start by going to small local businesses and looking around (chain stores and franchise
restaurants won't work). I see which areas of their design and graphics need work, then I go home and redesign them. I don't redesign something I think is already good, just the stuff that needs help. This can work for just about any kind of product or service where you can see how someone else's business can be improved by using what you've got. It works whether this is your full or part time business, and it's great for getting started. The key is not
"how can I get more work," but "how can I help someone else's business," because that's what really leads to more work. When I'm the one looking for work, I do this "On spec"—meaning free, until they buy it. If they don't like it, there's no obligation. Once I have something I think is good, I go back to the business and I talk to the owner (and only the owner). I explain why what I've done will help them. I leave them with samples, contact info and a URL where they
can find out more. Then I let them think about it. I'm not pushy. I avoid telling them how bad something they're doing is (even if it is). I just let them know why what I'm presenting them is better. Since I only go to businesses that I think are good to begin with, I can honestly say, "Your business is good and I just want to help you make it better." That's flattering, true, and positive. If they don't call me, I call them (or better yet, visit) in a few days. If they like it, I can now
negotiate. In exchange for the final version, setting it up on their computer, or even training them how to use it, I'll get a fee, or something in trade (trade is easier at first). Restaurants are especially good for this, because you can work in trade for food—that's basically how my wife and I were able to eat out for two years when we moved to a new town. This works 10,000 times better than going in cold and asking if they want something because you are showing them the results. They
don't have to "imagine" it (if they could, they'd probably already have done it). They don't have to wonder if you're any good. They have proof, right before their eyes. Not everyone will like what you've done. You can explain it to them, but if they don't get it fairly quickly, chances are they aren't going to get it at all, so move on. My wife will tell you I tend to take rejection personally—but I've learned not to (most of the time), because most of the time it's
not personal, it's business. This is especially true about design. Some people appreciate it, some don't. The ones who do will see why what you've done is better. The ones who don't
never will. They're "design-blind." And the ones who've designed things themselves tend to think what they've created is genius, no matter how bad it may actually be :). Finally, there are also those people who like what they have, and since it's their business and choice, you have to respect that. So try not to take it personally—even if they say no, you've had valuable experience, and you've created something you can use to build your portfolio and promote yourself. Once you've made
one sale, you can use this at the next business you try. Again you do the work in advance and show it to the owner. Only this time you can say, "I just redesigned the menu at the Station House Cafe, and..." and now you have more credibility. I can say from experience going to local businesses works. It also introduces you to new people in new cities. If you do good work, these people will tell other people, or they'll be happy to act as references, or give you quotes to put on your web
site about what great work you did, how fast and professional you were, etc. As you're doing this, you're building a portfolio of designs and/or happy customers. Add all this to your site. A web site can reassure people that you've done other things and other people like them. Your customers appreciate being on your site—especially if you link to them, because then you're promoting them as well as yourself. You can even use the designs and pitches that people didn't
want as portfolio pieces. If you're an experienced designer, you know that clients will sometimes choose a version you didn't think was best—add it to your site anyway to show the variety of your work. If you're just starting out, get quotes from your friends. Just make sure the quotes are true and you can deliver what they say. Create projects for them
so you have something to show. The first job many people get (including professionals like architects, lawyers and designers) are for their parents. It's just the way the world works. Your parents should give you a break and be willing to forgive the mistakes you make (your mileage may vary). I've even followed this route with web sites (though carefully, and only for sites that clearly needed a lot of help). For example, I noticed that a site that sold wonderful and unique
architect-designed watches had a terrible site. Their products were great—their site was not. So I sent the owner an e-mail with a design sample of what their site could look like. He saw the difference and I redesigned his site. (You can read more about this here.)And even
with little jobs one thing can lead to another. If you've done a good job, then you'll do more work for these people over time. In the case of http://www.Projects-us.com I'm now designing watches for them (more about them when the watches are ready for sale).So starting small can lead to big things. Not to
mention free meals. 
Editor, www.FuseLetter.com, www.eFuse.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
NETOBJECTS FUSION 5 FOR JUST $99? YOU BETCHA! Can you believe it's 2001? (I'm still writing "99" on things,
but that's another story). To celebrate NetObjects has lowered the price of NetObjects Fusion 5.0 to just $49.95 (after rebate in the US and Canada until January 31, 2001). That's right, just $49.95 for NetObjects Fusion with rebate through January 31, 2001. You save over $250! (Outside the US & Canada it's just $99.95.)NetObjects Fusion is known as the fastest, easiest way to build business Web sites. With NetObjects Fusion 5.0, you
get exclusive features like Drag-and-Drop simplicity; Cut, Copy, and Paste in Site View; and consistent text formatting with the enhanced Style view using cascading style sheets. You'll appreciate the new, customizable navigation bars that can link to pages anywhere within your site, external to your site, email and files. NetObjects Fusion 5.0 provides HTML source view for adding custom scripts or tags and users have instant access to comprehensive information, guidance,
resources, and tutorials, with the new Online view.. To learn more, click here.Buy NetObjects Fusion 5.0 today, through January 31, 2001, and you get the Web authoring software that's been used to build more than 4 million small business Web sites -
worldwide. You don't have to write a single line of code! This New Year's offer is just that: a New Year's offer. It won't last forever. Just $49.95 (after $50 rebate) for professional Web authoring power—you can't find that kind of power for less. Buy NetObjects Fusion 5.0 today and be thankful you're getting NOF 5 instead of HAL 9000. In the US and CANADA For rebate info
Outside the US and Canada, the price is $99.95, still a $150 savings (sorry, no rebate is available).
German version, it's $99.95 Prices are for downloaded versions. Boxed versions outside the US and Canada shipped to you are an additional $20, plus shipping and handling.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
OR... GET NETOBJECTS FUSION 5 FOR FREE WITH DELLHOST WEB HOSTING SERVICE Great news for anyone who wants a great web site. It just got easier—and less expensive. Why? Because you can now get NetObjects Fusion for free, that's right, a $99 program for free.What's the catch? Actually, none. Just sign up to have your site hosted by DellHost - Dell computer's web site hosting service for as low as $14.95 a month, and you get a free copy of NetObjects Fusion 5--Dell Edition. It's the same easy yet powerful program, but all set up to publish to your DellHost site (running on Dell's latest PowerEdge and PowerApp servers.)
You can use NetObjects Fusion 5 - Dell Edition for free as long as your site is hosted by DellHost. Over three million people have built sites using NetObjects Fusion, and now you can join them for as little as $14.95 a month. To sign up. To read more about this offer, click here. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
LET VISITORS SEARCH YOUR SITE
No matter how good your site's navigation is, the fastest way for your visitors to find exactly what they're looking for is for them to search for it. SiteMiner feature high-speed search, unlimited re-indexing and complete customization options, SiteMiner is the most powerful search-enabling service available on the Web. You can choose between a free ad-based service and the Professional service that with more features—and no ads.
SiteMiner allows you to easily customize the search box on your page; choose your own colors, layout, and text; re-index your site as often as you like; manage several search boxes with 1 account; and even customize your "Results" pages. Set up takes less than five minutes. To sign up or learn more, log in to http://myservices.netobjects.com or if you are using NetObjects Fusion 5.0, simply visit the Online view. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MAKE YOUR COMPUTER SECURE FROM STRANGERS ON THE WEB If you've got a cable modem, DSL, other fast connection, or
even a regular 56K modem—strangers on the Internet may be getting your personal and confidential files without your knowledge or permission.No, I'm not kidding or trying to scare you, it's true. Strangers who know how can read, write, modify or even delete files on your computer. But there's a simple and free way to protect yourself—a "Firewall." I know it sounds like a Schwartzenegger movie title but it's really software that watches what information is
coming into and going out of your computer, stops unauthorized entry, and lets you control what info gets out. In the past, Firewalls could be expensive and complex, but now there's an easy and FREE Firewall you NEED have if you're on the Internet. It's from www.zonealarm.com—go there now and install it. It's free for personal use, low cost for business use. It's easy to install, and once it is, it will ask the first time a program tries to send something to the Internet. When it asks something like, "Is it OK for your browser to send information," you simply answer "yes" and tell it to remember that, and it does. It only takes a few minutes.
After that, it will alert you if other computers or software are trying to access your computer. It really is easy, and it really is important. Not all the unknown sources trying to reach your computer are malicious, they can be as simple as someone's over-eager web tracking software—but even so, they have no business doing this—so stop them with a firewall. It also stops so-called "spyware" that can track what where you go on the web—without you knowing it.
If you don't believe that your computer is vulnerable, try this SAFE test that shows you whether it can break into your computer. It's from Steve Gibson, a long-time computer-user advocate, so it's safe, but the results can be startling: https://grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2
If you didn't know about this, don't feel badly. Neither did I until recently. But now that I've installed it, I can already see when others are trying to get into my computer. And I feel safer and more secure—always a good thing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
COOLTIP—TURN MOUSEOVERS
INTO POP-UPS
CoolTips is a new Fusion v4/v5 component that utilizes dynamic HTML to produce a tooltip like effect that can be easily applied to both text and image objects within your web page. As with all Coolmaps software, it's easy to install and use, and gives you results that would otherwise require extension and expensive programming. If you use NetObjects Fusion, Coolmaps components add new features other web building programs can't match. For details, see:http://club.coolmaps.com/component_detail.cfm?nfx=85 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
BCC (BLIND CARBON COPY) in AOL In the last FuseLetter I mentioned that AOL members can't send blind email. I was wrong. You can—it's just not clear! Sheila Hoffman, at www.inharmony.com told me how:To send BCCs in AOL, just put parenthesis around the whole
group ie: ( sheilahoff@qwest.net, richoff@toppa.com, editor@efuse.com) and they'll all be blind. So the next time you're sending out a mailing to customers (or a chain letter), use AOL's BCC feature. It protects your list, and the people on your list. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
FACE IT FOR FUN! http://www.facegenerator.com . This incredible site lets you take pieces of different faces and put them together to create new faces. The way it does it is so clever, and the results are so good (OK, a few are scary, but some are also amazing) is
really a great example of what clever things can be done on the web.If you're a hairstylist—see how this could be helpful? If you're an optician, look at the way it can put different glasses on the same face. If you're a plastic surgeon—well, you can figure it out. See also, www.makeoverstudio.com where you can take your own picture and change hairstyles, etc. Very clever, too. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Do good for free with just a click NOW is the time to visit these sites, and click to donate for
free. Make sure to visit the sponsors who support the site--that's why it's free to you.http://www.hitsagainsthunger.com - Free $1 donation with one click.
http://www.hungersearch.com - Every search means a meal.http://www.thehungersite.com/index.html - A click a day feeds a person. http://www.freedonation.com/ - Click to donate to many worthy causes.http://www.thechildsurvivalsite.com - Helps kids.http://www.thekidsaidssite.com - More help for kids.www.therainforestsite.com - Donate to buy and protect
rainforest land.http://www.webreleaf.com/ - Plant trees. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ONE FINAL WORD
I've always dreamed that people would just come to me out of the blue and ask me to work for them. If you consider the web "out of the blue," then now they do. Of course, it takes initiative and work but YOU CAN DO IT, too. www.efuse.com and www.fuseletter.com | |
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