Are you making money? Yes, but...
Hi Everybody,
I'm making some money but I miss the days when I had steady employment -- and Webmastering was just a moonlighting add-on to my secure income.
I'm coming to the end of my first year without employment -- or UNemployment -- and it's a struggle, but I do enjoy being my own boss. All my attempts to improve my search engine ranking, my PAID search engine inclusion and my PAID local advertising have resulted in maybe 5% of my total income. Most of what I earn has come through word of mouth referrals from clients and friends.
I still spend as much as I used to (or more) on professional fees and upgrading skills, software and office equipment. But at least now I can deduct it from taxes.
Like any business, it takes time to build it up to the point of turning a profit. I finally did so this year but it's not enough to live off. Fortunately, mine is icing on the cake :-) of the income my husband provides.
Competition is intense in this industry, and you have to continuously keep up your skills and your knowledge. Forums like this are helpful, as are the occasional classes I take as needed.
I'm taking a PhotoShop refresher course right now. My clients appreciate that and are happy when I can offer them different options and be able to explain my recommendations to them.
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