HELP!! Too much work, not enough experience in business!

[cyberious]

Well, now I've done it.... I jumped out of the freelance scene and opened my own business... This week I've gotten hit with too many jobs all at once! I don't know how I'm going to handle this! I don't know a darn thing about running a business, from a professional business perspective.

How does one person expand a business? And how the *bleep* do you find freelancers (and manage to pay them)? I have never outsourced work before. Don't know the first thing about legal issues, or anything like that. Not to mention, I don't have time to search for freelancers anyway!

Anyone want to add to this? How did you expand your business, how did you know when it was the right time to do so? And how do you handle a schedule that grows too far beyond your control?

I can't afford to turn down jobs, but am wondering if I just got myself in over my head...

[greeneagle]

cyberious,

The first question that comes to mind is: How in the heck did you find that much work in such a short time?

Secondly; You have a great deal of heavy industry in PA. What kind of clients do you have?, We may be able to help with heavy industry, high tech and engineered products. We maintain a very low overhead.

Thirdly; There are many web design schools with students that will work in the $20/hr range to suppliment tuition and room and board while you coordinate, send info, visit clients etc and charge the clients within the more industry standard of $50-$160/hr. Internet consulting can run $190/hr and digital photography can run $100/hr.

You should be very careful about outsourcing to lower cost design companies in other countries, I have just not seen the quality exhibited in 80-90% of sites I have reviewed produced through those channels.

Good Luck
Ken

[cyberious]

1. Some are referrals, others are just finding me somehow. Most of the time they don't remember where they found me, and I don't have time right now to review the stats. I re-optimized my site after the Google algorithm change.

2. I am not sure of hiring outsiders to design, I would rather hire outsiders to do the major programming for me, since I have a certain way of designing my sites and want that look to reflect my company, in a way.

Most of the jobs that I'm getting are heavy e-commerce sites with major functionality requests. I don't have the time to search for a programmer each time a quote is requested, which is why I would like to find a programmer to hire on a part-time basis, or an as-needed basis. I need someone I can trust and that has proven capabilities. Don't know where to start looking! I have glanced at guru.com, but I don't want to post a job and wait for a quote each time I get a request.

Thanks for replying!

[Lee Dev of PSC e-c for m2]

I have my own e-commerce product for the made 2 specification industry www.psc4.biz so I know e-commerce. I use a eastern Europe partner and can sell you time at $35/hr. You only pay when you need help & my programmers know many languages. I would need written specs and can provide fixed price. Call 888-766-5601 for more detail also look at http://srifl.com/servcustom.htm