What would YOU want to know if you were just NEW to the webmaster biz? - GoFuckYourself.com

$5 submissions · 02-18-2006, 04:46 PM

What kind of advice would YOU have wanted to receive when you started in the biz? Put another way, what have you LEARNED from the biz that you can impart to a friend starting fresh today?

Here's a few that REALLY HELPED ME grow my company from a one man operation to 40+ employees and growing:

1) Do NOT be afraid to start small -- Giant companies are built one experience, one satisfied customer, one solved problem at a time. Many people have this "Get Rich Quick" and "Something for Nothing" mentality. If you have those notions, lose them... QUICKLY. While things may be small when you're building, things happen for a reason and it's your JOB to maximize your personal education from each client and from each project.

2) It takes Money to make money but TIME is also money -- Not all of us can start off with $$$$ in venture funding. Indeed, sometimes having too much seed capital ends up with the company members feeling pampered and just friterring the cash away. I ought to know, I used to work for a venture capital firm in the Dotcom Mania of late 90's. We funded several companies millions of dollars. All of them have gone bye bye. I didn't want to repeat the same mistakes. I started 2 companies: 1 with $2000 in 1998 and 1 with $4000+ in 2003. My 1998 academic services company now makes $85 to $120K a year CONSISTENTLY since 1998. My second company is now at over 40+ employees. How was it done? By realizing that some types of companies need FOCUS and TIME more than CAPITAL. By studying our customers and giving them what they wanted, we were able to turn the time we used in thinking up new services and enhancing customer value into MONEY. It is not QUICK nor is it EASY. But it can be done. Don't ever think you don't have enough money. If you have TIME you can turn it into money to fund your business.

3) It is ALWAYS your fault -- The most crippling mentality to have when it comes to business is to always blame another person for your failings. Lose this. Even if it seems black and white that it is not your fault--OWN the situation and understand how you ALLOWED things to happen. It is only if we 1) OWN our failings and 2) LEARN from them that we succeed.

Anyway, those are the 3 core principles that I implement across all my online businesses. They work for me and I'm sure they'll work for those who take the time to implement them.

redHOTrage · 02-18-2006, 04:49 PM

This is very encouraging. Thank you for writing it.

Dwreck · 02-18-2006, 04:51 PM

Awesome thread!! I will think of a few and add them to this thread after I eat

HEAT · 02-18-2006, 05:04 PM

Great post

polish_aristocrat · 02-18-2006, 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HEAT

Great post

and great sig

Love Sex · 02-18-2006, 05:07 PM

i started about a year ago and the thing i wanted to know is how to build a dynamic website and use software to automate alot of things.

So i guess i would say find someone who knows what they are doing and learn from them to save time.

$5 submissions · 02-18-2006, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Love Sex

i started about a year ago and the thing i wanted to know is how to build a dynamic website and use software to automate alot of things.

So i guess i would say find someone who knows what they are doing and learn from them to save time.

Yep. Or get a great contractor who experienced in building what you wish to create. You can find good ones for cheap at www.scriptlance.com www.elance.com www.rentacoder.com

Reak AGV · 02-18-2006, 05:11 PM

I started in this business in 2002 with 30 euros and I'm still around, you really need motivation, time, interests and reinvest your profits back into your business instead of spending it all. Especially in the beginning. I've learned to not go under my own prices per project or hour, If I feel my time or product is worth that much I will quote that price for it. Of course, there are exceptions for friends and or business partners who've helped you out in the paste and have build a good relationship up with. You have to take and give to come anywhere.

Good post Gene, as always

Rolo · 02-18-2006, 05:20 PM

As soon as you make a profit, then start putting money aside... business evolves all the time, and access to liquid capital can improve your position when changes arrives

realgangsta aka Dominik · 02-18-2006, 05:22 PM

good one!

$5 submissions · 03-01-2006, 03:26 AM

Anyone else care to share some basic lessons they learned as online entrepreneurs?

V_RocKs · 03-01-2006, 04:04 AM

I started out with nothing and made nothing... So I created a bill for myself by buying hosting, domains, scripts and stats remote... Then I needed to build shit to pay for it and have some stats show up in Stats Remote... I'd say I spent about $800 one time and $400 a month to make $2800 a month...

Then I got smarter and smarter and at one point I realized that rich people don't change their own oil because taking the time to do it isn't worth it... If you make $80 an hour, why would you do something during that hour that costs $20 at the local gas station?

When I started thinking that way my profits soared... I stopped doing anything that took my precious time away from growing MY business. Shit I used to shop around to save $100 all day long on a set of tires... Now I think to myself how much money I wasted doing that. I could have been at home creating more shit and making $80 an hour...

Sometimes I get into a bind programming wise... If I do I don't try to teach myself the shit anymore and waste 3 weeks becoming an expert on it... I pay someone else $500 to create the portion I couldn't and then keep making a ton of money in that 3 weeks because I am creating shit...

My goal is to one day STOP CREATING SHIT... and just pay others to create it for me.... Be a true, boss...

02-18-2006, 04:46 PM	#1
$5 submissions I help you SUCCEED Industry Role: Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: The Pearl of the Orient Seas Posts: 32,195	What would YOU want to know if you were just NEW to the webmaster biz? What kind of advice would YOU have wanted to receive when you started in the biz? Put another way, what have you LEARNED from the biz that you can impart to a friend starting fresh today? Here's a few that REALLY HELPED ME grow my company from a one man operation to 40+ employees and growing: 1) Do NOT be afraid to start small -- Giant companies are built one experience, one satisfied customer, one solved problem at a time. Many people have this "Get Rich Quick" and "Something for Nothing" mentality. If you have those notions, lose them... QUICKLY. While things may be small when you're building, things happen for a reason and it's your JOB to maximize your personal education from each client and from each project. 2) It takes Money to make money but TIME is also money -- Not all of us can start off with $$$$ in venture funding. Indeed, sometimes having too much seed capital ends up with the company members feeling pampered and just friterring the cash away. I ought to know, I used to work for a venture capital firm in the Dotcom Mania of late 90's. We funded several companies millions of dollars. All of them have gone bye bye. I didn't want to repeat the same mistakes. I started 2 companies: 1 with $2000 in 1998 and 1 with $4000+ in 2003. My 1998 academic services company now makes $85 to $120K a year CONSISTENTLY since 1998. My second company is now at over 40+ employees. How was it done? By realizing that some types of companies need FOCUS and TIME more than CAPITAL. By studying our customers and giving them what they wanted, we were able to turn the time we used in thinking up new services and enhancing customer value into MONEY. It is not QUICK nor is it EASY. But it can be done. Don't ever think you don't have enough money. If you have TIME you can turn it into money to fund your business. 3) It is ALWAYS your fault -- The most crippling mentality to have when it comes to business is to always blame another person for your failings. Lose this. Even if it seems black and white that it is not your fault--OWN the situation and understand how you ALLOWED things to happen. It is only if we 1) OWN our failings and 2) LEARN from them that we succeed. Anyway, those are the 3 core principles that I implement across all my online businesses. They work for me and I'm sure they'll work for those who take the time to implement them. __________________ Need a NON-ADULT income stream? We build your YOUTUBE CHANNEL for only $20 per video! For Hire: $3/hour or $400 per month Marketing Specialist Virtual Assistants

02-18-2006, 04:49 PM	#2
redHOTrage Confirmed User Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 100	This is very encouraging. Thank you for writing it. __________________

02-18-2006, 04:51 PM	#3
Dwreck Confirmed User Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Toronto Posts: 7,362	Awesome thread!! I will think of a few and add them to this thread after I eat __________________ Derek Dwreck Smout Program Manager Icq 165976549 Skype derekthomassmout

02-18-2006, 05:04 PM	#4
HEAT Confirmed User Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 2,255	Great post __________________ 254-282-542

02-18-2006, 05:11 PM	#8
Reak AGV Confirmed User Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Unknown Posts: 4,283	I started in this business in 2002 with 30 euros and I'm still around, you really need motivation, time, interests and reinvest your profits back into your business instead of spending it all. Especially in the beginning. I've learned to not go under my own prices per project or hour, If I feel my time or product is worth that much I will quote that price for it. Of course, there are exceptions for friends and or business partners who've helped you out in the paste and have build a good relationship up with. You have to take and give to come anywhere. Good post Gene, as always __________________ Need Mainstream Content and SEO? SEO * Website Copy * Blogs Blogging - PR Work - Forum Marketing - Social Marketing - Link building - Articles 100% Guaranteed Content! Last edited by Reak AGV; 02-18-2006 at 05:13 PM..

02-18-2006, 05:07 PM	#6
Love Sex Confirmed User Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 1,905	i started about a year ago and the thing i wanted to know is how to build a dynamic website and use software to automate alot of things. So i guess i would say find someone who knows what they are doing and learn from them to save time.

02-18-2006, 05:20 PM	#9
Rolo Confirmed User Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 555	As soon as you make a profit, then start putting money aside... business evolves all the time, and access to liquid capital can improve your position when changes arrives __________________ Surfmastering : a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery

02-18-2006, 05:22 PM	#10
realgangsta aka Dominik New owner of GFY Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 48	good one!

03-01-2006, 03:26 AM	#11
$5 submissions I help you SUCCEED Industry Role: Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: The Pearl of the Orient Seas Posts: 32,195	Anyone else care to share some basic lessons they learned as online entrepreneurs? __________________ Need a NON-ADULT income stream? We build your YOUTUBE CHANNEL for only $20 per video! For Hire: $3/hour or $400 per month Marketing Specialist Virtual Assistants

03-01-2006, 04:04 AM	#12
V_RocKs Damn Right I Kiss Ass! Industry Role: Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Cowtown, USA Posts: 32,409	I started out with nothing and made nothing... So I created a bill for myself by buying hosting, domains, scripts and stats remote... Then I needed to build shit to pay for it and have some stats show up in Stats Remote... I'd say I spent about $800 one time and $400 a month to make $2800 a month... Then I got smarter and smarter and at one point I realized that rich people don't change their own oil because taking the time to do it isn't worth it... If you make $80 an hour, why would you do something during that hour that costs $20 at the local gas station? When I started thinking that way my profits soared... I stopped doing anything that took my precious time away from growing MY business. Shit I used to shop around to save $100 all day long on a set of tires... Now I think to myself how much money I wasted doing that. I could have been at home creating more shit and making $80 an hour... Sometimes I get into a bind programming wise... If I do I don't try to teach myself the shit anymore and waste 3 weeks becoming an expert on it... I pay someone else $500 to create the portion I couldn't and then keep making a ton of money in that 3 weeks because I am creating shit... My goal is to one day STOP CREATING SHIT... and just pay others to create it for me.... Be a true, boss...