I need a small business owner interview, questions in description.?

[sharo_shiri99]

Hi, I'm a web developer in Minnesota and I recently started my own web design and development firm. I am a one-man operation, but I do work with a lot of subcontractors. Hopefully I'll be of some help to you.

Web design is something that I've been doing since I was 10; my babysitter taught me basic HTML and its just something that I have continued to learn. I graduated with my AAS in web development and I have (obviously) continued in that direction.

I started my business because the economy sucks and no one is hiring fresh-out-of-college types. I need to make a living and working for myself is better than working for someone else.

I don't have any formal schooling in business; what you need can be gleaned from books, the Internet, and other business owners. In fact, many business students may have more knowledge of how a business should work, but few are actually ready to handle what the real world gives them.

Experience comes from working for some one else. Burger flipper, hotel front desk, whatever. Customer service and retail sales are probably the best jobs you can have before you run your own business. If you sell your product/services to a customer while being respectful, you're golden.

Initial business cost ran just under $300 including the office I rent. If you can bootstrap your business, do it. Craigslist and second-hand shops are great. When starting, you don't need the best of everything - grow as your business grows. I furnished my office for free, and I already owned by own computer and software to work on. The extra money was spent on rent, a phone line, internet access, business cards, licenses and registration fees.

My monthly sales average around $2000 a month, with a third of that going to the business.

I don't have a huge marketing budget, so I usually get my clients through networking. Word-of-mouth is great and its free. Another free source is social media - Facebook and Twitter. Once you get a following, its easy to present a highly-targeted promotion instantly across the board.

As I said before, I am a one-man operation, but I do use subcontractors when the workload gets heavy. This is the easiest way to keep costs down. They only get paid when they are needed, and you don't have to jump through all the tax hoops of social security, medicare, and what-have-you. Another way to keep costs down would be to hire unpaid interns. In exchange for their work, at the end of their term, a business owner would give them a letter of recommendation or college credit.

Fixed expenses for my business include rent, phone, and internet. Variable expenses include gas, lunch or dinner meetings, and using a bookkeeper or CPA when needed.

There are quite a few web design firms within a 30 mile radius of myself, plus all of the ones online. I compete on price and service - my target market cannot afford expensive websites, and I do not command a huge hourly rate so as to make my design services more expensive. Also, I try to build a relationship with the client - if they need help, I don't mind answering their questions..

For anyone starting a business - just do it. Don't wait. I'm just out of college, own my own business, and its great. I am making money and don't have to deal with an annoying boss.

Secondly, find a mentor or someone who has experience starting and owning a business. Entrepreneurs are happy to help each other out and are full of wonderful advice.

Lastly, you don't have to do everything yourself - a CPA and lawyer can guide you through all the necessary papers required for your business. If they're good, they'll explain why their doing it a certain way.