Web Development Business/Franchise - Developers

Want information about starting a web development business or franchise. I have small savings which i want to invest in a business like website development and designing. But i am more in taking a franchise of well reputed development company. If anyone knows then please add your replies here with complete information. Thanks [url=http://www.cariblue.com.au/growing-franchises.html]Franchising a business[/url]

If you really are a web developer, you should know what you need to start your business.

Franchise a web development company? Lol? Sorry, but I highly doubt that any one that is reputable is going to be offering any kind of franchise deal. That's not really how this industry works. [editline]10th June 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=Svenskunganka;40970079]If you really are a web developer, you should know what you need to start your business.[/QUOTE] This isn't really true, you can be a developer and have no idea how to start or run a business. In fact I would be willing to bet that the majority of developers don't know much about running a business.

[QUOTE=KmartSqrl;40974764]Franchise a web development company? Lol? Sorry, but I highly doubt that any one that is reputable is going to be offering any kind of franchise deal. That's not really how this industry works. [editline]10th June 2013[/editline] This isn't really true, you can be a developer and have no idea how to start or run a business. In fact I would be willing to bet that the majority of developers don't know much about running a business.[/QUOTE] I agree kmartsqrl, But may be there are some companies, Who want to open their franchise in other countries and other cities. I mean to say this.

[QUOTE=mark32;40968599]Want information about starting a web development business or franchise. I have small savings which i want to invest in a business like website development and designing. But i am more in taking a franchise of well reputed development company. If anyone knows then please add your replies here with complete information. Thanks[/QUOTE] Since no one else has attempted to answer your actual question, I'll have a go. Starting up your own web design and development business isn't all that hard of a task, but it does require quite a bit of dedication, and a fair amount of money to keep you going. Quite simply, if you don't have the cash to advertise, you won't succeed. Fortunately, advertising is the most expensive thing you'll have to worry about, as unlike the website hosting industry, you don't need powerful servers to keep your business up and running. You just need a shared hosting plan. Here's a developer I've used in the past. Take a look at how they have their website set up. [url]http://ivgrafix.com/[/url] Notice how the website is formatted? All you really need is a well designed website, a contact form, a portfolio page, and a few "why us" paragraphs spread around the site. Once you have that, you're officially in business. Next, you just have to secure a few customers. Creating a Twitter feed or Facebook page for your company could be an excellent way to promote yourself. You may also want to consider partnering with hosting providers. A sort of affiliate service, where hosting providers refer their customers over to your services, and you in turn split the revenue with them. I'd suggest you read a few 'How To Start A Business' guidelines, which you can find all over the internet. In fact, here's an excellent guide - [url]http://freelanceswitch.com/freelance-web-development/start-web-design-business/[/url] If you ever have any more detailed or specific questions, please send me a PM. Although I'm not the best when it comes to design and development services, I do know a heck of a lot about business management and marketing. - Ty H.

[QUOTE=DRServices;41005833]All you really need is a well designed website, a contact form, a portfolio page, and a few "why us" paragraphs spread around the site. Once you have that, you're officially in business. [/QUOTE] This is so glaringly false that it's not even funny. You don't just throw a portfolio website together and suddenly have a web dev/design company ready to go. Who are your target customers? Where are they coming from? Who are your developers/designers? (since he was talking about investing in an existing company I assume he isn't planning on doing either himself) Where are your client contracts? That's only a handful of the things you need to know and figure out before you even start working on your agency site. "Make a twitter and a facebook" is not a customer acquisition strategy. [editline]12th June 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=mark32;41002303]I agree kmartsqrl, But may be there are some companies, Who want to open their franchise in other countries and other cities. I mean to say this.[/QUOTE] Are you talking about opening another office location for an agency? How much do you actually have saved up?

[QUOTE=KmartSqrl;41007849]This is so glaringly false that it's not even funny. You don't just throw a portfolio website together and suddenly have a web dev/design company ready to go. Who are your target customers? Where are they coming from? Who are your developers/designers? (since he was talking about investing in an existing company I assume he isn't planning on doing either himself) Where are your client contracts? That's only a handful of the things you need to know and figure out before you even start working on your agency site. "Make a twitter and a facebook" is not a customer acquisition strategy.[/QUOTE] As I don't know what it is that Mark32 fully intends to do with his business venture, I cannot provide detailed information about the various advertising and marketing strategies, or how to properly use social media to further expand the reach of his business, or how to properly target a certain demographic. I just wrote the most basic of answers to a rather general question, and gave the option to PM me if Mark32 requires additional information. If Mark wanted more of an instant fix, I also included a guide near the end of my post that should provide Mark with a basic understanding of what it is he must do before starting up his business, as well as a means to search for whatever information he wishes to know more about. - Ty H.

I know what you said, I read your post. I was responding to your significantly downplaying the complexity of starting and properly running a web design/development business.

[QUOTE=KmartSqrl;41008272]I know what you said, I read your post. I was responding to your significantly downplaying the complexity of starting and properly running a web design/development business.[/QUOTE] You replied specifically to my quote of[I] "All you really need is a well designed website, a contact form, a portfolio page, and a few "why us" paragraphs spread around the site. Once you have that, you're officially in business"[/I] - which is, more or less, all you would need on the most basic of levels. That sentence was in regards to the storefront / website itself, and not the business as a whole. If you have a website that is professionally designed, and if you can offer your services through the website, you are essentially operating a business, with or without customers. Starting up a business from scratch will always have its challenges. I'm not trying to downplay the complexity of operating a successful business, as I know firsthand just how hard building something from scratch can be, especially when the business in question has so many worthy competitors. The worst thing you can do is underestimate just how much work is needed to build up a successful business. However, you also shouldn't overestimate. Starting up a business can be divided into certain classes. A pyramid of things to do. It's a complicated structure for most, but once you learn how to properly break it down, you'll come to realize how most of the once complicated procedures can be bundled together into a single layer of the pyramid. Marketing and advertising are your two main levels, and both are in direct 'communication' with one another. If you sell cats, you market yourself as a cat store, marketplace or supplier. Your entire operation should be branded to go with your 'cat' theme. Now, when you advertise your cat website onto other similar websites, the people visiting your site will know what to expect. You appeal to their interests. Change this analogy around to apply to web designers and developers. If you create a website, you'll want it to appeal to potential clients, in this case, people looking to get a custom script or design created. Then, once you have a solid representation of yourself, you're ready to go ahead and advertise on relevant websites and services. This, of course, just covers the selling of the services, not the creation or management of them. Since I don't quite know what it is Mark wishes to offer, or what kind of structure he wishes to follow, I can't really come up with a solid game-plan for him to use. I'd have to contact Mark, and get more information about his business before I can offer proper advice. That's mostly why I attempted to simplify my original post, rather than to go into great detail about a business structure I do not fully understand. - Ty H.

[QUOTE=DRServices;41009321]You replied specifically to my quote of[I] "All you really need is a well designed website, a contact form, a portfolio page, and a few "why us" paragraphs spread around the site. Once you have that, you're officially in business"[/I] - which is, more or less, all you would need on the most basic of levels.[/QUOTE] That's the thing though, it's [B]not[/B] all you would need on the most basic of levels. You need to know your market, you need to know who is going to do your design and dev work, you need to have client contracts ready to go so your clients can't fuck you. You need to understand how to communicate and work with clients, or to hire someone who does. You need to understand how and where to find client that fit the market your are targeting. If you want to do things correctly you do need all those, on the most basic of levels. You are not running your business properly if you don't know all of those things. That's all there is to it. You will never be able to boil down a successful web design/dev business to "make a website and advertise it" [QUOTE=DRServices;41009321]That sentence was in regards to the storefront / website itself, and not the business as a whole. If you have a website that is professionally designed, and if you can offer your services through the website, you are essentially operating a business, with or without customers. [/QUOTE] If you have no customers you are not operating a business because there is no business happening. Any kid with a computer can start and operate a "business". That doesn't mean that by putting up a website and calling it a web design business that you are doing it the right way and making sure that you're not set up for failure. [QUOTE=DRServices;41009321]Starting up a business from scratch will always have its challenges. I'm not trying to downplay the complexity of operating a successful business, as I know firsthand just how hard building something from scratch can be, especially when the business in question has so many worthy competitors. The worst thing you can do is underestimate just how much work is needed to build up a successful business. However, you also shouldn't overestimate.[/QUOTE] Nothing I've said is overestimating at all. Have you run a web development business before? [QUOTE=DRServices;41009321]Starting up a business can be divided into certain classes. A pyramid of things to do. It's a complicated structure for most, but once you learn how to properly break it down, you'll come to realize how most of the once complicated procedures can be bundled together into a single layer of the pyramid. Marketing and advertising are your two main levels, and both are in direct 'communication' with one another. If you sell cats, you market yourself as a cat store, marketplace or supplier. Your entire operation should be branded to go with your 'cat' theme. Now, when you advertise your cat website onto other similar websites, the people visiting your site will know what to expect. You appeal to their interests. [/QUOTE] Marketing and advertising are the same thing. I have no idea what point you are trying to make here. This could be summed up as "You have to do a lot of stuff in business but you can group some of it together, marketing is the main thing and you should market your business as what your business actually does". Erm... duh? Of course I'm going to market my cat store as a cat store? [QUOTE=DRServices;41009321]Change this analogy around to apply to web designers and developers. If you create a website, you'll want it to appeal to potential clients, in this case, people looking to get a custom script or design created. Then, once you have a solid representation of yourself, you're ready to go ahead and advertise on relevant websites and services. [/QUOTE] "If you want to sell design/dev services you should make a website that says you sell dev and design services and then advertise it". Already touched on how wrong this is. You need to answer a lot of questions before you even build your own website. [QUOTE=DRServices;41009321]This, of course, just covers the selling of the services, not the creation or management of them. Since I don't quite know what it is Mark wishes to offer, or what kind of structure he wishes to follow, I can't really come up with a solid game-plan for him to use. I'd have to contact Mark, and get more information about his business before I can offer proper advice. That's mostly why I attempted to simplify my original post, rather than to go into great detail about a business structure I do not fully understand.[/QUOTE] You should be asking questions to get the information you need to give better advice then, not giving vague and, frankly, incorrect advice regarding a situation you don't understand. Misinformation is worse than no information.

Just trying to help, since no one else here was offering up anything of value. Figured I'd throw in my two cents. That's all. Didn't expect this to turn into an argument of sorts, so this will be my final post on the matter. - Ty H.

What are you talking about? I told him that the franchise idea was not really how the industry works. How is that nothing of value? You didn't even find out if the OP knows how to design or knows web development before you started giving him business advice, and that alone completely changes what kind of advice he should be getting. Like I said, if you don't have enough information to give proper advice you shouldn't give it at all. it's so much more helpful to start a dialogue with someone and to try to figure out what they are really trying to do than it is to give them basic and potentially non-applicable advice.