Comments on: #35 Brendon Sinclair’s Business Mix - 15 May ‘06 - Secrets of a Successful Web Development Business

by: How do you approach local small businesses for work? « Dreamwalkn in Vermont

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 21:11:15 +0000

[…] Here’s a podcast interview I did with a guy called Billy Kirkley who built his web business up from a 1 man band to 9 people in 11 months and he (rightly) gives all the credit to me after he read The Web Design Business Kit - ;o) […]

by: Gabriel Goldenberg

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 05:00:20 +0000

Fascinating points discussed above. I’m going to download this an listen to it tomorrow afternoon. BTW, Brendon, you should have SitePoint include the SEO letter you send to prospects in the Kit. I don’t think mine had one, and as I’m an SEO rather than a designer, it would have been great to have!

Keep up the great work!

Regards,
Gabriel Goldenberg

by: Fraser

Thu, 25 May 2006 07:40:05 +0000

Thanks Billy, I’ll give this a try.

by: Billy Kirkley

Fri, 19 May 2006 04:34:10 +0000

Hi Fraser,

To start with the best way to get into outsourcing is to find a web design firm that will ghost write for you. This will allow you to learn the process of dealing with a large job using the experience of someone that has done it a few times before. It’s also a quick way to see how a team of developers works. A good rule of thumb is to charge a 20% project managment fee on top of what the web design firm is charging you.

Normally you should get the job done for 20% less than the design firm would do if they were dealing with the client … because they don’t have to deal with the client. So donlt worry about being 20% more expensive than everyone else … I hope that is clear

I have 3 designers that I do this with and they are very happy to spend the time with clients while my staff are kept busy building sites.

Clients love dealing with a project person that not only knows about programming but also knows how to project manage. That will give you the cutting edge over allot of the project managers that just know how to sell but have no idea baout what they have just sold.

I hope that helps

Billy Kirkley

by: Fraser

Tue, 16 May 2006 08:54:00 +0000

Really enjoyed the podcast there is some great information in there, thanks!

I would love to hear a bit more advice on outsourcing, recently I have been turning away work as I can’t figure out how to control the outsourcing and how to run the job when I’m not doing the development.

by: Tailored

Mon, 15 May 2006 12:59:40 +0000

Thanks Mike

Yep, although Billy is a very straight up guy I think he tones it down a fraction for clients.

There are lots of different pricing strategies - this one works for Billy.

I loved Billy’s advice - just pick up the phone and tell people you have a (better) solution for them. Simple and effective stuff.

Brendon

by: Mike Cartmel

Mon, 15 May 2006 07:38:28 +0000

That was a great interview with Billy Kirkley. Two things he said really surprised me as they ran contrary to what I’d believed to be the case.

1. Phone clients up and tell them their site is crap. (I’m sure he doesn’t say crap but I got the point) - I thought that this was not meant to be a good idea as you are telling the client that their judgement is crap.

2. Cost the site based on how long it will take to do - I’d thought that the thinking was to cost sites based on worth to the client..

As Billy obviously knows what he is doing it may be time to re-think my strategy on these points!

Once again, excellent interview.