Hi everybody,
I am planning to start my own web developing business. First, I will be starting off at home and then seeing how it goes and will decide to take it to a bigger level. Keeping in mind the present scenario, web designing and internet based business are proving to be one of the most profitable businesses, but having said that it’s important here to deliver the best. I just want to get as much information as I can and tips before really getting into it. I am planning to start with one or two small projects and then thinking of expanding my business when having enough of work and resource. What do you people think on that?

First of all, I think you should develop your own site in order to show to your customers what you are able to do. (It is your best marketing).

You have a good idea there buddy. Determination and utmost dedication are two very important factors that will outline your success along the way. Goodluck and keep us posted for any development

__________________
http://www.canudo.com.au | http://www.onlinewebmarket.net

You will have to have a portfolio of sites you have already done, showcasing the range of skills and services you have to offer. As cpit stated, your home site will be vital to this.

With the tech involved in web sites nowadays, you will have to have a good skill set. Not knowing what you already know, you should have a good handle on databases, Flash, XML, AJAX, UI design, etc. Having several languages available wouldn't hurt, e.g. PHP, Ruby, Perl, Python.

Get to know some web frameworks, whether it's .NET, Ruby on Rails, Django, et al. This will help speed up your development time and reduce errors.

Security is also a big deal. SQL injection, buffer overflows, and so on are all concerns you need to be aware about.

Don't forget graphic design. If you aren't artistic, then you'll want to hire someone to help w/ the art of a site. And think about getting an account for stock photos, clipart, and other graphics.

You may even want to consider getting some sort of certification or other piece of paper. Though it may not mean much to techie people, other people put a lot of credence in them. Plus, you may actually learn something.

Speaking of that, consider getting aquainted with Photoshop or GIMP (GIMP is a free, open-source competitor to Photoshop, in case you didn't know.) You can use it for editing any photos the client may want and you can use it to draft a prototype for a client; it's faster than trying to hack out all the HTML.

To save money, consider using open-source products. Many times they are just as good as, if not better than, the commercial products. And the community tech support is usually faster than waiting for the company.

That's all I can think of off-hand. Good luck.

__________________
Start Programming with Python-A beginner's guide to programming and the Python language.
-------------
Common Sense v2.0-Striving to make the world a little bit smarter.