Some choice lyrics:

“no background colors, keep your coding real neat,
tag your look and feel on a separate style sheet…
when you use CSS, you page will load quicker
client satisfied like they eating on a snicker“

Props to MoSerious!!

MTV reality show: The Engine Room

16 people will be flown to New York City commencing on or about July 18, 2008 through on or about August 16, 2008. They will compete in teams of 4 participants each for prizes by creating animations, websites, short films, sound mixes and more

Winning team takes $400k in cash and gear. Casting ends June 30, if anyone is interested in signing up!

You can follow their blog here: MTV Engine Room Blog

The show has a lot of appeal for me, being in the design field - even though I have never been real big on reality TV shows. I just hope there will be more focus on the actual designs and the things the artists and designers are coming up with, and less something like The Real World.

Thoughts?

But then after our talk, I got to thinking about it. Are they actually the same? I know what the client was asking - he wanted to make sure he was getting the ‘professional opinion’ out of me, and I feel I assured him he did get just that. But I couldn’t help continuing to think about the question. Is there actually a difference between the two? Can I personally dislike the way certain things look on a website, but professionally give the opinion that it looks really good?

I think the answer is: sometimes, but not very often. I think there can be some situations in which a professional opinion differs from a personal one. So for example, I might not prefer a particular color over another to go along with part of an overall scheme, but my professional opinion still could be that either will work very well. As designers, for the most part however, personal and professional opinions are one and the same. After all, that is just what we do -our opinion is what we get paid for ultimately.

What do you think?

10. Aren’t you tired of working for someone else? Aren’t you tired of answering to someone else’s demands? Catering to their needs, their goals, their visions? Hoping one day for that raise, or saving precious vacation time for that 2 or 3 weeks away. Well let me ask you this — why are you waiting to flip the whole script around and become that someone else yourself? What’s stopping you now? Is it job security? So-called “stability”?

If you are tired of working for someone else, then take the next step towards doing something about it. Imagine working with your own vision in mind, setting your own goals for your company, and being the person in charge. Maybe that thought doesn’t appeal to everyone - if so, ask yourself why. What are you afraid of? What have you got to lose?

9. Make more money. Of course when you are working for someone else, you’re also making the real money for someone else. How about turning that around, and making the money for yourself? If you are working an 8-to-5 type job, you’re most likely spending your precious time doing tasks and projects that earn you a paycheck. But the real money being earned is not you. The real money is going to the company owners. And you will never have a shot at that real money working as an employer for a weekly check.

Are you worried about the risks of calling the shots and being your own boss? Well I believe both employee and employer shoulder nearly equal the risks, and I’ll explain more on that later in reason #5. But the fact is, when you are slave to a paycheck, you simply limit yourself on earning potential.

8. Savings on gas. Ok this isn’t the most glamorous reason, but it is what it is. If you set up shop working from home, you’ll save money on gas as well as car repairs because you’re not putting all those miles back and forth to work. Just add up what the potential there is for savings. Let’s say you cut your gas costs in half. If you’re spending 2-300 on gas a month, well now you are down to 100-150/month. What could you do with that extra 100-150? I don’t know, you tell me! Invest? Pay off credit cards? Tuck it away into savings?

7. Save on time. So you could potentially save thousands each year on gas if you switch from a daily commute to work-from-home freelancing. But also consider the saving on time. When working full-time and commuting to and from that job, consider the time preparing for work, the time driving back and forth, and all the hours away from home. All that extra time -driving, getting ready, even mentally preparing for your day - could have been spent being productive. In addition, I don’t know about you, but I’m not always my most productive self at strictly 8 to 5 every single day. Sometimes I get inspired or just feel more productive at night. Or early in the morning, or on a weekend. So not only would working from home save on time but you can also potentially make much greater use of the time in which you are actually working.

6. a) You can’t stand your boss. I realize this may not apply to everyone, but for those of you who really have a boss you can’t stand, this reason alone could be enough to propel you to leaving that job and making your way on your own. There’s nothing worse in the workplace than having to answer to someone that you just can’t stand. You can’t stand hearing their voice, can’t stand their jokes, can’t stand having to answer to their demands. Well, imagine yourself not having to deal with that boss anymore. In fact, imagine yourself being the boss. Of your own company. Where you can treat employees the way they deserve to be treated. b) You can’t stand your co-workers. I have to say in my last couple of jobs I have been lucky enough to get along with most everyone I work day-to-day with. But I have definitely been there, as far as having to go in and deal with co-workers that just plain irritated me. And now that I remember a few of those co-workers, I think it could be even worse than having a boss you can’t stand. At least your boss usually has his own office or something and spends his or her time doing other things. But co-workers are always there, always around you, always asking questions about the things they would have known had they read their email like everyone else. Or they’re always doing whatever it is they do that just grates your nerves every time. So there’s another reason. Not convinced yet? Consider the next 5 then:

5. Job insecurity. An article in MSNBC posted today talks about another job in the unemployment rate. Jobs are just not as safe and secure as I think people perceive them to be. Your employer could decide at any time that your services are no longer needed or required. Then what will you do? The news is abundant with stories of companies laying people off. When will your job be next? Will you be ready?

I was talking recently with a relative about going into business for myself. She commented to me that at least when you work for someone else, the employer takes all the risks. I thought about that and although I think she is right about the risks an employer takes, at the same time, the employee has significant risk too - the risk of being laid off or being let go during tough times. So the employee takes on just about the same risk. It’s not as if the employer shoulders the risk on their own - much of that is passed off onto the employees.

The point is, jobs are simply not secure. Holding on to your job because you think it is more secure than self-employment is a bad idea. The fact is, there will always be some kind of insecurity in your work, either as an employer or as an employee. And since both employers and employees carry certain risks, why opt for the risks as the lesser of the two?

4. Motivate yourself to do what you love. This is where the list of reasons really gets good. Because now we start moving beyond the mundane aspects of job markets and saving money and working with people you don’t like — and we instead begin to talk about the more important things in life. What makes you happy? What inspires you? Maybe you love to cook. Or you love to paint. Or you’re great with numbers. If you’re not doing what it is you love, ask yourself, what it would be like to spend the working hours in your life - doing exactly the things you love to do. Wouldn’t that be like a dream?

Nothing is stopping you. Nothing, that is, but yourself. You can do what you love to do, and there is nothing standing in your way between you and that goal, but your own insecurities, or procrastinations, or whatever personal obstacles you’ve placed in the way.

If it means taking a pay cut, consider that it might just be worth it after all. Money isn’t everything. Money just does not buy happiness, not for you or for anyone else. But happiness can and will be found spending time doing what it is you love to do.

3. Once inspired to do what you love, you will find yourself generally living an inspired life. When you find yourself working doing what it is you love, everything in life changes. You just take on a new perspective on life, on a whole range of things. Suddenly you find you have interest in the things that you previously paid no attention to. There is an excitement and an energy that slowly but surely takes over you. Your only regret is that you don’t have the time to get involved in all the things in life you wish you could take part in. You are truly living an inspired life. And how many people stuck doing jobs they don’t like, working for bosses they don’t like, spending all their time and money on maintaining those jobs, can really say that?

2. For your own personal well being - If you are one of the many people stuck in a job you aren’t passionate about, maybe it goes without saying, but it is detrimental to your emotional livelihood, your mental well-being, and even your physical level of healthiness. What happens is you end up carrying the stress and the anger and unhappiness around with you. So for your own personal well being, it just makes sense to work in a field that you are passionate about, and better yet, to become self-employed in that field. Even if you are passionate about a job working for someone else, some of that passion can still be taken away just from the fact that you are not in control.

We spend so many hours out of our lives working. Why not let those hours work to our benefit rather than having the hours work against us?

1. For the well being of yourself and your family - Because it’s just not all about you. Your family and friends will also benefit, from you being a happier person. On a deeper level, isn’t life mostly about serving others? Even if you do not agree with that statement, it’s still not all about how well you can do and how much money you can earn and how wonderful a person you are. But about how you can serve those you love and who also love you. If you can’t find happiness for yourself a compelling enough reason (and I don’t know many people who can’t) - then do it for others. Do it for your family, friends and those close to you.

If you find employment working from home, you will spend less time commuting and preparing for work which will mean more time to spend with family. You’ll save on gas and car repairs which again can be money spent on their well being. You’ll be carrying around less and less anger and stress, the benefits of which inevitably gets shouldered off onto them. Your happiness and well being may not equal their happiness and well being. But it will rub off.

So there you have it. 10 reasons to leave your job, and if not towards becoming self-employed, at least in making the switch to a career doing something you enjoy. The benefits are clearly enormous. What’s stopping you?

But I realize that writing about the practical things such as what type of business structure to choose, or about css and javascript tricks and tips, are somewhat limiting. If the goal is to help on the path to success, then a large part of that is simply to inspire. There is no getting around it - you have to be inspired to reach real success in this. So I will be including not only informational and practical articles, but hopefully articles that inspire and compel readers to action.

If you have any questions or suggestions for the site, leave a comment, or send me an email: eric@digitaldesigndiary.com

So what are the pros and cons between sole proprietorship and LLC? One of the biggest factors is risk involved with your business. As the IRS website explains, LLC business owners “have limited personal liability for the debts and actions of the LLC”. This means that should someone decide to sue you for any problems they want to blame on your company, then you cannot be held personally responsible (liable) for any judgments against you. In other words, you won’t have to pay out of your own personal money, instead, the company is held responsible. That is a very simplified explanation and I would encourage you to read more on it. Another advantage with LLC is that, like a sole proprietorship, the business itself is not taxed on profits. The owner just files taxes normally, and specifies any business income or losses as part of their personal tax return.

The sole proprietorship does have advantages too. The main advantages being lower start-up costs and you can still file the quick and relatively easy 1040 tax form. Plus, you always have the option in the future to switch to an LLC, once you are comfortable with the business and you have things running smoothly.

I don’t foresee my own business remaining as a sole proprietorship forever. At some point I can see where there may be a need to gain some of the protection provided by an LLC, but for just starting out, a sole proprietorship was the quickest and least expensive way of getting started. That being said, don’t take my word for it - do the research and find out what is best for your own business. You need to make informed decisions if you want to succeed - there’s just no getting around it!

If you are starting your own business, whatever type it may be, disaster preparedness is extremely important.  Ok, we all know that right?  But here is what Office Depot’s survey found:  “Four out of 10 (42 percent) of business owners do not have a disaster plan in place”.  Four out of 10! So, what would you do if you lost your computer(s) and all your files in a disaster such as a fire, hurricane, flood, or any other type of disaster?  Would you be ready?

Office Depot’s guide is tremendously useful.  Even if you only skim through this link and put off the work for another day, at least get a thumb drive and make some backups of your important documents.  It’s just the wise thing to do!