I need an advice

Unknown

Hello!

I'm new here. I've been browsing tons of forums for an idea of what to do. I was laid off from my job about 3 month ago. I've been looking for a job since then, but did not even get a single interview. I worked as a web designer for a publishing company for the last 5 years. Looks like www.classiccar.com is an active forum with active members and may be someone has some experience working as a freelance web designer. May be "Swapmeets" category is not the most appropriate for this question, but I want to try anyways to get some opinions before I go ahead with my life. I'm wondering if it is possible in the current economy to find work for a freelance web designer and make enough to pay for rent and groceries. I was able to find a small project on craigslist and I developed a website for a company. It was a small project and took me only a week to complete. I got paid $800 for 1 week of work which is not bad. Please people give me some ideas. I have 2 kids and my wife is out of work as well. Thank you in advance.

Jon B

There are a number of antique (and possibly street rod and custom) car clubs that either don't have a website at all, or have one but don't have anyone to maintain the site. In fact, I am in a local antique club whose webmaster simply has no time anymore, so the website is going into limbo. People are either too busy, or too old, or don't know how to do this sort of thing. This is probably an off-the-wall idea, but possibly someone could hire himself / herself out as a free-lance web designer / webmaster to ten or twenty such clubs, and in return for a modest stipend, would maintain the sites for the clubs. I have no idea how much these clubs might be willing to pay, and they are not rich, but it might be an idea for you.



You might go to the AACA (Antique Automobile Club of America) website and post a message offering your services, and then see what happens. Maybe there's no market for these services; maybe there is. I don't think you have to be a member to post messages there but possibly you do. You can find out: http://forums.aaca.org/ubbthreads.php . I"d place one notice in the "newsletter editors and webmasters" forum and another in the "general discussion" forum.



If there are some "bites", remember that to the clubs, you are an 'unknown', so they may not want to pay you until they're seen your services. Generally, these people are honorable and will pay their bills. You might offer a trial service for three months and then if everyone's happy, you'd continue to work for them. However, if you DO take on enough clubs to make this pay, you will be working EXTREMELY hard, because every club will have several people submitting things they want you to upload "yesterday", and getting them to send you stuff on time will be like pulling teeth. Still, it's a concept that might be worth a try...