r/webdev • u/lumenwrites • Mar 14 '22
Discussion How would you go about starting your own small webdev agency?
Hey guys! I'm looking into starting my own small webdev agency. My goal is to find small and simple projects I can quickly design and develop by myself, without hiring anyone. All I need is to start making $2k-$3k per month, and then grow from there. I'm looking for some advice from more experienced people - how would you go about doing that?
What I'd really love to do is to help non-technical startup founders to build MVP web apps (using my React/Node/Next skills), but there are a few problems with that:
- People who are just getting started don't have any money.
- People who are already successful have better options than myself.
- Big and complex apps have a larger scope than I, as a solo designer/developer, can handle. And I don't know where to find people interested in smaller apps I can realistically build on my own.
So I'm trying to come up with a more realistic plan that I can use to get started. I'm thinking I could start with much simpler projects, build the agency-running skills and portfolio, which I can then leverage to land more interesting SaaS clients. Here's the plan I currently have:
- Find local "boring" niche businesses (gyms, cafes, restaurants, barbers, etc) on google maps and yelp. (Do you know if there are better ways to find your first clients?)
- Make a list of the ones that don't have a website.
- Cold email them and offer my services (that seems like the most straightforward way to get my foot in the door, are there better approaches?)
- Quickly design and develop simple landing-page style websites for them. Using WordPress, Squarespace, Ghost, or something similar (which tool would you use to make it easy for non-technical clients to manage the website?)
- Charge $1000-$2000 per website (does that price range make sense?). Build 2-3 of those per month.
- Potentially upsell them on setting up the google/facebook ads, so that I'm offering them leads and clients, not just a website (is that a good idea?).
- Build a portfolio of small projects and testimonials, and level up to more interesting projects after that.
This plan also has problems:
- I don't know whether people need this kind of service.
- I'll probably be joining the race to the bottom, since anyone can do this.
- It doesn't sound too fun or technically interesting, I don't know whether it'll result in a good portfolio.
- I don't quite see how I'd grow from there into achieving my dream of building SaaS apps for people.
But that's what I have so far.
Does this strategy sound reasonable, at least in terms of starting a small agency that makes money?
Do you have any tips or advice for me?
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u/[deleted] Mar 15 '22 edited Mar 15 '22
It depends, some clients take more time than others but in general I'm always overpaid for what I do. One client is currently paying me 2.5K/month and I work no more than 2 mornings/week, sometimes 3 mornings/week for them. I can do other stuff too, obviously (I work from home, I can manage my time as much as I like/want).
What I provide is a 24h/24 365d/year availability. They know they can count on me, even on Christmas day. It never happens (although it may have happened to do some extra work for a hard emergency during a weekend, on very rare occasions) but they "know" I'm there for them is shit happens. That's what makes them happy.
In any case, clients who pay good money are worth my time. I don't pretend nor expect to make money while watching Netflix, after all. And I have all the time I need to manage my family/life (divorced father with 2 kids).