I love my current desk (got it at Staples for around $100 — great deal!) with built-in sliding keyboard tray, two drawers, and two hidden hanging file cabinet wells. It’s simple, good amount of space, and has great storage. Perfect for limited space in a home office.
BUT, this thing really makes me want to upgrade. So nice and clean with super cleverly thought out nooks and trinkets. It’s great to see a desk that’s truly been designed from the ground up.
This beautiful piece and a great ergonomic chair and I’m set. Maybe it could increase productivity along with comfort? Maybe I’d have a hard time pulling myself away from my desk? Maybe that’s not such a good idea after all.
A List Apart is doing the survey thing. Hop on over here to add your two cents about your job in the web industry.
It’s always very interesting to see how you compare to others working in your industry. I imagine the results will help a lot of us learn how to make more money and stay happy in this quickly changing field. I took the survey; you should too! Continue reading Take the Survey! »
Andy Rutledge has posted a very handy article about Pre-Bid Discussions. He makes it clear that defining the terms of a successful project and sticking to those terms is the only way to avoid projects that turn sour.
The point is that you have to define success for yourself and aim for nothing less than success every time. But if you don’t have a definition for a successful project, how can you expect to ever have one?
My friend Zane Safrit is a word-of-mouth (WOM) master and consistently posts insights on the importance of customer service for all kinds of businesses. In keeping with my July 7th post, Competing with the big firms, I couldn’t help but share this fantastic tidbit from Zane’s most recent post; a quote from Colleen Barrett, CEO of Southwest Airlines.
We are not an airline with great customer service. We are a great customer service organization that happens to be in the airline business. We’re a customer service organization who just happens to fly airlines.
This article posted by FreelanceSwitch yesterday (yes, they’ve had a lot of noteworthy posts recently) has generated quite a bit of interest. If you read through the comments, it’s a very interesting discussion, and provides some great insights into the lives of different kinds of freelancers.
What drew the most heat was author Jeffery Way’s 24/7 customer service approach which has won him some large clients. As he said in an email which got him the gig:
I will be personally available to you 24/7. If you need a quick change to the site at 10:00 at night, it’ll be taken care of. If you need me to communicate with your print designer in the very early morning, it will be taken care of.
FreelanceSwitch posted a very good article today (What To Do When Clients Say X But They Really Want Y) about how to go beyond what a client is able to tell you to truly understand their needs. Most clients can tell you of another site they like and ask you to copy it, but they often don’t understand why they like it or how it may or may not work with the content and functionality of their site.
[The client] associated Amazon with easy navigation, good style and a professional look. So what he was really looking for deep down was not a specific type of navigation bar, but these three simple things: a website that was professional, easy to navigate and stylish. After I understood his true needs and explained to him that I could arrange for those needs to be met without an Amazon-copycat design, he was delighted. The client ended up doubling my quoted rate because he was so happy with the results!
Working from home has its perks. Flexible hours, no commute; all good things. But with very little reason to ever leave your cave, it can be a somewhat depressing existence too.
We are not an airline with great customer service. We are a great customer service organization that happens to be in the airline business. We’re a customer service organization who just happens to fly airlines. 
