web development start up- seeking professional advice

[galapogosgill]

So I have been designing, administrating, and developing websites since 2004. For the past year I have worked independently, building CMS sites.. PHP/MYSQL.... User created content sites, blogging.... LOTS of demand. A lot to still learn too.

SO

My workload is getting out of hand. Here are my thoughts, and I am wondering if any seasoned vets can chime in.

Should I create a business, with website/explaining rates, paying taxes, yadda yaddy yadda? so far it has all been word of mouth and under the table.

What most excites me about starting a business is being able to hire interns. Maybe a PHP programmer / partner. This could get complicated...

should I keep it simple and under the table? Or is it best to grow with the demand/ business? I need to hire a lawyer I have discovered.

Help me out folks, I am just starting!!!

Thanks,
JG

 

[DoFoT9]

hey there, i am by no means a business person or anything (still in uni infact) - but i think starting your own business would be great! advertising will play a critical role and will bring in lots more people with big needs (i.e. more money for you).

you should definitely try starting it up, it could lead to some very nice places

 

[nomade]

I've been trough a process very similar to yours. I have been doing website for years in my kitchen on the black market in complete happiness.

Four years ago I decided that I wanted to work on bigger projects so I create a formal entreprise, declare my income and employ a php programmer and a graphist.

By now, I spend more than half of my time filling paper for administration and being on telephone for new contract. My income have increase by 10 folds but I don't that much more money in my pocket and, even more important, I do less and less programming wich is my main interest in life.

So was it a good decision ? I'm not sure, but a surely regret the happy years where I was programming nice crafted PHP script in my kitchen.

 

[afallnstar]

I've got a few ideas for you, I sent you a PM

 

[Olivier L.]

So I have been designing, administrating, and developing websites since 2004. For the past year I have worked independently, building CMS sites.. PHP/MYSQL.... User created content sites, blogging.... LOTS of demand. A lot to still learn too.

SO

My workload is getting out of hand. Here are my thoughts, and I am wondering if any seasoned vets can chime in.

Should I create a business, with website/explaining rates, paying taxes, yadda yaddy yadda? so far it has all been word of mouth and under the table.

What most excites me about starting a business is being able to hire interns. Maybe a PHP programmer / partner. This could get complicated...

should I keep it simple and under the table? Or is it best to grow with the demand/ business? I need to hire a lawyer I have discovered.

Help me out folks, I am just starting!!!

Thanks,
JG

I have no idea how this is in US, but in Europe they are companies specialised in assisting you doing business. They handle for example your tax declaration, billing your clients and all official documents (in exchange for a percentage of your money), and you can focus on the technical work and finding clients.

This is often used by free-lance translators, to transition smoothly (in a year or two) between being an employee and a full fledge free-lance.