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In today's economy everyone is trying to find ways to supplement their income they receive from their regular job, or try to replace the income they've lost due to cut backs at their place of employment. For others, they may find themselves looking for a new gig altogether. Despite having the luxury of working in the field of IT, web developers and designers are not immune to the woes of an economy in decline. However, given that the nature of their profession is one that can be practiced away from the office, many developers and designers are filling in that income gap by offering their services for hire on the side.

Despite current market conditions, demand for Web Development and Design work is still pretty strong albeit some jobs might not pay as much as they used to or you would like. While it can be a great way to give yourself a little extra income, there are a few things you may want to consider before embarking out on your own: First, you may want to review your employee handbook or any contracts that you have with your current employer. Most companies install policies prohibiting their employees from holding side jobs that relate to their current industry or position, likewise most companies also have policies that could potentially claim ownership over your intellectual property. Second, work within the confines of a contract. This will help you immensely, as it will help you agree on a level of service with your client, clearly define the boundaries of the project's scope, and set the expectations of compensation and a time table for deliverables.

I would recommend reading the article hosted on reencoded.com Creating a Web design Contract. It provides a great starting point for formulating your agreement on the work to be provided. Third, have a plan worked out in advance to cover any updates/revisions/bug fixes the client might want or need later on. This could be something you work into the original contract as well. Failing to come up with a plan for post-deployment/delivery could potentially hold some serious consequences, such as refusing payment for bug fixes/revisions, or worse.

Lastly, treat your client with as much respect as you would any of your employer's clients while you are at work. If they are satisfied with the services you have provided, they will most likely contact you again in the future for more work or refer you to others. Whether your thinking about taking on the occasional outside project, or jump starting your own independent consulting career, these tips will surely come in handy when starting out. Be on the look out for more in articles to come! If you have any advice or stores you would like to share, please comment below. I would be interested in hearing from you!

Technology client relationship, consulting, contract, customer service, economy, entrepreneurship, it