I’m wondering if small web dev companies and freelancers in general are seeing their workload affected by the economic downturn.
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December 08, 2008 2:37pm
Subscribe [15]#1 / Dec 08, 2008 2:37pm
I’m wondering if small web dev companies and freelancers in general are seeing their workload affected by the economic downturn.
#2 / Dec 09, 2008 2:31pm
haha, I guess everyone’s still busy with plenty of work
#3 / Dec 09, 2008 3:34pm
I was wondering about this myself. Is this hurting web pros more/less than everybody else?
#4 / Dec 09, 2008 5:24pm
Well for me it is very very very very painful. My day job (at the moment) is as a commercial producer in radio advertising. I make everything from radio adverts to jingles, on hold systems and music for theme parks.
Unfortunately I don’t think I am going to be in that job much longer! Have been doing it for the past 8 years but in advertising we know about a year before anyone else when these kinds of things are going to happen and there was nothing different this time. We are the first people to know when a downturn is coming and this time it has hit us all very hard indeed. I think 2009 is going to be a tough one for me so I am going to have to do some severe thinking about what I am going to do.
That’s just me though.
Best wishes,
Mark
(United Kingdom)
#5 / Dec 09, 2008 5:35pm
The company I work with is actually turning more attention toward the web. They get more bang for the buck when they ramp up their online advertising and promotions. We’re currently in talks with them to expand their web presence, so I’m anticipating a very big 2009. This is a company whose stock has fallen from $38 peak to $5 low and is now settling in at $7. Ouch!
#6 / Dec 09, 2008 5:35pm
FWIW I’m busier this season than I ever have been in 6.5 years of being on my own.
#7 / Dec 09, 2008 8:03pm
FWIW I’m busier this season than I ever have been in 6.5 years of being on my own.
Same for us. We’re busier than ever. Though a lot (but not all) of these contracts did start before the whole credit markets really started tanking.
A couple of our clients are having a little trouble on their ends though. We’re taking it on a case-by-case basis. But, we’ve already had to extend the payment deadline on one account because the client was having trouble coming up with the funds. The client publishes a entertainment magazine.
If the economy keeps going the way it is though, I fully expect the work to slow down.
#8 / Dec 09, 2008 10:31pm
Busy, but it’s taking awhile for upcoming projects to close. No rush jobs.
Interestingly, we run a number of sites that thrive on advertising. Usually it increases this time of year, but this year it’s up a little—but not down at all.
#9 / Dec 09, 2008 11:02pm
Wishing I was busy, but I’m new in the field and still building a network and client base - doubly hard when I don’t speak the local language as fluently as I should.
#10 / Dec 09, 2008 11:19pm
i’m currently working in for an online agency that services the pharma industry. this market seems pretty well insulated from the rest of the economy as we continue to grow at a nice and steady pace.
#11 / Dec 10, 2008 2:14pm
Knock on wood, but I’m pretty busy and booked for the next 4-6 weeks.
#12 / Dec 11, 2008 11:10pm
pretty busy here too. Booked till Feb. And I have more contracts out right now than I could fulfill in the next 6 months…
#13 / Dec 12, 2008 8:43am
Busy here, but my principal client, a minery extractor its with many investment/money capital troubles…
To me, its a little worry, because responds by 60% of my bank account :(
I reduce my prices to stay at my contract with this client by a medium-time period, but i dont think with the things return to normal before 2010…
#14 / Dec 12, 2008 1:24pm
Not enough hours in the day for me but that because they won’t let me hire anyone to help but want absolutely everything. I’d leave and set up myself but right now I am feeling the comfort of being a long term employee in a global company. The ‘home’ projects are ramping up a bit as well with more friends, friends of friends and acquaintances asking about putting their business on the web - so that’s my weekends shot as well…