Freelance web design under my name or build a brand? | Hacker News Reader

Freelance web design under my name or build a brand?

5 pointsscottnz9 comments

Basically just as the title says. Just looking for some feedback on the best way to set myself up for freelance. While having a brand would be nice, it may be a little strange operating under a brand with just one person in it.

Thoughts??

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I've just started doing freelance programming work with a brand (Sole Propietorship, d/b/a).

One reason I made that decision is that my name is very common and I want something I can tell people that they have a chance of finding with Google.

Another is that if I release iOS apps, I'd rather have my brand on display in the store than my name.

Having a d/b/a also removes on potential trouble spot for companies who are concerned about contractor vs. employee issues with the IRS. Writing a check to Joe Smith is a potential audit red flag, a check to JS Design isn't. IMHO, this is more a perception of an issue than an actual issue, but when you're trying to get business it doesn't hurt to remove even perceived roadblocks.

I try to be very clear on my website that I'm a one-man shop. I don't want anyone to think I'm trying to look bigger than I am. I avoid writing "we," etc.

This is all solid advice. On the last point ("one-man shop"), Jason Fried wrote a column for Inc. on being a one-man company and feeling and fighting the need to exaggerate its size: http://www.inc.com/magazine/201106/dont-exaggerate-your-size...

Thanks for your help - that's a great article!

You're very welcome. Good luck! If you do decide to come up with a brand name there are lots of articles online on methods and things to consider.

I always remember the tale of George Eastman. He was looking for something short, something that was easy to spell and unambiguous to pronounce in lots of languages, and something that meant nothing. The result? Kodak.

Yea for sure. Going into the design industry, I would like it to be something fun and down-to-earth. My favorite (already taken) ones are "Running with crayons" and "Who you know". Any recommendations on favorite articles?

None at hand -- but I do think the Wikipedia page for brand is an interesting read.[1] It has a section on branding approaches and unlike a lot of articles I found on a quick 15 minute Google just now it's refreshingly dry and hype-free.

Having said that about articles, I think for every method that people claim is the "perfect way to come up with a brand", there's a story of brands that became established but had origins that didn't involve mindmapping, brainstorming, SEO tests, research groups and the like. Two examples from the UK, one now a little faded: Amstrad, which is just AMS Trading shortened, AMS being the initials of Lord Sugar, and Virgin, which one of Richard Branson's early employees suggested because none of them had a lot of experience of running a business.

Go for a walk and one might pop into your head. You never know! If you're in NZ as your username suggests (?) then you certainly have the scenery for inspiration :-)

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brand

In my experience working under a business name gives me the flexibility to have diferent team configurations based on the type of client. If it's a bigger type company you can hire people and work under the biz name, and for smaller projects you can present your work as a personal portfolio giving the client a more personal feel.

Edit: DBA type

Once you start getting your work out there your name will become the brand. Of course a brand/biz name that comes up in searches, etc is going to a plus. But also consider how much even for the biggest brands they are defined by the leaders, e.g. Apple: Steve Jobs, Microsoft: Bill Gates, Oracle: Larry Ellison, Linux: Linus Torvalds, etc.

Based on what have been said you could try to establish your name as a unique brand: such as the "CharlesSchwab" for web design or like Donald Trump uses his name for his products.

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