Reworking the site

Done a lot of learning in the last few months. Survived the major election season and created a ton of new websites and other such stuff. Learning PHP and MySQL now and expect to be deploying a new version of the site soon. Much better graphics and functionality. Thinking of moving the blog to Wordpress and also deploying a Joomla section of the site. Had experience with both of those and am loving the ease of use. Google blogger isn't bad, but still not as easy to work as Wordpress.

Working on the site

October is a busy month in the elections biz and consequently, I haven't found much time to work on my site to be ready to make the move to freelance full time. This weekend, however, my wife left for the Oregon Coast and I've got the kids by myself. Once they are in bed, there aren't many distractions other than a bit of housework to keep up on, but then it's straight to the computer and staring at the monitor for a few hours. I was up until 1:30 a.m. last night working on the site. I think it's looking really good. I'm tying the blog into the look and feel and really getting the hang of the stylesheets to make it look exactly like I want it to. 

I think the hardest thing, coming from a graphic design background, is learning to work with the code. You can use Dreamweaver and other drag-and-drop WYSIWYG products and never see the HTML, CSS, Javascript, PHP or whatever else you might be using on your site but it makes for painful lessons down the line if  you don't know what the code looks like and what it does. I use Dreamweaver, but I rarely look at my site in the design view. I'm always in the code trying to force myself to understand it and make it work the way that I want it to. I say it's painful because in Photoshop, InDesign or Illustrator all the controls are very much not-code based. They are all in palettes and when you don't like the position of something you just pick it up with your mouse and move it around. With code, you have to be so much more aware of all the other pieces moving around that impact the piece you are playing with at the time. When it all starts to make sense and your site starts to look really good, then it's time to load it in another browser and adjust for that too. 

It reminds me of producing television programs where everything is constantly moving and you have to be on the lookout for so many more things than you do with a straight print product. 

I'm back to working on the site now, but I just wanted to jot down a few thoughts while I had a moment. 

Making time during the transition to freelancing is tough

I'm discovering that it is difficult to make time to build a freelance business while still holding down a full-time job. I want to be free now, but I can't afford it so I continue to work days at my regular job then any available nights and weekends to build my website, develop business templates, line up potential clients, and whip my website into shape. Patience is key, as is planning. Spending time on specific projects when I have time to spend it instead of running after everything all at once is obviously the best way to do this. Having a young family is a challenge too, but once I'm free I hope I have much more time to spend with them. Keeping the dream alive!

Preparing to go look for work

I'm really quite impressed with the resources other freelancers provide to those looking to move out of the regular work force and start their own business. It is proving very helpful in my push to go from the dark side of working for others to the bright side of running my own business on my terms. For example, here's a link to a great article on figuring out an hourly rate to charge, something I struggled with until I found it.

Here's a link to the 101 essential tips for freelancers 

Following is my first draft of a solicitation letter I'll be sending out to prospective clients. I'm not completely satisfied with it yet, but as I tend to always see room for improvement in all my work I think it's a pretty good first start. 

Iron Dog Media is ready to work for you.

Iron Dog Media is relatively new in the world of freelance, but as its owner and caretaker I bring with me 18 years of writing and graphic design experience as well as three years applying these skills to web design and software testing. I have always used the latest versions of Adobe and Microsoft software and am well-versed in their capabilities.

My most recent employment involved working with the Washington Secretary of State's office and Microsoft to build a new online voter registration application and personalized voter information website that interfaces directly with the statewide voter registration database holding close to four million voter registration records. Before that as the public information officer for the City of University Place, population 30,000, I brought to life a community television station in less than two years, building a still-functioning graphic-presentation interface and directing, editing, hosting and shooting video to fill air time. Prior to that, I was fortunate to have worked five years as layout/art director for Flyer Media Inc., which publishes a nationally-distributed bi-monthly aviation magazine called General Aviation News. While I worked there, General Aviation News produced  a 40- to 60-page book for each edition. A string of local newspapers where I filled roles as editor, writer, and photographer round out my experience, all of which I am now ready to bring to your project.

To see some of my work, please visit IronDogMedia.com where you can browse through some of the page layouts I created for General Aviation News magazine and watch a video I produced for University Place Television. I also do photo restoration and shoot stock photography to supplement any artwork needs my clients might have. I continue to manage an actively accessed website for my church, Temple Baptist in Fircrest, WA, as a pro-bono project.

Iron Dog Media is ready to go to work for you. I stand behind my products and strive for your satisfaction at every turn. Let me turn your ideas for reaching customers and building your business into real-life products that will increase your sales and get you noticed.

Please contact me at your convenience using any method you feel most comfortable with. My contact information is below.

Russell Kasselman

Iron Dog Media
russell@irondogmedia.com
(253) 228-1634
http://www.irondogmedia.com

Welcome to Iron Dog Media's blog

For years I dreamed of moving from the work-a-day world of paychecks every two weeks to the freedom of freelancing. Well now I'm doing it. I'm putting the pieces in place to get my feet off the ground and running toward a world where I get to work with clients I choose and bid for jobs the same as all the other freelancers out there.

My dad, who always dreamed of owning and operating his own small business but never did, talks about the idea as if it is would be constant battle against the forces of evil (big corporations) that would hold you down and keep you under their thumb forever. I'd like to go battle the dragons every day and prove my mettle, not just for him or for me but for the long line of independent thinkers and doers that I'm related to. The blood that runs through my veins is crying out for freedom and independence and I can no longer resist the urge to take on the challenge.