had a bit of a breakdown yesterday

[KiaKat]

Maybe it's time to find another design field?

The business you're in is known for scammers, sneaks, and sludges. With a customer base like that, you're not going to get quality people coming to you for work.

You're talented. Why not go around to some of the local businesses in your area, offer a deal to revamp their sites for a (small) discount? Rethink who you're going for, and if your business cards can reflect that with no editing, drop a few piles at local places and see what comes back.

Teach yourself something new - creating and modding templates for various content management systems, for example.

I have faith in your abilities. You just need to find a place where they're properly appreciated.

[shopgirl15]

I don't get it, I actually do work at making good designs, and making unique looks...and I am failing. This guy is cheating and lying to his customers, and his business is booming. What the fudge, how is that even fair?!

“The rain falls upon the just
And also on the unjust fellas
But mostly it falls upon the just
Cause the unjust have the just's umbrellas”

― Cormac McCarthy, The Stonemason

[Pixilated]

Maybe it's time to find another design field?

*snip*

I have faith in your abilities. You just need to find a place where they're properly appreciated.

This. I don't understand a lot of the details of what KiaKat is saying (because my knowledge of computers starts and ends with the power button ) but it still sounds like a viable idea. If you can get some dependable clients out of these suggestions, it'll help get your name out there to others of similar ilk.

And when your former "but these are sooooo much cheaper!!" clients come back to you, you can have the satisfaction of telling them you've got all the work you can handle at the moment and they're going to have to find somebody else.

Vindictive? Moi?

[PepperElf]

don't forget though, those scammer companies are local to someone.

meaning that going local-only sometimes means taking a big pay cut... and no guarantee that the customer is going to be less sucky than the others online

[KiaKat]

don't forget though, those scammer companies are local to someone.

meaning that going local-only sometimes means taking a big pay cut... and no guarantee that the customer is going to be less sucky than the others online

Definitely true - Husband is dealing with that, here. But he's learned to price himself appropriately, and that's run off most of the bargain-basement-hunters. Plus, it's a lot more difficult for scammers to get away with the crap they do, when they're just a few doors away. Seraph could have her kids sit on their doorstep with gigantic eyes, asking the chargeback-scammer "why don't you want us to eat tonight?"

Local has its advantages. Husband is actually making more now than he did when he worked online exclusively, and his company now has entirely local clients.

[Pixilated]

Good points, KiaKat. Also, am I wrong in thinking it's easier to suss out who the scammers are when they're local?

*snip* Seraph could have her kids sit on their doorstep with gigantic eyes, asking the chargeback-scammer "why don't you want us to eat tonight?"
*snip*

That's evil. And great.

[Zapper]

You could look to a new niche. Example: There's quite a few webcomic creators, many of them quite talented artists and writers, don't know JACK about building a website - even starting the process. Reach out to those communities, and you might hit pay dirt.

[Seraph]

Maybe it's time to find another design field?

I'm trying to. A major issue is the fact that I don't code, so I need to either round that out, find a job where it's not necessary, or find a set of coders.

You could look to a new niche. Example: There's quite a few webcomic creators, many of them quite talented artists and writers, don't know JACK about building a website - even starting the process. Reach out to those communities, and you might hit pay dirt.

True, been trying to get more into small businesses. Hard to do that, though....they're all strapped for cash and kinda back off when I quote what is actually a low price for things. =/

[KiaKat]

I'm trying to. A major issue is the fact that I don't code, so I need to either round that out, find a job where it's not necessary, or find a set of coders.

*psssst*

Remember what I'm doing now? Yahuh. Working towards a freelance setup, as well as working for Husband's company. Let's talk.

[Seraph]

*psssst*

Remember what I'm doing now? Yahuh. Working towards a freelance setup, as well as working for Husband's company. Let's talk.

Veddy good point. <.<

[Zapper]

I'm trying to. A major issue is the fact that I don't code, so I need to either round that out, find a job where it's not necessary, or find a set of coders.

I know exactly what that's like. I breezed through my graphic design courses, picked up some design jobs and won a couple contests, but most people want someone who can code it all, too, and I just don't have that knowledge. The only programming course that was available at the time focused on HTML and was run by the college's curmudgeonly webmaster, whose magnificent interpersonal skills saw all but THREE of the twenty in the course drop it before the end. I wound up building a site, but damned if I could repeat the act.