MLS WordPress Plugin ~ Hopefully you will read this article before you agree to develop a website for a real estate client using a WordPress solution. At first glance there appears to be 100’s of awesome WP plugins to help when developing an MLS (multiple listing service) website. It’s only after you spend about 20 hours of research you realize … Read More
Forecast Budget And Schedule Completion
Forecasting your budget and your receivables is crucial for any business, let alone a small one. And by small, I mean you. You and a ragtag team of merry men that may include a couple of developers and designers. After you ask your client, their budget, you then should ask what their time frame is. This helps in 2 ways. … Read More
Know Your Truth: Developing Strength In Business.
I’m a pretty obsessive guy. This characteristic didn’t bode too well with girls in my high school, but it seems to be working well for me in business. So when tasked with a project, I make sure to see it through to the end, no matter what. I’m a pitbull of web development and project management. I think this obsessiveness … Read More
New Zealand’s Hidden Gem
Over the last couple of days, I’ve been getting email newsletters from, ihiphop distribution. These newsletters took me back about 7 years ago, when Frog On Top was commissioned by Chuck Wilson to develop an all hip hop based, social media network. I knew Chuck from the time I worked with Vin Diesel on his web projects, so naturally I … Read More
Design Versus Development: The Suck Factor.
When I was young, not only did I have to walk 6 miles backwards in the snow to school, but I learned a valuable lesson that things simply look better on TV and that the end product doesn’t always come out the way you envisoned it. I had asked Santa for the Six Million Dollar Man, Misson Control Center. It … Read More
Why a Website Matters For Your Job Hunt
Before the Internet, our biggest concern when applying for a job, other than getting the job, was what paper stock to use for our resume or CV. You can’t use standard white, it needs to stand out…but of course, like everything else, it’s what’s on the paper that counts. Once you figured out the color and weight of the paper, … Read More
You Want A Free Mock Up? Sure, I’ll Get Right On That!
My first job dealing with the Internets was for a company called, CSP Internet. It was based in Victoria, BC. I remember sitting in on a web meeting with a senior project manager and a potential new client. The “client” asked if we could do a free mockup and based on that he would decide if he’d continue on with … Read More
Employer Employee Contract: The 3 Must Haves
Having a contract between you and your “employees” is as important as having a contract between you and your clients. It doesn’t have to be some long winded document, but must include these 3 main points: delivery dates, payment terms and source files. Delivery Dates: We’re all painfully aware that design and development is not a perfect science. Glitches … Read More
Setting Your Price
Finding your place in the market is not an easy task. Charge too much, people will walk. Charge too little, people won’t take you seriously. The latter, is a tough one to learn. I, naively used to think, if I undercut everyone, I’ll do well for myself. Offer the cheapest rates and everyone will come to me. Let me tell … Read More
Setting Client Expectations
Setting a client’s expectations seems like a pretty straight forward thing to do. It isn’t. Some clients, if not most, will always want more than they are willing to pay. Or, they think your quote is too high based on what they want. Because a website is not a physical object they can touch, or drive, or live in…it’s difficult … Read More
What’s Your Budget?
When I was 18, I knew these 2 guys that bought and sold cars. I happened to be looking for one, so they showed me a Ford Escort. They asked me what my budget was. I told, them $1500. Guess, what? The car happened to be $1500. What a coincidence. Turns out the thing was only worth about $800. That … Read More
Be Accountable
Hopefully, by the time you get out of high school you learn that, for better or worse, your reputation is everything. Unfortunately, when you’re young, sometimes you don’t quite get that. The good news is, if you mess up, you’ll probably end up moving to a new town or city when you’re older anyway so you can start over. But … Read More