I am collaborating on a business project with a colleague and it has been a tremendous help to both of us to have someone to answer to.

We meet at least one day per week to work on our project.  The time we spend together is extremely productive and rewarding.  We expect to roll out the new business next week.

When you are your own client, it can be more difficult to complete tasks and stay motivated, even for those who are usually self-motivated and conscientious. You do not have a client or boss to answer to or give you feedback.

You might think that if you had a business partner you would keep each other on track, but the lack of accountability can cause the partnership to dissolve before it even started.

What is the solution to this?  A support group, a coach?  A list of specific goals and timelines?

Yes, I know, you have a “great idea” for a website business.

I know this because everybody does.

Choose from one or more of my responses/observations:

1. Your idea sucks;
2. It’s not *your* idea — 20,000 other sites are already doing it;
3. The idea is okay but you have no clue how to go about making it into a business;
4. You have zero money to develop it;
5. You made a free DIY website that looks hokey;
6. You have $500 for a website and $0 for advertising it;
7. You think you can get all the traffic you need by doing some SEO magic.

Having the idea does not make the business.
Developing a business takes more than a thought!

Here are some real-life scenarios from my experiences as a website developer:

1. “I want a combination Craigs List and Facebook website, but I only have $500 to build the site and $0 for advertising and marketing.”
2. “I read Michael Port’s Book Yourself Solid and now I want to have a website where I can sell B.S. ebooks, subscriptions, and what-not.  (Note: this scenario only works in a booming economy when people have money burning a hole through their pocket and are looking for any B.S. on which to spend their excess money.)”
3. “I have a great idea for a business and I need the website RIGHT NOW, I need you to make it in 2 days!”  These are the people who never follow through.  They change their mind just as quickly as they wanted the work done.  Building a business takes planning and an investment of time, work and money.  Even if you buy an existing business, you need time to research the financials and negotiate the deal.
4. “I tried to save money by using a cheap overseas developer but ended up with a site that is unusable and have no money left for a real developer to build my site.”  Some overseas developers are great and I subcontract tasks to them, but a non-technical person cannot do this because you do not know how to give them the specs for the project.
5. “I want an estimate for a site.  Before I show you my plans, please sign this Non-Disclosure Agreement.”  Of course I’ll sign your NDA, but I’m amused to see that your plan is to clone someone else’s web business. So I’m not sure who the NDA is protecting…
6. “I have a successful print publication.  Now I want to put it on the web, but I don’t want to invest much money in the online version, so let’s just scan in the publication and post the PDFs  online. Okay, we’ll put it online in a text version but let’s not put *all* the great articles from the publication online, let’s not have user commenting or social networking links.  Let’s make it just like the print version and ignore the way the web works and any revenue we can make with online advertising.  And while we’re at it, let’s make it really confusing for the reader by making it into 3 separate websites.”
7. “I need to get traffic to my site so make my website SEO-optimized.”  SEO is a tool but not the answer to getting people to your site.  You need advertising, marketing and fresh content on your site.  Google AdWords can triple your traffic overnight.

You need a business plan for your web-based business. Try this out on a friend or associate — explain:

• how your website will work,
• who will come to your website, and
• how the website will earn money.

When you discuss this aloud with another person, not just in your head, things become clearer and you may get some feedback about things you had not taken into consideration.

Recommended reading:  The Art of the Start by Guy Kawasaki, a venture capitalist who used to work for Apple.

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I became a web developer in 2004, building sites for a variety of businesses, some brick and mortar storefronts who wanted a “brochure site”, as well as web-based businesses that exist only in cyberspace.

I’ve seen all the mistakes and bad moves my clients made.  I gave advice and made recommendations, but most did not listen.  Most people want what they want, not what works.

Some clients had businesses that could have done very well on the web.  Others had hokey businesses they dreamed up after reading and following Michael Port’s book Book Yourself Solid.

I started my web-based business last fall, but had to take a 2-mo. break to take on a paying project to earn money for living expenses.  In a few weeks I’ll be back to work on the web biz.  I still have some ongoing web dev projects, but much of it will be handled by my new associate.