Hey, 

With all the extra headaches that come with owning my own business, the last thing I want to be is miserable working in it.

A big part of that, for me at least, is working on projects I enjoy.

When a project (and customer) is a great fit — it doesn’t even feel like work.

Over the years I’ve gotten a lot better at spotting good projects (and the bad ones too!), but I’m still not batting 1.000.

One way to accelerate the process is to get really clear about what a “good project” is to you. And I don’t mean having an “idea” of what a good project looks like — I mean a detailed spec of exactly what you’re looking for.

It doesn’t mean that a project has to meet every bit of the criteria, but the more, the better.

So how do you get that granularly clear about your ideal projects? One way is to go through a questionnaire — like this one I made for you (with a little help from AI).

By answering all of these questions, you’ll have a highly detailed outline of the types of projects that are best suited for your needs.

I’ve found that not only does this give you the clarity that necessary, but knowing exactly what you’re looking for seems to make more of those opportunities appear out of thin air.

Maybe you don’t think that’s true — but what’s it going to hurt to try?

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🔥 Inside The Group 

Client communication channels

Simona posted about her frustration with clients contacting her via email, Messenger, Viber, Slack, and the occasional carrier pigeon. How do you ensure clients use the proper communication channels?

Is it too late to become a web developer?

An anonymous member posted in the group about their desire to take the leap and start their first agency... but they have some hesitation. Is it too late to become a web developer?

Footer credits ("designed by" or "website by")

I know we've had this discussion before, but I don't think it's ever been in poll format — which was pretty shocking to see that 70% of people agree on how these credits should be handled.

What other services do you offer?

Jernej asked the group, besides website design and development, what other services do you offer? The comments are pretty interesting to read though!

Outsourcing your accounting

It seems like one of the first things most agencies outsource is their accounting — but Maxime is curious to know how much of that work you outsource? Just taxes at the end of the year, or is your accountant handling everything?

📰 In Other News 

My Project Pricing Calculator

After a very inspiring post by Austin inside the group, I put together a video on how I use my project pricing calculator to save time, be more consistent, and ensure I'm profitable.

Customizing Your Blockquotes

I've not done to many straight-CSS videos before, but I was thinking back to when I got started and didn't have a clue how to make things like blockquotes look better. This video will show you how and give you 5 copy/paste options to use.

Introducing The All-In-One Blogging Pack (by Content Goodies!)

Join me live tomorrow as I interview our favorite copywriter, Abby Wood, about her new all-in-one blogging pack and how it can help you create more powerful content.

🗒 Accessibility Weekly

This week, Amber wrote up a great reminder that we often get wrong...

Divs Are Not Buttons

You can join in on the conversation about this topic here, or see all our past Accessibility Weekly articles.

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👋 Before You Go

Do you feel like you're working 24/7? Maybe not physically, but like your mind is always at work?

Talking with folks in our TABLE groups, it seems like this is pretty common. 

Together we've been sharing ways to combat this — here's a quick rundown:

• Take your work email off your phone
• Try a 2-hour digital detox every day (while you're awake 😅)
• Get outside — especially in nature
• Pursue a hobby that's completely unrelated to your work
• Volunteer in your community
• Plan and look forward to your next vacation (even if it's a day trip)
• Get strict and consistent about your work hours
• Treat yo self

You are more than your work!