ImageX Blog: Posts in 2010

We have seen the light! Literally. We’ve spent the last 10 years working in the beautiful, oceanside community of South Surrey in an office space that was super cool, but admittedly, a little dark. Some might even call it dungeon-esque. And with our business and team growing, we were packed in like a bunch of peas in an iPod. So it’s with great excitement that we announce our move to a bright and shiny new office in Burnaby. We have twice as much room to stretch our legs and our minds, and we’re soaking in the Vitamin D that comes streaming in the large windows. We’d love to have you come for a visit!

So you’re sitting down to a new website design project. You make some coffee, set up your files, crack your knuckes, and … nothing. Just empty white space – both on the screen and in your head. Or maybe you’re part-way through the project, but haven’t been feeling the inspiration. The muse is off on an extended coffee break and yet the clock is still ticking towards your deadline. Sound familiar? In this blog post I’ll share some tips on awakening the creative beast within and making the most of your billable time. They may not work for everyone, but they’ve certainly helped me tear my eyes away from the peeling paint on the wall and get back to work with fresh energy and ideas. 1. Fill With Content Give your creative side a break. You know all those administrative or non-creative parts of your job you hate but that still need doing? This is the time to do them. For example, if you’re in a creative rut and can’t get out, trying enlisting the content as support.

In my last post, How to Land a Freelance Gig With a Web Agency, I mentioned the love/hate relationship some agencies have with freelance developers. On one hand, they are an invaluable part of the feast and famine cycle of our industry. But they also bring with them risks, which is why agencies tend to screen freelancers pretty closely. But once you, the freelancer, have your foot in the door, you’d probably like to keep it there – and get the rest of your body in as well. For many freelancers, nothing beats being sent regular, well-paying work without having to make cold calls, respond to RFPs or hand-hold clients.

There are many, many perks to being a telecommuter or remote worker. But there are challenges as well, and one of those is the risk you take when you have your clients’ sensitive data on your computer. As a remote worker, the data you store on your machine can be your livelihood, and losing it could be extremely painful financially and professionally. But just as important as not losing it is not letting it get into the wrong hands. It’s amazing how much information is worth these days, and data security is paramount. So what can you do to protect your clients’ data while it resides on your computer? Hide it on the internet One option for those who know they’ll always have remote access to a server is to keep all their data off their workstation. The primary drawback to consider with this option is that a loss of connection will prevent you from working. Secondly, lag could become a problem too. Even with today’s networks, working off entirely remote files can be quite slow.