Or, alternatively, guide me to where I can find the right person.
I’ve got a nascent little business that should be making a few k € a month. In fact, with a bit of aid from someone who knows what they’re doing, would be. There’s also the possibility of it making near €10k a month – that’s something dependent. And I know what I want to do as the next stage, which if successful would be €10k’s (note plural) a month.
So, defnit something, possibly something actually interesting.
It doesn’t require money. Sweat all the way. This line is there not to insist that I’ll not pay someone, but to insist that I’m not looking for money.
Now, to do this next stage I have found someone, someone I know, has the right skills. But they’re ill. Seriously. Like 6 weeks delay already and I need to carry on. Not going to dump them but I do need someone else to come in and do what I don’t know how to do. Also not about to dump whoever comes in. We’ll manage it over time.
So, the idea is simple enough. Create some online traffic that advertisers like – ie, that they’re willing to pay for. Once that exists then get them to advertise, cash the cheques. The basic traffic is created. Enough to be producing those few €k at current ad rates.
Now what I need is someone who grasps how ad code on web pages works. I know which companies to hit for the ads themselves (have a rough agreement etc, rates and so on, they’ll feed ads in, an agency). I’ve the traffic already.
The site running my content has programmers, I have an interface with them. But it’s difficult for me as a resolutely non-technical person to impose my will upon them. For when they say “that’s difficult” I don’t know whether they mean it is, or they’re lazy.
So, someone who knows ad code for websites. To be my enforcer on the site. To be telling those coders “Here’s how you do this, it’s easy”.
Stage 1 is simply to get traffic numbers together, talk to the agency I already know and get those ads on the site.
Stage 2 is that there are some more direct affiliate ads that should also be running. Conversion ratios currently are zero. OK, so sort that – make it more exciting, summat – so that conversion rates rise. We know they should be positive for people run entire websites off only those affiliate ads.
Stage 3 is to beat the coders over the head to change page layout. In order to up traffic (I know, in theory, how to do this. It’s the details of code that escape).
Stages 4 and on are to be revealed. But once I’ve got this sorted as a set and a proposition – CPM ads, affiliate, content, traffic, revenue – there’s an obvious way to ship this out as an offering to others and so multiply that initial content input (hint, languages).
So, anyone here into that sort of thing?
And perhaps the next stage. I’ve never really gone out and hired anyone. I’ve worked with all sorts of people and much of it has been happenstance. I don’t actually know where to look. Or even how. So, anyone know how to go looking for these sorts of skills? Sure, there’re programming skills required in there. But they’re not extreme, this is webpages after all. It’s, perhaps, more knowing what to do than how.
So, if not someone who reads here who wants to join in but perhaps someone who knows someone who would? Or even where and how to find?
My initial thought is that this really isn’t about the code at all, it’s about being a greybeard who knows how to get stuff done. jgh sorta stuff maybe…..
Stage 3 – is this just standard search engine optimisation, or something more complex? Changing page layout shouldn’t be difficult, unless extent of the coders’ skill is swapping WordPress templates.
I have coders. What I don’t have is the skill to manage them – force them. That’s what I need, Someone who knows enough about how to do what needs to be done to bully the ccoders into actually doing it.
It’s quite normal in IT for people to work as contractors.
The default lenght for a contract is 3 months, but shorter ones are quite normal. Default is 5 days per week, but part-time is possible.
The way it works is:
– Client contacts agency.
– Agency looks through its files and contacts likely contractors.
– If that doesn’t work, agency advertises vacancy.
– Agency interviews and filters candidates.
– Client does final interview and selects contractor.
– Contractor does the work, submits timesheets/invoices to agency, which in the meantime bills client.
– Agency takes a cut of 10-15%- or maybe more for a small contract.
Since the detailed doing of stuff is already covered, and you want somone to do oversight, it sounds like it could be a part-time gig. How much is involved? Could someone do it in an hour each evening, alongside a day job?
Doing it as a contract would mean you could drop the contractor when your guy is well enough to resume, with no hard feelings.
So… how to find an agent? Go on the job sites, look for the skills you want, see which agents are advertising for those skills.
Do be aware that for an agent, the usual win is going to be for 10-15% of what the contractor will make in 3 months, with a reasonable chance of an easy extension. And they’ll happily put in the work for 10 such things, 9 will fail, and it’s KER-CHING for the 10th. Your gig would be a small side job, not a high priority. Unless you offer correspondingly big bucks
You might want to think about whether this comes under IR35. My last contract didn’t, by dint of being through a Swiss agency. Dunno how it works for Portugal.
So..websites to look at:
https://www.itjobswatch.co.uk/
to get an idea of the going rate
https://www.jobserve.com/gb/en/Job-Search/
to see who’s advertising for the skills you need.
There are others- but if I put them all in there, your spam filter may block me. I’ll PM you the others.
Feel free to PM me if I can help.
Ah, you’re looking for a coding project manager. I’m not a manager, I’m a do-er. I’m hopeless at managing other people, don’t have the people skills. I’m far too likely to let people have their own way so that I don’t have to go through the confrontation with them. I’ll let people do whatever they want just to get a quiet life.
jgh- have you thought of joining the Metropolitan Police?
@ CJ Nerd, funny but not accurate. The Police love to have confrontations, just selective ones. They’ll bring cups of tea for Just Stop Oil but arrest motorists who try and drag them off the highway. They’ll merrily beat the shit out of the EDL, but they’re literally terrified of upsetting muslims.
I know. I was aiming for funny.