SitePoint » Articles » Work-smarter http://articles.sitepoint.com/ 2010-01-19T11:41:19+00:00 SitePoint Being a Kick-ass Employee Chris Roane http://articles.sitepoint.com/article/how-to-be-a-kick-ass-employee Whether you’re in an entry-level position or you own your own business, there are important concepts that you should integrate into your working life. As well as increasing your value in the job market, it also enhances your worth to your current employer. In this article, Chris covers the top five tips for being a kick-ass employee. 2010-01-19T11:41:19+00:00 7 Great Rip-offs—and How to Avoid Them! Chris Gatewood http://articles.sitepoint.com/article/7-great-rip-offs Making sure you’re properly paid for your work is one of the biggest challenges for a web freelancer or small business owner. In this article, Chris describes seven danger zones where you could potentially lose money, and explains how to avoid doing so. 2009-11-19T22:55:52+00:00 6 Ways to Watch Your Web Design Agency’s Margins and Stay Trim Sandy Butler http://articles.sitepoint.com/article/watch-your-margins-and-stay-trim Web design agencies are particularly susceptible to growing pains: if you don’t watch out your costs can rise faster than your revenue. In this article, Sandy offers some great tips to keep your agency’s margins healthy as you grow. 2009-11-12T11:36:47+00:00 Good Riddance to Deadbeat Clients Chris Gatewood http://articles.sitepoint.com/article/good-riddance-deadbeat-clients Legal eagle, Chris Gatewood explains how to eliminate your working life of bad payers. He provides a six-step checklist when devising a standard service agreement, plus some extra tips for countering any objections. Now you can clear your client list of deadbeat debtors forever! 2009-03-12T13:00:00+00:00 10 Tips for Being a Greener Web Designer Matthew Magain http://articles.sitepoint.com/article/ten-tips-greener-web-designer In the immortal words of Kermit, it’s not easy being green—but there are ways you can do your bit for the environment. Here, Matt offers ten commonsense ways to reduce your carbon footprint ... and your energy bill. 2008-07-23T14:00:00+00:00 The Principles of Project Management Meri Williams http://articles.sitepoint.com/article/principles-project-management Did your last project feel like a three-ring circus? Maybe the project was the problem! Finding good projects is a project manager's first challenge, and in this step-by-step tutorial, Meri explains how to find projects, assess them, and get to know the different people involved, before walking through the process of project initiation. Along the way, she introduces tools and best practices that will help you make a success of your next project. 2008-03-25T13:00:00+00:00 10 New Year Resolutions to Boost your Business Miles Burke http://articles.sitepoint.com/article/resolutions-boost-business It's that time of year! Business owners and operators, coders and designers, grab your pens and start listing your new year's resolutions. Miles has ten practical ideas to get you started -- but the sky's the limit! 2007-12-20T13:00:00+00:00 Outsourcing for Great Profits Brendon Sinclair http://articles.sitepoint.com/article/outsourcing-great-profits If you've been toying with the idea of outsourcing work, now's the time to take the plunge! In this detailed primer, Brendon walks us through the process of hiring and working with freelance staff -- from defining your own needs, to tips and tricks for successful contractor management. 2007-10-14T14:00:00+00:00 Learn to Love Complaining Clients Brendon Sinclair http://articles.sitepoint.com/article/handling-client-complaints Who loves client complaints? You should! In this groundbreaking article, Brendon explains the true value of client complaints and, with his step-by-step guide to complaint resolution, shows you how to make complaining clients a part of your competitive edge. 2007-10-07T14:00:00+00:00 Effective Project Management for Web Geeks Meri Williams http://articles.sitepoint.com/article/project-management-web-geeks As web clients expect complete, professional solutions - not just static web sites - your ability to control web projects (if not the universe) is vital. You might be sought after for your technical brilliance, but are your project management skills up to the challenge of delivering what clients want? Here, Meri shows you the basics, and gives you the tools to control the phases of a project, prepare contingencies, manage client expectations, and effectively hand over the finished product. 2007-06-12T14:00:00+00:00