70-80k Salary, or Go Independent?

[keenstyle1]

Ok,

So I just back from being out of country on a deployment with my states National Guard Unit. My employer didn't hold my job(that's another issue)...

Question, The SEO,SEM jobs around here are paying around 70-80k to start. Web masters I'm talking to locally though are offering SEO to their clients just to get business but don't have the time to devote to it. I figure I can do the on and off site SEO for $200 a month charged to the webmaster, and have possibly get 20 new sites a month.

[Jeff Scott]

Originally Posted by keenstyle1

Ok,

So I just back from being out of country on a deployment with my states National Guard Unit. My employer didn't hold my job(that's another issue)...

Question, The SEO,SEM jobs around here are paying around 70-80k to start. Web masters I'm talking to locally though are offering SEO to their clients just to get business but don't have the time to devote to it. I figure I can do the on and off site SEO for $200 a month charged to the webmaster, and have possibly get 20 new sites a month.

If you have an offer for a salaried SEO/SEM position, you should take that and do your independent SEO work in the evenings (or land a few side SEO jobs and hire a virtual assistant and teach them your style of SEO). That way you can build up enough of a book-of-business and then step into a NICE full time income later on (and have the beginnings of a scalable SEO firm)

[jasondinner]

Originally Posted by Jeff Scott

If you have an offer for a salaried SEO/SEM position, you should take that and do your independent SEO work in the evenings (or land a few side SEO jobs and hire a virtual assistant and teach them your style of SEO). That way you can build up enough of a book-of-business and then step into a NICE full time income later on (and have the beginnings of a scalable SEO firm)

Great advice.

Get guaranteed income from day job so you have less pressure while building your client base in your own business.

[lassitermarketing]

I'm going to disagree. You'll never get rich working for someone else. And with that paycheck comfort comes complacency.

[aslam786]

Job is the best option, and you can work at evening with your clients, so I prefer job first option, some time it is possible that your clients have no projects and this time your job will help you.

[RedEvo]

Originally Posted by lassitermarketing

I'm going to disagree. You'll never get rich working for someone else. And with that paycheck comfort comes complacency.

With small business failure stats running at about 80% plus there's a good chance you won't get rich working for yourself either.

I know people who are having a great life working for other people, pulling a great salary, living in a great house, driving a great car with a great pension pot sitting there for when they retire.

I love working for myself but it's no bed of roses and no guarantee of wealth.

d

[sdkWriter]

Initially, I would take the job AND build my SEO business on the side. Check that. I would aggressively build my SEO on the side. Once I am comfortable that my SEO business model is sustainable, then I would turn in my resignation to my employer and double my efforts on my SEO business. I would focus on scaling it up by using virtual help everywhere I can. Just my 2 cents. I wish you the best with your situation.

[Andy Fletcher]

It's one thing to work as a waiter and do IM on the side but most companies dislike you doing freelance work that's directly in competition with them. So be careful before taking the "work on it in your spare time" advice that's being handed out.

Cheers,

Andy