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Everyone around me wants to learn web development. What should I do?

by wordpressmania
33 replies
I am doing web design and development around 6 years now..... At the begining I had to pass a hard time but I now I getting clients and doing fine.....

Everyone around me including my neighbors and friends now want to learn web development and I see people think they will be able to do something better than me within short time. But they do not realize I invest a huge time here to learn it and make a good reputation among my clients... But I really does not feel good as I can not say no directly and I do not have enough time or mentality to teach them as I have to work 12 hours a day.... Also I do it a fulltime basis and they want to invest 1 or 2 hours a day to learn it... IN my opinion it is impossible to learn development by investing that time here....

I am sick about it.... What can I do?
#development #learn #web
  • Profile picture of the author Morten V
    Only you can decide what you have time to. Do what you feel you have capacity to do. If you can't do it then just tell them the truth as it is, strangely it always seem to work.
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  • Profile picture of the author mattyprimmer
    Just ignore them. When I started online no one believed I'd be able to do anything with it. They said it's a long shot in the dark and I'm wasting my time! That hurt!

    Now after years of intense hard work I make a living even if I don't get out of bed. The funny thing is, they think I just stumbled upon some magical way to make money on the Internet one day. They somehow forget that I was that weirdo that didn't do anything but work for years. Now all of those people that doubted me want to learn how to do what I do because IMO their lives kind of suck.

    The best was my brother - he is thinking of moving away and he said, if I could do what you do then there would be a lot less stress on me when I move because I could just do what I want and not have to worry about money - Can you teach me? I laughed in his face.

    I don't even know if it would be possible to teach people exactly what I do. Maybe bits and pieces, but in this business you really have to want it bad enough. The info is all there - it's just about doing something with it!
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  • Profile picture of the author cashcow
    Maybe you could help them and yourself at the same time by telling them the only way to learn is by doing and then having them work for you for free.

    That way you can teach them the ropes and get something out of it for yourself.

    I the beginning it might take a bit of time to train them, but train them on the easy stuff first so it doesn't take so much away from you.

    The ones that really want it will stick it out and learn, the ones that think you have some sort of easy magic button won't make it past the first few days.
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    • Profile picture of the author goindeep
      Monopoly... hehe

      Charge for classes.

      When they have learned enough outsource small projects and tasks to them.
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    • Profile picture of the author wordpressmania
      Originally Posted by cashcow View Post

      Maybe you could help them and yourself at the same time by telling them the only way to learn is by doing and then having them work for you for free.

      That way you can teach them the ropes and get something out of it for yourself.

      I the beginning it might take a bit of time to train them, but train them on the easy stuff first so it doesn't take so much away from you.

      The ones that really want it will stick it out and learn, the ones that think you have some sort of easy magic button won't make it past the first few days.
      Every client is very important to me as they are the source for my next project... If anything done unprofessionally I will loose them... I have 4 people working for me... But I had to check everything before the project completed.... as I need quality..... Think someone it really new and wasted my time without a very buggy codes then what will I do with that? I will loose time and it is really hard to fix bugs than that of creating a new one.... So actually it is really impossible to get your web design or development works done from a newbie... It will just waste your time...
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  • Profile picture of the author sbucciarel
    Banned
    I wouldn't be sick about it. It's your time and your business. Anyone who really wants to learn it, can easily do so the same way that you did. It's not something that you can show someone in a few hours. Don't waste your time. Take care of your business and if they don't understand that, they're not very good friends to start with.

    You can show them online tutorials and tell them to roll up their sleeves and dig in and learn it if that's what they want to do.
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    • Profile picture of the author cjreynolds
      Musicians get that alot :rolleyes:

      "If you could just show me a couple of chords, I know I can pick this up in a day or two!"
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      I just added this sig so I can refer to it in my posts...

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    • Profile picture of the author wordpressmania
      Originally Posted by sbucciarel View Post

      I wouldn't be sick about it. It's your time and your business. Anyone who really wants to learn it, can easily do so the same way that you did. It's not something that you can show someone in a few hours. Don't waste your time. Take care of your business and if they don't understand that, they're not very good friends to start with.

      You can show them online tutorials and tell them to roll up their sleeves and dig in and learn it if that's what they want to do.
      Thanks, I will recommend them for some online courses so that they can feel it will take time to learn it and it is some kind of valuable thing that should come after some time investment, whether it is money or time...
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  • Profile picture of the author jvreview
    Even if you can help them, they won't value it if they get it from you free. Charge them or refer them to learn from courses. Most of them will give up once they find it requires more than what they're willing to put in.
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  • Profile picture of the author Randall Magwood
    Charge them... expensively too. Don't work for free... not enough time in the day for all that.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
    Invite them over for training...1 hour training sessions 2 or 3 nights a week.

    Charge $47 or $97 or whatever you're comfortable with a head.

    Show them how they can make money with these skills--far more than their $250 or $500 investment.

    Keep the money for yourself this way.
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    • Profile picture of the author wordpressmania
      Originally Posted by Jason Kanigan View Post

      Invite them over for training...1 hour training sessions 2 or 3 nights a week.

      Charge $47 or $97 or whatever you're comfortable with a head.

      Show them how they can make money with these skills--far more than their $250 or $500 investment.

      Keep the money for yourself this way.
      You know people around me will not be able to pay me enough and I am not that prepared to teach people at this moment..... Personally I can learn things so quickly regarding web design and development as it is this where I live.....

      I will have to invest time to make a organized way to teach newbie and it needs time...
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      • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
        Originally Posted by wordpressmania View Post

        You know people around me will not be able to pay me enough and I am not that prepared to teach people at this moment..... Personally I can learn things so quickly regarding web design and development as it is this where I live.....

        I will have to invest time to make a organized way to teach newbie and it needs time...
        You complain it takes time...

        ...but if you were smart, you'd be training your outsourcers.
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      • Profile picture of the author Cali16
        Originally Posted by wordpressmania View Post

        I will have to invest time to make a organized way to teach newbie and it needs time...
        It's commendable that you truly care about them and not hurting their feelings. However, if you're already working 12 hours a day, they are NOT showing any real regard for you, your business, or your feelings.

        There are plenty of free tutorials on YouTube and other places that teach people how to build a website, as well as a plethora of things related to web design. Write down a few things for them to find and start learning. If they are truly motivated, they can take it from there and find all the information they need online - IF they are willing to work.

        Most likely, after watching a couple of tutorials and realizing that there is a lot to learn and a lot of work involved to get to your skill level, most, if not all, will decide it's not for them.

        I would not waste your already very limited and precious time on developing a course for them or trying to teach them yourselves - at least not until they prove themselves to be genuinely willing to put in the time and effort to learn. See how they do with the "assignment" I suggested above - make them earn your time (should you choose to make time for teaching them or creating a course for them). Otherwise, you're just going to get burned.
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        If you don't face your fears, the only thing you'll ever see is what's in your comfort zone. ~Anne McClain, astronaut
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        • Profile picture of the author wordpressmania
          Originally Posted by Cali16 View Post

          It's commendable that you truly care about them and not hurting their feelings. However, if you're already working 12 hours a day, they are NOT showing any real regard for you, your business, or your feelings.

          There are plenty of free tutorials on YouTube and other places that teach people how to build a website, as well as a plethora of things related to web design. Write down a few things for them to find and start learning. If they are truly motivated, they can take it from there and find all the information they need online - IF they are willing to work.

          Most likely, after watching a couple of tutorials and realizing that there is a lot to learn and a lot of work involved to get to your skill level, most, if not all, will decide it's not for them.

          I would not waste your already very limited and precious time on developing a course for them or trying to teach them yourselves - at least not until they prove themselves to be genuinely willing to put in the time and effort to learn. See how they do with the "assignment" I suggested above - make them earn your time (should you choose to make time for teaching them or creating a course for them). Otherwise, you're just going to get burned.
          Thanks for your reply... It is genius. Definitely I will follow your suggestions.
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  • Profile picture of the author nicholasb
    create an info product and sell it to them
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  • Profile picture of the author Walter Parrish
    Originally Posted by wordpressmania View Post

    I am doing web design and development around 6 years now..... At the begining I had to pass a hard time but I now I getting clients and doing fine.....

    Everyone around me including my neighbors and friends now want to learn web development and I see people think they will be able to do something better than me within short time. But they do not realize I invest a huge time here to learn it and make a good reputation among my clients... But I really does not feel good as I can not say no directly and I do not have enough time or mentality to teach them as I have to work 12 hours a day.... Also I do it a fulltime basis and they want to invest 1 or 2 hours a day to learn it... IN my opinion it is impossible to learn development by investing that time here....

    I am sick about it.... What can I do?
    see these are the reasons i no longer care for offering hosting to more than 10 people or designing lol. I didn't really think about how difficult web design would be to teach someone until this year, so with my lists the last thing I show them is hosting.

    anyway, what I would do in your case is offer classes and charge, explain to them that you are walking away from your business to train them and need to be compensated. that way you can at least outsources some of work to make your days lighter.
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    • Profile picture of the author wordpressmania
      Originally Posted by Walter Parrish View Post

      see these are the reasons i no longer care for offering hosting to more than 10 people or designing lol. I didn't really think about how difficult web design would be to teach someone until this year, so with my lists the last thing I show them is hosting.

      anyway, what I would do in your case is offer classes and charge, explain to them that you are walking away from your business to train them and need to be compensated. that way you can at least outsources some of work to make your days lighter.
      I am thinking about it seriously at this moment... At the beginning I was not thinking it to make a course but your replies makes me feel to do something like courses..But it will take time for me...

      P.S. I just joined on your list
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      • Profile picture of the author Walter Parrish
        Originally Posted by wordpressmania View Post

        I am thinking about it seriously at this moment... At the beginning I was not thinking it to make a course but your replies makes me feel to do something like courses..But it will take time for me...

        P.S. I just joined on your list
        yea, I know how it can be training people frustrating for them and yourself. I was thinking to offer hosting, but after reading WF I was thinking it would be a full time job, because everyone was like just go into fantastico and click install lolol it's easy. so, I knew then it would be a full time job. I've read on some parts of the forum where folks are saying just upload a file and you can sell them and I've seen plenty of files and plenty of unsecure sites on the web. I'm definitely not an expert at security I don't think anyone can be, but it's shocking to see these major corps leaving so many openings that come right up in a google search.

        I won't even talk about site design and all the time going into it only to have someone at the last minute say they want everything on the left or they want it a certain color at the last minute lol. I guess that's easier under wordpress though, which btw I'm still learning. The best thing is I know what I want and only have to find it.

        Thumbs up on joining our list, we won't be hitting you with 5, 10, 20 times a day like some of these warriors. My goal is just to help folks get the basics down, so they can start making some money. We will be covering the following for starters and notice where hosting is lolol;

        Affiliate Marketing Profits ============> 7 lessons 7 Days
        Basic List Building Strategies ========> 5 Lessons 5 Days
        Blogging From The Beginning =======> 5 Lessons 5 Days
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        Introduction To Niche Marketing =======> 6 Lessons 6 Days
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        How Web Hosting Works ===+========> 5 Lessons 5 Days
        Understanding Backlinks ============> 5 Lessons 5 Days


        ps I was looking at your site and all I can say is Nice!!! I bookmarked it and will check it out more later.
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  • Profile picture of the author kolled
    It's funny how people recognize something only after it works. They don't seem to remember all the time and work that went in training, long periods of being broke and trial and error. You need to tell them the truth about how involving it is to train for web development work.

    They may dislike the explanation, or probably hate you for "blocking their ambitions", but at least you would have told them the truth.
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    • Profile picture of the author Walter Parrish
      Originally Posted by kolled View Post

      It's funny how people recognize something only after it works. They don't seem to remember all the time and work that went in training, long periods of being broke and trial and error. You need to tell them the truth about how involving it is to train for web development work.

      They may dislike the explanation, or probably hate you for "blocking their ambitions", but at least you would have told them the truth.
      well, one things for sure and that is it all begins with the first step. I try to think about everything that way these days. if I sit there thinking how tough it's going to be to make 10 squeeze pages, then I would never get sell anything.
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  • Profile picture of the author vCr8
    Charge them, if they are not willing to pay for it then it is their loss... You are working too and your time and effort is valuable. They are well aware that. They can use the skill you taught them to earn money online, if they are not willing to invest on it then it only means it is not business for them. Just give them the address and numbers where you learned all you know now.
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  • Profile picture of the author AlbertGA
    outsource some work to them for free, and teach them how to do this.

    they will learn and you get your work done paying nothing.
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  • Profile picture of the author therichb
    Stop being scary of what others think... This is what everyone will do & if you can lose your way, it will be your loss.....

    Try putting concentration on how to utilize this way, people are agree to learn from you, they can even pay you for what you are teaching .... So u know you can create your own teaching series to bring people to learning & a master never share their secrets but only basics
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  • Profile picture of the author Ninja Ana
    Utilize them, what I mean, create a team and you're the boss, in that way, you multiply yourself and create more passive income.
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  • Profile picture of the author unlimitedmarketing
    Tell them to go to lynda.com and pay the monthly fee. Once people realize that it takes money, time, effort and complexity they will leave you alone. Most of them are curious and not serious.

    I would not just allow anyone to work with you, it could mess up your reputation. Choose them carefully and make them really PROVE that they are serious and committed. People lose interest quickly once they realize it is not a piece of cake. Trust me.
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