The Ins & Outs of Freelancing
Freelance web designer Cami MacNamara offers practical advice for web designers, solopreneurs, and women entrepreneurs striving for sustainable success with clarity and boundaries. Whether you're building recurring revenue or managing client relationships, you'll find actionable insights to empower your business journey.
Cami and Bringing Up Business host, Kaila Sachse, delve into practical tips for client management, building recurring revenue, setting boundaries, and maintaining mental well-being. They also explore the realities of running a successful, sustainable web design business while balancing life and family.
Cami also shares her experiences with challenging clients and the valuable lessons learned from them. She emphasizes the importance of recognizing when frustration arises and the need for self-care to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
About Cami MacNamara
Cami MacNamara is a longtime web designer and founder of WebCami LLC in Seattle. For over 20 years, she’s built websites for small businesses and nonprofits while raising a family and running her one-person studio. Today, she also leads a community for freelance web designers, sharing real-world advice about balancing business, creativity, and life outside of work.
Q&A with Cami MacNamara
What prompted you to start your own business?
I worked in corporate retail and worked very long hours. I wanted to do something from home and first started a small business with two other moms from my corporate job. This was a great experience that led to me looking for something I could do on my own. That's when I discovered web design.
What did your daily schedule look like back then? And what does it look like now?
My son had a laptop near me and while he played backyard baseball, I did homework after enrolling in web design classes. I volunteered at all his preschools and sports leagues and started getting clients that way.
You opened your business when your son was 5. What did childcare look like at the time?
I live in Seattle. Daycare is very expensive. When I first went back to work, I had a part time nanny at home for about $600 a month. Full time daycare downtown was $1200 a month (this was in the 90s). I was on a waitlist for 5 years to get into the one I wanted. By that time, I was working at home for myself. I would work when I took my son to school and stop when he was done for the day.
Describe the benefits of enrolling your son in various sports programs.
My son is 28 and we are still hanging out with families from Little League. It was a great experience I will always be grateful for. My son played baseball, basketball, soccer and golf. It kept all of us on our toes.
Your biggest business mistake - and how you overcame it.
My biggest mistake was trying to do too many things. Now, I really stick to web design. I don't offer any graphic design or branding, business cards or IT support. Offering too much meant never saying no. That was a big mistake that led to me having 44 projects going at once. It was a very stressful time.
Your most successful marketing strategy, as well as what really didn’t work.
I'm a member of BNI, Business Networking International, and that's been a huge part of my business growth. I've been doing it for 15 years and highly recommend it to anyone that owns a small business. What hasn't worked is paying to attend high priced networking meet and greets. I once did this to meet folks in the real estate space in a neighboring town. I made one good contact but it never led to any business.
What advice do you have for people starting their own web design business today?
Don't offer too many services. Pick one platform and become an expert at it. Join a networking group or attend chamber events in your area. Make friends with your competitors!
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