Thank you 2015, helloooo 2016!

When one of my favourite bloggers, Carrie Dils, invited readers to review 2015 and post their goals for 2016, I couldn’t resist taking up the challenge.

The date 2015 in bold green text, with the Webscape Gardener logo replacing the zero.

What I’ve achieved in 2015

  • Launched (or re-launched) five websites, including two e-commerce sites.
  • Developed two bespoke WordPress themes (with another few currently in development…)
  • Created several custom plugins, ranging from small customisations like adding shortcodes to creating a searchable members’ directory.
  • Developed a membership section for an existing website.
  • Moved my hosted clients to a better website hosting provider.
  • Developed a more efficient way to create estimates, and moved my invoicing to an online system. This has helped to reduce time on admin and also lets me provide a more professional service to my clients.
  • Learnt lots! In particular, I’ve learned a lot about WordPress plugin development and customisation. I’ve also started to get my head around MailChimp (an email marketing service).

What’s been frustrating

  • I wasted too much time trying to help a company who only cared about price. They couldn’t (or wouldn’t) believe that helping their users was an investment not a cost. I should have spotted it sooner and stepped away (nicely, obviously!)
  • On one project, I did much more work than I’d quoted for because I accepted a verbal brief, instead of getting it all nailed down in writing first. I know better and shouldn’t have let it happen.

Aims for 2016

I want to:

  • Carry on learning and stretching myself.
  • Continue revising my business processes, to make myself more efficient.

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