Zeldman delivers four keys to surviving a bad economy for web designers. Jeffrey Zeldman, founding partner of An Event Apart web design conferences and founder of Happy Cog studios, shares his experience surviving bad times based on starting an agency at the dawn of the dot-com bust in a helpful article at 24ways.org/2008/recession-tips-for-web-designers. Zeldman’s four keys to surviving a bad economy for web designers include simple axioms: do good work, charge a fair price, lower your overhead, and be sure you are communicating with your client.

“Although the recession we’re in now may end up making the dot-com bust look like the years of bling and gravy, the bust was rough enough at the time,” said Zeldman. “Bad times are hard on overweight companies and over-leveraged start-ups, but can be kind to freelancers and small agencies. Clients who once had money to burn and big agencies to help them burn it suddenly consider the quality of work more important than the marquee value of the business card. Fancy offices and ten people at every meeting are out. A close relationship with an individual or small team that listens is in.”

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