Recently I created a template for an eBay store for a client who also happens to be a friend. The eBay store is called Hitch and Tow and they sell hitch products and accessories on eBay. This project was a learning experience because of all the complexity involved with hooking into eBay and that user interface.

The part of the eBay selling template I created can be found by clicking on a live auction item and then scrolling down to the actual description area of the page (You will see the Hitch and Tow header in green). We also reused the template header and modified it a bit for the store header.

It was pretty challenging because you have to code for an environment that you control very little of the elements except for the template iteself, so to test it you have to actually make an auction live to see what will happen.

It also had to work within the eBay bulk program Turbo Lister, which was an additional hurdle, but it can be done. You also have to train the end user on how to work within the HTML of the template. I'm glad it finally worked out so well for my client that he currently uses it for over 200 listings and that total is growing.

So I guess my mission has changed a bit since I took a position at The University of Texas at Dallas.

I started there on December 3rd and am now employed full time doing what I love to do - Web Design!

I'm working in a team environment with a team leader and 5 other coders in the Web Services Department. There are various skill levels represented and each member has their little niche that they excel in.

I (don't laugh) have a Dell laptop that I use in tandem with my Apple Powerbook G4 paired with (2) 19" Dell monitors. Each machine has a 19" to extend the desktop, so it's a sweet setup.

I have dived in and am involved already in 2 major projects as well as having just worked on the Fall 2008 Graduation this past weekend.

The school is on break until Jan. 5th, so I don't go back until then. While I am on break I have started a major re-design job for the Dallas Jewish Community Foundation's website.

I will continue to help my freelance clients finish up the sites I was working on. Then I will take on freelance jobs as I have time available, with the ok of the University.

The opportunity came from a job ad I answered on Craigslist while I was in San Antonio working from the hotel. The benefits are really good and the people I am working with are really nice.

My freelance web design business, GushinDesigns, has started to become a thriving business. I am starting to get many good referrals from family, friends and past clients.

I am almost finished with a new photography site I am designing for a client that does all types of photography, plus I will soon re-design this client's massage web site when we finish with this project.

I have been doing work on the Dallas Jewish Community Foundation's site. They need some fixes and I am mostly doing maintenance work on their site.

I am working for another client on 2 small sites in the building/real estate industry.

For about a month I have been designing for a company called TowerOS. This is a contract type position and I have been working on and off on about 4 projects for them.

There is another client that is in the works for a re-do of his company's site. The company is Ed Brown Distributors and they sell commercial laundry equipment.

I also have another pending client for an antiques business in Jefferson, Texas that will be a new site I will create. It is creeping along and so far we have only met once and secured the hosting for the site.

The important thing is that my invoices are starting to be paid and money is starting to come into the business accounts!

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Put your coins in here!

Got another possible job on the horizon. A good friend of mine, whom we call "Sleeper", told a friend I went to college with to call me about working on their companies web site.

I spoke with him on Friday and we are talking about the project. It is for a company that is involved in the coin laundry industry. i think they sell those big machines you see in a coin laundry.

I should know in a day or so if I will get the job or not.

It sounds like a fun project. It's always interesting when you get a job from someone you are friends with or know from your past. There is always that awkward part about dealing with the fee.

At times people you know expect some type of discount, other times it is all business and this never enters into the discussion.

This is my first post about my web design freelance experience.

I have seen over the last week an increase in potential. I kept getting these little feelers that a number of little jobs were about to start and today I find myself somewhat employed again.

Last week a referral from my sister Myra Moskowitz landed me a small job for the Dallas Jewish Community Foundation working on their web site fixing code and some design issues. I put in an afternoon there on Thursday with the promise of more later in the month after the busy/crazy period is over for them.

Last week there was another referral from my mom working for a friend on 3 small sites. I have done bit of preliminary work on that, but am waiting for the client to get me more material.

Last week I did a short software lesson with a guy I met at the Dallas eBaybes & eMales Meetup.com group I belong to. It was on a Mac shareware program called Garage Sale that I use for listing auctions on eBay. If you have a Mac and do eBay, check out the program as it has a number of excellent features. He gave my business card to a friend and tomorrow I am meeting with the friend to start a small site for an antiques business in Jefferson, TX.

And today my many emails to postings on Craigslist finally paid off. I am starting with a company in Euless, TX called TowerOS tomorrow for a 20-30 hour a week gig designing and coding ecommerce stores. The stores are ProStores, which is an eBay company.

I am also awaiting more work from a client, Joie De Deux, that I have been working for since I was still a student a few years back.

See, when it rains, it pours.

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