Lately, I've been playing around with https://draftin.com/.

I was going to list some of the features but there are a lot, and this page already lists all of them: http://docs.withdraft.com/

Highly recommend checking it out.

I'll leave out personal subscriptions, but when it comes to business subscriptions you need to know the ROI you're getting from that product or service. If I spend $100 a month on a tool that saves me even a couple hours of work and/or makes me more money, then that tool is an investment in my business. Every tool you subscribe to should have to prove a return for your business, if it doesn't then what's the point? Give yourself a subscription audit and really make those tools prove their worth to you.

I think website-builders can be a perfect fit for some businesses.

As other comments have noted, If a business just wants a mostly static informational site then there really isn't much point charging them a bunch for it. Help them get started and take a small fee for your time.

Or... if you don't want to mess with those types of clients at all, you need to position yourself in a different manner and choose a market that needs (and values) custom web solutions.

Most of these web-builders are great when it comes to simple functions like social-sharing and basic blogging, but begin to really break down when it comes to complex layouts and marketing funnels.

I think web developers are going to play a slightly different function as more of these platforms pop up. Even now, I'm starting to think of myself as more of an online business consultant than a web developer.

Man, I still can't get used to using Twitter for news. I feel like I'm trying to grab a constantly moving target. :-P

With RSS I get a satisfying feeling when I click the "mark all as read" button.

Feedly –> Pocket

Works great for me. I plow through ~250 articles a day and save the ones I want to read to my Pocket account.

I also subscribe to some curated newsletters.

Depends.

Short copy, yeah I'll fiddle with that.

However, there's no way I'm writing a client's sales page.

First of all, it's presumptuous to think I could even write an effective sales page for a client. Second, an expert would charge 4, 5, even 6 figures for a really good sales page. In other words, it's not just something you tack on your to-do list next to designing buttons.

As they say, you get what you pay for. If your client wants expert copy, they should pay someone to write it, just like they payed you for your service.

I agree that it sucks big time when you have to design around bad copy. Sometimes you don't even want to use a project in your portfolio because the copy is so horrible.

Still, you have to draw the line somewhere. Or you have to figure out a way you can offer the service.

I'd love to hold a client's hand and help them have the world for nothing, but that's not reality. If you want the best you either have to pay for it or learn it yourself.

I'm fine with it.

If I want a world-class meal I'll go to Alinea. If I want a quick and cheap burger I'll go to McDonalds.

McDonalds isn't mad that Alinea exists, and Alinea isn't mad that McDonalds exists.

They're just serving two different segments of the food market.

Same with design.

Some business owners are cheap and under-value design.

Other business owners will happily pay for a service that works with them one-on-one to find a great design solution.

Agreed. I find Mari to be a game changer for me. I still like to use Photoshop for some tasks (mostly out of habit), but software like Mari is so dang powerful it doesn't make sense to ignore it.

Apologies in advance for the short reply, I've got a meeting to go to.

Just wanted to add my 2 cents.

For me, by far, the most important aspect of working from home (or remotely) is to create a consistent schedule.

Personally, I wouldn't worry about mixing up your routine at first. Instead, I'd focus on actually following through with whatever routine you decide on until it becomes habit for you.

What threw me for a loop at first was the feeling of mental chaos that I had when all my regular routines were suddenly gone. If you don't build new routines in their place you can quickly spiral into frantic mode, where you're unsure of what to do next.

I don't know how organized you are currently, so this may be a non-issue for you. But I just remember THINKING I would be super productive and organized, and then suddenly realizing how unprepared for freedom I actually was.

Anyhow, I gotta run... but my top two tips are:

Make that schedule and stick to it for awhile until you're comfortable enough to start making changes.

Get outside EVERYDAY. It's really easy to get preoccupied and suddenly realize you've been sitting at the computer ALL DAY and haven't moved.

Good luck!

The best laptop is one that works!

No, but seriously, I think any of the Apple laptops will work perfectly fine for design.

I'm writing this on a 2006 Macbook Pro that I also use for design work.

While not ideal, I can do pretty much anything I need. I can even do some basic Cinema 4D work, though not a lot.

Photoshop, Illustrator, etc... run perfectly fine without any issues.

Even the lowest priced Apple laptop today is better than this one.

Get the best you can for the money you have.

Like I said, I've had this one for 8 years and It's still chugging along.

I should probably update soon though! :-P