I spent the week building real websites for local businesses that don't have one. Tire shops, mac...

I spent the week building real websites for local businesses that don't have one. Tire shops, mac...I spent the week building real websites for local businesses that don't have one. Tire shops, mac...

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Harrison Songolo

pro

• Aug 28

I spent the week building real websites for local businesses that don't have one. Tire shops, machine shops, landscapers, body shops, the kind of places that keep a town running but have zero web presence. I made each one look like it deserved to, real photos, their actual brand colors, the whole thing built to feel like home.

Then I reached out to the owners to see if they wanted it. And that part humbled me. I got hung up on. I got yelled at. I got a lot of no's and even more silence. Turns out building something good is the easy half, getting a stranger to care is the hard one.

So here is the honest lesson if you are thinking about cold outreach. Good work does not protect you from rejection, it just means the few yes's are worth it. Most people are busy, suspicious, or just having a rough day, and none of that is really about you. You take the no, you send the next one, you keep going.

I still believe in these sites. If you run a business without a website, or you know someone who does, I already know how to make it feel like theirs. The rejection didn't change that, it just made me sharper at the ask.

All 12 live site links:

https://xkaii.studio/sonoma-autowerks/ https://xkaii.studio/bill-and-jays-auto/ https://xkaii.studio/aparicio-tires/ https://xkaii.studio/norms-auto-machine/ https://xkaii.studio/richs-auto-body/ https://xkaii.studio/petaluma-tire-source/ https://xkaii.studio/green-lawn-service/ https://xkaii.studio/felixs-landscaping/ https://xkaii.studio/cinthyas-landscaping/ https://xkaii.studio/rodriguez-landscaping/ https://xkaii.studio/petaluma-auto-repair/ https://xkaii.studio/powerful-cleaning/

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Sydelle Creative

pro

• Aug 29

When I moved from Upwork to Contra, I wasn’t sure whether I was making the right decision.

Now? I’m never going back.

Contra has given me more than a place to find work. It has connected me with clients who value my professional perspective, trust my expertise, and invest accordingly. It’s also given me visibility, community and the space to grow from an independent designer into a collaborative studio that’s continuing to expand.

So, if you’re just starting out on Contra, take this as your sign to keep going. Show up, share your work and give it time. You never know what it could grow into.

Damilola Adelaja

pro

• Aug 29

Wow...Thanks so much for this, Sydelle I’m just starting out here and this has motivated me to do more. Any tips on how to get better here, attract clients and all?