Who do you want working on YOUR job?

There are two freelance artists... 

The first freelancer knows great design and fights for the "integrity" of the design.

The second freelancer knows great design but knows that some issues (like the shade of color or a logo a little larger) are not as important as the design SELLING the clients goods or services.

Now who do you want to work with? The "prima dona" or the guy that listens to you?

I can't tell you how much work I've gotten because I'm easy to work with.. keep that in mind. If you are a pain to deal with, why would a client want to work with you again? 

Now I'm not saying that you have to bow to your client's every demand... they aren't designers that's why they are hiring you... but there are some issues that you shouldn't be "falling on your sword" about.

I just finished up an assignment. During the final stage, the client asked for a different font in the ad. "Sure... no problem". They wanted the logo a little larger.. "Sure." They wanted a different line break... "no problem". 

Then they wanted a different font ADDED to the ad. This would have been 3 different fonts. "Nope" I said... your ad will look too busy and not as classy.

They said. "OK". Then we were done. Nice and easy.

By being accommodating on many other issues, my client realized that when I said "no" to a request, there was a strong reason not to do it. 

If I said no, no, no, throughout the assignment, 2 things would have happened:

1-They wouldn't work with me again because I would be perceived as a pain in the butt to work with.

2-They wouldn't have listened to me on an important issue.

Bottom line: To be a successful freelancer, don't let your ego get in the way of delivering a wonderful purchasing experience for your clients.. or you won't get anymore business.

Adapt or die

A long time ago in the advertising field, artists used T-Square, Triangle and charcoal to draw their comps. (A comp is short for "comprehensive"). When clients were shown what their ad would look like, before it was produced, it would be shown as a layout done in black and white with chisel pencils for lettering and charcoal.

Then colored pastels came along as the "tool of choice"... lot's of artists made the switch.

Then came markers.

There were some artists who didn't like drawing with markers, they liked the subtle looks they could achieve with pastels... they didn't make the switch and found themselves looking for a new job with old skills.

Who would have thought that tools that have been around for ages would go the way of the dinosaur.

Who would have thought that skills like hand lettering and figure drawing would not be needed to be a designer and that instead of clients taking a leap of faith when they saw a drawing of what their would look like, that today it's "what you see is what you get".

My point here is that you have to be on the lookout for new trends and not be caught up thinking that things will stay the same. 

I called an associate of mine during the period of time that some of us were getting into the computer. "What are you up to" I asked.. "Selling car stereos" was his reply. I laughed. I thought he was joking. He wasn't. He didn't make the switch and found himself unemployed.

I used to have a machine called a Lucy. It's official name was Camera Lucidia. If a client gave me a photo of their product, I would place it in the machine and it would project the image onto my paper. It would cut down on the amount of time it took me to draw things and it allowed me to be more accurate and more profitable.

I couldn't give it away when the computer came along!

Also keep an eye out for new areas to increase your revenue stream. When I saw that people were cutting down on advertising and putting their money into the web, I started offering web design. When banner ads started to become popular... I added Flash to my "arsenal".

Read the business news, keep your ear to the ground. Keep an open mind to change. Adapt or die. 

 

Earning more as a freelance graphic designer

I know a very talented designer... but he has always had trouble making a decent living as a freelance graphic designer and here's why:

He only knows how to do one thing.

If a client wants a web site, he farms it out, then adds a mark up. If a client wants a Flash banner, he farms that out. Logo design, farms it out. 

Now if he were super busy all the time, then it's a great way to make a living... don't do the work yourself and make money on other people's talents. Hey large agencies do that all the time. But you want to be a successful freelancer so you have to have many areas where you can make a profit.

But getting back to this freelancer that I know... he's NOT busy all the time. And instead of earning $5000 on a web site, he earns $500. 

As a freelancer, you have to open up different revenue streams and to do that you should know how to design for the web, do animations, retouch photos, design logos, brochures, sales promotion material, and all sorts of other collateral material as well.

When a project comes in, I handle it ALL. This is a win-win for my clients and for me.

Here's why:

1- When they see my portfolio on line (www.digitalartist.com) they want ME to work on their project... not someone else.

2-I can offer a very competitive cost for doing the project for my clients because I don't pay anyone else to do the work for me (that I would then have to mark-up to cover the time I spend overseeing the project). 

3-I can get a fair and reasonable fee for my work.

Bottom line... the more you can do for you and your client, the more successful you will be as a freelance graphic designer!

It's not about design...

To be a successful freelance graphic designer you have to remember that it's not about "pretty pictures"... it's about helping someone with their "problem".

There are thousands of graphic designers out there that can do "pretty pictures" but that's not what it's about. 

It's about selling their product or service. 

It's about getting an ad to the magazine on time. 

It's about making things SIMPLE for your client.

It's about educating them.

It's about becoming a member of their team.

It's about making them look good.

It's about helping them.

It's about SALES.

Rush job just came in.. due this afternoon... gotta run!

What makes a great logo design?

Many times I'm asked... what do you think of my logo? More often than not, the logo I'm asked to critique has been designed poorly.

So let's take a moment and critique your logo. Answer yes or no to the following questions:

Does my logo work in black & white?

Does my logo reproduce well very small.

Does my logo convey a "feeling" or communicate what my company does?

Does my logo have the look of professionalism to it?

Does my logo give people a sense of trust in my company?

Does my logo reproduce well in a variety of mediums like on a t-shirt or embroidered on a hat?

Does my logo stand out from the crowd?

Well, if you answered NO to any of the above questions, it's time to look at your logo and either "take it to the next level" with a slight redesign or you might want to get a new logo.

I can hear you say.. "But Rob, I spent so much money on that old logo and I have so many printed pieces with my logo on it."

Sorry to hear that, but you might be losing business right now with that poor logo because people might not trust your company based on the image your old logo is giving them. A new logo can cost you less in the long run because of the benefits associated with a professionally designed logo.

Playing fair

To be a successful freelancer, you have to be more than just a great designer. You have to put yourself in the other person's shoes and treat that person like you would want to be treated. To me that means NO surprises. Who want's to deal with the unexpected at the "11th hour". 

If you promise that the job will be delivered on time... you are commiting professional suicide if you don't deliver on time. 

Same is true with budgets. Unless the project brief has changed and you have alerted the client that there will be an additional fee, your project should be billed as agreed.

Which brings me to "word of mouth". This might sound surprising, but I rarely get business based on word of mouth. And here's why... my clients DON'T want me busy! The reason for this is when they are under the gun, they want me to be available to help them so they keep me as their secret weapon. It's like giving out the name of your favorite baby sitter... NOPE. You want your baby sitter available for only you. 

But let me tell you this, and remember this well. If you screw up a job or are not treating your client fair, that's when "word of mouth" kicks in. 

So... play fair. Quote a fair and reasonable price for your help and deliver on time all the time.

Making money as a freelancer

7- Pricing your work: Be fair and reasonable.  

Now as a freelancer, you have to take a few things into consideration when you are figuring out how much to charge. For example, I've seen logos range from $150 to $150,000 and a lot more.

Now if it's for a large company, if you told then a logo would be $150 they will run for the hills... who, in a large company is going to trust that you will design a great logo for them for only $150. What about Joe's Pizza? Charge them $1500 for a logo... they will run for the hills too. 

Take into account who it's for and how your designs will be used. A local ad campaign is worth less to your client than a national campaign. And although the amount of time and effort are the same... you should be billing a higher fee for the larger usage.

8- Bill by the project and NOT by the hour.

If you bill by the hour and you are very creative and fast you will work a lot and GO OUT OF BUSINESS EVEN FASTER.

You should not be "punished" for being really good, efficient and FAST. 

Ask yourself "how much is this worth?". If a logo is worth $1500 and you designed it in 1 hour, your client is not paying a fair and reasonable fee for your work if you bill them for an hour of your time. If you are like me, chances are you spent years training and lots of money setting up your freelance business. If the logo is worth $1500 to the client, bill $1500.

Every now and then you will get an assignment that is easy... let's take logo design again as an example. I designed a logo for Xerox. During the meeting I had it designed in my head. I went back to my studio and in 15 minutes it was done. Xerox didn't care how long it took... they were interested in the quality and what it was worth to them. 

Now look at it another way... sometimes an assignment is hard... but if you bill by the hour you will lose a client, have trouble collecting money and get poor word of mouth.

For example Joe's Pizza wants a logo... you tell him $10 an hour ( not really.. it's just easier to do the math)... then it takes you 100 hours to do the logo (again... just and example). "Hey Joe.. here's your logo.. $1,000 please." NOPE! You are in for trouble. You are not billing what the project is worth to the client.

So when it comes to the question of how to charge a fair price for a project..  billing by the project is the best deal for you and your client. 

So, bottom line.. bill a fair and reasonable fee for your work on a project based on what it's worth.

9- Work out your costs AHEAD of time and get 50% up front as a start fee. 

Or if the project is very large, break it down into a payment schedule. If they complain about doing that.. TURN DOWN THE ASSIGNMENT. If you have trouble getting them to pay you a start fee, you will have a lot more trouble getting paid later.