Every business needs regularly-scheduled tune-ups. Just like with automobile maintenance, tune-ups keep things running smoothly. They’re most effective in maintaining performance when they’re done regularly.
You probably already know that you can deduct mileage as a business expense. But did you know that, if you work from home, all mileage
A photographer is still in school full time but is already establishing connections for professional work. She is purchasing cameras, lenses and equipment she will use
Filling the Gap Between School and Career So you’ve gone through school and developed a creative portfolio. You’ve tweaked it up one side down the
Pricing your creative services is one of the most-discussed topics among freelancers. There is no one right way to price your creative services — there is no industry
We’re on a mission to cultivate a business mindset in support of our creative work. If we want to profit from our creative work, we
If you want to be successful, you need to be influential. Influence can be positive or negative, and everyone has influence. The key for success
How can you invest your product or service with “lovability” and create devotion in your customers? Here are some options: Love it yourself. If you’re
As the owner of an independent creative business, you are responsible for absolutely everything creatively and managerially. The whole thing’s sitting on your shoulders, and
My friend, Mary, was in a community theatre production of The Mikado, and was asked to write her bio for the printed program. This being her first theatrical
Successful freelancing is a matter of finding the right clients in the right places for the right reasons. Every client you take on affects your
Why is spec work so prevalent in the design profession when it’s not in other professions? Increasingly, companies – creative businesses included – are offering
On his Dear Design Student blog on Medium, Mike Monteiro, design director at Mule Design, author and speaker, discusses designers and their ethics. He addresses
It’s affirming when clients refer new business to you. Their recommendations are a testament to your expertise and experience. For a long time referrals alone
I was asked about how to deal with unusual requests. Once someone finds out you are a designer, writer, photographer… any type of creative, you
Listening is related to empathy. Empathy is valuing another’s experience, and keeps the designer from creating something that is self-expressive.
As I write this article I’m in the middle of a contract negotiation involving copyright and licensing of one of my character designs. I worked with
While, as a freelancer, you absolutely must focus on your business and develop killer business skills, you also need to guard and nurture your creativity.
To be promoted in our design-driven culture, a product must be packaged in such a way that it becomes meaningful to the person using it, so that they become an evangelist for it. This requires thoughtful planning and execution of a design strategy
For freelance creatives facing changing markets and uncertain futures the end of the rope is an immediate reality. When doing what you’ve been doing is not going to work anymore, getting another rope becomes necessary.
[themeone_drop_cap letter=”T” color=”accent-color3″ /]he current mantra for creative freelancers, and for any independent business owner, is to create or define a niche and aggressively market
Creativity requires action and effort to actually make something. We can mull over our ideas all we want, but to make a difference, at some point
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Is there a difference between pro bono and spec work? If so, what’s the difference? First, let’s compare them. With both, you work for free,