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.
Working with clients can be likened to a downhill race: The designer moves along in her process and picks up momentum as she heads toward the finish line, and all
Being effective involves doing the right thing at the right time in the right place.
Risk. It’s a small word with big impact. Taking risks involves change and the unknown. We’re not all that comfortable with either concept. I was
Since I established my design studio over thirteen years ago, I have worked with clients large and small, designed for sole proprietors and for publicly-held
Business and creative culture now runs on creative rights and intellectual property. Theft, abuse and alteration of intellectual property is as rampant as ID theft,
The commonly-given advice is: Do what you love and the money will follow. This is a great ideal, because no one wants to spend the majority
What do you do about scope creep? Should you avoid it? Should you agree to it? The affect of scope creep — when a scope of work
I’m a sole proprietor working with businesses and organizations, and so, like you, I had some concern about how the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs
Client retention is tied more to character than to talent.
[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
Building a business requires connection with people: prospective clients, colleagues, mentors, customers, and sometimes even family members. When we connect, we share information, ideas and
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
Setting and maintaining boundaries will help you avoid relationships and circumstances that are potentially harmful.
When I first learned about the power of change orders it changed everything in my workflow. When I implemented the practice, I actually began looking
Each December I take a couple weeks off to celebrate the holidays and go through a visioning and goal-setting process in preparation for the new
In Part 1 of this article I focused on what a brand is, and the visual and conceptual components of an effective brand. Brand is
Planning is necessary for any business owner. Going through an end-of-year assessment in order to set up for the next can lead you into more
Recently, I met with a start-up business. As we discussed the scope of work and began putting the design brief together, it became clear that
When you’re in business, you use social media differently than you do personally. I was an early adopter on many social media platforms including Twitter, Facebook
I keep a Don’t-Do list. I spend most of my efforts on my to-do lists, agendas, and getting things done, but a few years ago I
Did you know that there is more than one way to be a freelancer? Independent creatives — freelancers — can choose a variety of working scenarios
A long time ago in a faraway place called Pasadena, CA, I sat in a classroom and heard my instructor say, “You can’t sit around
From the client’s point of view, there are two crucial criteria in deciding what designer is awarded the project: 1. Does the creative understand what’s