Self-promotion is an ordinary and necessary aspect of doing business as an independent creative professional. Unlike social media marketing, self-promotion campaigns are targeted to contacts
Having a different sort of spirit when pitching to prospective clients can prove to be the difference for your creative brand and business. What do
It’s widely acknowledged that there is a direct correlation between reading and success. But it’s not the amount you read, it’s what you read. There’s
Have you made resolutions for the new year? What do you want to accomplish? What do you want to change? Where do you see yourself
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
If you are a self-employed creative, business networking is a significant part of your marketing mix. While designers, illustrators and photographers naturally get together with other creatives for mutual support and trend
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
With value pricing for design and illustration projects, I am able to custom-tailor my services and fees to fit each client and project. But even
A mark up, also known as percentage over cost, is one way you can increase your freelance revenue. Marking up is a common business practice,
Good clients are integral to successful freelance projects and to your career overall. Beyond the project itself, a referral or recommendation from the right client can open doors
A student asked me the same question I asked my teachers: “How do I know if I will be successful at freelancing?” After 35 years
10 Best Practices For Building Reputation and Relationships When you accept a client’s project, you make it your own. You’re not creating for yourself. Even so,
To begin with, social media is not about selling, but about conversations and providing value. Be knowable, likable and trustworthy. To make the most of
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
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
Art and design students focus on developing their portfolios during the final terms of their education. The portfolio is the most important tool when entering
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.
Client retention is tied more to character than to talent.
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
When a client is looking for a creative firm, process and procedures are not obvious priorities in evaluating performance. The prospect is going to look
Clients have a choice when selecting creative services: They can go the cheap route and buy a logo through a crowdsource or contest web site where
You’ve landed a highly-desired big name client and they’ve sent you a purchase order. What is a purchase order, and how do you work with
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
Being a designer is perceived by many as a fun job. Designers get to work with colors, shapes and amazing computer programs and be creative