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.
I wish I hadn’t said, “Yes” to certain design projects. It’s not that the projects were a problem, but something about the clients’ approaches, actions or expectations
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
To answer the question, “How much will it cost?”, the question, “What do you want to accomplish?” needs to be asked first. Clients are often in the dark
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
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
All too often a business or organization seeks a designer to execute an untested, unrefined idea as quickly and cheaply as possible. A business that’s design-oriented will not regard design as an afterthought but as the basis for its marketing communications and brand awareness.
Transform the inconveniences of freelancing into opportunities for your personal and professional growth.
I recently read Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, in which the author, Cal Newport, makes the case for engaging in sdeliberate, uninterrupted
Mark Zuckerberg wants Facebook to be a place for people to connect and engage. His post on January 11, 2018 decried the plethora of public
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
Creative freelancers spend a lot of time designing stuff. Good design is structured, organized and unified. When you juggle multiple projects, the ability to focus
…your process of emerging from school into the (design) profession needs to be as carefully framed and designed as any of your projects.
As with vehicles, your freelance business needs regular tune-ups to ensure smooth performance and prevent breakdowns. If you’re the owner of an independent creative services
Q: As a freelancer, do I need a marketing plan or can I just wing it? A: Indeed, you do need a marketing plan. Marketing
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
Creatives don’t always concern themselves with what’s going on in areas of laws and policies. We’re more likely to watch trends and pay attention to
What do you do about scope creep? Avoid it? Agree to it? Stress out about it? Scope creep is when the amount of work originally agreed
Has something like this ever happened to you? You have a solid, signed written contract with your client that includes payment terms and penalties for
Ownership is simply the idea that something belongs to someone. In the case of your freelance business, you own it. It belongs to you. You
You need to identify what’s at stake. I often reflect on how blessed I am to work the way I’ve always wanted to — independently, and why
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
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