Going Alone

One thing I get a lot of lately is the question, "how does one become self-employed?" Usually this little question is followed by a gulp of air and a really long explanation, which I try to keep as condensed as possible. I thought maybe if I tried to condense it enough to fit into a short blog article, it might help me to verbalize it even better the next time.

By no means am I an expert in this area. Nor am I intersted in being a career coach of any kind. However, my stubbornness in getting where I wanted to be seems to have paid off, so I'll try to pass what I've learned along. Maybe someone else can benefit from it, huh?

The first thing I did was decide that this was for sure what I wanted to do. Not just getting to say, "I'm self-employed," is good enough motivation to get through the process. I had to make sure I really wanted to have my hands in every single part of the business. Finances (which I hate dealing with, by the way), legalities, design, customer relations, sales, etc. Pretty much I had to make sure I could deal with the good and the bad parts of being a start-up business owner.

Being certain that this is what I wanted, I chose my business set-up. Partner(s) or no partner(s)? LLC or LLP? Hmmm... that's where the research comes in. Knowing the ups and downs of each business type is definitly a requirement before choosing the model that works best for you.

At this point, I went online to the state of Wisconsin website and started looking at all the forms that were required for me to register my company, company name, registered agents, and all that other good stuff. I had to get set up with both the state and federal governemnt to be recognzied as a company. Luckily, the state's website was an awesome tour guide so that was pretty simple.

I picked my name, filled out all the paperwork and had the dirty stuff over and done with (for now). The next part was gaining a client base. I joined networking groups, such as my local Chamber of Commerce and a local professional women's network. There, I started attending every meeting and forced myself to speak up and make my presence known. People began to take notice of me and they began asking for my help. Referrals starting coming in, my old clients were happy and they kept returning, and it evolved from there.

Now, I have to stay on top of all the updates in taxes and state and federal business laws all the time. I constantly have to be on the lookout for anything that has to do with my business, in a legal sense. I'm busy tending to my clients as well to ensure their happiness. Happy clients equals more clients.

That's my business story in a nutshell. If you have any questions, by all means, drop me a line. I'll try to point you in the direction of a few resources that helped me a lot. A lot of work goes into setting your business up but I can't even begin to tell you how great it's worked out. I think it's completely worth the effort.

learn something new or not?

i'm having a complex today. i was reading a business book, to keep myself fresh, and there's a tip in there that says, "be sure to stay in your nitch area. don't offer multiple services to try to please everyone. just stick with what you know to be successful." obviously, in not so many words, but that's my take on the chapter.

so, the thing i'm having trouble with is this: as a graphic designer it's very important that i stay "in the now" with design trends, tools, software, periodicals, etc. it's a lot of work! but when this crazy internet thing hit a while back, everything became digital. graphic designers turned into website designers, postcards turned into email campaigns, etc. now there's, what i feel, a whole sister-world out there that's related to graphic design. but there are so many uniue components to the field, you know? worrying about usability and search engine optimization, etc.

the complex i have is coming... if graphic designers have to learn how to do web work to stay afloat and to be able to stay "in the now" is that betraying the laws of good business? is it considered going outside of your specialty just to make a convenient one-stop-shop for clients? or are the two fields so closely related that it's not really another realm, just another form of graphic design? i'm very curious to know what people think about this.

personally, my opinion falls somewhere in between. i think it's great to be able to learn something and come to know it well enough that you can offer it to clients. it creates a package deal, and again, the aforementioned convenience. however, sometimes i think i'd rather do just graphic design than design/program websites... that maybe those things should be left for the solely website designers. but why should it be left for them, if i can do it well too? maybe now i need to stop thinking of myself as a graphic designer who can do website design, and instead think of myself someone who is of both professions... see how complex this is?

Process, Process

I can't stress enough how important I've learned establishing a process is when it comes to design and doing business.

The many books, magazines, websites, etc., I've read most of the time tend to say the same thing, "make sure you decide on your process and no matter what happens, stick to it." I have found this little sentence is so important and true. My process is simple, when it comes to design and dealing with my clients.

I offer a free consultation appointment and then deliver a free estimate. Not a mock-up, though. Just the estimate (mock-ups get into that whole spec work thing and you know how I feel about that...). I give the client about 15 days to get back to me with their signature of approval and the first 50% deposit. After the 15 days, the estimate is no longer valid. Side note, though - I would never let a client "hang out" for 15 days. That little timeframe is filled with emails and phone calls for follow-ups.

After I receive the coveted signature and the first deposit, work begins. I'll create whatever the designated project calls for and then we go from there. When the project is finally approved and ready to go, the remaining 50% is due within 30 days. After that, late fees start accruing, etc.

So, that's my process. And, I do stick to it. The thing that can be difficult to deal with though, is the client that want you to bend the rules for them... just a little bit. While I try to be fair and flexible with clients I have a strong relationship with, I find that just doing the same process over and over is the best way to go. There are less exceptions to the rule to remember and not a thousand payment plans to keep straight.

What do you think? Do you think a designer's process is a case-by-case scenario? Or is it a rule set in stone? Is it worth bending every now and again for the client's sake?

13thirtyone is Getting Published!

I just received great news! My business card design for 13thirtyone is going to be a feature card in an upcoming issue of HOW magazine. For those of you who don't know HOW, shame, shame. Just kidding.

HOW is a graphic arts magazine you can find here: http://www.howdesign.com/

I'm so very excited about this! I'll let you know when it comes out!

nO moRe OrIginAL iDeaS?

What do you think about the concept that there are no more original ideas? I could go either way on this one. I was reading this design magazine the other day that said that when it comes right down to it, there really are no more original creative ideas left. That no matter how hard a designer tries, all of their ideas essentially are derived from what someone else has already done. It's kind of a depressing thought.

On the one hand, this philosophy sort of makes sense. Whenever I'm in a rut and am having a hard time thinking of a concept, I often turn to design magazines, books and websites to help get my creative juices flowing. Does this mean that I see a logo and think, "Hey, that would work for what I'm tyring to do. Let's copy it!" No, not at all. As a professional in this field there are so many issues with copyright legalities, it's crazy. Besides, the fun and interesting part about my occupation is trying to solve design problems. Finding the solution is the best part.

But does the idea that I sometimes look to several creative muses for inspiration mean that I have no original ideas? Or, is it just that - looking for inspiration?

On the other hand, have you ever thought about how many songs there are out there? That somehow, musicians are still coming up with tunes that, while composed from the exact same notes and musical scale as others, really don't sound like anything we've heard before. Can we attribute influences in a band, artist or any other creator, of sorts, to being unoriginal?

Quick Quote

I saw this quote on a client's website - I thought it was really nice.

"Art washes from the soul the dust of everyday life."
-Pablo Picasso