Negotiating skills are crucial and can make a significant difference in the success of your creative business. In this episode, we’ll address the purpose of the negotiation process, explore the dos and don’ts of effective negotiating, with tips on how to come to an agreement on price, deliverables, and schedule, so that both you and your client will benefit.
Marketing and branding are related concepts that are often used interchangeably, but they are distinct and have different purposes. Freelance designers create brand assets and identities for their clients, but fewer freelancers actually consider the necessity of building their own brands, or understand how effective branding guides marketing efforts integrates with business. This episode covers the differences between marketing and branding, how they’re related, and a short discussion about selling and advertising, all with freelance creatives in mind.
Establishing and managing a business so you can make a living from your creative work — your way — isn’t easy and probably not what most of us expected when we started out. With all the competition out there, and now with AI looming as both an asset and a threat to creative work, how will you stand out? How will you make a living? How will you continue to build your business, attract your best clients, and become know for significant work? In this episode I offer 4 ways for your consideration.
AI is disrupting the creative industries in a variety of ways that are both beneficial and detrimental. In this episode we consider the problems and advantages of using AI as a freelance creative and propose answers to these questions, among others: “Why would a client pay me when they can create a thing themself for free using AI?”, “How can I use AI tools to support my business?”, “How can I protect my work from theft?”
An effective way to attract high value clients is to sell expertise, not time. How can you sell creative services if you’re just starting and have little or no experience? Or how do you sell expertise and shift away from selling your time?
The fact is that AB5 does not provide exemptions for LLCs. Its 3-point test governs the working relationship between the client and the freelancer, not the freelancer’s legal business structure.
Communication is the foundation of every relationship. In business you want to communicate the right way for the right reasons. Keeping everything in writing is preferred, but sometimes a phone call serves the relationship better.
This episode begins with an update on AB5 (California) and the independent contractor rule being considered by the NLRB. And then why you need to define what success looks like for you.
Order is a design principle. So what does order have to do with how you price your freelance work? As a designer and
What you can do to ensure comfortable, friendly meetings and creative reviews, and avoid having things go sideways with your clients?
Not knowing how to start freelancing is what holds most people back. What are the first and most important things you need to do? Starting is simpler than you think.
If you’ve been thinking about freelancing but haven’t stepped out, or if you’ve been dabbling part time while working for someone else full time, here are 7 good reasons for you to stop thinking and dabbling, and start doing.
To stay in business freelancers need clients, and we’re commonly asking where to find more clients. The obvious freelance platforms and talent agencies aren’t always the best choice for a variety of reason, and they shouldn’t be your only choice. In the episode I present the case for making client prospecting a regular part of your marketing activities, and offer ways to diversify your prospecting through relationship building.
To succeed in business as a freelance creative requires shifting from functioning solely as a creative — an illustrator, a designer, a photographer, a copywriter, an artist — to functioning as the owner of a creative business. In this episode I share half a dozen shifts we need to make in how we think about what we’re doing, and why.
A resumé is not necessary if you’re a freelance creative. Instead, use your portfolio website as your primary marketing tool.
Six things that you as a freelance creative should know about ownership that’ll help you take on the business mindset that employees don’t acquire.
The difference between freelancer and employee lies not only in your intention but also in your actions.
One aspect of freelancing is that you get to deal with different kinds of taxes. In this episode, which is sparked by a conversation with
As a follow-on to a recent episode, I go in-depth into why and how it’s important for both our clients and us to ensure our
Think of marketing as creating content that would be helpful to the people you want to serve.
What do you do when a client wants to treat you as an employee rather than an independent freelance business owner? I answer two questions from freelancers dealing with this conundrum: the first centers on a retainer agreement and the second is dealing with a performance review. I present the case for why you’re not an employee, and ways you can respond if you find yourself working with a client who wants control. A third question deals with how to protect your work during a creative review.
We all have them… those fears and uncertainties that restrict our forward motion. In this episode I share some insights about fear, risk, and consequences, and how you can accelerate through your own freelancing fears and leave them in the dust cloud behind you.
Something that’s often disregarded is the value of creativity to business. There’s the mindset that, “You’re doing what you love to do. It’s creative, it’s fun. You shouldn’t expect to be paid much for it because your payment is in the enjoyment of what you do.” The thing is, though, that we need to look at what we do as having value beyond just the enjoyment.
The landscape is changing for freelancers. How do we navigate successfully? I share an update about the ABC Test that’s in California’s AB5 law and
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