B U S I N E S S O F D E S I G NM AT T C R E S T / A RT L E T I C

L I K E A B O S S

• Responsible for your own success or failure

• Set your own hours (kind of)

• Choose the type of work you do

• Potential to make more money

G O I N G S O L O . Y O U S U R E ?R U L E # Z E R O

G E T A J O B

• You don't know as much as you think you do

• Must be super productive and fast at the actual design work, and then do all the business stuff on top

• Learn as a designer and a business person before starting your own thing

W A L K B E F O R E Y O U R R U N

• Freelance before you’re fully independent

• Learn valuable lessons with little to no risk

C L I E N T R E L AT I O N S H I P SR U L E # O N E

C L I E N T S A R E S K E P T I C A L

• They pay for something without a known outcome

• Previous designers may have left them hanging

C O M M U N I C AT I O N

• Be personable, friendly, but professional

• Missing a deadline? Communicate.

• Over budget? Communicate.

P R O F E S S I O N A L I S M

• Set clear expectations for roles

• Go the extra mile for your clients

• Maintain boundaries

• No after hours emails*

R E F E R R A L S

• Good client relationships = quality referrals

• Easiest way to get new clients

• Expectations already set

• Clients refer similar clients

G E T PA I DR U L E # T W O

P R I C I N G

• Several options (hourly, fixed-fee, retainer, iteration)

• GetHarvest.com/field-guides/pricing/

• Too much work but not enough money? Raise your rates.

• Never get feedback you're too expensive? Charging too little.

B E L E G I TR U L E # T H R E E

L E G A L

• Set yourself up as an LLC

• Lawyer? Probably not necessary*

• State of Colorado has a helpful guide: https://www.colorado.gov/apps/jboss/cbe//start-business.xhtml

C O N T R A C T S

• Create a solid contract you understand

• Get it signed before you do any work

• Lawyer?

• Mule Design has an good, opinionated article on contracts: MuleDesign.com/2011/04/getting-comfortable-with-contracts/

TA X E S

• Pay quarterly estimated payments

• Year 1: guestimate based on revenue

• Year 2+: accountant should help you

B O O K K E E P I N G & A C C O U N T I N GR U L E # F O U R

B O O K K E E P I N G

• Separate business accounts (checking, saving, credit)

• Track expenses & revenue

• Be diligent

• Bookkeeper?

A C C O U N TA N T S

• Get an accountant

• $250-$600 for an accountant to do your tax return(includes your personal return if taxed as LLC)

• They'll save you that money

• Won't get audited

• Spend time on billable work

A LW AY S B E L E A R N I N GR U L E # F I V E

T E A C H Y O U R S E L F

• Learn how to develop websites

• Improve your hand lettering

• Design is constantly changing, you need to as well

B O O K S

T H E B U S I N E S S S I D E O F C R E AT I V I T Yby Cameron S. Foote You need this book. No questions.

H O W T O B E A G R A P H I C D E S I G N E R W I T H O U T L O S I N G Y O U R S O U L

by Adrian Shoughnessy One of my favorite books on design business.

T H A N K ST H E E N D .

Matt Crest M AT T @ A RT L E T I C . C O M A RT L E T I C . C O M @ A RT L E T I C