When Designing Can Bite You In The Ass

All Posts, Web Design

Office PictureRemember when you first started out as a designer? That overly ambitious feeling to get any kind of work no matter what you’d be getting paid. Sure we all remember those days. Even if they were a few months ago for some. What quickly follows after your first few projects is the feeling of “wow I did all that, for all that time, and only charged what?” Or better yet, finding out what a friend or same level competitor is charging for the same kind of work you’re doing. Yea that doesn’t feel good at all. That’s the bite or kick in the ass we’re talking about here.

There’s really no such thing as taking one for the team when you’re an established designer. By now you’ve learned to accept or reject projects based on requirements, budget and your availability schedule. Though, for some reason these types of projects still come across our desks and even seem appealing due to our own temporary financial situation. Let me show you some points on what to look out for:

Budget: This one is first because you should be able to tell right from the initial consultation (free of not), whether the potential client will appreciate the amount of work you’re about to put in. We all know great designers and developers put in way more hours than they charge.

Timeframe: My “spidey” sense goes wild when someone tells me they need a full website done yesterday. The reverse of that situation is accepting a job when your schedule is already booked to the rim. Be cautious of your time. There is a healthy balance to adhere to and that’s to make sure you stay inspired and energized to continue to produce great work.

Accepting Jobs Outside of Your Scope of Work: This is a big one for me. I’m always concerned with landing a job that looks better to the eyes on my wallet than the better judgement of my mind. Taking on a client or project that you’re unable to comprehend on completing either on your own or with your support team is never a good thing. Not that you’ll be incapable of producing the job but the time that may be spent on learning or coming up to speed on platforms you’re not familiar with will drag you down.

Miscommunication: This could be a huge volcano just waiting to erupt. This happens all to often when a contract line item isn’t realized, a mockup version is confused in email transmissions, or timelines are misunderstood. All of these and more usually start off as small instances. Left unresolved or uncorrected and they’ll become that huge problem that drains all of your time, attention, and emotion from all of your firms business.

Ever been bit in the ass by something you overlooked? Share with us in the comments below.

 

Staying busy during the holidays

All Posts, Marketing

Holiday ReceptionistYup it’s that time again. Time to get the fireplace ready, decorate the house with lights, and set your travel plans. All is good though if this is your slow season and you look forward to it. However, it’s also the perfect time to set things up to hit the ground running as soon as the new year kicks off.

Most businesses start ramping down efforts at the end of the year. Closing out books, updating bookkeeping, and the like maybe. As a designer you may not have too many new projects coming in. If you’re one of them keep reading. I’ve got some ideas for you to keep busy and productive if this will be your slow season.

Update Your Own Work

One of the things we always neglect, is our own work. Whether it’s our website, logo, business plan, chances are there are quite a bit of housekeeping items we need to get done that we’ve been putting off all year due to being busy. Why not take the time to revamp your work. If you haven’t been able to add some social media items to your website, schedule it in now.

Brush Up On Your Skills

Have you been wanting to learn more about javascript or HTML 5? Why not take some easy to follow classes with Lynda.com or your local university. Knowledge really is power. Especially when that knowledge can be traded for money. Lets face it, the more you know the faster you’ll be at your trade and the more money you can request for your skills.

Setup a Referral Program

I know I’ve talked about this before but it actually works. Start with people you already know like friends and family and ask them if they know anyone who may need the services you provide. Entice them offering a referral fee. $50 is usually good enough to wet anyone’s appetite.

Get Out There and Network

Everyone is hosting parties. Host one yourself and invite all your clients and their friends, or attend their parties and socialize with their clients and friends. Don’t push your business on anyone, but you can provide your card if asked for it. Being in the presence of your clients gives both of you memories and a sense of friendship outside of just the business relationship.

Do you have some tips on staying busy during the slow times of the holidays? Share with us in the comments below.