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  • Home
  • Why
  • Where
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    • Budget template
    • Conversation scripts
    • Costing and pricing calculator
    • Cost vs impact mapping
    • Craft vs strategic mapping
    • Design ladder mapping
    • Pricing systems
  • Resources
Design Business Council > design
3 ways to make pro bono a win:win
12
Mar

In my perfect world everyone would share expertise with those who can least afford it. I know our world is less than ideal, but working pro bono for the right clients can be as valuable to you as to them.

Posted in: Business of design , creative business coach , Design business coaching , Design business strategy , Design index , Design pricing , Design value chain ,
Tags: Business of design , design , design innovation , Design management , design studio management , designers , designers hours , designers mental health , mental health , new business development ,
Don’t just try to think up answers
26
Feb

Great design rarely comes from light bulb moments — designers usually follow some kind of process. Same goes for management problems — don’t just expect to know the answers.

Posted in: Business of design , creative business coach , Design business coaching , Design business strategy , Design index , Design pricing , Design value chain ,
Tags: Business of design , design , design innovation , Design management , design studio management , designers , designers hours , designers mental health , mental health , new business development ,
5 areas where small tweaks have big results
12
Feb

Fear in business can be paralysing but small changes to pricing, productivity, positioning, services and sales can make a huge impact.

Posted in: Business of design , creative business coach , Design business coaching , Design business strategy , Design index , Design pricing , Design value chain ,
Tags: Business of design , design , design innovation , Design management , design studio management , designers , designers hours , designers mental health , mental health , new business development ,
Review, refresh, rethink
29
Jan

The start of a new year is the perfect time to review what you do; rethink why you do it then analyse the value (to you and your market).

Posted in: Business of design , creative business coach , Design business coaching , Design business strategy , Design index , Design pricing , Design value chain ,
Tags: Business of design , design , design innovation , Design management , design studio management , designers , designers hours , designers mental health , mental health , new business development ,
Look what happens when we collaborate
28
Nov

Designers are great at mulling over a problem and solving it in their heads before their hands hit the paper but sometimes sharing moves a good idea to a great idea.

Posted in: Business of design , creative business coach , Design business coaching , Design business strategy , Design index , Design pricing , Design value chain ,
Tags: Business of design , design , design innovation , Design management , design studio management , designers , designers hours , designers mental health , mental health , new business development ,
Estimates with options
06
Nov

Reporting on the first of our short, sharp surveys – asking what employees, solo-operators and creative business owners think… First topic: remote working.

Posted in: Business of design , creative business coach , Design business coaching , Design business strategy , Design index , Design pricing , Design value chain ,
Tags: Business of design , design , design innovation , Design management , design studio management , designers , designers hours , designers mental health , mental health , new business development ,
Doing desktop research
23
Oct

Desktop reserach is a vital tool for any designer

Posted in: Business of design , creative business coach , Design business coaching , Design business strategy , Design index , Design pricing , Design value chain ,
Tags: Business of design , design , design innovation , Design management , design studio management , designers , designers hours , designers mental health , mental health , new business development ,
What do you think about remote working?
10
Oct

Reporting on the first of our short, sharp surveys – asking what employees, solo-operators and creative business owners think… First topic: remote working.

Posted in: Business of design , creative business coach , Design business coaching , Design business strategy , Design index , Design pricing , Design value chain ,
Tags: Business of design , design , design innovation , Design management , design studio management , designers , designers hours , designers mental health , mental health , new business development ,
The problem with referrals
19
Sep

Studios relying on referrals to grow can slowly lose control of their business. Much better to have a strategic plan for growth, targeted industry sectors and a new business process.

Posted in: Business of design , creative business coach , Design business coaching , Design business strategy , Design index , Design pricing , Design value chain ,
Tags: Business of design , design , design innovation , Design management , design studio management , designers , designers hours , designers mental health , mental health , new business development ,
Content clients want from designers
03
Oct

Positioning a creative business to attract (the right) new business is our most-requested activity. It’s an area we enjoy because it’s not complicated, but to be successful you must be forensic with the detail. That’s what makes it interesting…

Posted in: Business of design , Content creation for designers , creative business coach , Design business coaching , Design business strategy , Designers finding new clients , How designers find clients , how to write content to attract clients , managing a design studio , Owning a creative business , Owning a design studio ,
Tags: Business of design , content creation , design , Design management ,
How and when to close your design studio
20
Sep

Any conversation about pricing eventually turns to talking about retainers — an agreement where a client purchases an agreed amount of a designer’s time each month. This article questions whether retainers only valid for transactional work?

Posted in: Business of design , closing a design studio , creative business coach , Design business coaching , Design business strategy , managing a design studio , Owning a creative business , Owning a design studio ,
Tags: Business of design , design , Design management , Owning a studio , Running a studio ,
Are retainer fees good for designers?
03
Sep

Any conversation about pricing eventually turns to talking about retainers — an agreement where a client purchases an agreed amount of a designer’s time each month. This article questions whether retainers only valid for transactional work?

Posted in: Business of design ,
Tags: Business of design , design , Design management , designer wages , graduate designers , the cost of designers ,
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