Giving honest feedback to creatives is challenging. Design thrives on the unpredictable but small business owners need to reduce risk and deliver predictable results. There lies the conundrum.
Value-add pricing is a hot topic but it comes with problems. It’s not the right business model for every client. The skill is identifying the right clients.
This headline made me smile because, like many other industries, agism is rife in the creative sector. Designers aren’t known for career longevity.
Some creatives understand value pricing means upping rates. Billing more for the same work. And if there’s not budget, saying no. But no a lazy response.
The health improvements of designers working a four-day week are known, but also understanding the monetary implications is vital.
One of the most common challenges in the creative industry is hiring. Clients hiring creatives. Creatives hiring creatives. Creatives hiring employees. Creatives hiring freelancers. All tough decisions … should you hire on skillset or attitude? On ability or potential? To job description or opportunity?
To grow a design business we need more hands … that means hiring either employees or sub contractors. Both need to managed and managing other creatives is hard.
Creatives are often commissioned to help change behaviour – a difficult task. This research maps how, and why people participate in change.
The Benchpress 2021 UK Survey has just been released. The Australian creative industry compares well, the findings align with our experience.
Meetings can be the bane of most professional’s existence but there is one meeting I think all design teams should plan and attend… a pre-mortem. Pre-mortems are held before a project commences to discuss possible outcomes.
Working from home and remote working has made it difficult to build and maintain a studio culture. Where we once sat alongside each other all day every day, now we might catch up just once a week. We’re unsure how that might impact team spirit, but one studio we’re working with isn’t waiting to find out…
It’s such a simple question: what makes a client choose you over another design supplier?
What can you do or say to attract clients?