JOURNAL
ARTICLES. NEWS. UBIQUITOUS BLOG.
Organizing Your Freelance Business to Become More Effective
Over the past 15 years I have learned quite a bit about myself and what sort of organization makes a difference in my professional life. I haven't always been a graphic designer. I spent many years as a Key Accounts representative for several large companies. But for each of these positions I was a hired gun - a commissioned sales rep who was not exclusive to just one company.
This experience was invaluable when I decided to put a full effort into my design business because I found the organizational needs were similar. Some of the things below can be found in many places and articles, but they are still of critical importance and worth revisiting. And some of them you may not find useful. We are all unique in the way that we work. These are simply key things that have made me - and others I know - more effective over the years. The first part of this article is basic business. The second part is more specific to my business.
Wear The Virtual Suit and Tie
We all know one of the beauties of freelancing is the lack of office etiquette that has to be followed. You can work any way you want, anywhere you want. But most of your customers aren't interested in this. They have a business they are trying to launch, grow, or save (given today's economic travails). They are looking to another business (you!) to help them market themselves. Treat what you do as a professional, properly run business.
The primary requirements are straight-forward. Brand yourself. Open a business checking account. Use Quickbooks or Quicken. Get it in writing.
Branding yourself should be relatively simple. It's what most of us do, right?
Accounting is not a part of the business that any of us like. I learned a few years ago how easy it can be when you have a business-only checking account and you download transactions once a month from your bank. I use Quicken because my business is not that complex and I pay for almost all of my business expenses with a debit card. (I write about 10 checks a year.) At the end of the year I simply print out a report and email it to my accountant along with my mileage log. She loves me. And preparing for tax time is literally just an hour of work.
One of my first jobs was as an independent sales rep working out of an agency. The guy who ran the agency was wonderful and he gave me some good advice. "Don't think because you are sitting in your office going through receipts that you aren't working. It's important and NOT something you want to fall behind on."
If you ever want to move onto bigger jobs working with larger companies or municipalities you will need to organized in a business manner. At some point you may also be asked to carry a general liability insurance policy. Even if it doesn't make sense, you may be asked. Don't be scared. They're really cheap for designers. A few companies require them and you can get a policy very easily and quickly.
Use a contract. I don't know what more can be said about this. If you want to be taken seriously then you have to treat your business the same. Sample contracts can be found in several places, including Jeff Fisher's "The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success."
The Road to Nowhere, Or ...
Every December, when I was a sales rep, my customers expected me to leave them alone. It was too late to ship new product in for Christmas and the next season's products wouldn't be introduced until the following month. So each December I would take a much needed vacation and then spend a week cleaning my office and planning for the next year. It was the most important week of the year.
I'm too much of a control freak to allow customers and the market to dictate how I would spend my time and to define where business would come from. The same is true of my freelance design business. Each year I write down my goals for the year and try to define how I can get there. This past year I wanted to do more web design and, in particular, more content managed sites. For the coming year my primary goal is to go after bigger jobs and larger companies. I have written out a list of things I need to do to accomplish this. This list keeps me organized and focused throughout the year.
One of my other goals for last year was to do more local business. I have customers from all over the world but relatively few in my local market. I created a postcard mailing campaign that went to targeted businesses in the area where I live. The campaign has been successful and one of the things on my list for the coming year is to continue to build this more.
The point is to have a plan and to refer to it throughout the year. This plan can be a formal marketing plan that you keep and print out. Or, if you're like me, it can be a couple of pages in your notebook that you refer to every once in a while, and that is always swimming in the back of your head. I also know what percentage of each payment I receive goes into my marketing budget and this forces me to act.
Keeping the Monkeys In Their Cage
I keep three databases on my computer: one for client contact info, one for website information, and one for marketing. Many people like using programs like ACT and Gold Mine to keep track of their customers. I used ACT when I was in the corporate world. But now I prefer something more custom. I find Filemaker Pro to be real easy to use so I have created my own databases. They keep me organized with important information.
The databases are straight-forward and easy to use. The client database has all of the contact info I need. The Website database has all of the important information about the sites I have created: log-in info, IP addresses, database info, hosting info, etc. My marketing database lists potential customers and the mailers they have received. My postcard campaign to gain new local business actually consists of 5 postcards, similar in style and message. When I send out a group I note it in the file of those receiving them.
Creating the Alternate Universe - Yours!
Fortunately, back-up devices have become really cheap. I used to back-up all of my client files on CDs. Today, I use an Iomega eGo and Apple's Time Machine to back everything up.
I tend to work mostly on my laptop and I like to keep it lean and mean. A friend of mine is a freelance programmer and his computer scares me. He has icons and files scattered throughout his desktop. And I can tell you, there is no particular order to the mess. I prefer a clean desktop (on my computer) and I have two folders: my hard drive and a Current Projects folder. I keep other folders with code, images and vector designs that I like to use or have handy, a folder for marketing and one for contracts. (Being a Mac user I also have a couple of key folders in my Dock.) You get the idea. I find being organized like this saves me time and frustration.
As I stated at the beginning, there are many other ways of organizing. Over the years I have found these to be the most useful ways and areas of keeping my work and my business organized. I'm certain you have your own system, but if you don't, or if you're just starting out, develop one that fits your style. I hope some of mine help.
Write a comment
- Required fields are marked with *.
RSS Subscribe