A Graphic Design Student's Guide to Freelance by Ben Hannam

Author:Ben Hannam
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 2012-09-12T16:00:00+00:00

Working with a Small-Business Owner

Small-business owners are often fixated on the bottom line. When they look at a deal, they often approach it from a “What will this cost me and what will I get in return?” type of perspective. There is certainly nothing wrong with this, but you need to make sure that they are being realistic with their expectations. Graphic design isn't a hard science that makes clients appear out of thin air, and you certainly shouldn't sell your services to small-business owners this way. Good design can certainly have significant and positive effects for small-business owners, but it needs to be viewed as a component of a healthy business plan rather than a quick fix or magic bullet. Unfortunately, many small-business owners view design as “decoration” rather than as a vehicle to communicate with their clients, so you may have to spend some time educating them on the value of design and the type of outcomes they can expect to see.

For this reason my approach to working with small-business owners is to avoid selling them a “piece of design” like a business card or brochure. Rather, I talk with them and figure out what problems they are having and about how I can help solve these problems. Sometimes, the best solution is a business card or brochure, but other times a business card or brochure simply isn't the right tool for the job. My goal is to help their business succeed, not just to design and sell business cards and brochures. When you approach the problem this way, it helps the client to understand that one piece of graphic design isn't going to solve his problem entirely, but it begins to establish some momentum for branding his company, shaping its message, and reaching new clients.

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