Tips & Tricks
A freelance designer's guide to surviving as a solo, creative entrepreneur in the South African climate. I won't lie... It has been somewhat of a tough year, with some hard learning curves. That is the reason for this post though. Giving you as much information as possible to help alleviate the learning process and hopefully assure you have less stress to deal with and more potential clients to work with.
Here is a video I found that answers a few questions. Touching base on the reason why we design and how to better go about your freelance career.
Although this isn't specifically centered on freelancing, it does touch on some good subjects.
Take a minute to think why you got into freelance in the first place or why you are considering it as a career option. If your answer looks something
like this: "to take the future of your professional career into your own hands" you are on the right track.
The image shows the basic principles of Art. The building blocks to Design. There are 8 basic principles you'll need to familiarise yourself with. Although Design principles may seem a bit more complex, Thorough knowledge of these will assure you effectively deliver quality work. You can view them all here: The principles of effective Design. I can't stress these basics enough. The 8 principles include balance, alignment, emphasis, proportion, movement, pattern, contrast, and unity.
For this post, however, I'll be focusing on my own freelance journey and some insight into my recipe for success.
Given your background, you will need a place where you can show off some of your past projects. This will highly prove beneficial when selling your service to any new potential client. there-after, branding yourself is paramount to how you are presented to clients and gives an air of professionalism. With that. A solid marketing strategy will launch you head first into the field. Keep in mind that you are in a highly competitive environment and the amount of effort you put in is the same amount you'll get out.
The recipe for success
Step 1
The most vital part of your journey is establishing your identity. What do you offer that sets you aside from other creatives? Work with that. I personally offer a diverse skill set. That means I save clients money on outside sources. Understanding the demand is first and foremost your main objective.
Then, "brand" accordingly. Create your footprint and push your service! Creating an effective look and feel for your "persona" helps tremendously. It sets the bar for your level of professionalism and in turn, gets you more professional clients.
Below is a checklist of what you'll need to create pre-launch:
Step 2
Once you have established the basics and laid down your foundation. You'll need to figure out how you get to your clients. This phase does take some testing and time, so be patient. Consider your end-goal. Getting a constant flow of clients without needing to constantly push your brand.
The industry is somewhat saturated due to the tools available to everyone. Keep in mind that you are a professional and not just quickly dipping your feet in the water to feel the temperature. If you take the time to establish and fine-tune your brand. Your marketing will be peanuts.
I'm going to give you my marketing process so you have an idea of how to do your own. This should also be taken in steps and yet again, as with your brand establishment. Be considered as laying your foundation.
This is the process to follow to effectively lay a good digital footprint:
Step 3
Let's not beat around the bush here. Both designers and Companies have flaws. I have spent my freelance career ironing these out and found a few solutions that make life easier for everyone. Now that you have your clients, how do you go about actually doing the work?
I have a few tools I use to make life that much easier. Please also understand, your site serves as a place for terms and conditions aside from just displaying your work.
Through my experience, I have found charging an hourly rate for any and all projects makes everyone's life easier. Not all clients like this concept. However, many projects tend to go above scope and end up taking much more time than what was initially quoted.
Below are a few pointers that will help you iron everything out:
What have we learned?
To be successful in the field takes determination and hard work. The end product of laying a good foundation is directly linked to the amount of work you put in. Rather than having short term vision. Establish your self for at least ten years to come.
