5 Things Every Freelance Designer Should Do
Overview
As a freelance graphic designer, you will have to wear many different hats from time to time. It can become extremely difficult to juggle all the different tasks thrown at you in a given day. In this post I want to concentrate on five things that will not only increase your productivity, but also your number of clients.
1. Keep Your Office Space Clean
Designers rarely place any importance on office cleanliness, however, it can help immensely with your efficiency. When you know where things are, you waste less time. A dusty and messy desk doesn’t exactly contribute to a good working environment. Staying clean and organized will help keep those creative juices flowing and help you optimize your workflow. One thing is for sure, cleaning takes timehis brings us to number two.
2. Have A Time For Everything
As freelancers, we create our own schedule. This is an asset, when you’re able to manage your time wisely. Unfortunately, for some this is overwhelming and has caused them to miss deadlines, thus damaging their reputation and their brand. To avoid this, schedule the time you need to wake up, start work, clean your office, take lunch and at what time to call it quits. Also, don’t forget to schedule breaks. Whether it’s playing Xbox, taking a walk, a nap or a coffee break, schedule it for no more than thirty minutes. As a side note, doing this doesn’t mean you follow your schedule like a robot; it’s an outline to help you have a more productive day.
3. Blog And Be Blogged
Blogging serves multiple purposes. Not only does it let you express your feelings and thoughts. It also allows you to share your expertise of the industry; whether that is graphic design or another niche. The reality is that two people can think the same exact thing, but the way YOU present it may help someone that didn’t understand the concept the first time. Also the second part of number three reads, “be bloggedâ€. What does that mean? In short; do something worthy of being written about. Due to technology a lot of clients are obtained by website visits. Suggestions: Guest write for a blog, write a tutorial, create a vector pack, etc. All these efforts will be linked back to your site, therefore, getting your name out to the design community
4. Follow Up Promptly
You should definitely respond to e-mails and phone calls promptly. When I say promptly, I mean no more than twenty-four hours. By being professional from the beginning, you are showing the client how the rest of your working relationship will go. Unfortunately, I have made the mistake in the past of not returning emails promptly and have always felt really embarrassed by it. If you’ve felt this way, channel that embarrassment into resolve that you won’t do it again. If you respond briefly and quickly, your clients will tell their peers how great your service was. Word of mouth can be your greatest form of advertisement, but remember it can also go the other way.
5. Dress the Part
If you are a designer, it should be written all over the clothes you wear. For example, if someone is a dietitian, yet they are overweight, would you want his or her services? No. In the same way, our creativity and sense of style should be reflected by what we wear. If you’re at home working, the rule is different. Wear whatever you want. I know of freelancers that work in their pajamas, but when meeting with clients, dress the part and look sharp.
Conclusion
I hope you found these five tips useful. I invite you to add to the list with your comments. I would also like to inform you that when you comment on blogs, you can link back to your website. If you write something significant, somebody might look you up. Thanks for reading!
If this post was helpful to you, please consider sharing it with others, it's a great way of saying thanks.
CONTRIBUTE
Justin Moore-Brown
February 11, 2009
5 great tips to keep every freelancer on the right track. I just made the transition into full-time freelance and know EXACTLY how one can loose track of time.
Management is key in that area to be productive.
Justin Moore-Brown´s last post was… Creator of Comic Sans: Vincent Connare
Daniel Campos
February 11, 2009
Hey Tim!
Oh gosh, this article is wonderful. I was very glad because tha most of this tips I pratice in my life. That is good. Now, I want to begin a carrer as freelancer designer, so this other tips will help me so much.
Thank you for this article and congratulations
Best Wishes
Daniels
Daniel Campos´s last post was… Logos: Tendências 2008
Bruno Abrantes
February 11, 2009
Nice tips altogether, though nr. 4 is as important as they get. Being professional is a big factor when it comes to the decision of hiring you or not, so make sure to extend your professionalism to every e-mail, phone call, conversation, invoice, etc. you engage your client in.
Bruno Abrantes´s last post was… How to (correctly) size text on the Web
Thiago
February 11, 2009
Congratulations !
always giving same good information
nice post ! thanks
Andrew Cairns
February 11, 2009
Very wise words!
I must also say that 4. – “Follow Up Promptly” is usualy underestimated.
I have missed the occasional email which has not worked out so good!
Rype
February 11, 2009
Great article! I have found keeping my office cleaned and organized really reflects on how I work. If my office is organized, my work is too!
Rype´s last post was… Winners of the Designious.com 5 Free Vector Packs Giveaway
joyoge designers' bookmark
February 11, 2009
Nice tips article thanks..
joyoge designers’ bookmark´s last post was… PSD Vault Photoshop Inspirations, Tutorials and Resources Six High Quality Photoshop Tutorial Sites Apart From PSDTUTS.com
Carson
February 11, 2009
I wonder if the time I am spending reading this is filed under ‘work’ or ‘break’.
Carson´s last post was… A Dramatic Shift in Marketing Reality
Brian Yerkes
February 11, 2009
Nice post! Similar in points made to one I wrote a while back.
http://www.brianyerkes.com/50-reasons-why-you-will-not-make-it-as-a-freelancer/
Brian Yerkes´s last post was… **Updated** What Clients Need To Know When Hiring A Web Design Company
Justin March
February 11, 2009
Leave time aside for marketing you and your website is also essential IMHO, otherwise those leads will soon dry up altogether.
Logo Design Guru
February 11, 2009
great tips. I agree whole heartedly. Being a freelance designer requires a lot of dedication and work, and selling yourself is half the battle. Good luck.
Tim Smith
February 11, 2009
Thanks for all the comments!! CARSON: I’d say that reading this blog is work. You are investigating your industry. Isn’t that great?? You’re having fun yet working, but we’re all used to that right?
Aaron
February 11, 2009
great post, however, i must note that “dressing the part” is not the most important thing, depending on the client. i work at a design firm and am one of the few people who actually dress well. many of our most talented designers have no idea how to design there wardrobe.
Fabian
February 11, 2009
Thanks for the headsup Tim.Very interesting article.
Elizabeth
February 12, 2009
Hey my friend!
WOW! you really got talent. Your article is great.
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
jesseme
February 12, 2009
Congratulations!
always giving same good information
nice post ! thanks
John
February 12, 2009
Awesome tips, thanks for the post. I just started blogging and will try your suggestion about getting out there. Also, I’m a full time designer working at a company but interested in moving to freelance.
John´s last post was… Change the Music – A Weird Short Story
Buzzlair Voufincci
February 19, 2009
Thanks for the articles. it inspires me a lot -
“As a side note, doing this doesn’t mean you follow your schedule like a robot; it’s an outline to help you have a more productive day.”
i noted this one in my notepad. the phrase is inspiring :D
Liora
February 21, 2009
Very well-written and thought-out. I like your suggestions for “blog and be blogged”.
Liora´s last post was… 16 Grunge Swirl Brushes
padhi14
March 13, 2009
nice buddy! thanks wilson
Danielle Ingram
May 14, 2009
This is a really helpful post for anyone who is breaking into any sort of freelance work.
I really think that if you apply these rules to any job you have, whether freelance or not then you won’t go far wrong.
Danielle Ingram´s last post was… Google One-Line Sitelinks – May 9, 2009
Milan Fashion
June 11, 2009
bookmarked :)
Kelly Thomas
August 17, 2009
Cool blog. I dig your site outline and I plan on
returning again! I just love finding blogs like this
when I have the time.
Thanks for sharing these helpful tips!
rdeering
October 18, 2009
As someone who used to freelance, one thing that I did every morning before starting to work was to take a shower and change out of my pajamas. I felt like it helped me get into work mode.
following up promptly can not be understated. i learned that the hard way a few times.
Mark
November 25, 2009
Taken together, your tips show the importance of being disciplined and prioritising the important. Nice post.
Ron Arts Web Design
January 27, 2010
This article is really helpful. Wonderful tips!!!!