Ten Steps To Becoming A Productive Freelance Designer
1. Brand yourself. Almost any company or corporation falls apart without an established style. Without an impressive personalised brand you will simply fade into the background where literally 1000's of freelance designers wander.
2. Make an efficient internet portfolio. It is nearly impossible to achieve success in graphic or web design without having a powerful web presence. Any potential clients or bosses will wish to see your work and many of them will choose to type in a URL and click what they wish to see.
3. Create an equally efficient print portfolio, business cards, resume, et cetera. This is somewhat a combination of the previous 2 steps. Make sure you develop a powerful tangible portfolio which you could give to those who need to see your work "in person". Also make use of your branding and identity to create business cards, stationery, et cetera. Any time you could put your own personal logo on something, do it.
4. Be brave, daring, and professional. Don't be afraid to call people, provide services, email organizations and more. Recently, I was printing a job for a customer and at the printing shop, a person complimented me on the design of the piece. After participating in friendly discussion, he asked me for some tips about the piece he was printing for his own business. Although I was short on time, I was glad to assist him and when I got ready to leave, I offered my future services then gave him a business card. Trust that people will appreciate your skills.
5. Go the extra mile for your prospects. Word of mouth is the most important tool you have. Nothing will help you or harm you more than rumors and compliments shared by other people for whom you might have done work before. About 90% of the freelance work I accomplish comes from word-of-mouth advertising.
6. Get the small opportunities first. Doing well at a smaller job for someone will help open doors for your customer to do greater, better things. I entered a logo contest for a specific organization and out of the 4 logos I entered, two tied for 1st place pick. They were so impressed, I offered to make their website too. Related offers can be made for a corporation's stationery, business cards, etc. Find an area of interest and then take courage and offer more.
7. Never underestimate yourself. This goes along with Number four. Make sure you believe in yourself. No one will ever employ a designer that thinks he might not do as good a job as another guy. Remember to reflect your confidence in your pricing. If your work is excellent, charge good money for it.
8. Network. Graphic and web design are rapidly transforming. Every single day new techniques and styles are created and the designer found sleeping on the job is left in the dust. Join social networks just like twitter, linkedin, fb, digg, and more. Start a weblog and frequently add significant feedback on others' blogs. Making a reputation for yourself within the design world takes a while but can be achieved using social networking resources.
9. Practice, practice, practice. Nothing would show you how to increase in confidence and talent more than practice. If work is a little bit slow, nail down a few of those private projects you've been meaning to complete. Join a group at school or locally where you'll be able to freshen your talents. Engage in design forums, contests, and workshops. Nothing could take the place of real life application and experience.
10. Pay attention. I like to bring a small pad around with me. Whenever I see an advertising campaign, picture, building, person, etc. that influences my creative thinking.
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