Last week I had the privilege of moderating the panel discussion at the premiere event in our AIGA Los Angeles Blueprint series. We brought four of LA’s finest independent designers to NextSpace in Culver City, CA for a two-hour discussion on the business of freelancing.
While freelance designers love to talk about their creative work, they’re often less fond of talking about their businesses. Such “boring” topics as accounting, taxes, legal issues, business strategy and client relations are often considered necessary evils, reflected by their time spent in the conversational spotlight.
And that’s no good.
We at AIGA think nuts-and-bolts business information is vital to any self-employed designer, so we created the business-focused Blueprint series to find out if the rest of the self-employed design community does too.
Turns out they do: The event was sold out, and we practically had to kick attendees out the door after it ended, they had so many questions for our panel.
Speaking of the panel, I can’t say enough good things about this talented and experienced group, and I’m honored to call them my friends.
- Petrula Vrontikis founder of Vrontikis Design Office, an Art Center professor and AIGA Fellow
- Heather Parlato founder of Parlato Design Studio, a boutique design agency
- Spencer Cross, founder of TokyoFarm and Kernspiracy
- Mark LeRoy, the founder of Escape Hatch, a luxury travel company, and silverECHO, a brand strategy, marketing and design agency.
The discussion was lively and thoughtful, stocked with behind-the-curtain, practical insights and suggestions. We could have easily talked another hour or two, and barely scraped the surface of both the topic, and the panel’s collective knowledge on it.
Above: AIGA Los Angeles Blueprint: Freelance panelists from left to right: Jason Adam (moderator), Mark LeRoy, Heather Parlato, Spencer Cross, Petrula Vrontikis.
Among my favorite insights for freelancers:
You’re a business owner, not a designer. On average, all four panelists spend about 30% of their time designing. The rest is spent running their business, or in business development.
Titles are important. Not one of our panelists refer to themselves as a “freelancer,” opting instead for terms like solo-practice (or in Mark’s case, Contract Marketing Director), which offer elevated positioning.
Where you decide to work is a personal decision. The panel was split on working alone from a home office, or working from a co-working space or shared office. Heather recently gave a shared office space a go, but found it too distracting. The consensus was this is a very personal choice. For those opting to work at home, Spencer suggests dogs.
Freelancing allows you to keep a larger portion of your earned money. For those considering making the leap to freelancing full-time, and concerned about financing the jump, Heather suggested that one can expect to pay significantly less in taxes as a freelancer than she did as a full-time employee.
Flat fees vs. billing hourly. Our entire panel typically bills projects on a flat-fee basis, vs. billing hourly, with a few small exceptions, such as revisions or production work.
Effective positioning and communication helps attract the right kinds of clients. Mark suggests using analogies: “I sell Mercedes’. If you want a Ford, this might not be a good fit.”
“Work directly with the client” except when… Petrula explained: If you have a very specialized skill, such as an illustration style, etc., you can command a premium fee for your work, and it may be beneficial to subcontract through other agencies. Just ask lots of questions and make sure you can use it in your portfolio.
Staffing Agencies are great in a pinch, but watch the strings. If you’re going to work with a staffing agency, read the whole contract. They likely have strict non-compete clauses included.
And we covered that in about 10 minutes. This is one smart group, and I can’t wait to get them together again.
Here at Hexanine, we’re also committed to elevating design as a professional craft through a focus on design thinking and brand strategy. We feel strongly that the more our clients utlize us as strategic consultants, the more value we can bring to the table — and their organizations.
Many thanks to AIGA LA Event Programming Chair René Quintanilla, and event producers Janette Jackson and Jenn de la Fuente for producing the event, and to all of our AIGA Los Angeles volunteers for their hard work as well. If you’d like to learn more about AIGA Los Angeles, visit our spiffy new website.
Finally, a huge shout out to Paul Dimalanta who provided the fantastic pictures.
I’m going to keep this Exceedingly short. I was definitely amazed when I read/saw this (especially when I watched the short video). For a minimal time, you can commense making resources online with an incredible Usable 9-part video training course. You’ll be shown everything you require to be acquainted with to swiftly and surely achieve cash flow from anywhere in the world employing your computer. Check it out. These videos are TRULY marvelous and innovative; I’ve never seen anything like them before. Download this $37 video training course pronto. Believe me, you’ll love it. Trust me. I’ve already downloaded them myself, and they’re worth far more than $37. They’re plainly worth 300 times that price, and they can be yours now, with no strings attached if you act now. This is a stupendous event you need to take advantage of pronto before it’s no longer available. Unquestionably, I mean it – check it out!
I just lately got here throughout your blog and have been studying along. I believed I would go away my first comment. I don’t know what to say besides that I have loved reading. Good blog, I will keep visiting this weblog very often.
Hiya my family member! I want to say that this text is superior, nice written and include approximately all vital infos. I wish to peer additional posts like this.
I have to express some appreciation to the writer just for rescuing me from this type of dilemma. Just soon after searching out via the search engines and obtaining techniques that were not pleasant, I believed my life was more than. Existing without the presence of answers to the issues you’ve sorted out by means of your entire guideline is actually a crucial case, as well as those which could have in a wrong way damaged my career if I hadn’t come across the web site. The talents and kindness in touching all the details was very helpful. I don’t know what I would have done if I had not encountered such a point like this. I can at this point look ahead to my future. Thank you very considerably for the high quality and results-oriented help. I won’t be reluctant to recommend your internet site to anyone who needs guidelines about this matter.
Thanks , I have recently been searching for info approximately this subject for a long time and yours may be the best I’ve discovered till now. But, what about the conclusion? Are you sure concerning the source?
Wow, amazing weblog format! How long have you ever been running a blog for? you made running a blog look easy. The overall look of your site is fantastic, not to mention the content material!. Thanks For Your article about DJ Zinhle Feat. Busiswa Gqulu & .
I, for one, am the adept of freelancing and working from home!
[…] jason’s recap: on the hexanine blog! […]
I used to be recommended this internet site by way of my cousin. I am now not certain whether this put up is written by him as nobody else recognize such particular about my difficulty. You’re incredible! Thank you!
I believe this is among the most vital info for me. And i am glad reading your post. But should remark on few general issues, The site style is wonderful, the articles is actually nice : D. Very good job, cheers
It’s practically impossible to find knowledgeable men and females during this topic, nonetheless you sound like do you know what you are discussing! Thanks
I’m not against the agree with the things you suggested.
Thanks for this exceptional post. One other thing is that a great deal of digital cameras come equipped with the zoom lens that enables more or less of your scene to get included by indicates of ‘zooming’ in and out. All these changes in concentration length are usually reflected even though within the viewfinder and on significant display screen proper at the back with the specific camera.
Necessary to post you that bit of note to be able to give thanks more than once again about the awesome concepts you’ve documented in this case. This really is so surprisingly open-handed with you to offer without restraint all that several individuals would have marketed as an e-book to earn some cash for themselves, especially considering the fact which you may nicely have done it in case you considered necessary. The smart concepts likewise served like the effortless approach to realize that other individuals have the identical desire the same as my own to realize a fantastic deal far more on the subject of this difficulty. I’m positive you can find thousands of much more enjoyable times up front for folks who take a appear at your internet site.
Hello, i think that i saw you visited my internet site thus i came to “return the favor”.I am trying to locate points to enhance my internet site!I suppose its ok to use some of your suggestions!!
Aw, it was quite a excellent post. In idea I’ve to put in writing such as this moreover – taking time and actual effort to produce a outstanding article… but what / items I say… I procrastinate alot through no indicates manage to get something completed.
Only a smiling visitant here to share the enjoy (:, btw fantastic design and style .
Immer etliche Firmen benützen heutzutage Interimmanagement als innovatives und ergänzendes Gerätschaft i. Spanne der Unternehmensführung. Denn hiermit wird Kenntnisstand leistungsfähig, bedarfsgerecht und schnell ins Unternehmen geholt.
Very good write-up, I¡¦m normal visitor of one¡¦s blog, maintain up the nice operate, and It truly is going to be a regular visitor for a long time.
My mate and My hubby and i turned solely expressing a exceptionally dilemma, he’s received oftentimes endeavouring so which you may confirm every individual drastically wrong. Designs expertise making use of this happens to be vivid although inside the what usually ideas I’m. I merely at this point internet primarily based despatched my mate my internet site to indicate her the come across. One time neglecting your web internet site That discovered himself financial savings and will also be searching for out it really is which have been found to coach your self about to learn the paper your the most recent!
You’ll give you the chance to easily set aside a great deal of directed adventures with assorted automotive experts. Various deal fantastic delivers a number of may well take your company for a tour to a market location, or possibly for a visit to new york. ?????? ???
An individual necessarily assist to make severely posts I’d state. This actually is the really initial time I frequented your web web page and up to now? I shocked with the evaluation you created to make this certain submit extraordinary. Magnificent procedure!
Awesome weblog you have here but I was curious about should you knew of any discussion boards that cover exactly the same topics talked about in this post? I’d genuinely like to be a part of online community exactly where I can get comments from other experienced folks that share the same interest. If you have any recommendations, please let me know. Cheers!
Fantastic website online, decided a number of something completely new! Subscribed RSS for later, aspire to see far more updates precisely like it.
glorious factors altogether, you merely received a new reader. What would you advocate about your publish that you just made just a few days prior to now? Any sure?
We ran through this website last week and began to comply with your posts consistently. I haven’t commented on any kind of blog website simply however but I used to be contemplating to begin soon. It is really thrilling to truly contribute to an write-up even when it is solely a blog. I actually don’t know exactly what to put in writing other than I truly liked reading via a couple of of your articles. Wonderful articles for sure. I will maintain visiting your weblog regularly. I learned a good deal from you. Thanks!
This web site can be a walk-by way of for all with the data you required about this and didn’t know who to ask. Glimpse here, and also you will definitely uncover it.
This is quite fascinating, You’re a really skilled blogger. I have joined your feed and appear forward to looking for a lot more of your outstanding post. Additionally, I have shared your site in my social networks!
Superb weblog here! Also your web site loads up extremely rapidly! What host are you employing? Can I get your affiliate link to your host? I wish my internet site loaded up as fast as yours lol xrumer
Fantastic beat ! I would like to apprentice whilst you amend your web website, how can i subscribe for a weblog site? The account helped me a applicable deal. I had been tiny bit acquainted of this your broadcast provided shiny transparent thought.
Spot on with this write-up, I truly assume this site needs significantly much more consideration. in all probability be again to read a lot a lot more, thanks for that information.
This really is some agreeable material. It took me some time to finally find this web page but it was worth the time. I noticed this article was buried in yahoo and not the initial spot. This internet internet site has a lot of fine stuff and it doesnt deserve to be burried in the searches like that. By the way I am going to add this web publication to my list of favorites.
Hi there! I merely want to give a huge thumbs up for the great data you could have right here on this post. I will likely be coming once more to your weblog for much more soon.
Glad to be 1 of a lot of visitants on this awesome internet site : D.
Some times its a pain within the ass to read what blog owners wrote but this internet site is rattling user friendly ! .
*warning* Don’t any of you folks ever take me to CiCi’s pizza! There food looks offensive!|Urban_Elegance|
one of the greatest system I know, thank you extremely much .
I believe much more writers ought to take care to write down with ardour like you. Even informational articles like this can have personality. That’s what you have interjected on this informative post. Your views are extremely distinctive.
My mate and My hubby and i turned exclusively expressing a exceptionally dilemma, he’s acquired oftentimes endeavouring so which you could confirm every particular person drastically wrong. Designs experience utilizing this happens to be vivid even though inside the what usually suggestions I’m. I merely at this level internet based mostly sent my mate my web site to indicate her the come across. One time neglecting your internet internet site That discovered himself savings and will also be seeking out it really is which had been discovered to educate yourself about to learn the paper your the newest!
That is a necessary concern, I am very glad to learn this submission, and I agree with the problems of this write-up. I believe that is the best ideas and opinions. I’m going to do something after reading it.
Respect to post author, some wonderful details .
Thanks a bunch for sharing this with all folks you truly realize what you’re talking about! Bookmarked. Please additionally visit my site =). We can have a link change arrangement between us
Outstanding post, I think blog owners need to larn a great deal from this weblog its genuinely user genial .
Wohh exactly what I was looking for, appreciate it for posting .
I’d really should speak to you here. Which is not some thing I do! I quite like reading a post which will make individuals believe. Also, many thanks permitting me to comment!
An fascinating discussion may well be priced at comment. There’s no doubt that you should write far more about this topic, it will not undoubtedly be a taboo topic but typically men and women are not enough to communicate in on such topics. To another location. Cheers
I really feel like I’m constantly seeking for intriguing points to examine a wide selection of subjects, however I manage to contain your blog among my reads every day because you have compelling entries that I look forward to. Right here’s hoping there’s a nice deal a lot more remarkable material coming!
The wedding will likely to be the most remarkable festivals that you saw. You are going to surely intend to make it magnificent as it can be. Out of your ensemble for your special flower bouquets towards the wine beverages for top mankind’s destroyed, everthing genuinely ought to with fabulous organize.
I recognize there is definitely a fantastic deal of spam on this blog. Do you want support cleansing them up? I could help in between classes!
Great thanks for the good writeup. It actually was a amusement account it. Look superior to far added agreeable from you! By the way, how can we talk?