When pitching to a client, are you a relief player or a star performer? Which gets the big bucks?
MOST DESIGNERS I know have done freelance work at one time or another. Often, freelance work is done to supplement income from other sources or used as a fallback position through a transitional period between more traditional employment opportunities. However, there are designers who eschew these conventional models and build a business based solely on freelance work. This choice has its advantages, but also its challenges.
The freelance advantage
Years ago, while running an in-house design department, I outsourced some overflow work to a freelance designer. After a few weeks of steady work, I asked the designer if he was interested in joining us fulltime. I was quickly and bluntly rejected. He explained that while he was delighted to continue working on our projects, the advantages of fulltime freelancing outweighed the safety net of fulltime employment.
Variety: As freelancers move from project to project, they are exposed to new industries and market segments. Further, each project brings with it a new circle of collaborators. The more projects, the more a designer’s circle expands, allowing them to meet and connect with an ever-widening network of potential customers.
Freedom: Freelancers are generally unencumbered by client demands. Sure, there’s work to be completed when you’re in the middle of a project but in between assignments, you are free. Want to take six weeks’ vacation? Go ahead.
Premium pricing: Freelancers are called in when needed. As a general rule, they can command a higher hourly rate “on demand” than they would otherwise command “on staff.” And while supply and demand will always dictate hourly rates, freelancers can charge a premium for their time.
The freelance challenge
Keeping the project pipeline full is a challenge for any business and freelancing is no exception. In order to stay busy, you have to strike a balance between working on projects and finding new ones. Projects can be found in many places but it helps to look down some well-trodden paths for inspiration.
Promote: Work typically comes from two sources: directly from the client or through its agency. Consider marketing and promotional tactics that are appropriate for each audience. Dropping off your portfolio at reception may work at a traditional agency but rarely works in a corporate environment.
Photographers, illustrators, brand strategists, writers and web programmers largely operate on a freelance basis. Befriend one of these individuals and ask them about their business-building strategies. How do they find work? How much time do they spend marketing and promoting versus working on projects? Do they have a website? Do they cold call? Above all, find the right approach that works for you. Consider engaging a firm to help with your marketing and promotional strategy. Often their fresh perspective will help pull everything together in ways that you might overlook.
Specialize: Be realistic with your services. Are you offering support for firms who require help once in a while or are you providing an expert service that can’t be easily obtained? (Hint: experts can charge more.) If you’re contributing temporary relief, you’ll likely move from panic project to panic project and you’ll need to be available when the calls come in. As an expert, you’ll have more control over your time and will be able to command a premium price for your services. According to the 2010/2011 National Survey of Salaries and Billing Practices in the Graphic Design and Communications Industries, conducted by the Association of Registered Graphic Designers of Ontario and Creative Niche, 68 per cent of principals and sole proprietors use freel ncers for specific skills (81 per cent) and to manage workload peaks (73 per cent).
“You’ll know you’ve made the transition from freelancer to expert,” says independent brand strategist James Morris of Toronto, “when people start calling you instead of you calling them.” When that day
arrives, you’ll know you’re not just another supplier on the shortlist…you are the shortlist.
