Winning the Freelance Game

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.

Flexing Freelance Muscles

Even in tough times, freelancers can leverage their flexibility and low overhead to succeed

NOBODY said graphic design was a recession-proof business. Clients often cut their marketing budgets in times of economic crisis as they try to reduce expenditures to help weather the storm. As those budgets get trimmed, so too does the revenue of the design community as a whole. As some larger shops and internal departments reduce their staff, freelancing becomes a reality for more and more designers. Here’s how freelancers can not only survive but also thrive in difficult economic conditions.