"Value comes with service, not design. Design has become a commodity. Your clients can get it anywhere."
I often get a lot of questions about freelance design and all the nuts and bolts that go into it. And how the heck do you do it for a living and be successful at it? I think a lot of success as a freelance designer can come as either good luck or hard work. Although I used to freelance full time, I decided to leave that world for a while because it can often wear you down. You have to be prepared for the difficulties, to spend money, and to fail and succeed. Nothing worth doing is easy and never has that applied more with freelance design.Don't Limit your Capabilities
What I mean by this is try to strive to be a jack of all trades. I design websites, a total range of print collateral that most businesses need, logos, illustrations; the list goes on. Typically if I am approached by a client who needs a logo, I can then offer flyers, stationary and a website. Keeping all those skills with myself means I never have to send clients away to get another job done with someone else.
Never Stop Learning
Ever since I enrolled in the graphic design program it's been non-stop learning. A lot of the stuff I've learned is probably useless, stuff that I'll use once in a blue moon, and others that I use on a daily basis. Most of those things I did not learn in school but more on the job. Don't ever sit back and think 'I'm a good designer, I don't need to know about anything about marketing myself or promoting my work, people will just find me'. Not true. In this day and age, everyone can market themselves as a designer, but it's really about what makes you different. But seriously, what makes you different? Does your work speak for itself? Are you a pleasure to work with? Those are all questions you should ask yourself.
Ask for Help
This will forever be the best go-to of freelancing that I can recommend. Find someone who is a good, successful designer that you know and trust that you can ask for their honest opinion. Most of the time when you've spend so much time looking at something for so long you won't notice certain things. There will always be someone smarter and more talented than you, but the sooner you get over that hump the better off you'll be. Don't take anything to heart, just roll with it and learn from them. And most importantly, NETWORK.
Set your Rates
One of the first questions you'll get before your ever hired to do a job is 'How much do you charge?'. I can't tell you how important it is to get your rates set right from the get go. Do your research, ask fellow freelancers what they charge, and how they charge. Don't forget, you are doing this to earn an honest living, and the client needs your service, so charge accordingly.
Get it in writing
Never ever ever do any sort of work without getting the details of the project in writing, and a signed document. I've ran into a lot of situations where this can get super sticky, but remember your just protecting yourself. Try to do as much communication through email so you have documentation of everything that's been requested. If a client gets weird about signing a contract, you can and should say no to that project. That's probably a good indication that they might screw you or expect you to do work for free.
Always keep it in the back of your head that everything you do is for you and your business. Be professional, promote yourself, meet new people, pay for advertising and ask for help. It won't come easy, but don't give up. It can all take off if you believe in it. Speak to people about what you do with enthusiasm. Everyone is looking for that perfect designer who can show them that you are their best choice, and the designer that will ultimately help their business succeed.
Are you a successful freelance designer? What would you tell someone who's trying to start out in this business? What tips would you like to hear more about?
