Everything I Wish I Knew About Running a Design Studio
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This document provides advice and tips for graphic designers starting their own business. It covers topics such as finding new projects, estimating costs, following a project process, creating contracts and proposals, planning for the future, and dealing with challenges. Specific advice includes identifying prospects, putting a sales process in place, standardizing procedures, focusing proposals on process over features, and making calculated decisions when problems arise. Worksheets and resources are provided for areas like marketing, scoping projects, and creating a business plan.
Everything I Wish I Knew About Running a Design Studio
- 1. Everything I Wish I Knew ... Daniel Schutzmith
- 2. Who Am I?
- 6. School of VISUAL ARTS 209 East 23 Street, New York, NY 10010-3994 Tel 212.XXX.XXXX Fax 212.XXX.XXXX www.schoolofvisualarts.edu
- 8. The Top 5 Things I Hear
- 9. Top 5 Things I Hear 5. Have a tough time finding new projects.
- 10. Top 5 Things I Hear 4. Estimating the cost of a project too high/low.
- 11. Top 5 Things I Hear 3. Not following a project process.
- 12. Top 5 Things I Hear 2. No signed contract and/or not sure how to make a proposal.
- 13. Top 5 Things I Hear 1. Not sure how to plan for the future.
- 14. 5. Have a tough time finding new projects.
- 15. New Business
- 16. New Business “I wish I'd had more sales training before starting my bus.” - Stephanie Sharp Sharp Designs
- 17. New Business Put a Process in Place
- 18. New Business 1. Identify Prospects
- 19. New Business 1. Identify Prospects 2. Contact Prospects
- 20. New Business 1. Identify Prospects 2. Contact Prospects 3. Sales Meeting
- 21. New Business 1. Identify Prospects 2. Contact Prospects 3. Sales Meeting 4. Close the Sale
- 22. New Business 1. Identify Prospects 2. Contact Prospects 3. Sales Meeting 4. Close the Sale 5. Follow-up
- 23. New Business Sales = Fear
- 24. New Business WORKSHEET: Anti-Hard Sell Success
- 25. New Business Daylite Highrise Salesforce.com
- 26. New Business Know Who Your Client Is
- 27. New Business
- 28. New Business WORKSHEET: Client Wish List
- 29. New Business New Projects Are Everywhere
- 30. New Business
- 31. New Business Listen More Than You Talk
- 32. New Business
- 33. New Business Know Your Product ( Hint: It is NOT your style or your superior design skills )
- 34. New Business
- 35. New Business Friends Will Tell You the Truth
- 36. New Business
- 37. III. Getting Clients Repeat Clients Are New Clients
- 38. Marketing
- 39. Marketing Good Marketing Means Less Need for Sales
- 40. Marketing WORKSHEET: Marketing Plan
- 41. Marketing Over the Top is Good
- 42. Marketing
- 43. Marketing
- 44. Marketing Have a Press Kit
- 45. Marketing WORKSHEET: Press Kit Ingredients
- 46. Marketing A Press Release Compliments a Project Launch
- 47. Marketing WORKSHEET: Press Release Advice
- 48. 4. Estimating the cost of a project too high/low.
- 50. Scoping a Project “Don't tell a client ‘yes’ when the answer is really ‘no’.” - Mike Buzzard, President Cuban Council
- 51. Scoping a Project Scope
- 52. Scoping a Project Time
- 53. Scoping a Project Cost
- 54. Scoping a Project WORKSHEET: Quality Triangle
- 55. Scoping a Project WORKSHEET: Project Scope
- 56. Scoping a Project WORKSHEET: Project Pricing
- 57. Scoping a Project WORKSHEET: Scheduling
- 58. Scoping a Project Microsoft Project
- 59. 3. Not following a project process.
- 61. Project Management “Plan, plan, plan!” - Eric Breitbard, SVP Schematic
- 63. Project Management Identify Your Process
- 64. Project Management 4 D’s
- 66. Project Management 1. Discovery 2. Design
- 67. Project Management 1. Discovery 2. Design 3. Develop
- 68. Project Management 1. Discovery 2. Design 3. Develop 4. Deploy
- 69. Project Management Microsoft Project Studiometry
- 70. Managing Talent
- 71. Managing Talent Assign Tasks / Objectives
- 72. Managing Talent Check in Regularly
- 73. Managing Talent Let People Screw Up
- 74. Managing Talent Preach Time Management
- 75. Managing Talent Weekly Status Meetings
- 77. Managing the Client Assign Tasks / Objectives
- 78. Managing the Client Keep Consistent Communication
- 79. Managing the Client One Channel of Communication
- 80. Managing the Client Be Honest
- 81. Managing the Client Under Promise, Over Deliver
- 82. Standardize Everything (its OK to be anal)
- 83. Standardize Everything Standardize File Structure
- 85. Standardize Everything WORKSHEET: Ways to Standardize
- 86. Standardize Everything Retain Ideas
- 87. Standardize Everything WORKSHEET: Idea Tools
- 88. 2. No signed contract and/or not sure how to make a proposal.
- 90. Legal Mumbo Jumbo “No matter how close a friend or client may be, never sway from your business practices.” - Kathryn Rural City Creative
- 91. Legal Mumbo Jumbo Don’t Be Scared of Contracts
- 93. Legal Mumbo Jumbo Rely on Your Legal Team
- 95. Legal Mumbo Jumbo Get it in Writing
- 97. Legal Mumbo Jumbo Define Payment Logistics
- 100. Legal Mumbo Jumbo “The client is not an idiot.” - Jeffrey Zeldman, President Happy Cog Studios
- 101. Proposal Ingredients Proposal Ingredients: • Cover Page • Contact Information • Stake Holders • Scope • Objectives
- 102. Proposal Ingredients Proposal Ingredients: • Target Audience • Deliverables • Process • Milestone Schedule • Payment Schedule
- 103. Proposal Ingredients Proposal Ingredients: • Fees • Strategy • Company History • Principal Bios • Case Studies / Awards
- 104. Proposal Ingredients WORKSHEET: Ingredients of a Proposal
- 105. Proposal Ingredients WORKSHEET: Project Pricing
- 107. Tips for Successful Proposals Get a Copywriter
- 108. Tips for Successful Proposals Use Templates
- 109. Tips for Successful Proposals Be Organized
- 110. Tips for Successful Proposals Avoid Bullshit
- 111. Tips for Successful Proposals No Sales Lines
- 112. Tips for Successful Proposals No Spec Work
- 113. Tips for Successful Proposals Focus on Process
- 114. Tips for Successful Proposals Don’t Delay
- 115. 1. Not sure how to plan for the future.
- 117. Working on Your Business “I wish I knew how important it was to reach out for help before I was in over my head.” - Florence Haridan Gathering
- 118. Working on Your Business Rely on Professional Help
- 119. Working on Your Business Understand Your Books
- 120. Working on Your Business Create a Blueprint for Success
- 121. Working on Your Business WORKSHEET: Business Plan
- 122. Working on Your Business Invoice Regularly
- 123. Working on Your Business Keep a Playbook
- 124. V.Working on Your Business Planning for the Future For every project, log the total hours, players, profit/loss, things learned, strengths, weaknesses, and so on.
- 125. Working on Your Business
- 126. Working on Your Business Decide Where You Want to Go
- 127. Working on Your Business • write down where you want your business to go. • plan for it in baby steps. • visualize it happening.
- 128. Working on Your Business “Everything's a work in progress ... no matter how well you're doing.” - Michael Lebowitz, CEO Big Spaceship
- 129. Working on Your Business
- 130. There is no such thing as luck, the future is what YOU make it!
- 133. BONUS: When Shit Hits the Fan
- 134. When Shit Hits the Fan Stay Focued
- 135. When Shit Hits the Fan Remain Calm
- 136. When Shit Hits the Fan Don’t Act Too Quickly
- 137. When Shit Hits the Fan Rely on Your Staff
- 138. When Shit Hits the Fan Don’t Play the Blame Game
- 139. When Shit Hits the Fan Realize that Something Will Have to be Sacrificed
- 140. When Shit Hits the Fan Make a Calculated Decision
- 141. When Shit Hits the Fan Sometimes You Need to Fire the Client
- 143. When Shit Hits the Fan If It Smells Like Shit...