Looking for freelance creative work? Here are 6 of the best sites around:
Behance - Creative jobs & freelance opportunities from the Behance Network
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Let’s face the facts! Not all clients you work with will turn out to be open, design-minded people with unlimited budgets; some clients will cause way more stress and sleepless nights than they’re worth! If you’ve already committed to the job then you’ll just have to suck it up and maintain a high level of professionalism, but it’s best if you’re able to recognize a potentially trouble client upfront and try to avoid them altogether. How do you spot them? Here are 6 types of nightmare clients that you’re bound to encounter through your freelancing adventures:
1. The Frustrated Artist
The Frustrated Artist thinks he is creative and will attempt the initial design himself. After realizing his skills fall a bit short he will turn to you, the design professional, to salvage the project. The problem with this client is that he already has an idea of the outcome in mind and his ego won’t allow for anything else, which means very little room for creative exploration. You’ll end up doing what the client wants in order to please him, but you won’t feel satisfied with the final product as you had no control over it.
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When it comes to getting a bigger piece of the market pie most people try to outdo the competition in an attempt to gain a larger share. In the design world, this can be achieved through lowering costs, providing additional benefits, delivering work faster, or various other strategies all of which require some sort of sacrifice. So is there a better alternative?
One way to expand your business is to increase the overall size of the pie by reaching out to an untapped audience. By targeting a new audience you effectively increase your potential for growth since you’re no longer limited by your existing consumer/client circle. Better yet, if you’re an early adopter of a new target group you can grab as much of the pie as possible before your competition catches on and follows the path you’ve paved.
The beauty of this method is that you don’t even need to alter your core business model; you can get your bigger slice through savvy marketing and branding or, in some cases, by offering extended products/services as illustrated by the following two global brand examples:
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One of the first things you should do as a freelance designer is separate your personal name from your professional design brand. Unless you’re a celebrity, athlete, or other type of public figure, using your name as the basis for your brand is probably not the best idea. Although both your name and brand are important to selling your creativity, it is crucial for freelance designers to distinguish between the two for the following reasons:
1. Your brand is about your professional services and creative portfolio. When a potential client is deciding on a freelance designer to work with, the portfolio and range of work are the most important factor so it’s crucial that you delegate enough time and resources to this. Don’t just try to smooth-talk and force-build rapport; instead, sell your creativity through your work! The way you present your work also speaks volumes about you as a designer so pay careful attention to the details.
2. Your name is about your character and personality. This is where your brand facade and voice come from, distinguishing you from your competition. Once clients are sold on your work, you can develop a deeper relationship with them by revealing more about the name and personality behind the brand. Also, keep in mind that referral work is important for growth, so if your clients already approve of your brand portfolio, their decision on whether or not to refer you to a friend will be based on your personality.
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So you’re an art director at a big name creative agency, but you’ve grown tired of climbing the corporate ladder and decided to explore opportunities as a freelance designer. The idea sounds sweet as your mind runs through a check list of self-employment benefits:
- Freedom to express your own unique style and aesthetic
- Choose your own clients in industries that you like
- Work to your own schedule
- No longer need to deal with technically inept creative directors
- And yes, you finally won’t need to argue with the account team aka “suits” anymore…
But, are you really ready to take on the role of a suit and manage clients, negotiate costs, sell your work convincingly, and take criticism without going on a tirade about how the logo is already frickin’ big enough? Well, if you’re not then here’s a list to get you started of the 5 things every freelance designers should know about managing clients.
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