Creative Truth Creative Truth is your playbook for starting, building, and enjoying a profitable design business Whether you’re a solo freelancer working from home or a small group of creative entrepreneurs ready to get to the next level, this is your roadmap to success You’re the CEO, CFO, CTO, Secretary, Janitor, Office Manager, and everything in between Finding a balance between running the business and doing great creative work is a constant struggle From learning how to price your work and manage your time, to setting up your business and defining your market, Brad Weaver covers everything designers need to know to run a studio without losing heart Highlights: • Real numbers, real tools, and best practices that you can start using immediately in your business • A companion website that offers up-to-date resources, articles, tools, and discussions, allowing readers to continue learning as they grow • Practical tips for getting clients, being more profitable, building your network, managing your operations, getting things done, hiring help, managing contractors, and finding joy along the way Brad Weaver is a Managing Partner & Chief Experience Officer at Nine Labs in Atlanta, GA He went to school to be a lawyer, then came to his senses and has spent the last 18 years as a UX generalist with a geek’s heart of gold Brad’s professional experience includes product development, interactive, branding, and market segmentation for clients including IHG, Verizon, Bank of America, AT&T, ESPN, Disney, NATO, The PGA, and Coca-Cola Along the way, he’s been the big cheese, the plebeian, the middle manager, and the class clown Not one to shy away from hard work or his blue collar upbringing, he’s also folded clothes, pumped gas, bagged groceries, sold cell phones, and climbed the Great Wall of China His likes and loves are design, film, whiskey, Oxford commas, and Jesus, but not in that order Creative Truth Start and Build a Profitable Design Business Brad Weaver CRC Press Taylor & Francis Group 6000 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300 Boca Raton, FL 33487-2742 © 2016 Taylor & Francis Illustrations by Becky Simpson CRC Press is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources Reasonable efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information, but the author and publisher cannot assume responsibility for the validity of all materials or the consequences of their use The authors and publishers have attempted to trace the copyright holders of all material reproduced in this publication and apologize to copyright holders if permission to publish in this form has not been obtained If any copyright material has not been acknowledged please write and let us know so we may rectify in any future reprint Except as permitted under U.S Copyright Law, no part of this book may be reprinted, reproduced, transmitted, or utilized in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying, microfilming, and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publishers For permission to photocopy or use material electronically from this work, please access www.copyright.com or contact the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc (CCC), 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400 CCC is a not-for-profit organization that provides licenses and registration for a variety of users For organizations that have been granted a photocopy license by the CCC, a separate system of payment has been arranged Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data A catalog record for this book has been requested ISBN: 9781138844896 (pbk) ISBN: 9781315727981 (ebk) Typeset in Minion Pro and Agilita LT Sans by Designers Collective Limited Visit the Taylor & Francis Web site at http://www.taylorandfrancis.com and the CRC Press Web site at http://www.crcpress.com Contents About the Author Why This Book, Why Now? Acknowledgments Full Measures: The Creative Business Mindset Follow Your Passion, Fall Off a Cliff Business in The Front, Creative in The Back It’s No Longer a Hobby Rookie of the Year: Pushing the Start Button You’ll Never Be Ready, But Do It Anyway How to Start When to Start Who You Need (Your Services Army) Where to Start (Finding a Home) The Truth About Starting What You Actually Need—The Minimal Starter List The Hunt: Sales, Marketing, and Getting Client Work Getting Clients Two Sides of Marketing Building the Machine How to Sell Creative Services Your Online Presence The Geometry of Business: Targeted Vertical and Horizontal Marketing Quick Marketing Tips Basic Rocket Science: Pricing Your Work Building a Pricing Strategy Finding Your Shop Rate and Knowing What You Need Raising Your Rates Pricing Model 1: Hourly Billing Pricing Model 2: Project-based and Flat-fee Pricing Pricing Model 3: Value-based Pricing Pricing Model 4: Retainer Pricing Pricing Model 5: Package Pricing Pricing Model 6: Performance-based Pricing Pricing Model 7: Equity Pricing Additional Pricing Factors Home Economics: Getting Paid—Contracts, Operations, and Billing Proposals Contracts Working For Free Documents A Very Short List of Very Important Documents Getting Paid—Invoicing, Billing, and Collections Cash Flow A Very Delicate Matter: Managing Client Expectations Setting Client Expectations Communications and Project Management Client Revisions and Scope Creep Copyright and Intellectual Property Long-term Client Relationships When Things Go South Done is Better Than Perfect: Doing the Work Deadlines—Just Ship It Impostor Syndrome Procrastination Scheduling and Time Management Delegation Side Projects The Art of Discourse: Community, Collaboration, and Showering Regularly Avoid Isolation Build Relationships Build an Audience Build Bridges Build Collaborations No Time Like the Future: Growing Your Creative Business Freelancers vs Employees Hiring Help Scaling Partnerships and Mergers Office Space Failure is An Option 10 Taking a Break from All Your Worries: This Creative Life Mind Body Stop Being Busy Burnout Embrace the Ups and Downs About That Courage Go and Grow Index About the Author “The best prize life has to offer is a chance to work hard at work worth doing.” Theodore Roosevelt, speech to farmers at the New York State Agricultural Association, Syracuse, New York (7 September 1903) Brad Weaver’s first job was stocking beer coolers at age twelve Ever since then, he’s had a paying job After going to school to become a lawyer, he came to his senses and has spent the last eighteen years as a designer & user experience generalist His experience includes product development, interactive, branding, and market segmentation He founded Suckerpunch Studios in 2007, after working on the development of early Online Media programs at Verizon Wireless Currently, he is the co-owner and Chief Experience Officer at Nine Labs Brad’s professional experience includes product development, interactive, branding, and market segmentation for clients including IHG, Verizon, Bank of America, AT&T, ESPN, Disney, NATO, The PGA, and Coca-Cola Along the way, he’s been the big cheese, the plebeian, the middle manager, and the class clown Not one to shy away from hard work or his blue collar upbringing, he’s also folded clothes, pumped gas, bagged groceries, sold cell phones, and climbed the Great Wall of China His likes and loves are design, film, whiskey, Oxford commas, and Jesus, but not in that order He lives and works in the heart of the South, Atlanta, with his gorgeous wife and two adorable yet destructive sons Why This Book, Why Now? Over the Thanksgiving holiday of 2009, my first son was born and my largest client went bankrupt Within six weeks, two additional clients informed me they wouldn’t be renewing retainers with my company for 2010 My quarterly revenue dropped from $120,000 to $16,000 I was about to lose everything The following March, I sold a set of $500 Alessi side tables for $50 to an interior designer at my empty office I sat on the cold floor with my laptop and waited for him to arrive I clicked profile after profile on LinkedIn looking for my next client He arrived, I loaded the tables in his car, and then stared at a hollow space I turned out the lights, locked the door, and turned my back on everything I had built I put $15 of gas in my car and drove to a free networking luncheon There, I presented my business, made notes, and looked for anyone that I could get work from immediately As people spilled out of the room, I passed out cards, got names, and set up coffee meetings Driving home to work out of a spare bedroom, I ran through the names of those I met and thought about the emails I’d send to ask for new business I had three websites due within the week, and none of them was over half done Even worse, that wasn’t enough business to cover upcoming bills Here I was, four months behind on my mortgage and I still owed backed payroll to my former employees I needed to borrow money, but my credit was maxed-out, so I called my mother Here I was, thirty years old, and asking my lower-middle-class parents for a loan I was broken and ashamed My mother agreed to the loan, fully supportive as always, and said to just let her know if I needed anything Before saying goodbye, I paused, not finishing the call just yet I needed to rant, and my mother was there to listen I was tired and scared I couldn’t take the grind anymore I was a great designer and I knew what I was doing I couldn’t understand why things fell apart I couldn’t understand why more people weren’t hiring me Sure, the economy had tanked, but there was still a lot of work out there I should be the one getting it, not the other guys They were in it for the wrong reasons I was passionate I took the time to get it right, and I cared I felt that I was doing everything right, yet the economics were all wrong She listened, let me rant for a while, and told me that no matter how things turned out, she and my dad were there to help My work was good, yet I wasn’t getting hired Therefore, I must not be any good; me, the person, not the work I just wasn’t going to get the “big” work I’d always toil away doing projects for a few hundred or maybe a few thousand dollars, and this was as good as it was going to get I thought that there was something fundamentally wrong with me that I would never overcome For the next several weeks, I went on a few hours’ sleep here and there, got a few more belowaverage clients, and survived Enough money came in to keep the lights on I was always on the edge of default I went on like this for over a year and a half I took any project I could get If a client said I was too expensive, I negotiated down to get the work I sent in low-ball quotes to anyone from whom I could get a request for proposal I couldn’t risk getting outbid and losing the job I worked seven days a week as my son grew up and missed most of it Rock Bottom In September of 2011, eighteen months after cleaning out my office and breaking my lease, my wife was rushing me to the Emergency Room I spent several days in the hospital and the following weeks going to several specialists I was diagnosed with a host of medical conditions I was an active athlete with 10 percent body fat, yet I had the medical profile of a sixty-year-old diabetic with congestive heart failure I was diagnosed with anxiety, depression, compromised immunity, asthma, and high blood pressure I had destroyed my mind and body in the fight to stay afloat Friends and family advised me to shut down my business Their advice was to let go and let someone else handle the stress I should get a regular nine-to-five job and file bankruptcy They felt that another chance could come someday down the road, but now it was life and death I had to settle down A Stubborn Bastard Before I started my company, I had a substantial and stable paycheck for creative work at a growing company That didn’t make me happy, so I left to start my own business Now that I was sick and broke, I probably should have fallen into regret and despair I was already depressed, so it couldn’t get much worse Somehow, I was still happy being on my own It seems crazy even today, but the pain and suffering were still worth it for the freedom of owning my creative business I knew that if I were to quit and return to a nine-to-five, I would never try again I had come too far, and I couldn’t let go I took a hard look at every aspect of my business I pushed my creative books aside and turned to economics, psychology, and business management resources I tore my business down to the foundation to find the cracks and start rebuilding the right way Through this “last chance”, my wife supported me and made it clear that a house and two cars weren’t as important as my pursuit of the life I’d set out to build I surrounded myself with the right people and the right advice I took on the mantle of business owner first, designer second My life and my business were fundamentally Index A “abundance mentality” accidental referrals 45 accountants 20–2, 129, 202, 239, 242 acquisition 232, 233 Adams, Douglas 261 administration 82, 83, 93 Affinity Designer 247 agencies 17, 19, 180; fast hires 234; interns 230; package pricing 122; performance-based pricing 125; project-based pricing 101; retainers 116, 119; sued by freelancers 227 agents 23 AIGA 149, 214 Altucher, James 248 analysis 121 analytics 125 Angelou, Maya 72 apprentices 229–31 apps: accounting 22; chat 32, 212; meditation 248; messaging 61; ordering your priorities 253; project-based pricing 102; Time Blocking 195; time-tracking 93 Aristotle 188 Asana 167, 168 Ashton, Kevin 249 ASJA 214 Atlanta Web Design Group 207, 215 attorneys 20, 22–3, 129; contracts 144, 151; copyright issues 127, 175, 176; ending a business 242; mergers 239; non-payment by client 157; see also legal issues AuthenticJobs.com 17 authorship 152 B ballpark prices 104, 138 bankers 20, 23–4, 129 Barry, Ben 187 Basecamp 167, 168, 201 Bates, Sunny 47 Behance 56, 59, 61, 213 Benun, Ilise 153, 156, 160 Bezos, Jeff billable hours 76, 82–4, 92–3, 118, 128 billing period 95 billing rate 81, 84–6; see also hourly rate billing schedules 155 Blakely, Sara Blanda, Sean 209 blended rate 75, 85 blogs 41, 42, 61, 62, 170, 183, 189, 237, 248 body, looking after your 251–2 bookkeeping 21, 93 Boubker, Karim 34–5 boundaries: with clients 130; delegation 199; setting 202; working by yourself 205–6 Bourdain, Anthony 133 Box 28 brand packages 121 Branson, Richard bridges, building 214–17 Brogan, Chris 61 brokers 20, 24–5 Brustein, Darrah 47 Buffer 213 Buffet, Warren 106, 111 Burch, Tori Burkeman, Oliver 190 burnout 254–7 Business Insider 62 business mindset 5, 9, 185 business plans 18–19 C Carrey, Jim case studies 58, 170, 213 cash flow 22, 159–62, 182 cease and desist letters 176, 177 certification 19–20 Chambers of Commerce 69, 214–15 changes 130, 171–4; freelancers 227; hourly billing 96; project-based pricing 98, 100, 104 chat tools 32, 168, 198, 212, 213, 227 “check-ins” 48–9 Chestnut, Ben 223–4 CHI 214 chief executive officers (CEOs) 172 children 31–2 Cirillo, Francisco 193–4 Clarke, Andrew 143–4 clients 163–83; communication with 94–6, 130, 167–70, 171, 180–1, 183; contracts 147; copyright and intellectual property 174–8; decisions based on price 72–3; Discovery sessions 136–8; ending a business 241–2; expectations 165, 166, 257; finding 17–18, 39–40; inbound and outbound marketing 41; long-term relationships 178–80; non-disclosure agreements 151; overreliance on one client 161, 179, 180; package pricing 121, 122, 123; partners 238; performance-based pricing 125–6; problems with 180–3; project-based pricing 98, 100–1, 102; proposals 139; quitting your job 16; raising your rates 87–90; repeat 103, 104, 114, 118, 122, 123, 133, 232; retainer pricing 116–20; revisions by 171–4; size of 179–80, 223–4; value-based pricing 107, 108–9, 110, 111–15; see also referrals cloud services 28 co-employment 24 co-working 27–8, 220, 240 Coca-Cola 233 coffee meetings 209–10 coffee shops 25, 26–7, 197, 220 collaboration 183, 206, 217–20 collections 155–8 communication 94–6, 167–70, 180–1, 183; client revisions 171; freelancers 227; logging 130; Master Service Agreements 145; partners 219; time spent on 197 community banks 23 community leaders 211 community organizations 214–15 comparing yourself to others 188–90 competition 9; making friends with your 215, 218–20, 260; value-based pricing 109–10 compromise 89–90, 173 conference calls 198, 227 conferences 214, 215–16, 260 confidentiality 151 consulting 129 contractor costs 78, 79, 102 contracts 118, 129, 137, 143–8, 173, 227 control 130, 235–6 copyright 23, 127, 174–8; contracts 144, 146, 147, 148; definition of 175–6; Master Service Agreements 145; non-disclosure agreements 151 cost-plus pricing 81 costs 73, 76–9, 128; contractor 78, 79, 102; overages 130; profit 80, 82; revisions 172; scaling 233–4; staffing up 228 courage 259 Covey, Stephen Coyier, Chris 213–14 Creative Bloq 62 Creative Freelancer Conference 206 credit 23, 33 credit card payments 178 Customer Relationship Management (CRM) 44, 48 D Dachis, Adam 255 day rates 117, 121, 124, 129 DBA (Doing Business As) name 22 deadlines 186–8, 257 debt 18, 20, 159 define the relationship (DTR) 166 degrees 19–20 delegation 199–200 deliverables 128, 129; contracts 147–8; invoicing 154–5; project-based pricing 98, 101, 104; Statements of Work 146 demand 107 deposits 153, 154, 160 DeviantArt 61 diet 252 Direct Personal Expense (DPE) 79 discipline 92 discounts 114 discovery sessions 100, 117, 135, 136–8, 142 Disney, Walt dispute resolution 147 distinctiveness diversification 180, 235, 237 not disturb system 30 documentation 93–4, 130, 151–2, 162 Dribble 41, 56, 59, 61, 213 Dropbox 28, 57 Ducker, Chris 199 Dunbar, Kevin 217 Dunn, Brennan 139 E educators 211, 213–14 Eisenhower Matrix 253 “elevator pitch” 49–51, 208 emails: answering 253; cold 54; communication with clients 167; compared with chat 168; email marketing 42, 63; hours spent on 83; invitations 207; private email lists 213; repeated 55; selling yourself 53; Time Blocking 196; time spent on 92–3, 197; warm introductions 51 employees 75, 202, 225–6; billable hours 82, 83, 84; delegating to 199–200; ending a business 242; hiring 227–31, 234; retainers 117; salaries 78; scaling 231–2 ending a business 241–2 equipment 16, 31, 35; charging to client 128; costs 228; expenses 77; freelancers 226 equity pricing 126–8 Errors & Omissions (E&O) insurance 24 Evernote 49 exercise 252 expectations 165, 166, 168, 187, 199, 257 expenses 76–9, 81, 166 experts 62, 65, 107, 174; see also thought leadership exposure 211–12 F Facebook 42, 53, 59, 60, 61, 166, 212 failure 241–2 fair use 176 family issues 31–2 Fast Company 62 feedback: apprentices and interns 231; from clients 167, 169, 172; delegation 200; online tools 213 files 167, 170; handing over native 178; sharing 219; storing 28 finance 18, 23–4, 33–4; see also money Fisher, Jeff 175 flat-fee (project-based) pricing 80, 95, 98–105, 113, 160, 173 Flickr 201 follow up 44, 48–9 Foote, Cameron 240 Forbes 62 Frankel, Keith 188 freelancers 22, 223, 224–7; delegating to 199; hourly billing 94, 97; managing 226–7; package pricing 122; paying 160; pricing guidebooks 110; project-based pricing 98, 101, 103; retainers 119; scaling 231, 234; work for hire 152 Friedman, Vitaly 175–6 friends and family 7–8, 17, 240 G Gaiman, Neil Gandhi, Mahatma 257 General Liability (GL) insurance 24 generosity 49 Gill, Bob 165 GitHub 61, 143 Glaser, Milton Glass, Ira 189 Gmail 48 goals 174, 189, 199, 202 Godin, Seth 150, 191 “good enough” work 187–8, 199, 256 Google alerts 110 Google Docs 52 Graham, Martha 189 Grant, Adam 49 Graphic Artists Guild 214 growth 66, 185, 223–4, 231–7, 243, 260 H habits 34, 253 Halvorson, Heidi Grant 192 happiness 2, 3, 6, 72 headphones 26, 27, 30, 35 Headspace 248 health insurance 24, 25 health issues 251, 255 Hische, Jessica 149, 192, 193 hobbies home working 29–32 HootSuite 213 horizontal marketing 42, 64, 66–8, 236 hourly rate 74–5, 80–1, 85, 92–7, 99, 103–5, 128, 173 hours, billable 76, 82–4, 92–3, 118, 128 HOW Design Live 206 Howley, Noelle 72 Hoy, Greg 234 Hsieh, Tony HubSpot 188 Hyde, Lewis hydration 251 I if-then planning 192 illustrators 178, 190, 213 Imposter Syndrome 188–91, 258 inbound marketing 41 Instagram 60, 212, 213 instant messaging 61, 197 insurance 24–5 intellectual property 23, 127, 144, 147, 149, 174–8, 182; see also copyright interns 149, 229, 230–1 introductions 51, 53, 60 invoicing 22, 154–5, 158; contracts 118, 145; proposals 143; timely 129 isolation 27, 205–6 J Jacks, L P job boards 17 just-in-time learning 246 K Kalbag, Laura 172 Kanarek, Lisa 205 Keller, Gary 35 killing a project 174 Kleon, Austin 46 Knope, Leslie 207 L laptops 26, 28, 35 late payment fees 157 late projects 181 layered approach 233, 235 layover test 229 learning 201, 246–8, 259 leases 28, 29, 240 legal issues 14, 22–3; contracts 144, 147; insurance 24; Master Service Agreements 145; mergers 239; non-disclosure agreements 151; non-payment 156, 157; Statements of Work 146; working from home 31; see also attorneys; copyright Legal Zoom 22 Levin, Gabe 144 lifestyle 86–7, 235, 238 Limited Liability Corporations (LLCs) 22, 78 LinkedIn 16, 48, 60, 212, 226–7; selling yourself 53, 54, 55; sending requests on 208 “lizard brains” 191 loans 18, 20, 33 localhost 26 location shifting 197 logos 123, 124, 175, 176 loss aversion 142 loyalty 89 Luce, Clare Boothe 72 Luna, Elle M MailChimp 63, 201, 223–4 Marcus Aurelius 192 marketing 5, 245; ecosystem 40; email 42, 63; horizontal 42, 64, 66–8, 236; inbound and outbound 41; quick tips 68–9; targeted 42, 63–8; vertical 62, 64–6, 119, 216, 236–7 Marketwired 62 Master Service Agreements (MSAs) 144–6, 148, 151 Matchstic 150 Matsudaira, Kate 195–6 McCabe, Sean 14 McDerment, Mike 107 McGrady, Vanessa 35 media relations 62 meditation 248–9 Medium 17, 53, 56, 61 meeting people 207–10 meetings 197–8, 217 mentorship 210–11, 216 mergers 239 messaging apps 61 metrics 111, 112, 114, 125, 126 mindset 5, 9, 185 mobile entrepreneurs 25 money 5–6, 71–2, 88, 260; cash flow 159–62, 182; hiring people 229; passive income 237; running out of 161–2; starting your business 15, 33; see also finance; pricing Monteiro, Mike 39 morning, working in the 30, 194, 196 motivation 49 multi-tasking 195, 254 Musk, Elon 2, 62 N name of business 22, 235 negligence 24 networking 16, 17, 69, 214; coffee meetings 209–10; networking events 46–7; referral network 42–51; selling yourself 53; time spent on 92–3; vertical marketing 65 Newport, Cal 195, 197 nGen Works 147–8 Nguyen, Kent 255 niche marketing see targeted marketing no, saying 234, 249–51, 257 nomads 25 non-billable hours 83, 93, 227–8 non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) 151, 182 non-payment 155–8 non-profits 7, 18, 60, 135, 150, 249 O office space 28–9, 225, 228, 239–41 OmniFocus 195 Omvana 248 online presence 41, 42, 56–63, 69 open networking 46–7 organizational leadership 215 outbound marketing 41, 52 overages 98, 99, 104, 128, 130, 166 overhead 79, 86, 100, 101, 128, 233–4 overload 254 overtime 226 P package pricing 121–4 Papasan, Jay 35 Parkinson’s Law 186 part-time hires 234 partners 218–20, 232, 238–9, 240 passion 1–2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 259 passive income 237 “Pause Clause” 147–8 payment 129, 153–9; contracts 145, 146; credit card payments 178; late or non-payment 155–8 payroll services 24 performance-based pricing 107, 111, 112, 125–6 Periscope 212 photoshoots 121, 124 physical health 251–2 Picciafuoco, Veronica 147 Pinterest 212 Poehler, Amy 206 pomodoro technique 193–4 portfolios 17, 19, 42, 57–9, 170, 211 post-mortems 130, 170 pragmatism 4, 5, 259 press releases 61–2 Pressfield, Steven 13, 185, 191, 249 “prevention focus” 192 pricing 70–130; ballpark prices 104, 138; equity 126–8; hourly rate 74–5, 80–1, 85, 92–7, 99, 103–5, 128, 173; package 121–4; performance-based 107, 111, 112, 125–6; presenting the price 142–3; price anchoring 140, 236; price bracketing 138, 139–43, 236; project-based 80, 95, 98–105, 113, 160, 173; raising your rates 87–90, 95, 96, 223, 232; retainer 114, 116–20, 133, 160, 173; rules for effective 129–30; shop rate 74–87, 93, 99, 100, 159; value-based 73, 76, 82, 106–15, 126, 133, 152, 160, 173, 232 priorities 253 pro-bono work 7–8, 18, 59, 149 procrastination 191–3, 196 professional associations 214, 215 profit 74, 76, 80–2; package pricing 122; per-project calculation 75; project-based pricing 100, 102, 105; staffing up 228; value-based pricing 112 progress reports 167 project-based pricing 80, 95, 98–105, 113, 160, 173 project management 83, 167, 168–9, 219, 236 proposals 134–43 public speaking 217 Q quitting your job 15, 16 Quora 18, 61 R raising your rates 87–90, 95, 96, 223, 232 Ramsey, Dave 33, 159 rebranding 235 Reddit 18, 61 referrals 40, 42–51; bankers 24; co-working 27, 28; inbound and outbound marketing 41; partners 219; testimonials 62; from your tribe 207 relationships 40, 42–51, 69, 165; building 16, 206–11, 214, 260; define the relationship 166; long-term 178–80; partners 218, 238–9; performance-based pricing 125; retainers 119 reliability 180 reputation 41, 45, 46, 47, 68, 250 Request for Proposals (RFPs) 134–7, 142, 219, 234 Rescue Time 196 retainers 114, 116–20, 133, 146–7, 160, 173 retention 232–3 reverse engineering 247 reviews 121, 170 revisions see changes riffing on other people’s work 58, 59 royalties 127, 144, 146, 148 rush rates 129, 172 S S-Corps (Sub-Corporations) 22, 78 salaries 77–8, 79 sales: closing 143; outbound marketing 41, 52; pitches 53; tracking progress 68 sales tax 21 scaling 231–7 “scarcity mindset” scheduling 30, 193–7 scope of work 105, 130, 144, 171, 227 Search Engine Optimization (SEO) 122, 126 self-promotion 211–14 Selle, Pam 256 selling yourself 42, 52–5 serendipitous encounters 209 service professionals 20–5, 129 Shimizu, Yuko 190 shop rate 74–87, 93, 99, 100, 159 side hustle 14, 15, 33, 34, 82, 242 side projects 200–2, 241 Sketch 247 sketches 248 skills 42, 52; freelancers 226; hiring 228; horizontal marketing 66, 67, 68; LinkedIn 60; partners 218, 219, 220, 232, 238, 239; retainers 116, 118; web designers 66–7 Slack 32, 61, 168 sleep 251 Slife 196 small-batch businesses 236 smartphones 35, 252 Smashing Magazine 62, 175 Snapchat 212 social media 41, 42, 59–61, 69, 183, 189, 220; building an audience 211, 212–13; horizontal marketing 68; hourly billing 97; invitations 207; package pricing 122; retainers 120; selling yourself 53; Time Blocking 196; see also Facebook; LinkedIn; Twitter software 44, 48, 101, 247; see also apps Sole Proprietorships 22 Spark Notebook 195 speakers 210 specialization 63–4, 66–7, 68, 69, 236–7 speculative work 149 Spooner, Chris 213–14 spreadsheets 44, 48, 52 Stack Overflow 61 staffing firms 17, 97, 230, 234, 236 Starbucks 26 starting your business 12–36; how to start 13–15; minimal starter list 35–6; truth about starting 33–5; when to start 15–20; where to start 25–32; who you need 20–5 Statements of Work (SOWs) 146, 148, 172 stopping work 156, 157, 173, 174 storytelling 214 strategic thinking Strayed, Cheryl 187 stress 245, 249, 254 student loans 20 style 174–5 sub-contractors 161, 202, 224–7; contracting before hiring candidates 228; costs 78, 79, 102; project-based pricing 98; scaling 231 Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) 62, 65; see also experts; thought leadership T Tams, Sara 32 targeted marketing 42, 63–8 tasks, grouping 253 taste 189 tax issues 21, 22, 78–9, 128, 158–9, 239 teams 32, 84 telephone calls 54–5, 88, 183, 198 templates 101, 121, 122, 123, 162, 237 termination 145, 146–7, 182–3 testimonials 56, 62, 111, 170 thank you, saying 43 thought leadership 63, 65, 68, 217 Time Blocking 195–7, 253 time estimates 100–1, 102, 103, 104, 128 time management 187, 193–8 time off 251, 254, 256 time-tracking 83, 92–3, 101, 129, 196 timelines 141, 144, 146, 172 Top, Peleg 31 traction 212 trademarks 149, 176 training 230 Trello 167 tribes 206–7 triggers 197 trust 137, 138, 151, 165, 168, 180 Twain, Mark 194 Twitter 27, 60, 194, 212; building relationships 206, 208, 214; selling yourself 53, 55 U Unique Selling Proposition (USP) 49–50, 111 uniqueness user generated content 176 V vacations 251, 254, 256 value 72–3, 107–9 value-based pricing 73, 76, 82, 106–15, 126, 133, 152, 160, 173, 232 VAT 21, 128 Vaynerchuk, Gary 241 vertical marketing 62, 64–6, 119, 216, 236–7 video meetings 227 videos 121 Vignelli, Massimo vision visual style 58 voicemail 55 Voychehovski, Sophia 31 W Warhol, Andy 71 warm introductions 51, 53, 60 warranty 173 Warrell, Margie 191 websites 41, 56–7; advertising space 237; building an audience 211; client’s perception of price 72, 73; copyright issues 176; horizontal marketing 68; package pricing 124; project-based pricing 99, 102; retainers 120; scaling costs 233; template customization 121; testimonials 62; web designer skills 66–7 Weiss, Alan 140 WiFi 26, 27 Wilde, Oscar 259 Williamson, Marianne 190 willingness to pay 107, 108 Wilson, Paul 186 Wired 62 women 113 work for hire (WFH) 152, 227 work/life balance 29, 245 working for free 7–8, 18, 148–51 working from home 29–32 working hours 15, 30, 193, 194, 225; see also billable hours; scheduling workingnaked.net 205 workshops 117, 121, 124, 136–8, 237 writing 17–18, 56, 61, 247, 248 Wunderlist 195 Y yoga 252 You Need a Budget (YNAB) 77 Z Zeldman, Jeffrey 243 ... down A Stubborn Bastard Before I started my company, I had a substantial and stable paycheck for creative work at a growing company That didn’t make me happy, so I left to start my own business. .. the Great Wall of China His likes and loves are design, film, whiskey, Oxford commas, and Jesus, but not in that order Creative Truth Start and Build a Profitable Design Business Brad Weaver CRC.. .Creative Truth Creative Truth is your playbook for starting, building, and enjoying a profitable design business Whether you’re a solo freelancer working from home or a small group of creative