How do I book your design services?
In my last blog post I spoke about the first steps you should take when thinking about working with a branding or graphic designer. If you haven’t read it, I’d advise you do. You can find it here! :) If you have followed the advice in that blog, the designer, should at this point, have been in touch with you with their next steps.
If you are planning to work with me on a branding or graphic design project, I make booking as easy as it can be! Below is an outline of the different stages and an insight in to each of them.
01 Consultation Call / Meeting
Anyone who makes an enquiry with me receives a free 30min consultation call or face to face meeting (location dependant).
If I haven’t received a sufficient amount of information from you to do that call, I will send you a form to complete in advance. This gives me a better understanding of what your problems are, your business goals, what you love about what you do and any practical information like timelines and how much you are able to invest.
This consultation is a chance for me to meet you, talk to you some more about your business, and see if we’re a fit!
It’s just as important for me to work with the right clients, as it is for you to work with the right designer.
Here are some reason why we would be a great fit:
Your sector is my vibe - we’ll be soul mates if you are an entrepreneur in the food or lifestyle industries, as these are where my biggest passions lie. That could be anything from a new bijou cafe, a skincare brand, a holistic centre, a children’s clothing range, a candle producer, a community group or a creative photographer.
You want a design partner not a pixel pusher - you’ve chosen me for my experience, my style and my professionalism. You clearly want a design partner to help you navigate your next project. Maybe you are totally new to design, are terrified, want someone to settle your nerves and take you through a tried and tested process. You also understand that good design takes time. For each concept that I present, there are hours of experimenting and testing that happens behind the scenes.
You understand design is an investment - I try to price myself very fairly while still asking for what I know that I deserve. Design makes a big impact on your business – from building stronger connections with your audience to conveying the quality of what you do. In short, it has the power to impact your bottom line and increase your profitability.
Design makes a big impact on your business – from building stronger connections with your audience to conveying the quality of what you do. In short, it has the power to impact your bottom line and increase your profitability.
02 Proposal
Ok, we’re a fit! On to the next step - proposals.
I used to dread anytime the word ‘proposal’ was mentioned in my previous job. In all honestly, it sent shivers down my spine because it meant a lot of stress and late nights. Thankfully my approach to them is much more simple and straight forward. Plus, I also use a client relationship management (CRM) tool called Bonsai to manage this for me - gotta love a bit of automation!
Proposals are built with the following:
Your goals
Your needs
What I suggest you do (multiple options)
What cost those options are
Payment plan
Timelines
What’s included / not included
The fine print
All you simply do is choose the option you want, hit send and up pops a notification at my side to say that they proposal has been accepted. Simple!
03 Contract
Once the proposal has been signed, I send you a simple but standard contract to sign along with me. This outlines details of work and payment, ownership and licences, competitive engagements, representations, terms and terminations, independent contractors, confidential information, limitation of liability, indemnity etc.
As a solo entrepreneur it’s important for my business to be legally covered in the event of any issues. As much as both parties want their professional relationship to work, the reality is, sometimes it doesn’t. I’ve seen and read too many stories of designers being left high and dry by clients, or clients hiring a designer and not getting what they thought they paid for.
A contract must be signed by both of us before any work can commence.
04 Booking Deposit
I always charge a booking deposit up-front and this is non-refundable. How much this is, is dependent on the client and their budget. I usually look at this on a case by case basis, but as a rule of thumb it will be 34% of the total project cost.
A booking deposit also secures your spot in my calendar.
I break projects down into payment plans to (1) make the investment a little easier for you and (2) keep the project moving with regular payments. This is agreed in advance and automated Invoices will be sent via Bonsai.
You’re in!
We made it! You are BOOKED.
Sounds like a lot, but trust me it happens faster in real-time. From all my years of experience, I know how important onboarding a new client smoothly is! Onboarded correctly and efficiently, we’re not distracted with unnecessary back and forth on what’s needed or missing, we know where both of us stand and we have more time to focus on what we need to do.
