advice for starting a graphic design/web business
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- sparker0
i agree in part, but it is real world experience that teaches us that people should do things the right way...too many "designers" don't make it because of very poor planning.
i have to agree with the 'luck' methodology here, also.....the fact of the industry is, if you want to remain a formidable design business, then you have to run it like a business. being a freelancer and having success is completely different than being a business.
one of the greatest problems with the dot.com era is how poorly planned and managed those companies were....and it was because people got caught up in this "new age" business bullshit.
dumb ideas, a pool table, herman miller chairs and some talent won't make a company. a business must have a foundation and real world goals. that is what the plan is for. sure, it can change. when i worked corporate, we had a meeting once a quarter to re-evaluate what the plan said and where we were at...it changed and evovled with the company...but it also was there...to stabalize the business. and it worked....that office had been there for nearly a century before, and it's not going any where now even in this poor economy.
most design and tech shops lack any form of longevity like that...because they're not set up right.
- Tyrone0
im not discouraging planning in a business. I'm discouraging a formal, lengthy, time consuming, full of nonsense document. The key to a good design business is being fluid, mobil and nimble. Your target market will change, your goals will change, and you ideas will evolve. Don't worry about the specifics that will lead you to believe that you're unsuccessfull if you don't follow them exactly. Unless you're trying to secure capital then that business plan that you want to spend so much time on will keep you from doing work. You must do all the other stuff like get a good accountant and give yourself milestones to accomplish but unless you're going for a 50 person firm billing 10 million juts to pay the rent, relax and do some work.
- mrdobolina0
word , this is the longest thread I have ever seen here without name-calling, nice work yall.
very informative as well.
- taragee0
i think you betta ca-all ty-rooone
- whiteSneaks0
well shit, then we are on the same page.
- Tyrone0
i think we're all getting to a better understanding of each other here. seems like we're alll in agreement that it MUST be treated like a business. Not just designing nice things and expecting to get paid. I'm just of the opinion that this guy is talking about a 3 man design shop starting out and too much planning like that can be discouraging.
- sparker0
no reason for name callling...he has valid points, and nice work....this isn't some petty dispute...
we just have vastly different perspectives on the real world...
:)
- Tyrone0
thank you sparker much respect to you and everyone who has manged to keep this a good and informative thread.
- sparker0
but, it doesn't have to be tons of planning.
the plan should evolve as much as the group you are with and as the industry does.
but it's best to get things hashed out in the beginning instead of taking it up the ass from a client later and watching what you built crumble.
- sparker0
it's all good. :)
- mrdobolina0
taking it up the ass from the client is what contracts are for, unless you're into that sort of thing.
- davetufts0
there's nothing legally binding about a business plan.
it's just a smart exercise, and first step in your business building. Most smart designers wouldn't build a site without a site map or defined site architecture.
i own 30% of a successful web development company. we've been around since early '97. we started straying from our business plan in '98 because we thought we could make more money doing different things (thing that we never thought of when we wrote or plan) we were right.
back to the site map analagy... you make a site map, start building your site, and make changes and edits along the way. in the end, you hopefully have a nice site, even if it's not exactly the same as your plan.
- gravityroom0
I want what Tyrone is smoking!
Did you just start your business this year? Some of the funniest shit I've heard!
- Tyrone0
4years in kid and CHILLIN!