Tips for a new business!
- Started
- Last post
- 22 Responses
- Stoph
I am in the process of starting up my own design company (whilst keeping my curent job) and was wondering if anybody could give me some advice on attracting potential clients. I am only looking locally at the moment and have advertised in the local press but I live in an area were design is not something that is used, effectively anyway... So I suppose I need to open the minds of these local people and try to get accross how effective use of design can help their businesses grow...
Can anybody offer any words of wisdom? (other than the obvious!)
Cheers!!!
- save0
"Can anybody offer any words of wisdom?"
yeah, don't do it.
- ericPowell0
if you don't have clients when you start you are in for an uphill battle. you can have all the skills you want but it wont mean anything without clients and clients are all about relationships and not skills. ever notice how the lame companies get good clients? you know you have worked at a company and thought to yourself, i can do this better than them, they waste so much time and money, why do we need a team of 8 people doing what 2 skilled people could actually do?, why don't the clients understand how bloated the services they are paying for are? well it isn't because of the quality of work or budgets, it's because of the connections and relationships.
- jox0
Read this, I wrote it a few weeks ago
http://www.currentconcept.com/sa…
- rabattski0
networking is 50% of getting the job. the other 50% is skills. that's the truth.
- rabattski0
and word of mouth is better advertising than advertising in the local press.
- rasko40
jox, I just had a meeting the other day after reading your program, everything seemed to be going really well until I gave him a call after the meeting to ask how his puppies were doing, what do you think went wrong?
- carver0
it'll certainly not be a easy trot son, i suggest you assemble an A-team(that's a group of of like minded individuals, some possibly silent partners, certainly people you can work with and have the same coreolo-collective visions!) that's what i did, it's gotta be something thats been studied and sounding-board tested thoroughly, you gotta knows your market, don't go out on a limp wrist, in terms of your collateral and casting net, endo-availability etc. i studied risk management in the States, i was 'in' quite early doors, there was no business schools in ireland or the uk that actively persued a risk management course in 1992. anyway, i did have a considerable stake to invest in the venture so did my three other partners, ian vintner is a horse breeder in co.mayo so he's got a vast amount of moolah to extoll. so, yeah, also at the end of the day, it's a lot to do with personality, we are three very big personalities, and there is NO fucking way that we could have convinced our clients, backers etc if we were not as media savvy and generally bullish! it's about how you walk it as well as talk it, i've had a good 13 years in various industries now, and i've always went at it hammer and tongs, ending up with the same result, satisfaction, and a fuckin shit load of money. at the moment is earn just over £56k, and that's what's declarable, i have many other sidelines and shitloads of things in my tailpipe! we are currently embarking on the procurement and rennovation of nineteenth century mews-style property, mewstoday and also my pelting business is coming along nicely. i'm certainly looking to be doubling my salary in three years time! daft eh?
- jox0
hahah, no refunds.
- ericPowell0
56k a year?
that's jr. designer wages out here in LA
- Stoph0
OK guys, thats some pretty good advice!
I always knew I would be starting from scratch around here and once I get a few clients then hopefully things will pick up. Its a long term venture at the moment and I am pretty grounded, I mean I didn't think I was going to get inundated with work on the first day the advert came out.
I would defo be interested in collaberating with other like minded designers, business people, etc but Stroud (SW England) is not such a hive of forwrd thinking people as I would like so it is going to be difficult finding them...
But I am optimistic and I belive in my abilities plus I have good support from my family so who knows....
- XC010
yes, and if you do set up an "A Team" you can always send Mr T around to say I PITY THE FOOL that doesn't use my design services!
kidding
there is some good advice in this thread, and word of mouth is definatly very effective I've found, also just tell anyone and everyone you think might give a shit about what you do and how good you are.
- atomica0
damn LA wages.... :\
- Dancer0
Having an already established client base is a good thing to fall back onto, but, I don't think it's essential! I would not like to work for massive clients to start off with.... Smaller companies gives you good experience, and client handling skills.
If you already have a job then keep at that until you can't handle the work load anymore. Therefore you always have a regular income to fall back on.
Get your name out and about, give a card out everytime you meet someone new! - whilst I was looking for my first job I worked in a pub and the amount of people that asked me to do a leaflet here, a logo there, a website, etc.... is countless. Unfortunately I spent every waking hour looking for a design job, so I only took on a few projects.
There was an article about startups in Design Week, either this week or last. Have a look!!
Good luck
- Stoph0
Thanks again guys!!!
- monkeyshine0
It's been rumored that putting honey on your ass attracts clients but I've never tried it so not sure.
Other things...I'm surprised no one here has mentioned that before you start trying to get clients, write a business plan for yourself. This is very important because it gives you a structure for what your business is, who your clients will be...there are tons of reasons why a business plan is invaluable but, it allows you to really articulate who you are and what you do to prospects.
Like...what kind of clients do you want? Yeah, of course your answer now will be something like...one's who have a checking account. BUT think more broadly. Otherwise, you'll become jaded like lots of us in here and start hating on your clients because you find you're a bottom feeder and all your clients suck.
- jox0
Hm. Good point. I assumed he had a business plan alredy.
That's top priority for a start-up.
- fifty500
isn't 56,000 pounds equal to about 100,000 us dollars?
- Stoph0
Any good sources for helping me write my business plan?
Good advice guys, keep it coming!!
- monkeyshine0
Here's a good start: http://www.fastcompany.com/artic…
- ericPowell0
isn't 56,000 pounds equal to about 100,000 us dollars?
fifty50you are right, it was late, i didn't catch the pounds.....