How To Grow
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- ntanon
I opened 'my own shop' about 6 months ago. I'm very successful, and could continue doing what I'm doing for a long long time without any worries.
But I don't want to be a one man shop, it was never my intent.
How do most small companies make the transition from one to many, without involving substantial bank loans to cover salaries, etc?
And from a designer standpoint, is working for a cool and independent shop worth slightly lower wages and highs and lows when it comes to work and $$$ inflow.
Or should I be looking for a design partner to back my technical expertise, and grow from there. Whomever I bring on has to kick ass and pull their weight. What would make you want to step out and take some risk in your career and life?
- ********0
you talkin weed or what!?!
water that shit and hire some columbians.
- e-pill0
how to cultivate plants is the question!!!!
:)
- Mimio0
Merge with other designers/writers/producers/prog... already have a clientele.
- sherman0
haha I was thinking green as well.
- ********0
start with your home. if its big enough
if not rent out a small office
get ppl in there
- e-pill0
hire dinky to do a strip show in your store window and people will flock around it just like in the movie Manequin you will be a rockstar in no time!!!
:)
- ntanon0
The space is not a problem.
How do you talk good designers into taking a big risk. I've got the clients behind me, and most of the local designers I know don't have any sort of client base.
- gruntt0
that's a tough call man. the bigger you grow the company the less YOU will do any creative work. You'll become a "boss"
- tparsons0
Before you hire any overlapping talent in-house work yourself to the bone. 12-16 hour days easy. Make a name for yourself and your work within the community and outlying areas. This will then attract the attention you need to show/prove your business is viable. Partner with an aggressive AE. This partnership will probably cost you a large percentage of the company but it's well worth it. Then you start to hire overlapping talent in-house. In the meantime hire freelancers with tight skills as sub contractors.
This should get you to the next level but it's a hell of a lot of work.
Enjoy,
- cosmo0
ponyboy and i started our own weed farm. We ship nation wide if anyones interested.
- tim5250
Depends on your client list and the kind of work that will be produced out of the shop. you might want to bring in freelancers at first to see how it works out for you, before making a committment to hire anyone or partner up.
- MLP0
get some hydroponics and put it in a foil lined room deep in your basement
- zuna0
dont go down the path of biz loans, stay away from debt as long as possible. instead base your growth on solid strategy, we did it with a solid set of clients on retainer. with this monthly recurring revenue you will have a full picture of what you can build your budget with to hire people or rent space etc. read read read.
go to aiga and follow their ethical practices for design and you will be on your way to making it where your vision leads.
http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/…good luck.
- ********0
you talkin weed or what!?!
water that shit and hire some columbians.
kOna
(Jul 13 05, 10:54)HAHHHHA
- kbags0
That's funny, I've had the same thoughts for quite some time...it's a dicey proposition because marketing budgets are always the first go go up in economically prosperous times, and the first to fall in downturns. The problem therein is that there are no indicators as to when it's gonna shit the bed, so you've gotta stay lean and mean, nimble underfoot.
To that end, I'd say take the advice tparsons threw you...and above all else, accept that you'll always have to work hard to keep your ship straight in this business...but it's very rewarding.
Where are you located, and where's your portfolio, anyway?
- Nairn0
what tparsons said - before hiring anyone, do everything yourself until you feel you're going to break.. then you know you're justified in wanting to hire.
And don't borrow unless you are beyond 110% absolutely, entirely and wholly certain you need to. Even then, borrow off family and friends if you can - if you wouldn't borrow the money off them, then it more than likely isn't worth it.
as a designer, you have much more flexibility in being able to outsource components of jobs - Dev specifics, animation or whatever. check out your local college to see who you can nab cheaply.
most of all - be prepared to get things wrong occasionally... it's all one great learning process!
the very best of luck to you.
- ntanon0
Yeah, I'm at the point of working 16 hours a day, and not having enough time to get things done on time, and not having big enough budgets to afford freelancers when I can do it myself.
But if i had a designer on staff, he could take over the design work, which admittedly takes me longer than it should, and I can focus momre on new business and the tech side of things.
There are also a lot of internal things, like always, that go undone without an extra pair of hands.
- tparsons0
I'm assuming some of what's not getting done are your books and leagal issues. Get a bookkeeper and lawyer on your side. Starting out I had a bookkeeer that rocked. Once a month for 2 hours and she had all of the billing etc. etc. done. The lawyer you'll need time to time for contracts etc.
Best,
- Mimio0
apprentice/intern/slave