Working with Vendors

Even though you running a one man show, your business depends on vendors:

• printers: digital and offset
• large format signs and banners
• copy shop
  
• office supplies
• web hosting
• phone and internet
  
• shipping
  
• insurance

Each of these businesses exists to serve you. Do not hesitate to ask for what you need. A friendly customer service rep should be happy to answer all your questions. If not, find another business to deal with.

As a graphic designer, your most important vendors are your printers. Remember that printers love to talk about printing. I heave learned almost everything I know about pre-press production from talking with printers. Remember, they have a vested interest in the quality of your work--it reflects on them too. Their advice should be given weight. Developing relationships with a handful of printers is extremely valuable.

Always be respectful of the other professionals that supply services to your business. Be on time for appointments, listen and learn, ask questions, and show appreciation when they do a good job for you. My vendors receive a Christmas gift at the end of the year along with my clients. If you need a special favor, cookies and chocolate never hurt.

Taxes

Paying taxes is a privilege of earning money. Be thankful that you are giving rather than receiving tax revenue. Self-employed people pay twice as much FICA, or payroll tax, or social security, than those with regular jobs. That's because we don’t have an employer to pay half of it. We pay self-employment tax, and it is figured on Schedule C. On this form you add up all your income and business expenses, then multiply by 15.3% (currently) to arrive at what you owe. This is in addition to your income tax which is reported on form 1040.

If you keep good books all year, doing your taxes is easy. Hiring an accountant is an option, but I found that when I used a professional, she asked for all the information that I would have put on schedule C myself. Doing your taxes yourself keeps you aware of how your decisions affect how much you pay. The first time you do your taxes is daunting, so do not wait until the last day. Start in February after all your 1009s have arrived. If you have been entering every transaction into an accounting program (such as QuickBooks) you will create a cash flow summary report for the year. If your system is set up properly, each line item will transfer to a line on the Schedule C.

You probably have a personal car that you also drive for business. Keep a log book in the car and write down the mileage every time you go somewhere for business. These miles are deductible.

Your home office is also a tax deduction. You can figure your office as a percentage of square feet or rooms in the house.

This blog cannot possibly go into every detail. Reading the instructions that accompany the forms is helpful, and there are resources online for specific questions. Some tax software will walk you through an interview. Doing your taxes will not be fun, but it does not have to be excruciating. Unless you have a complicated tax situation, you can do it yourself and be that much more on top your business.

What to Wear

Like it or not, you will be judged by what you wear. Creative professionals have more latitude, but the key word here is "professional" rather than "creative." You can be one or two shades more trendy than your clients. If your client is a banker, lawyer, or accountant, you will be dressing more conservatively than when you meet with a restaurant owner, hair stylist, or photographer.

If your clothes are worn out, your eyeglasses from another era, and your hair is a mess, how can anyone trust you with their graphic design? Attention to detail is what sets the excellent designer apart from the mediocre. So show that in your appearance.

Dressing well does not have to mean spending a lot of money. A few quality separates that you can dress up or down is all you need for meetings.

Mentors

My father was my mentor. Though not a designer, he was a seasoned business owner. He grew up in his father's jewelry store, and took it over in his early twenties with his brother as partner. Graphic design I learned in college, but how to run a business I learned from my father. I knew he'd always have a sensible answer to any dilemma, with a dose of humor.

Finding your own mentor may not be as easy. It takes luck, some chemistry, and mutual respect. Your mentor could be a relative, teacher or professor, boss, club member, friend, or older colleague. Start by asking a question that you are grappling with. If the person is receptive and offers a reasonable response, you can cultivate that relationship. You really don't need to flat out ask "Will you be my mentor?" The relationship will develop naturally. Be respectful of your mentor's time—don't go to her with every little problem. The goal is for you to learn how to make solid decisions on your own. If your mentor does her job, you will outgrow her.

You can have more than one mentor, even more than one at a time. As long as you have someone that you can go to when you hit a wall, you have a mentor.

Young designers should know that successful professionals have the desire to mentor the next generation. When I was young, many people went out of their way to help me, and I now feel the desire to pass on my experience. Your mentor will have this desire. All you need to offer in return is appreciation. Some day you will share your success with the generation following you.

Clients and Revisions

Revisions are part of the process. No matter how carefully you interview the client, research the project, develop the concepts, and present your ideas, you will be asked to make changes.

The first type of change is editorial. Once your client sees her words in print, she may want to rephrase some of her prose. She will also catch some typographic errors that got through. The more people contributing to the project, the more of these types of revisions you can expect.

The second type of revision is to the design itself. The most difficult client is one who knows a little about design, and thinks he could do it himself if he had more time and the right tools. He will tell you what font to use, what color he likes, and might even give you a mock-up he made himself. He will micromanage every detail and rarely trust your professional expertise. I have told more than one of these types not to call me again. Another option is to charge more for the frustration. Only you can decide how much your peace of mind is worth.

The typical client will appreciate your abilities and offer constructive feedback. If she asks for you to "make it bigger," understand that the real request is to add emphasis. That can be accomplished in other ways than increasing the size. You may get a request to use a different color because she "doesn't care for" the color you used. Thorough knowledge of color theory will help you make your case. If she makes any request that goes against what you know to be solid design principles, your job is to educate your client and support your decisions. Offering alternative solutions can be helpful. In the end, if she will not back down, try to meet her request without sacrificing your integrity. After all, she is paying for it.

The most desirable client knows how to work with a creative to get the best possible solution. He will have clear objectives and be able to spell them out for you. He will know his audience and what appeals to them. He will describe verbally some concepts for the project without dictating the final form. In return, he will get your best work, and you will both feel satisfied with the result. Revisions from this client will be phrased in way that preserves your creative freedom. Instead of saying, "Move the logo down an inch," he will say, "The logo looks crowded," for example. You, the designer, will address this concern in a way that is consistent with the overall design.

Early in my career I was working on a newsletter with a micromanaging type who asked me to rebreak a paragraph without realizing that would affect every column break that followed. We went back and forth several times, rebreaking lines and seeing the results. In the end we went back to the way I had presented it in the first place! It was frustrating for both of us. He brought an example of a newsletter he liked to my supervisor and indicated he'd like to work with whoever designed it. She told him it's the same person! However, on the second newsletter I was working with one of my dream clients and the results were superior.

Always charge for revisions. Include them in your estimates. If revisions turn out to be lighter than you estimated, you can charge less and make your client happy. If you don't plan for revisions, you will have to exceed your estimate and leave a bad feeling.

Understand that you have to build trust by doing your best work and being able to explain your choices. Getting huffy or indignant will not win you client loyalty. Being knowledgeable and patient will help you deal with the inevitable change requests. As your relationships develop, you will be entrusted with more creative freedom, and better yet, referrals to new sources of work.

Your Work Space

Working in your home can blur the distinction between your work life and your personal life. One can easily take over the other without enough self-discipline and some thoughtful planning.

Your workspace should be set off from the rest of the house. A separate room with a door that can be closed is best. A space that is used for nothing but business is essential. You must mentally enter your workspace as if you are leaving your home. Do not let the TV or the refrigerator pull at you, even though you know they are close.

Set consistent work hours and stick to them. I work the same hours as most of my clients, which is 8:30 to 5, Monday through Friday. I do not answer the business line or reply to business email outside of those hours. If I am asked to work on the weekend, I charge an overtime fee. Sometimes I work late to get caught up, but that is for my convenience, not anyone else's. I do not lead anyone to believe I will work more than standard hours for them, without the extra fee. A lunch break, tea break, or gym break is included in most days. The best part of working at home is that when my work is done, I can leave without asking for permission.

I mentioned having a separate business phone line, which I added after I got a few business calls during my family time. The separate line made it easier to maintain my boundaries. This is especially important when you have children at home. Your job as mommy or daddy is the most important role of all.

You can take advantage of the home office deduction on your taxes when you have a clearly defined workspace. Read the IRS instructions or check with an accountant for all the details, because there are restrictions.

Your workspace should be neat and organized most of the time. Have bookshelves for your design magazines, Pantone swatch books, software manuals, and CDs. Have a file cabinet for storing documents and samples. You'll need a printer stand with space to store paper and toner. What else do you need to have in your office, and where will you store it? Keep your office neat by cleaning up once a week. If you let chaos rule, you will waste a lot of time looking for things.

Think about the workflow of your projects and make sure that you have a place for jobs that have been estimated, jobs that are in progress, jobs that are awaiting revisions, and jobs that are on hold indefinitely. Your project tracking forms are extremely helpful in maintaining workflow. You can clip the form to all the related papers and put it in the correct pile. I use a set of 5 trays, one for each day of the week, to help plan my schedule. Don't forget a place for jobs that are ready to bill.

Keeping your mental and physical spaces organized will decrease your stress and increase your profits.