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Wearing Both Hats: The Designer Business Owner's Struggle (#DualLife) Being a designer and a business owner is like having two demanding jobs in one. Here are a few struggles only designer business owners truly understand: ▪︎The Time Juggle: Balancing creative work with client calls, marketing, and administrative tasks feels like a constant juggling act. (There just aren't enough hours in the day!) ▪︎The "Feast or Famine" Cycle: Client projects can come in waves, leaving you scrambling during slow periods and burning the midnight oil during busy seasons. ▪︎The Value Proposition Challenge: Explaining the value of good design to potential clients who might not understand the time and expertise involved. ▪︎The Marketing Minefield: Figuring out the best marketing strategies to attract clients without neglecting your design work. ▪︎The Wearing-Too-Many-Hats Syndrome: From accountant to salesperson to creative director, you often find yourself filling multiple roles within your business. ▪︎The Client Education Balancing Act: Educating clients about the design process while also respecting their budget and desired timeline. But hey, it's not all struggle! The rewards of building your own design business are worth it. What are some of the unique challenges you face as a designer business owner? Share your experiences in the comments!

Beyond Design: The Missing Skills for Design Success Are you a design rockstar? Dazzling portfolio overflowing with killer creations? Well, brace yourself: amazing design alone won't secure you a steady stream of clients. The recipe for true design success requires a secret ingredient, and it lies outside the realm of pixels and palettes. To truly thrive, designers need to be business-savvy. Negotiations, time management, salesmanship, marketing – these aren't just buzzwords, they're the tools you need to build a sustainable design business. Let's break it down: Negotiation Power: Confidently discussing project scope, rates, and deadlines with clients is crucial. By showcasing your value and securing fair compensation, you ensure your business stays afloat. Time Management Mastery: Juggling multiple projects, client communication, and personal work requires expert time wrangling. Mastering this skill lets you deliver on time, keep clients happy, and open doors for more opportunities. Sales Savvy: Don't underestimate the power of persuasion! Articulating how your designs solve client problems or boost their business is key. Conveying the value you bring attracts clients eager to invest in your expertise. Marketing Mettle: How will clients discover your design magic? Social media, a captivating website, networking events – unleash your inner marketing whiz! Proactive self-promotion ensures your skills and services reach the right eyes. By embracing these business-focused skills, you transform from a talented designer into a thriving design entrepreneur. So, step outside the comfort zone of pure design, unlock these superpowers, and watch your design dreams flourish! #designtobusiness #businessofdesign #designgrowth #designermindset #creativestrategy #clientcommunication #projectmanagement #designvalue #marketingfordesigners #brandingfordesigners

Design isn’t just about shapes and colors; it’s about solving problems. I genuinely believe that effective design addresses specific challenges and fulfills the goals of those who seek it. That’s why, when I work with clients, I go to great lengths to gather as much detail as possible. I engage in multiple calls, provide comprehensive questionnaires, and guide clients through their responses, ensuring that I fully understand their needs. Feedback is an essential part of this process. I do all this because I recognize that anyone reaching out to me, whether they’re a brand or an individual, has a goal or a pain point they believe design can address. It’s my top priority to solve that problem in the most effective way possible. Even though some clients may initially find the questionnaires too detailed or the calls overwhelming, they ultimately appreciate the depth and thoroughness that leads to a solution they’re truly happy with. #QuickTip: This will help reduce countless revisions —————————————- Hi, I'm Increase Ndubuisi. I help entrepreneurs achieve clarity and stand out with distinctive brand identities through strategic design.

If the interior design clients you have aren’t the interior design clients you want, you have 2 choices ⤵️ 1️⃣ OPTION 1 👉 Continue to post the same type of content with the same type of branding & messaging on your website & social media. 👉 Keep talking about what you do and who you serve based on what you’re currently already doing. 😅 Pros - feels easy & familiar 😬 Cons - you’ll continue to attract clients you don’t want 2️⃣ OPTION 2 👉 Do the strategic & inner work to understand why you’re running this business and who you’re really here to serve. 👉 Learn who these people are (not at a superficial level, at a deep psychological level) so you can create messaging that speaks directly to them and design services they’re queuing up to invest in. 👉 Create a powerful customer journey inside your business so you know how to lead ‘next-level’ enquiries to becoming your new ‘next level’ client 🥂💸 👉 Integrate the ‘next level’ systems and processes that ‘next level’ clients expect. 😬 Cons - involves learning what you don’t know and investing time & energy into working ‘on’ your business 😅 Pros - you start attracting the type of clients you want. You get so good at marketing & selling you never worry about saying ‘no’ to the wrong type of client because you know how to call in the right one 🤌 You’ve set up your business for long-term success and creative fulfilment 🎉 I know which option I’d run with 🤣

Design is not a cost; it’s an investment And it’s one of the best investments your business can make. Whether it’s your logo or your website, good design communicates your business goals efficiently. If you’re a business owner, pause and ask yourself this.

𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝. A part of becoming an entrepreneur and building businesses that I definitely underestimated when starting out my journey is making design choices. This stems from a much deeper train of thought that I have recently been thinking about more and more: 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬? The chair you are sitting on, the phone you are looking at, the platform you are using, the snack you are eating, even every single word of text that is on the packaging of that snack was ideated, created and done by another human at some point in time. Tying back into the main topic of design, since starting my entrepreneurial journey, I have been paying a lot closer attention to the design of logos, marketing materials and what drives me to like or dislike something. More importantly, I've also learnt how difficult it is to arrive at those designs ... turns out, being a graphic designer and coming up with original and powerful imagery and executing that vision is a lot harder than I had initially thought. I feel there is a common trope of marketing or communication majors having it easy compared to e.g. engineers, and have even heard sentences such as "Documentation is easy, everyone can write". To those people: Maybe try it out, and see how easy it really is. How conscious are you about the creation of your immediate surroundings, and have you ever tried and either succeeded or failed to design something? #design #graphicdesign #showerthoughts #marketing #entrepreneurship

100s of dollars are so expensive to invest in designs. If the result is to make it look good only. Most of the design inquiries I get ↳ They say it’s too expensive just to make it look good. But what they don’t know about it is → Designs can blend their offline and online personality → Designs can make their Brand stand out and engaging → It can support your words and make it more powerful You can get good-looking designs ↳ Just by spending 40-50$. But you have to spend 100s of dollars ↳ To get purposeful and strategical designs. The decision depends on you. Want to just look good? ↳ Get ready to pay for expensive regrets in the future. Want to go with purposeful designs? ↳ Pay now and dominate in the long term. If you want purposeful and strategic designs DM me “profile” to get started now.

Ready to elevate your business and enlist the help of a designer? Check out these essential steps to prepare for your next project! From auditing your current branding to establishing a budget and getting inspired, we've got you covered. Plus, learn why involving all stakeholders early on is crucial for success. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eVzsVkdg #DesignSuccess #CreativeCollaboration #BrandVision

Before You Launch Your Design Project, Here Are 5 Lessons You Should Know 📝 Successful design launches aren't just about great ideas; they're about thorough preparation. Here's what to keep in mind: 1. Ensure your website is completely ready when the client launches his product It should accurately showcase your latest work and be ready to handle visitor traffic. 2. Prepare your PR materials in advance Prepared press materials will help you quickly capitalize on initial interest. 3. Make the most of the initial release period The first few days after release are crucial for gaining attention and setting the tone. 4. Secure all necessary client approvals Ensure all your materials are client-approved to avoid last-minute complications. 5. Have a strategy for converting interest Know how you’ll convert initial interest into long-term engagement and sales. The better you prepare, the smoother your launch will go. P.S. How do you maintain momentum after a launch? — Like this? I’m Simon T. Gorski, an industrial designer and entrepreneur with 12+ years of experience designing products that impact markets. Follow me for daily insights about industrial design. #IndustrialDesign #ProjectManagement  #ProductLaunch

Design can be the difference between being remembered or not being chosen, or not Good design helps you make a strong impact Design isn’t just about looking nice. It shows who you are, what you believe in, and why people should trust you People decide if they trust your brand in just 50 milliseconds A professional and thoughtful design shows that you care about your business and customers This makes people feel safe choosing you 75% of people judge a company’s trustworthiness by its website design. Good design shows what your company stands for For example, if you care about the environment, use natural colors and images that show this This can make customers 88% more loyal to your brand Investors want to support businesses that seem strong and ready to grow A solid and consistent design shows that you’re serious and organized Companies with good design are 60% more likely to get investment Good design is very important for any agency or startup It builds trust, shows your values, and can attract investment By focusing on design, you set your business up for long-term success. Here's some branding we created for Titan security. Need help with the design side of your business? Drop me a DM today 💌