Professional Practices For Freelance Creatives

You can't run your freelance business on creative talent or skills. You have to develop business skills, which aren't taught in design school. The focus of degree and certificate programs is on creative expertise and portfolio development for the purposes of obtaining a job as a creative. Even those programs that do offer business courses only skim the surface of what's necessary, leaving the entrepreneurial creative out in the cold when it comes to building their businesses. In this episode I present 12 things they don't teach in design school but that you need to know if you want to build a business from your creative work.

How can you integrate your professional with your personal life to reduce stress and enjoy flexibility? How is it possible to fine-tune your productivity to gain time for non-work pursuits? Productivity is the measurable outcome of one’s effort, and  to be truly productive — not just busy — we need to distinguish between efficiency and effectiveness. If we’re going to be effective at getting our goals done. and not just efficient, we need to pursue an integrated life. While it’s important for freelance creatives to balance business activities with professional and personal creativity, we should do so within the context of our whole life. I talk about the need to set significant goals, and eschew the myths of work-life balance and multi-tasking. Integrating, rather than balancing, work and personal life consists of managing time proportionally rather than aiming for symmetry, and provides flexibility when life impacts business and vice versa. Intentional planning with flexibility is a key strategy for becoming effective in all aspects of your life.

A decades-old scam involving bogus high money design projects continues to target freelance creatives. Alvalyn shares how she first experienced the scam and almost became a victim. Through that, she learned the clues to watch out for. The tactics are varied, but the structure of the scam is the same. In this episode, she shares what to watch out for so you won’t be deceived, and also describes some legitimate business services that can save you time but cost you double. Are they worth it?

Keeping accurate records is foundational to running a business. The kinds of records you keep depend on the kind of business you do. Freelance creatives need to keep all the standard records, and those that related specifically to managing projects and working with clients.

Freelancers often struggle with time management and task management, project management, and getting things on time. We don’t get things done when we don’t know what to do next or where to begin. And we don’t know what to do next when there are so many urgent things we need to do. Most of us live cluttered lives. We have a lot going on. The best way to command the clutter is to put it all in order — to actually “design” your life. In this episode I share my own methods for overcoming a sense of overwhelm, including five steps to reclaim control of your tasks, projects, and calendar.

What makes the difference between working project by project or creating work that is significant, sustainable, and advances your clients’ enterprises as well as your own? Do how you do business and how you conduct yourself in your business make a difference in the types of clients you attract and the caliber of your creative work? There is a basis. We address the practicalities of establishing a set of professional practices — a code of conduct — and what principles to consider in developing yours.

A key to your long-term success as a freelance creative is to work with the kinds of clients you’re best suited to serve. And a key approach to attracting those clients is to establish your value proposition — a statement that clearly sets you apart from your close competitors. Value is what makes you attractive to a client because you’re focusing on the benefits of your creative services, not the services themselves. You need to understand your value from a strategic point of view, and how this knowledge helps you consistently connect with the right clients. In this episode I present the benefits of a value proposition for you and your clients, and outline key points for you to consider.

In this episode, Alvalyn discusses the importance of establishing and maintaining an “abundance” mindset for achieving career and creative success. She emphasizes how success is not limited by resources, but is instead created through taking action, setting goals, and plotting strategies. It’s necessary to maintain an “unlimited” mindset during times of adversity because it affects outcomes. If you don’t adopt a success mindset you can end up handicapping your future as a freelance creative.

Case studies help position freelance creatives as strategic problem solvers, rather than technicians or wrists. They present the client's problem, document and record the creative process, and showcase research findings, insights, and process to demonstrate problem-solving capabilities. In this episode I highlight the benefits of using case studies to upgrade your portfolio to attract higher value clients, and what to include in a case study.

Many freelancers in all sectors work without written contracts. They rely on verbal agreements which can be vague and incomplete. Neglecting to put project parameters and expectations in writing before you begin a project opens the door for all kinds of trouble to show up. The best way to avoid these troubles is to used contracts. In this episode I share from my own experience, and how freelancers can manage expectations with written agreements. Using contracts is good business practice and can increase your potential for long-term success.