Learn how to start your own business, grow your client base, promote yourself, and manage your business without selling out or starving. This no faff, no fluff guide covers the 101 of freelancing or running your own creative studio. It’s peppered with applicable advice (things we learned from starting our own studio 8 years ago), unasked-for humor (to get you through), and worksheets (homework, gasp!) to help you just get started already. Because raw talent and good ideas aren’t enough. And because you can do this. Really.
Chapter 1
Do You Have What it Takes?
Chapter 2
Get by With a Little Help
Chapter 3
Making a Budget
Chapter 4
Pricing and Proposals
Chapter 5
Creating a Business Plan
Chapter 6
Branding Your Business
Chapter 7
Making It Official
Chapter 8
Growing Audience, Promoting Yourself, and Getting Work
Chapter 9
Contracts
Chapter 10
Workflow Mojo
Chapter 11
Communication & Collaboration
Chapter 12
Taxes, Accounting, and Measuring Financial Health
Chapter 13
Staying Competitive and Adaptive
As a creative, working for yourself can seem like the ultimate dream scenario. It’s true that freelancing can tailor your career to your unique skills, goals, schedule and work habits. But being your own boss also means taking on roles, responsibilities and risks that you didn’t have when you worked for someone else. This book will help you create a plan of attack and set up necessary procedures.