Resourceful Designer: Strategies for running a graphic design business
Offering tips, strategies and resources to help you start, run and grow your home-based graphic design and web design business so you can spend more time doing what you do best… Designing!
Episodes
Today I'm diving into a topic every freelancer faces at some point: should you publicly display your rates, or keep them private? There's no one-size-fits-all answer, so in this episode, I walk you through the pros and cons of each approach...
Hey there, welcome back to Resourceful Designer! Today I want to talk honestly about something many designers dream about: working from home. I've been running my design business from home for over 20 years, and while I love it, I want to s...
Hey there, my friend,
Mark here with some big news. Resourceful Designer is now on YouTube.
Yes, I know, technically, you've been able to listen to the podcast on YouTube for years. But that's not what I'm talking about.
I've created a brand new Resourceful Designer channel where I'll be releasing weekly videos to help designers like you with the business side of freelancing. ...
Welcome to Resourceful Designer. I'm Mark, and today we're talking about one of the biggest challenges designers are facing right now: staying relevant in a world where AI can generate logos, create websites, and even write flawless present...
Welcome back to Resourceful Designer! I'm Mark, and today I want to share a unique perspective I've gained as both a graphic designer and someone with a growing collection of tattoos.
I got my first tattoo at 53, thanks to my talented daugh...
Welcome to Resourceful Designer! I'm Mark, and in this episode, I'm sharing practical advice for home-based graphic and web designers looking to make more money, without taking on more clients or raising your rates. I'll tell you a story ab...
Welcome to Resourceful Designer! I'm Mark, your host, and today, I want to share a powerful story that brilliantly illustrates how to handle price negotiations with grace while standing firm in your professional worth. Like many designers, ...
Welcome to Resourceful Designer! I'm Mark, and today I want to share something fascinating that can make a real difference in how you communicate with your design clients. Did you know that the pronoun you use, choosing "I" instead of "we",...
Hey there, design friends! Welcome to Resourceful Designer, your go-to podcast for running a successful design business. Today, I'm diving into one of the most nerve-wracking yet crucial decisions every designer faces: when and how to raise your prices. I know just how tough it can be; I've been there myself, wrestling with doubts and worries about how clients will react. In this episode, I'll walk you thr...
Welcome to Resourceful Designer! I'm Mark Des Cotes, and in today's episode, I'm diving into something that hits home for so many of us: networking as an introverted designer. Did you know that over 85% of designers are introverts? Yet, bui...
Welcome back to Resourceful Designer! I'm Mark Des Cotes, and today I want to open up about five major mistakes that can seriously damage your design career; mistakes I've witnessed and, yes, even fallen into myself.
Through my own experiences, from the pitfalls of handshake agreements to the lessons I've learned the hard way, I'll give you practical advice to help you avoid these mistakes. My goal is to ...
Hey there, my design friend! Today on Resourceful Designer, I want to share a story about why I was genuinely happy that a client didn't pay their invoice. Sounds odd, right? But it all comes down to the power of client relationships—the fo...
Hey there, it's Mark from Resourceful Designer. Have you ever looked at your own design work and thought, "I'm not good enough to charge for this," or landed a big client and immediately worried that they'd soon figure out you're not as talented as they think? If that sounds familiar, you're definitely not alone. In fact, about 70% of creatives experience what's known as impostor syndrome, a nagging feelin...
Hey fellow designers, welcome back to another episode of Resourceful Designer! I'm Mark Des Cotes, and today I'm diving into a topic that every design business thrives on: word of mouth referrals. Recently, I had a reminder of just how powerful this can be, a client from 25 years ago, whose logo I designed back in my print shop days, still refers people to me! That got me thinking about how important, yet ...
Hey there, my friends! Welcome back to another episode of Resourceful Designer. Today I want to share something that could really transform the way you approach client relationships and projects.
Did you know there are four simple yet powerful questions you can ask your clients that could completely change the course of your design work? I'll be diving into exactly what those questions are, how I use them...
Today, I want to talk about something that might sound a little counterintuitive at f...
Freelancing feels like freedom, but the fastest route often runs through a paycheck first. In this episode, I show how working on a team accelerates your path to solo success—learning pricing, scope control, legally sound communication (yes, even email), and building the referral network and judgment you can't get alone.
For full show notes of this episode, please visit https://resourcefuldesigner.com/episode346
I recently attended WordCamp Canada, a community gathering of WordPress enthusiasts, where I gave a presentation on the pitfalls of your About page. But that's not what today's episode is about. Instead, I want to discuss a fascinating concept I picked up from another presentation on email marketing.
Today's episode, titled "The Two Sides of a Solopreneur Designer," is inspired by the idea that, as solopr...
Welcome to another episode of Resourceful Designer. I'm your host, Mark, and today, I've got an interesting topic inspired by a friend's podcast. You know, it's funny how ideas for podcast episodes can come from the most unexpected places. Sometimes, I meticulously plan out a topic, but other times, like today, a random sentence can spark an idea.
Today, we're discussing the importance of asking specific q...
In this episode of Resourceful Designer, I share a cautionary tale about losing generational clients and the critical lesson I've learned from my mistakes.
Whether you're dealing with family-run businesses or companies with long-standing leadership, you'll discover the importance of building relationships with the next generation to ensure client loyalty.
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