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
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.
In this episode of Resourceful Designer, I delve into the crucial aspect of redefining your introductory hook to capture clients effectively.
I discuss the significance of crafting a compelling introduction on your website and other marketing materials that resonates with your target audience's "What's in it for me?" mindset.
By analyzing examples of web...
Welcome back to another insightful episode of Resourceful Designer, where today's message is all about the art of engagement over trivial chatter. I'm your host, Mark Des Cotes, and in episode 341 we dive deep into the importance of engaging more and talking less. We explore how the wisdom of an elementary school teacher, who emphasizes understanding her students to truly elevate their learning, can be a p...
Welcome to episode 340 of Resourceful Designer. Today we're diving into an intriguing question: Are your design clients time or money minded? We'll unpack the significance of understanding whether your clients value their time over their money or vice versa. I'll share some personal anecdotes, like the time I decided to replace my wife's car backup camera myself to save money, and on another occasion, when...
In this episode of Resourceful Designer, I delve into the topic of accepting credit card payments from clients. I received an email from Phil, thanking me for the podcast's impact on his transition from working for an employer to running his own business. Phil's client asked to pay by credit card, and he was unsure how to proceed. I share the simplicity and speed of credit card payments and elaborate on th...
Have you ever been in a sticky situation where a client has asked for your working files?
In this episode of Resourceful Designer, I delve deep into the topic of whether or not to hand over working files.
Join me as I share personal experiences and insights to help you navigate this common dilemma in the design industry.
From leg...
On this episode of Resourceful Designer, I delve into the critical topic of backups. Through two poignant real-life stories, I stress the importance of not solely relying on web hosts for backups.
I share a scenario where a client's website was lost due to an overlooked credit card update and the absence of off-site backups.
Hey there, it's Mark, and in this episode, "Persistence Will Pay Off," I want to talk to you about the challenges of running a design business. Whether you're just starting out or have been in the industry for years, finding clients can be tough.
I've been there myself, going through long stretches without new projects coming in and questioning if my business was sustainable. But ...
In this episode of Resourceful Designer, I discuss a common mistake designers make when presenting their work to clients.
Drawing from my own experience, I delve into the significance of presentation and its impact on a design business.
Sharing insights from my college days to my current approach, I highlight the practice of presenting designs to clients ...
Exploring Design Trends: A Dive into FreePik's 2024 Trend Report
Click here to see the trend report: https://www.freepik.com/visual-trends-2024
Join me as I delve into Freepik.com's 2024 trend report, highlighting key design trends predicted for the year. Freepic.com, a platform known for offering high-quality design resources for free, reached out to discuss its latest trend report, sparking my interest in exploring the upcoming t...
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