Posted by admin | Posted in Leadership | Posted on 10-09-2008
That’s right folks, you heard it here first. As designers, we all go through those phases. One mistake may snowball into several, or you get one of those jobs that never seem to end.
Jobs that never end? Oh yeah. I’ve had them. The simple little layout that you quote to someone who sounds sweet for less than your normal price. Next thing you know? Forty print-outs, 35 corrections, 4 stock photo sites and several months later you find yourself still working on it.
How do you get rid of this anvil around your neck? Cut it off! Do whatever it takes to end the project, even if it means having to eat a little more profit yourself. It’s worth it in the long run to get your time and aggravation back!
What about the jobs where you don’t get all the information upfront? Ever quoted a freelance job too cheap? I have. It’s easy to do. I find myself wanting to help out the client, give them the best deal possible and then 100 hours into the project, I’m kicking myself.
How do you stop that? Well, for me, I’ve sat down and objectively outlined the main-stream projects that I do on a regular basis, logo-development, magazines, etc. As I outlined each one, I added a realistic price and time frame. My prices are there and set in stone.
I’ve got to admit though, I still get sucked in and drop them on a case-by-case basis. As a designer, I’m not perfect, but I do hope that the clients I work with know that they have gotten their money’s worth and are pleased with the result.
It is refreshing to hear that you are an idiot! ;0) We all have those ‘moments” when we are sucked in to the current of “your so cute” so I will bend my rules and we have all gotten burned by it. Please remember though that not all “FAVORS” will turn out badly. There is a fine line between giving a client a break and that client breaking you! It is one of life’s lessons. Don’t stop showing favor to people because you want to get some of that back yourself!