Running a Design Business: Freelancing

Course details

By choice or by circumstance, most designers will be freelancing one or more times during their career. In this course, Petrula Vrontikis provides an overview of the financial and creative advantages and disadvantages of being self-employed, along with methods, tools, and insights for starting out. The course helps you customize a strategy for your unique situation, from setting up accounts and tracking business expenses, to entering into contracts and invoicing for your work. The last chapter contains Petrula's advice on maintaining good business relationships and tactics for staying motivated and inspired.

Learning objectives
What is a freelancer?
Tracking expenses
Paying taxes
Understanding business licenses
Creating contracts and invoices
Preparing, transferring, and storing files
Tracking billing and payments
Managing your work-life balance

Concepts

0. Introduction

01 - Welcome
02 - Disclaimer
03 - Exercise files

1. What Is a Freelancer

04 - Definition of a freelancer
05 - Ongoing models of freelancing
06 - Temporary models of freelancing
07 - Why agencies and clients hire freelancers

2. Preparation

08 - Managing expectations
09 - Required forms and quarterly payments
10 - Finding an accountant and a bookkeeper
11 - Tracking business expenses
12 - Subcontractor versus employee
13 - Understanding business licenses

3. Agreements and Contracts

14 - General principles
15 - Signing nondisclosure agreements (NDA) and work-for-hire agreements
16 - Contracts with agencies
17 - Contracts with clients
18 - Using standard conditions of agreement
19 - Coping with revisions and change orders

4. Professional Practice

20 - Finding and keeping good clients
21 - Getting a great start when working directly with the client
22 - Protocol for correspondence and meetings
23 - Challenges freelancers face with agencies
24 - Challenges agencies face with freelancers
25 - Taking credit for work with agencies

5. Organization and Getting Paid

26 - General bookkeeping setup
27 - Invoicing and purchase orders
28 - Creating past-due notices
29 - Managing nonpayment situations

6. Long-Term Success Strategies

30 - Establishing and maintaining business relationships
31 - Working on spec
32 - Learning to say no
33 - Staying motivated and inspired

Conclusion

34 - Next steps