A Crafty-Graphics Book Review
Creative, Inc - The Ultimate Guide to Running a Successful Freelance Business
By Meg Mateo Ilasco & Joy Deangdeelert Cho
Published in 2010 by Chronicle Books LLC
http://www.chroniclebooks.com/
Designed by Oh Joy! Studio.
Creative, Inc. is one handy little book! The focus of this collaborative effort is on starting, growing and surviving a freelance business. Most of us probably think of business-specific creative fields such as graphic design, photography, filmmaking, illustration and the like would be marketable freelance businesses. But, what if you had the same know-how as these folks, the ones you often depend on as a creative person yourself, to market your own business?
I highly recommend this book for any creative person who is starting up their own business and would like to be a successful self-employed person.
They cover a variety of important topics such as :
• WHO SHOULD DO THIS - The qualities a freelance person should have.
• WHERE SHOULD IT BE DONE - How to get your studio to work for you. Or, how to work with the space you have.
• HOW TO MAKE IT LEGIT – The legal ins and outs of establishing your business.
• WHO ARE YOU – How to brand and market your business.
• WHERE’S THE BEEF? – You need to get paid, right? You’ll need to know how to write an estimate, invoice and contract.
• WHO CAN HELP – Some of you might want an agent to represent you. This does not apply to everybody.
• HOW TO STAY SANE – Balancing work and life ain’t easy. But, it’s hugely important for both the success of your business and your mental health.
Each chapter ends on an interview with a successful creative freelancer who offers lots of great advice.
All in all, it was well worth the $16.95 that I paid for this book.
Are you a really creative person but are getting a bit tired of making the same thing or want to mix things up a bit with what you make to sell on Etsy or at craft shows? I have some great tips on how to get your brain churning and the ideas rolling.
1. Brainstorming: This is typically a group technique aimed at developing the largest quantities of solutions possible. Judgement on the value of the idea should be withheld until all ideas are on the table. I write a lot of lists to do brainstorming.
2. Adaptation: Think of unorthodox ways what you make can be used. Maybe you'll determine that your products can be marketed in a new way. Maybe you'll come up with changes to what you make that accomodate this new use.
3. Synthesis: Combine two ideas to create a new one!
4. Theme: Create a collection of work that maintains a consistent look or use. Come up with a great name for your theme.
5. Journalism: Be your own journalist! Learn everything you can about everything that interests you and keep a book of lists, thoughts, scraps, images and whatever you find inspirational. Carry paper and a camera with you wherever you go.
6. Experience: Try out what you need an idea for. If it's food, eat it. If it's music, listen to it. If it's a new craft for the home, make one for yourself and try it out for a spell. Don't rush this process.
7. Competitive Analysis: Spy on the competition. I know it sounds awful. It doesn't mean COPY. It means study what is working for this competition and derive some inspiration from it.
8. Persistence: You ideas are good. Not all are going to be brilliant all the time. Just be confident in what you do and keep at it. Don't give up.
A lot of us have blogs but don't know how to make them look custom. There's an assumption that one must be a web developer to do so. That's not the case!
Here are three easy ways to customize your blog in Blogger - change your banner, change your background and include an ad graphic.
BANNER:
- When you are in the design section you will see an outline of your blog - sort of a layout.
- Click on the word "Edit" by the Header section.
- Find "Image" and browse for the blog banner that was designed for you.
- Click on the file name and click "Open".
- The blog banner graphic will replace what you currently have – either text or an old graphic.
AD GRAPHIC
- Stay in the design section.
- Find "Add Gadget". This will be on the right side of your blog layout, most likely.
- A menu will pop up. Find "Picture" and click on it.
- Find "Image" and browse for the ad graphic that was designed for you.
- Click on the file name and click "Open".
- The ad graphic will be on your sidebar.
BLOG BACKGROUND
- This one is more complicated.
- Find "Template Designer" in the design section.
- This will take you to a new page and it will look a lot different than the previous.
- If you've uploaded the blog banner and ad graphic you should be able to see it on this page.
- Click on "Background".
- Click on "Background Image" - there will be a square graphic that has the text "Background Image" above it.
- Click on "Upload Image".
- Browse for the pattern graphic that I designed for you.
- The pattern will appear immediately.
