Why hire a professional graphic designer?

Greatly enhanced communication.
Good design isn’t about decoration, style or fashion. It’s about communication. Precisely how much monetary value a clearly communicated visual message has is impossible to say. What is clear, however, is that well planned and executed design can make a positive impact on an organization’s bottom line for a very long time.

Creating a better image.
Good design is also about image creation and brand building. Maintaining a positive image is essential for organizations of all sizes, not just the big ones. It’s how small companies become larger, and larger companies stay on top. It’s too important a function to entrust to the lowest bidder.

Expertise, knowledge and flexibility.
The technology that drives design becomes better every year. But better computers and applications don’t make better designers and they don’t make design any easier. Graphic design is, and always will be, a business of problem solving. Machines don’t solve problems—trained and experienced designers do.

By staying on top of industry changes, designers can offer clients a level of flexibility in terms of better solutions, options and ideas than ever before.

Great value and small additional cost.
The difference between buying inexpensive design versus expensive design is the value of the time invested in the project. This is a direct function of how much talent, training and experience is involved. Buying less expensive design may save money up front, but the true costs in terms of lost sales, tarnished reputation and damage to the brand are impossible to measure.

Except for the very smallest of jobs, design fees are usually a small fraction of total job costs. Buying outstanding design versus mediocre design typically represents an increase of only 5% to 7% for a small brochure, ad or website and less than 1% for an annual report, campaign or major website. In bottom-line terms, even a small additional investment in design quality can produce a return on investment that will remain positive well into the future.

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Why hire a professional copywriter?

No strain on resources.
Writing can be both time consuming and labor intensive. By going to an outside writer, it isn't necessary to pull employees from their normal tasks to do something they may not have been trained to do.

Tighter control.
It’s easier to assign stricter deadlines and maintain tighter control over an outside source than an internal one. It’s also easier to be more critical and objective about the end result when the writing has been done outside.

Better objectivity.
Only an outside writer has a detached enough perspective to be able to ask the right probing questions and challenge commonly held assumptions about things that insiders wouldn’t dare question.

More relevant experience.
An outside writer can contribute a broad range of experiences gained from working on past assignments for different industries. A good one can often learn more than enough about an unfamiliar subject in just a few short meetings.

A better end result.
Although it’s true that everyone can write to some degree, few people can write as persuasively as somebody who makes his or her living doing it. If you want results, why settle for second best?

Small additional cost.
Except for the smallest projects, creative fees are always a small fraction of the total cost. Outside writing will typically only increase costs from 5% to 10% on a small brochure or ad and less than 1% on an annual report or multi-page website.

When you compare the true costs of writing copy in-house—salaries, overhead, loss of productivity, etc.—it becomes quickly apparent that hiring an outside writer is the most cost-effective way to go.

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How do we work together? Is there a process?

Yes. Following a defined process is the only way to set realistic goals, manage expectations and ensure the best outcome for the project.

Here's how it works:

• You'll contact me by phone, fax, email or regular mail.
• We'll talk about your goals and what service(s) you'll need.
• I'll prepare an estimate and have it in your hands within a week.
• You'll sign it and return a copy to me along with your deposit.
• We'll analyze your target market with a pre-project questionnaire.
• I'll review the data and present a brief detailing the project.
• If everything looks good to you, it's time for me to go to work.
• Based on our research, I'll develop comps/drafts for your review.
• Any edits or changes? If not, I'll produce the final design and/or copy.
• You'll approve the final version and I'll release it for production.
• You'll receive your completed project, satisfaction guaranteed.
• I'll smile and look forward to our next project together!

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How much do you charge? Do you bill by the hour?

How much the project will cost depends on what kind of service(s) you need and how much work is involved.

Most projects are billed by the job, not by the hour. Since prospects and clients often come to me with different requirements, it makes more sense to do the homework up front and perform a thorough needs analysis to develop an estimate based on your individual situation. That way, all costs are predictable and there won't be any surprises.

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Do you require a deposit?

Yes. For most projects, I require a 50% deposit, depending on the scope of the work and other factors. We'll agree on this at our first meeting. After the work has been completed, the project balance will be invoiced and is due and payable within thirty (30) days.

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You offer several different kinds of services. Are you an agency?

No, I'm not an agency. I operate as an independent creative services studio with the ability to provide my clients with a full complement of targeted professional marketing communications services—graphic design, writing, web design and photography—with a single phone call.

The benefits to you are substantial. Now you can:
 
• get integrated, strategically sound marketing direction from one source;
• stop wasting time and money assembling teams of "specialists";
• put an end to agency fees and red tape—and be treated with respect;
• free inhouse staff to do the things they were hired and trained to do;
• get the results and strategic accountability you deserve.

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Do you require a purchase order?

No. But if you normally issue purchase orders when buying goods and services, it's certainly no problem for me.

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Do you charge for meetings?

There's no charge for the initial consultation, whether it's done by telephone or face-to-face. I've already factored a couple regular project meetings into your initial estimate, too, so that's been accounted for. If, however, we need to touch base more than we'd originally anticipated, then all meetings and teleconferences from that point on will be billed at a regular hourly rate.

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Do you require a contract?

Yes. I'll provide you with an estimate covering the project specifications as well as all standard contract terms to ensure that everyone's interests are protected and that the working process will be an enjoyable one.

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What about rush fees, changes and cancellations?

Rush jobs may be subject to a premium fee to be agreed upon before work actually begins.

You'll receive two (2) rounds of changes per the terms of the contract. Additional corrections, meetings or alterations to the project's scope or specifications may result in an adjustment to your original estimate. (Any increases will be discussed with you before going into effect.)

Projects cancelled after an agreement has been signed will be invoiced for the amount of work done to that point.

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