December 31, 2009 – 9:47 am
Again, while on the subject of BUSINESS, you creative types out there may also find this Creative Business website informative. The Creative Business people have free forms that you can download as PDFs and print out to use for all sorts of the business aspects of your freelance life that probably make your head hurt. Many of them are good starting points for you to create your own materials from and some are good to use as is, such as the estimating worksheet, creative brief questionnaire and illustration questionnaire. Creative Business also has written several books on the subject of Creative Business running, and published a bunch of downloadable articles that they do charge nominal fees for. (Previously mentioned here).
December 31, 2009 – 9:15 am
I’m adding a new category to the Meatlog: Business. I love business. Every freelance illustrator, designer or cartoonist out there knows at least enough business stuff to get by, but can always stand to learn more. AND LOVE IT.
I read all kinds of cheesy, corporate-speak articles, magazines and books about business, organization and motivation. It is what it is, bros, I’ve shed my hang-ups and I’m feeling great. Now I can’t wait to read the latest issue of Entrepreneur to find out which franchise I should set up in my living room, Little Caesar’s or Subway?
Speaking of business, Alex Mathers illustrates stuff here (and the illustrations above), runs his own art blog here, and then writes this other blog called Red Lemon Club which focuses on online self-promotion for creative freelancer types. Some tips you might find handy.
December 30, 2009 – 1:59 am
Clients From Hell is a good read for your lunch break from graphic designing for clients from hell. It’s like reading the “Humor In A Uniform” jokes column in Reader’s Digest while sitting on your grandmother’s toilet. That’s not a perfect analogy. Also on Twitter.
February 13, 2007 – 9:39 am
Whether you are in business for yourself freelancing or still in school considering one day running your own illustration or design firm, it is never too late to get smart about the business side of it all. We have been posting articles and resources that relate to this under the “Business for Artists” category that you see at the bottom of this post in case you want to see what else we have found over the last year or so.
Here are a few more helpful resources, found through a morning of following links that all started out on this excellent post from Amid Amidi over on Cartoon Brew about business practices that you should be aware of and avoid at all costs. The most valuable assets that you own are your own ideas, so be very careful about ever signing them away– if ever at all.
First of all, NO!SPEC is an organization created to help both employers and service providers understand the negative effects of doing work for free, or “on speculation” that future work will be compensated.
And secondly, Creative Business is a company that provides many business articles for sale which may be useful. But one very valuable resource they are providing for free is this page of free downloadable forms, letters and contracts that you may use in your own business practice. At the least they provide a perspective on how a larger creative firm may operate and give you a standard of professional business practices to strive for.
