Читать книгу Start & Run a Creative Services Business - Susan Kirkland - Страница 8

No matter what you may have heard, talented people are drawn to other talented people by sheer magnetism. That inborn urge to raise standards pushes creatives above competitive mode. In the right environment, an encouraging, nurturing spirit takes hold of the principals, and true creatives revel in their compadres’ success. If, in contrast, you find yourself mired in petty politics and devoting creative time to tripping up the other guy, you’ve lost your focus. If you’re tired of playing games instead of creating great design or you’ve had it up to here with secretaries that think they have a better sense of type usage than you, then you are ready to freelance.

Maybe you just want to supplement your regular income. The reason doesn’t matter. Nor does it matter what industry you work in now or where your experience lies. If you’ve got the motivation, you can succeed as a freelancer because people always need literature, websites, business cards, or whatever creative output you decide to sell. The challenge is how to attract them to your particular skill set, how to keep them coming back, and how to defend what’s yours. There are some very specific things you can do to jump-start your business and start drawing in customers, and these are not limited to sending out little postcards by the thousands. Above all, don’t follow in the footsteps of the famous designer I mentioned earlier. If you have a conscience, you’ll spend most of your time looking over your shoulder, which will dilute the satisfaction of your success.

Even if you haven’t established good discipline, there are certain characteristics that set professionals apart from amateurs. Read over this list and work on the areas you have not yet developed. Dust off and revisit the business skills you haven’t used recently. As a freelancer, you represent yourself and are working for your own profit, not as an employee and not for the financial benefit of another person. If you were a clock-watcher or paced yourself on the job, get ready for a major restructuring of attitude.