Running a business like ours is a total joy, most of the time. We get to work on some incredibly interesting projects with a mix of clients across a whole range of industries. But it can be tough knowing when to stop.
Putting a price on it
Pricing for creative work can be incredibly hard. After a while you have bags of experience from previous projects and know what to charge but it’s not always that simple. Putting a price, or should I say a real value on your work, can really make a difference. We find it starts with picking the right clients to work with and not saying yes to everything that pops into the inbox.
How long does creating a brand that can last as long as the business really take, and more importantly, what is it actually worth? How important is it to spend extra time in post production to create a video that shows your product looking perfect to showcase the quality of the features or will a quick phone video do?
When we get approached to work on new projects we rarely just say yes automatically. We look at whether we can genuinely help a client, how we can make a difference to what they do and whether it will be worth our time and energy. When we work on a project, a client puts their trust in us to get it right and we need to ensure we have the capacity to design and execute our ideas well.
Creating the right look
Building a successful brand is so much more than having a great looking logo. A great brand identity incorporates a number of elements to give your business a consistent look and feel at every point in the customer journey. Design, colour and typography are subjective and can speak volumes about the type of business you are or who you want to be. But how long does it take it come up with the right look?
I may get the idea for a concept like Hug, the gorgeous comfort food café that’s just opened it’s sunny door in our town, during a quick dog walk after work but it can take days or possibly weeks to refine until I’m happy. That’s not to say we’re working on the concept non-stop during this time but it’s a gradual process. You’re not just creating a visual look for a business but writing their story.
When is enough enough
Do we charge the client for the time we quoted or the actual time it took? It’s always what we quoted but there are times when it’s hard to stop. Very often the secret is to always strive for perfection and then have the experience to know when you’re satisfied enough to let your client see your work.
I’m not sure I could ever walk away from a job knowing I could have done more but if I could I’d be richer, more successful and probably get better sleep. On the flip side I know I wouldn’t feel as proud of our work as I do so maybe the only issue here is making more time…and that’s not going to change anytime soon!
Work hard and be nice to people. It’s usually worth the extra effort to get happy clients as well as the end result you want.
