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A Look Back - A Look Ahead - 2022 Edition - RD309

Resourceful Designer: Strategies for running a graphic design business

Release Date: 12/19/2022

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Resourceful Designer: Strategies for running a graphic design business

In this episode, I'm diving deep into a topic that hits close to home for many of us in the design world: the Curse of Knowledge. I'm sharing personal experiences, like insider knowledge and navigating design jargon, to shed light on how it can lead to misunderstandings with clients. But don't worry, I've got your back! I'll be dishing out practical tips to help bridge that gap, ensuring every conversation is crystal clear. So, join me on this journey as we master the art of transparent communication and strengthen those all-important client relationships. You won't want to miss it!...

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Resourceful Designer: Strategies for running a graphic design business

Welcome to Resourceful Designer, the podcast that helps designers thrive in their creative careers. In today's episode, titled "You Can't Read The Label From Inside The Jar," host Mark delves into the importance of seeking feedback and involving others in your design process. Mark reflects on the metaphor of not being able to see the bigger picture when you're too close to something and how this applies to our work as designers. He emphasizes the need for honest feedback from individuals with our best interests at heart to grow and improve as designers. Mark also shares his philosophy of...

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Resourceful Designer: Strategies for running a graphic design business

Resourceful Designer is going on a short hiatus. Please stay subscribed for when I return with more great tips, advice and resources for starting and growing your design business. Stay Creative

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Resourceful Designer: Strategies for running a graphic design business

It’s the beginning of spring here in Canada. And with spring comes a desire to put all the messes of winter behind us and clean things up as we prepare for summer. That’s where the term Spring Cleaning comes from. However, today, I’m not talking about packing away your sweaters and pulling out your shorts. Nor am I referring to cleaning the yard or washing the grime off the windows. Although, it is time to do all of those things. No. I’m talking about doing some business. More specifically: Cleaning Your Computer Cleaning Your Office Cleaning Your Business Cleaning Your Branding ...

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Resourceful Designer: Strategies for running a graphic design business

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Resourceful Designer: Strategies for running a graphic design business

This isn't a standard episode of Resourceful Designer. Instead, I want to share two tips with you. Tip #1 Set up your Google Analytics 4 account ASAP. Google is turning on Universal Analytics on July 1st, 2023. Google has said the data collected in your UA account will not be migrated to your GA4 account. Unless you want to start again from zero, you need to set up your GA4 account now and start collecting data while you still have access to your UA information. Listen to the podcast episode to learn more. Tip #2 Never tell a client that you "Should" something. "I should be able to start your...

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A look back at 2022 and a look ahead to 2023.

Thank you for your continued interest in Resourceful Designer. You have no idea how much I appreciate you. Many great resources are available for learning and growing as a designer, and I’m humbled that you chose to spend a bit of your valuable time with me.

I am continuing my annual tradition. This last podcast episode of 2022 is my Look Back, Look Ahead edition. It’s where I reflect and share my year as a design business owner. Then I’ll look ahead at what I want to accomplish in 2023.

A Look Back at my 2022 goals.

At the end of 2021, I set these goals for myself.

FAIL: Talk at more conferences. Even though we were on the downslope of the pandemic, I chose not to travel in 2022. Therefore I wasn’t able to talk at any conferences. I also made the decision not to speak at any virtual conferences. I’ve presented at virtual conferences and found the return wasn’t worth the time commitment to prepare and give my talk.

EVEN: Grow the Resourceful Designer podcast audience. Since the pandemic hit in 2020, my podcast listenership has dropped, but the total number of downloads has increased. I attribute this to older listeners giving up on the podcast while new listeners discover it and download multiple episodes.

ACCOMPLISHED: Grow the Resourceful Designer Community. The Community is my pride and joy. One day, when I’m no longer doing the podcast, I’ll look back at everything I did with Resourceful Designer, and I’m sure the Community will be my proudest accomplishment. The friendships formed and all the freely given help is more than I could have ever hoped.

If you’re looking for camaraderie with fellow designers and are not a Community member, I highly suggest you check it out.

ACCOMPLISHED: Do more consulting work. Several clients paid for my consulting service, both in and outside the podcast space. I added podcast brand audit as a service under Podcast Branding which brought in several consulting clients.

ACCOMPLISHED: Grow Podcast Branding. What started as an offshoot of my main design business has become my main business focus. Podcast Branding is earning me more money than my main business ever has, with much less effort.

Some of my numbers from 2022

Resourceful Designer

  • I released 30 podcast episodes. The lowest in a calendar year since I launched the podcast. As my Podcast Branding business increases, it’s become harder to make the time to produce the podcast.
  • It reached over 710k total episode downloads in 2022. That’s an 80k increase over last year.
  • Resourceful Designer released on Gaana, Boommplay, Deezer, JioSaavn and Resso.
  • Resourceful Designer has listeners in 120 countries around the world.

My design business

NOTE: I didn’t actively promote my design business in 2022. Instead, I concentrated on growing my other business, Podcast Branding. I continued working with existing clients but made no effort to attract new ones.

  • Worked on 43 design projects for 22 different clients (one fewer client than in 2021)
  • Gained one new client in 2022.
  • I lost one client due to closure.
  • I sent out 27 invoices in 2022 (down from 41 in 2021)
  • Revenue increased over 2021.

Podcast Branding

My Podcast Branding business was my moneymaker this year.

  • Worked on 66 different projects for 47 different clients (more projects but fewer clients than in 2021)
  • Revenue increased by 27% compared to 2021. Primarily due to websites.
  • Launched 12 new websites for clients. (up from 9 in 2021)
  • I appeared as a guest on three podcasts to discuss podcast artwork and websites, increasing my exposure.
  • Podcasters hired me for projects outside the podcast space.

A Look Ahead at my 2023 goals.

My previous goals will continue to carry over in the new year. Continue to grow the Resourceful Designer Community. Concentrate more on Podcast Branding and so forth.

New Goal for 2023.

  • Create new partnerships to grow what I offer at Podcast Branding.
  • Expand the Resourceful Designer Community to include even more offerings than now.
  • Do more consulting work.
  • Explore video as a content platform for Resourceful Designer and Podcast Branding.
  • Increase the number of website clients on my web maintenance plan.

What about you?

Did you accomplish your goals for 2022, and What are your goals for the new year?

  • Are you a student getting ready to graduate? What are your goals once school is over?
  • Are you still relatively new to the design world? What are your goals for honing your skills?
  • Are you a veteran designer like I am? What are your goals for continued growth?
  • Are you a designer working for someone else? Maybe you enjoy your job; perhaps you don’t. Either way, what are your future goals?
  • Or perhaps you’re already a home-based designer, a freelancer if that’s the term you use; what goals do you have to grow your business?

Wherever you are in the world, your skill level, and your situation, please take some time to look back at 2022 and think about your accomplishments and shortcomings.

Did you stop after your accomplishments? Or did you plow through them, happy with yourself but reaching even further? What about your shortcomings? Did they discourage you or create a sense of want even higher than before? Think about what prevented you from reaching those goals.

So long, 2022.

As 2022 comes to an end. I encourage you to reflect. Think about everything you’ve learned. Your struggles, the things you fell short on (be it your fault or just the state of the world) and your accomplishments. And come up with a plan to make 2023 your year of success.

I once heard a saying: “It’s easier to know where you’re going if you know where you’ve been.” This aptly applies to growing a design business. Knowing and reflecting on where you came from will help you get to where you want to be.

To help with your planning, perhaps you should listen to episode 55 of the podcast, Setting Goals For Your Design Business.

These past few years have been tough on all of us. I hope that we never have to endure something like this ever again. But you know that old saying, what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger. Remember the lessons from these past few years, and use everything you’ve learned to make 2023 and future years even better.

I’ll be back in 2023 with more advice for starting and growing your design business. Until then, I want to wish you a Merry Christmas and a wonderful holiday season. And, of course, no matter what goals you set for yourself in the new year, always remember to Stay Creative.

What are your goals for 2023?

Let me know by leaving a comment for this episode.