A Look Back - A Look Ahead - 2022 Edition - RD309
Resourceful Designer: Strategies for running a graphic design business
Release Date: 12/19/2022
What Getting Tattooed Taught Me About Graphic Design - RD358
Resourceful Designer: Strategies for running a graphic design business
Welcome back to Resourceful Designer! I’m Mark, and today I want to share a unique perspective I’ve gained as both a graphic designer and someone with a growing collection of tattoos. I got my first tattoo at 53, thanks to my talented daughter who became a tattoo artist, and now, at 56, I have six pieces inked on my body, each with a story. In this episode, I’ll talk about how the permanence of tattoos has made me reflect on the power we have as designers: in our world, designs aren’t set in stone like tattoos are. We have the flexibility to tweak, evolve, and improve our work, even...
info_outline
Give Yourself A Raise: Make More Money Without More Clients - RD357
Resourceful Designer: Strategies for running a graphic design business
Welcome to Resourceful Designer! I’m Mark, and in this episode, I’m sharing practical advice for home-based graphic and web designers looking to make more money, without taking on more clients or raising your rates. I’ll tell you a story about learning to let go, and how sometimes, we hang onto tools, subscriptions, and services in our business that quietly drain our bank accounts month after month. I walk you through a step-by-step subscription audit, showing you how to identify essential expenses, cut out the things you don’t need, and consolidate tools where possible. It’s not...
info_outline
How to Handle Low-Budget Clients with Grace - RD356
Resourceful Designer: Strategies for running a graphic design business
Welcome to Resourceful Designer! I'm Mark, your host, and today, I want to share a powerful story that brilliantly illustrates how to handle price negotiations with grace while standing firm in your professional worth. Like many designers, I’ve encountered those budget conversations that can make your heart sink, the ones where a promising client comes in, but their budget just doesn’t match the value you know you can deliver. In this episode, I reflect on an invaluable lesson I learned from a fellow designer I met years ago in Montreal. He went from being the “affordable option” to...
info_outline
Why Using "I" Instead of "We" Can Transform Your Design Business - RD355
Resourceful Designer: Strategies for running a graphic design business
Welcome to Resourceful Designer! I’m Mark, and today I want to share something fascinating that can make a real difference in how you communicate with your design clients. Did you know that the pronoun you use, choosing “I” instead of “we”, can actually impact whether or not a client hires you? Most of us, especially solopreneurs, try to sound bigger and more established by saying “we” when talking to clients, but research shows that using “I” instead creates a stronger emotional connection. When I use “I” instead of “we,” clients see me as more personally invested...
info_outline
10 Things to Consider Before Raising Your Prices - RD354
Resourceful Designer: Strategies for running a graphic design business
Hey there, design friends! Welcome to Resourceful Designer, your go-to podcast for running a successful design business. Today, I’m diving into one of the most nerve-wracking yet crucial decisions every designer faces: when and how to raise your prices. I know just how tough it can be; I’ve been there myself, wrestling with doubts and worries about how clients will react. In this episode, I’ll walk you through 10 essential things you need to consider before raising your rates, so you can approach your pricing strategy with confidence and clarity. We’ll talk about everything from...
info_outline
Networking for Introverted Designers - RD353
Resourceful Designer: Strategies for running a graphic design business
Welcome to Resourceful Designer! I’m Mark Des Cotes, and in today’s episode, I’m diving into something that hits home for so many of us: networking as an introverted designer. Did you know that over 85% of designers are introverts? Yet, building a thriving design business still relies heavily on forging professional relationships, which can feel like a real challenge when you recharge by spending time alone. I’ll share my own journey from dreading networking events to actually enjoying them, and I’ll bust the myth that being introverted means being shy or antisocial. Instead,...
info_outline
5 Mistakes That Can Damage Your Design Career - RD352
Resourceful Designer: Strategies for running a graphic design business
Welcome back to Resourceful Designer! I’m Mark Des Cotes, and today I want to open up about five major mistakes that can seriously damage your design career; mistakes I’ve witnessed and, yes, even fallen into myself. Through my own experiences, from the pitfalls of handshake agreements to the lessons I’ve learned the hard way, I’ll give you practical advice to help you avoid these mistakes. My goal is to help you run a thriving, professional design business that not only creates beautiful work but is built to last. So, grab a pen and paper, get ready to reflect on your own...
info_outline
The ROI of FREE - RD351
Resourceful Designer: Strategies for running a graphic design business
Hey there, my design friend! Today on Resourceful Designer, I want to share a story about why I was genuinely happy that a client didn’t pay their invoice. Sounds odd, right? But it all comes down to the power of client relationships—the foundation of any successful design business. I’m diving into how going above and beyond for your clients (even working for free at times) can deliver incredible ROI, like solidifying long-term partnerships and generating referrals that keep your business thriving. I’ll share specific examples from my own journey, how strategically offering free work...
info_outline
Facing Impostor Syndrome - RD350
Resourceful Designer: Strategies for running a graphic design business
Hey there, it’s Mark from Resourceful Designer. Have you ever looked at your own design work and thought, "I’m not good enough to charge for this," or landed a big client and immediately worried that they’d soon figure out you’re not as talented as they think? If that sounds familiar, you’re definitely not alone. In fact, about 70% of creatives experience what’s known as impostor syndrome, a nagging feeling that your success is just luck and you don’t really belong. On today’s episode, I’m digging deep into this all-too-common struggle for designers. Inspired by a recent...
info_outline
How to Generate More Word of Mouth Referrals - RD349
Resourceful Designer: Strategies for running a graphic design business
Hey fellow designers, welcome back to another episode of Resourceful Designer! I’m Mark Des Cotes, and today I’m diving into a topic that every design business thrives on: word of mouth referrals. Recently, I had a reminder of just how powerful this can be, a client from 25 years ago, whose logo I designed back in my print shop days, still refers people to me! That got me thinking about how important, yet overlooked, word of mouth marketing really is. In this episode, I break down the five T’s of word of mouth marketing: Talkers, Topics, Tools, Taking Part, and Tracking. These aren’t...
info_outlineA 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.