Working From Home Isn't For Everyone - RD360
Resourceful Designer: Strategies for running a graphic design business
Release Date: 01/27/2026
How To Sell Web Design - RD364
Resourceful Designer: Strategies for running a graphic design business
Welcome to Resourceful Designer! I'm Mark Des Cotes, and in this episode, I'm diving into a topic that makes a lot of freelancers squirm: selling web design. If you're like most designers, just the thought of sales feels uncomfortable, maybe even a little gross. But here's the thing: you don't have to be salesy or pushy to successfully sell your web design services. I've learned that the trick isn't about pitching or endlessly talking about technical features; it's about understanding what your clients truly want beneath the surface. It's not just a pretty or functional website they're...
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SEO Strategies to Attract More Design Clients - RD363
Resourceful Designer: Strategies for running a graphic design business
Welcome to the Resourceful Designer podcast! I'm Mark Des Cotes, and I'm here to help you, as a graphic or web designer, grow your business by making your website truly visible to clients who are searching for your exact services. Over the years, I've seen too many talented designers go unnoticed online simply because their SEO strategies weren't cutting it. In this episode, I'm breaking down the actionable SEO tactics that actually work for solo designers and small studios, without needing a huge marketing budget or waiting months to see results. We'll dive into local SEO and why your...
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5 Soft Skills Every Successful Freelancer Needs to Master - RD362
Resourceful Designer: Strategies for running a graphic design business
Today I’m diving into something I wish I’d learned much earlier in my design career; success as a freelancer isn’t just about your creative talent or the quality of your portfolio. After spending 15 years in the commercial printing world before launching my own graphic design business, I quickly discovered that the designers who truly thrive are the ones who master a handful of critical soft skills, skills they just don’t teach you in design school. In this episode, I’ll break down the five essential soft skills that can determine whether you’re constantly struggling to stay...
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Should You Display Your Rates On Your Website? - RD361
Resourceful Designer: Strategies for running a graphic design business
Today I’m diving into a topic every freelancer faces at some point: should you publicly display your rates, or keep them private? There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, so in this episode, I walk you through the pros and cons of each approach. I’ll share why some freelancers choose not to showcase their prices, like keeping flexibility and avoiding price anchoring, as well as the risks of turning away potential clients who assume your services are out of reach. We’ll also look at compromise options, like providing price ranges or starting prices, to give clients enough information...
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Working From Home Isn't For Everyone - RD360
Resourceful Designer: Strategies for running a graphic design business
Hey there, welcome back to Resourceful Designer! Today I want to talk honestly about something many designers dream about: working from home. I’ve been running my design business from home for over 20 years, and while I love it, I want to strip away the Instagram glamour and talk about the realities, the good, the tough, and the unexpected. Working from home isn’t a magical solution. Yes, there’s flexibility, but it comes with the challenge of managing yourself, facing potential loneliness, blurring work-life boundaries, and handling every aspect of your business, from invoicing to...
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Big News!
Resourceful Designer: Strategies for running a graphic design business
Hey there, my friend, Mark here with some big news. Resourceful Designer is now on YouTube. Yes, I know, technically, you’ve been able to listen to the podcast on YouTube for years. But that’s not what I’m talking about. I’ve created a brand new Resourceful Designer channel where I’ll be releasing weekly videos to help designers like you with the business side of freelancing. The same type of content you know and love from the podcast, but now in video format. And no, don’t worry, I’m still going to do the podcast. I’m just taking a break this week as I finish the YouTube...
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Staying Relevant as a Designer in an AI-Driven World - RD359
Resourceful Designer: Strategies for running a graphic design business
Welcome to Resourceful Designer. I’m Mark, and today we’re talking about one of the biggest challenges designers are facing right now: staying relevant in a world where AI can generate logos, create websites, and even write flawless presentations in just minutes. I get it, it can feel like the ground is shifting beneath our feet. But here’s the truth: while AI might be able to deliver polished designs quickly, it still can’t replace what makes you, as a designer, truly valuable. In this episode, I’ll share why your clients aren’t just looking for beautiful mockups or perfect...
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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...
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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...
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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_outlineHey there, welcome back to Resourceful Designer! Today I want to talk honestly about something many designers dream about: working from home. I’ve been running my design business from home for over 20 years, and while I love it, I want to strip away the Instagram glamour and talk about the realities, the good, the tough, and the unexpected.
Working from home isn’t a magical solution. Yes, there’s flexibility, but it comes with the challenge of managing yourself, facing potential loneliness, blurring work-life boundaries, and handling every aspect of your business, from invoicing to taxes. Not everyone is cut out for this, and that’s okay. The myth that following your passion means you’ll never “work” a day in your life just isn’t true; there are parts you’ll love, and parts you definitely won’t.
My hope today is to help you decide if running your design business from home is right for you, the real version, not the dream. So stick around as I break down what working from home actually means and how to set realistic expectations for your journey. Let’s dive in!