Start & Run a Graphic Design Business. Michael Huggins

Чтение книги онлайн.

      All this talk about thinking and acting like an entrepreneur might be making you feel a little uneasy at the moment. Maybe you’re starting to think that you can’t do it on your own.

      The experience of going into business can bring a harsh reality to light for even the bravest of souls. It did for me. I didn’t know the first thing about starting or, for that matter, running a graphic design business. If you are anything like me, you may feel that it’s time to start panicking. In fact, that panic might even lead you to the bright idea that you could handle this if you had just a little help. That would make things better, wouldn’t it? As a result of that thought, you may even start to think seriously about partnerships.

      1. Should You Form a Partnership?

      It’s a tough question. Should you enter into your business with full control over it? Or should you share the decision making, burdens, and profits with another like-minded person? There are obvious pros and cons about entering into a partnership, but do the benefits outweigh the drawbacks? That’s the real question and, ultimately, only you can answer it. Only you know what you want and what you consider to be a good arrangement.

      The bottom line is: Partnerships are challenging. It doesn’t mean that they don’t work or that they can’t work. They absolutely can. In fact, I think I have a great partnership with my wife, Anita. But there is a lot of pressure involved in partnerships and, in my opinion, partnerships have a hard time surviving in today’s business environment.

      One of the main reasons designers consider partnering is for the simple fact they don’t want to go it alone. Designers who get that “entrepreneurial bug” to start a business are quickly attacked by the “entrepreneurial seizure” (a kind of professional paralysis) when they realize they are leaving the comfort and predictability of working for another company for the great unknown.

      Naturally, these designers begin looking for someone to share in their anxiety. After all, they’ve spent most of their working lives sitting beside someone in the cubicle next to them. What’s going to happen when that person is no longer there?

      The second reason designers consider partnering is because they feel they need some support in a particular area. When you start to think of all the things you don’t know about running a design business, the learning curve alone can be enough to scare you out of it. So it’s natural to think about partnering with someone who has a different skill set than you; someone who can complement your lack of knowledge. You start to think about finding someone to help you through the rough spots and to help lighten the load. It’s a totally logical and rational thought.

      Partnerships can also form for unhealthy reasons — personal insecurity. If this happens, then the partnership could be bound for eventual failure.

      A partnership that stands a better chance of succeeding is one that offers a huge benefit to the client. When two talented professionals combine their skills, the result can often be better than the sum of the parts. It’s called synergy.

      A good example of this is a partnership between a designer and a copywriter who have common goals and vision. This partnership brings together two very valuable creative elements that have an overt benefit to the client. By combining their talents they become even stronger and provide a distinct advantage to the client. By combining their skills it sets them apart from most of their other competitors. This is very different from forming a partnership based on insecurity or fear, or because you think the other person has skills that you need to survive.

      2. The Problems with Partnerships

      Let’s take a look at some of the typical problems of partnering. Then we’ll look at some ways that a partnership can work in your favor.

      2.1 Things don’t get simpler — they get complicated

      Partnerships are created as a way of simplifying complicated problems and dealing with unknown challenges that could arise when you go it alone. Unfortunately sometimes partnerships create more complexity than they simplify.

      Partnerships are founded on the principle of compromise. Any partnership involves managing the expectations of both parties. If you have ever been in a long-term relationship with someone, you know that it’s not an easy thing to do. Think of your partnership like a hard-core marriage contract. You are committing to work alongside someone through thick and thin.

      I’ve been married to Anita for more than 23 years (and I love her like crazy), but in our years of marriage I don’t think we have initially agreed on more than maybe 30 or 40 percent of the things that have come into our lives together. We certainly don’t think the same! If I think, “Go left,” you can bet Anita thinks, “Go right.” I’m not confessing a bad marriage here (I have a great marriage — I love you honey!), but all situations have the potential to end in disaster unless we agree to reach some kind of a compromise with the many issues we disagree on. That’s the point. You have to be willing to play the same game if you’re considering a business partnership. That’s exactly what a business partnership is: compromise and an agreement to work things through. The truth of partnerships is that they are constant lessons in the need for clear communication, not to mention downright hard work. Simplicity is often not part of the equation.

      2.2 Partnering with friends

      Many people understand that partnerships take work and require compromise. They also think an effective solution to the problem is to partner with a friend. After all, when you have someone that you’ve known for years, things should be a little easier, right? You understand your friend. Your friend understands you and you have similar goals. All in all, things should work. Well, unfortunately, being in a business together adds a lot of extra stress and strain to your relationship that you would never have experienced without forming a partnership.

      For, as much as partnerships require compromise to survive, they also require leadership. In fact, sometimes someone has to step up and take the lead and sometimes someone has to follow. In friendships “agreeing to disagree” can work because the impact of that decision doesn’t directly affect your welfare and future success, but in your business it’s a different story. Your idea of what you should do in business could be very different from your friend’s idea. Partnerships with friends test loyalties and friendships.

      In the Appendixes, you will find my “Interviews with the Pros.” Interview 4 discusses the partnership experience of designer Ken Logue. He has more than 18 years of experience in the design field. He has worked in large and small agencies as an employee, and he has started his own design businesses, both as a solo entrepreneur and in partnerships.

      2.3 Measuring responsibilities and talents

      Often designers look for a partner who has a different skill set than their own. It could be someone who can handle administration, legal paperwork, or client follow-up, or it may even be someone to handle the money side of things. Whatever it is, designers look for someone СКАЧАТЬ