Design By Mocha

Spending money on design work is difficult for many business owners. You have to research the market, get feedback from clients, and negotiate to make sure your investment is being spent wisely. Without a high confidence level in your designer (and their portfolio) it can be very difficult to part with your hard earned money. However, there are some very good reasons why you should be willing to spend money on design:

1. You Are Not a Designer

You are very likely not a designer. I can safely assume this because you are looking up information on hiring one. It’s like asking who’s in charge. If you’re asking the question then it clearly isn’t you. So if you are not a designer, and you have design work that needs doing, then your options are as follows:

• Put it off
• Do it yourself
• Hire someone who is not a designer
• Hire a designer

I’m going to favor the latter choice, but before we jump to conclusions–what’s so special about designers anyway?

2. Designers = Professionals

Good designers have expertise in their field. They should also have a portfolio that genuinely impresses you. If a designer you are considering hiring boasts about their schooling, their software proficiency, or the latest greatest design technique, but they do not have an impressive portfolio, RUN. Good designers are capable of impressing you without the need to speak.

3. You Already Pay Professionals All the Time

Who cuts your hair? Who fixes your car? Who do you go to when you’re sick? Who fixes your teeth? If you manage all of that on your own then I want to meet you and shake your hand.
Experienced designers are professionals, and you should turn to them like you would any other professional when in need of their services.

4. Save Money

What!? How does paying a designer save you money? Let’s say you are a small business owner and you need a website, some business cards, and some brochures and T-shirts for an upcoming event. You are an industrious sort, owning your own business and all, so you decide to save some money by handling the design yourself. You spend many hours working on your designs that you could have spent elsewhere within your business and once the designs are complete you end up with the following things:

• A website that makes a poor first impression on customers.
• Business cards with way too much information on them.
• Brochures that print wrong because “bleed” and “safe area” mean nothing to you.
• Shirts with a pixelated version of your company logo.

Redoing a project is more expensive than just having it done correctly the first time around. Most designers are reasonable and you don’t need to be afraid of outrageous fees. What you do need to do is start a discussion with one, because each project is different and rates will vary. You may come to find that most designers do design work because they truly love it, and they will be very excited and passionate about your project and getting you the best possible results.

5. Make Money

When you pay for a designer’s services, and you accept their guidance and creative input, you have a competitive edge over every other business in your market who didn’t pay for a designer. Customers are going to feel more reassured about your business when they land on your site, you are going to feel more confident in your business image, and your designer will be there to support you when you need it. You are effectively adding a new member to your team with a very specialized skill set, allowing you to spend more time focusing on what you do best: everything else.

Conclusion

So how do you get started? What is your project going to cost? How long will it take?

Unfortunately, only you know the details of your project right now, and there’s no consistent way to read minds, which means you are going to have to start a conversation. find some designers with impressive portfolios and get in touch with them.