Product Description

The most comprehensive business companion available for those just starting out or expanding operations in the design field. This updated edition of an industry standard furnishes all freelance graphic designers, art directors, illustrators, copywriters, and design-shop principals with the tools needed to move ahead in the design business. From getting launched to running a multiperson shop to retiring comfortably, this book covers it all and includes sample business forms.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #218086 in Books
• Published on: 2002-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 432 pages

Review
The issues most important to beginners . . . are covered exhaustively. Foote's discussion of fees, estimates, and billable time are right on the mark. This alone justifies the cover price. -- Critique

About the Author
Cameron S. Foote is the president of Creative Business, a Boston-based business-information resource for the design community.

Customer Reviews

concise, thorough resource!
I am not even half-way through this book and I already realize it is one of the best books I've bought in the last five years! As a web designer looking to start my own business I am just devouring the pages which are full of wisdom based on experience.

This would be a great resource for anybody who owns their own business, wants to start a business, or wants to start freelancing. It also applies across disciplines: graphic design, illustration, writing, photography, web design, multimedia, etc.

This is not a fluffy book. Every page is a great resource. I cannot say enough good things about it! Buy it now!

A must-have for anyone starting a freelance graphic business
I had been running a web design business for about a year when I finally bought this book, and boy do I wish that I had had it when I started out -- I could have avoided so many problems.

Here are just a few of the topics this book explains about: legalities of starting a business, writing a business plan, how to write estimates and proposals (and even gives samples of both), how to bill, how to deal with troublesome clients, how to respond when clients question a price hike, how long to wait before taking action against a client who is delinquent in their bill, and what your resources are to extract final payment.

Definitely a must have for anyone looking into starting their own freelance graphic business -- I heartily recommend it!

The one you mustn't do without
Before I launched my freelance shop, I did a lot of research and read a lot of books. This one is by far, the best and most concise text of its kind. It starts with a general background of what it takes to start your own firm and gives you a few questions to consider before you commit. Though perhaps obvious, the questions are valid and the fact they are written in a book of this caliber gives one pause for serious introspection. From there, it only gets more useful. Absolutely everything you need to know is completely covered in a short, clear and concise fashion. Recently, Foote has released a new book entitled, The Creative Business Guide to Running a Graphic Design Business. One may consider it instead, depending on what type of shop they plan to start. Both are envaluable. If you are the creative type and find it painful to think pragmatically, you should not do without this.