HOW TO BUILD A CLIENT-CENTERED BUSINESS THAT YOU LOVE
EPISODE #12 | OLIVIA HERRICK
Whether working for yourself or taking on freelance projects, how do you find clients and price your work? And how can you solicit feedback from your clients that doesn’t leave you hurt and defensive?
Today’s guest is Olivia Herrick, a Minnesota based graphic designer who’s client-centered business approach is thriving – allowing her to build a business that she loves and that works for her and her family.
In this episode, Olivia shares what we don’t hear often – the upside for working for another company, and how the story you tell yourself about your 9 to 5 doesn’t have to be negative. From her beginnings of working in-house, to starting her own graphic design business, Olivia shares how she created a financial strategy before she took the leap, and offers tips for designers on finding clients, how to price your work, and how to solicit feedback that won’t hurt you but instead make the work stronger and your clients happier.
In addition, Olivia dives into some of her life wisdom, including how the Enneagram changed her life, as well as insights into some of the quotes she is known for sprinkling throughout Instagram. This episode is full of really practical and smart business advice! I’m sure you will love it and find it extremely helpful for you!
TODAY WE WILL LEARN HOW TO
Pitch our work
Price our work
Take on clients that are a good fit
Have a client-centered approach to your business
Request and take feedback in a positive way
TOP 10 HIGHLIGHTS
Before you leave your full-time job to work for yourself – plan. Set up a financial structure you feel good about.
When starting your business, retainer clients are a great way to build a foundation of regular income. To do this, reach out to your old clients. See if anyone would want to get on a retainer which is a monthly structure where they commit to a certain number of hours, and your rate adapts based on their upfront commitment.
Make sure everyone you know, knows you are a designer. You don’t need to shove business cards in their faces. Just make sure they are aware. It’s amazing how many people will think of you and refer you.
Check-out value-based pricing, which is a structure where you consider who the client is, what the project is, if it has a big impact on revenue for a company or if it doesn’t – and factor that into your pricing structure.
Consider pricing your work based on your personal preferences and your capacity – like charging more during the summer so you have the ability to enjoy it and charging less during the winter when you have more capacity.
Always charge a flat rate. It’s better for both parties. When you charge a flat rate, you are rewarded for being able to work more quickly as opposed by being penalized when you are at an hourly rate. And clients don’t have to worry about getting an unexpected bill outside of their budget.
Don’t be afraid to take on whatever work comes along, that will pay you well and that you think you would be a good fit for – even if it’s not the sexiest project in the world.
If you are one who tends to overwork – have other things in your life that you’re interested in that are not monetized and that are just true passions that make you excited to take a break from work.
When preparing to meet your client and show them your work, prepare specific & focused questions ahead of time, so that how you receive feedback is structured in a way where you have the appetite to hear it.
Take the Enneagram test for better self-awareness. It will help you understand that there’s not just one personality type that you should strive to be. It will also help you understand yourself better, accept yourself, and work towards being the best version of you.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
The Enneagram – Take the Enneagram test here!
FIND OUR GUEST HERE
GET REAL: PONDERINGS TO PROPEL YOU FORWARD
What true passions do you have that are not monetized?
