When you work for someone don’t you expect some form of compensation? When then is it that when someone asks you to do work and you tell them how much you would charge to do the work they get all upset?
I have a word to anyone who is in any business at all anywhere. If you want any kind of graphic design work done the person who does that actually has to do work. When I sit down to do anything from a basic phone book ad to an illustration I am actually working. I went to school and studied design. I spend hours and hours a week keeping up on what’s going on in the world of design. I am also talented and skilled. Any person in the design profession possesses skills and talents that a business person doesn’t. Even if you have a computer and a copy of Photoshop does not mean you have any idea how to design anything. So when you’re at your business where you are attempting to make a living how do you feel when someone comes in and askes to you to provide your goods or services to them for free?
Now another thing people need to realize that if you put out an ad or have a sign or logo that looks like it was done like an amature then they will on some level feel that your business is not professional. Anything that represents your business better do it in the right way. That is what I do for people, I let them look professional so that their business can be taken seriously by potential customers. Can you afford to lose a customer because you made your business cards in word at home with card stock? What if it’s 100 customers? What if it’s 1000? What if a well designed and professional business card and logo can keep this from happening? It does.
When you start a business you have to have a marketing plan don’t you? If your marketing doesn’t bring in any business what good is it?
All of the largest and most successful businesses in the world understand that they must market and advertise their products continually – Nike, Coke, Toyota – turn on the TV, look in a magazine, drive down the road. Do you see advertisements? Do you think the CEO of these companies is behind these ads? NO! These are done by people who are professionals in advertising, marketing, photography, design, etc. What do you think a Coke commercial would be like if their CEO wrote it and directed it because he didn’t want to pay a writer and director or acting talent to do his ads? That would be ridiclous.
Now I understand that someone running their own small business isn’t Coke and doesn’t have their budget, but if you don’t think you need things to represent your business then its life will be short. I know because I’ve seen it.
So stop trying to get important work for free. Any kind of important work, it’s basically like walking into the grocery store and stealing the food for you dinner because you needed to eat.