This might seem like I approach my design work from a cold prospective, but it isn’t so. How could I when my life is all about color and new and the excitement of change? I have some clients I have done business with for decades. I could never have those kinds of long-standing friendships if I merely looked at the profit and loss sheets all day long. If you are embarking on a project, large or small, consider your many options. Don’t let the project overwhelm you. A professional can make the project easier, freeing up your time and helping you make your decision-making process fun rather than stressful. If you are worried about cost, that becomes part of the business plan. I believe in a good plan for both the client and me. I do not like financial surprises arising mid-stream that puts the project in jeopardy. If we have both done the business of putting the correct project costs into their final plan, we both work under better conditions. I watch the HDTV programs with interest, but when the professionals who have been doing the same work for years do not take all of the contingencies into effect, I hurt along with the client when they start asking for additional funds.
many years in this field of work. I enjoy looking at each new season as if it is the first time I’ve entered it, enjoying the tactile differences of them. The customers goals are extremely important to me. I have often given them “homework” to define their actual vision of their project. If I end up doing it right, everyone wins. I am not only rewarded with a paycheck and lovely photos of the completed job, but the satisfied customer sending me referrals is the extra bonus I enjoy. For every satisfied customer my business grows by a customer of three. If I disappoint the client I can, in this day of instant media, lose more than a quarter’s worth of work. If you had to live without an income for three months, how would your business survive? October 2019
I hope this article is helpful, it should explain why we in this business of design always ask detailed questions before we begin our working relationship. It is a wise person who looks at all sides of the coin before determining the cost to the client. That should be the only stressful time of the entire project. Happy designing everyone! Carol S Townsend A.S.I.D carolstownsend@gmail.com Look for my latest books, Glitz, Galmour & Murder and the sequel Follow the Money available on Kindle
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