In this chapter, it explains the process in which a post Illustrator graduate should take when entering the design world and how to go about their business.
The single cycle of work:
1. Prospecting for work
2. Communicating your product to a potential client
3. Receiving an offer of commission from that client
4. Reading the offer of commission carefully, before quoting the client for the charges of your product, the exact amount of product involved, the legal rights over the product that you are granting to the client or retaining for yourself, and setting out and agreeing to the delivery dates for roughs and final product.
5. Negotiating the counter-demands of the client where necessary, before finally securing the commission. This also involves ensuring that the client provides you with a job number and purchase order number for the commission.
6. Generating the roughs in a suitable location.
7. Delivering the roughs on deadline, listening to and addressing your clients concerns, and agreeing to make amendments to the work wherever necessary.
8. Generating the final artwork in a suitable location.
9. Delivering the final artwork on deadline and in the correct technological and/or physical format(s).
10. Submitting your final invoice to the client, quoting the job number, purchase order number, and your payment terms for the commission.
11. Tracking the payment in relation to the terms stipulated on your invoice and chasing up a late payment wherever necessary.
12. Receiving your final payment from the client, banking this (which should involve retaining a certain proportion of the sum for paying your tax bill at the end of the year), and entering the sum into your accounting system - this is essential for business and tax purposes.
As a new illustrator owning your own business, it is important to follow a standard business plan. One that can be found on the internet and contains the following key elements:
- An executive summary
- A description of the business opportunity
- Your marketing and sales strategy
- Your management team and personnel
- Your operations
- Your financial forecasts
Some other key elements to consider when starting a self-owned business are:
- Copyrights
- Licenses
- Moral rights
- Your market and competitors
- Your target customer
- Marketing and sales
- A website and/or physical portfolio
- Promotional material
- Selling over the phone and/or email
- Face-to-face meetings with clients
- Exhibitions
- Hiring an agent
- Studio destinations
The last category to sum up the chapter is some final advice for new illustrators:
- Don't work for free
- Don't be afraid to negotiate
- Conduct yourself professionally at your graduation show
- Be tenacious
- Be prepared to stick up for yourself
- Be wary of clients changing your work
- Be efficient
- Be positive
- Be versatile
