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Designing like crazy August 6, 2010

Posted by gmbmfb in : design business, spending , 9comments

So I’ve spent a couple days playing around with my new MBP. It’s awesome. Super fast and quiet as anything. I’ve already moved everything off my iMac and onto the MBP. It’s also been amazing having Adobe CS5 – I’ve been designing like mad.

Oh, and I did end up buying a 1 TB external hard drive the other day. I’ve been needing one for years, and figured it would be much faster transferring all my data this way. It’s a total no-frills hard drive; you just plug it in and it’s ready to go. And it was under $90, so you can’t really beat that.

My first design project is my personal online portfolio, which is coming along quite nicely. I’m designing 2 versions – one in HTML and one in Flash. Which means double the work. I’m not a huge fan of Flash, but I haven’t used the program in about 3 or 4 years so I figured I might as well try to brush up. It’s a nice skill to have, and it’s really fun.

The only con I’ve found with the MBP is the lack of screen space. I know that it was the right purchase for me because I do need the portability – BF and I are going away this weekend for a wedding and I can take my work with me and design on the ferry and in our down time. Whereas that would have been impossible on a desktop computer.

But my next purchase is definitely going to be a computer monitor that’s at least 24″. My parents said that they would buy one for me for my birthday (October). So I have a while to wait, but it’s not a need-to-have item. I can deal with the small screen space for now.


Macbook Pro almost within reach July 27, 2010

Posted by gmbmfb in : design business, job, spending , 19comments

I am very close to buying a new MacBook Pro. I’ve been doing months of research on what exactly I’ll need, and who to buy from for the best possible deal. I’m getting a great deal by buying from a reputable online seller (trust me, I researched up on this big time). Basically I’m getting student discount pricing, and saving an additional $400  for a fully loaded 15″ MBP. Was going to go with the 17″, but it’s just a little too big for easy portability.

The total cost is $2,600. Go ahead, freak out a little. I’m freaking out too! It’s a lot to pay for a computer (less than I paid for my current one though). When I was researching laptops, I knew 2 things: it was going to be an Apple product, and it had to run multiple CS5 programs at once with minimal lag. I work my computers hard when I’m designing, and I need this to last me at least 5 years.

I was originally set to wait a year or so to upgrade to a new computer, because my current one – despite its inability to run CS5 without major lag (it can barely run CS4 when I downloaded the full trial version) – is in great condition. But with the release of CS5, my design business still getting work, and this new PT job opportunity, portability is so key. Especially in our house, where space is at a premium and I might have to relocate to a coffee shop or outside if BF is studying. Plus, the upgrades to the Adobe products are so crazy that I need to get out of CS3 and into CS5.

Right now I have about $1,200 in cash saved up from extra income that I’ve made over the past few months – which includes the $300 sitting in my Savings. I would have had more, but the weddings took a fair chunk of change out of my accounts. I put my iMac up for sale and have generated good interest at $1,100 … hoping to sell it for no less than $900 (anyone want to buy an awesome used computer?). That leaves me with about $300-500 left to make. I’ve got about $300 of guaranteed side income coming up, so once I get that, depending on how my iMac sells, I could have all the cash in hand! :) All that without having to dip into my regular FT job income.

Timeline for purchase is by the end of August. Hopefully mid-August.


A new dress for the wedding? June 16, 2010

Posted by gmbmfb in : design business, making money, spending , 10comments

I found the perfect dress to wear to my friend’s wedding in Maui. Except that it’s $70. I’ll have to think about it, because that’s a lot to spend and I’m already going all the way to Hawaii. I do have another dress that could work, but it’s really plain and not in the least bit dressy. It also has spaghetti straps, which I don’t like wearing to weddings (prefer wider straps for more coverage).

That being said, this week I should bring in about $450 from selling my shoes on eBay and from a contract assignment. So I technically could afford it, but I should use that $450 and change it into US$ for Mexico/Vegas spending money.

Decisions, decisions!


My design business: this is not a how-to article May 17, 2010

Posted by gmbmfb in : design business , 5comments

I don’t like posting how-to articles on this blog, because I don’t feel like I have the knowledge to tell anyone how to do anything relating to personal finance. That being said, over the past few months I’ve had a few people ask me how I’ve gone about setting up my side business. I’m not going to tell you how to set one up, but I will definitely tell you how I got mine started.

So to be honest (and I’m sure you’ve all noticed), I’ve got a pretty lazy business going, and I am very much reactive in terms of trying to get clients. Basically I don’t do any advertising or marketing. All of my work is from ongoing clients, referrals, and previous employers. I know I could get more business if I tried, but everyone is a designer these days. I’d rather work with what I’ve got, and that keeps my creative side satisfied. It’s more about keeping up to date with current trends, making sure all of my skills are sharp, and working on my existing relationships, than making money. The fact that I get paid for doing something fun is just a bonus.

Here are the steps I did to start my design business (again, these are in no way a reflection on how you should start your own business, this is just how I’ve gone about with mine) …

  1. Volunteer. I knew that without a design portfolio, chances are I wasn’t going to get any contracts. At least not any paid contracts. So while I was in college, I volunteered with non-profits all the time, offering up my design skills. I created, designed and maintained websites, logos, did radio commercials, wrote articles, took photographs … basically did whatever I could to at least pad my portfolio with items that weren’t just created in college.
  2. Work with industry-standard software. Chances are, nobody was going to hire me if I wasn’t using Adobe Creative Suite. That’s just a fact. I knew that I had to keep up with ever-changing software, and I needed to be prepared to shell out thousands of dollars for the right set-up. I don’t have a digital SLR, but I am working with a Canon G-10 which is a great point-and-shoot camera. Should I get more into professional photography with my clients (I’ve been professionally trained as a photographer, but haven’t really practiced the skill since college), I would definitely consider investing in something better.
  3. Design a logo & all appropriate collateral/templates (business cards, letterhead, quote/invoice templates). I created a logo and went about creating a visual identity for myself. Because it’s just my side business and I don’t have a GST #, all cheques are made payable to me. I include tax into my quotes, so come income tax time I claim all of my income made from contracts.
  4. Create a website. I spent weeks and weeks on my website, and it looks fabulous. Well, it looked fabulous. It’s not online anymore, but I do hope to get it back online sometime this year. Not so much for potential clients, but to showcase my portfolio to potential full-time employers. None of my current clients have ever asked to see my portfolio.
  5. Keep all receipts! I mean EVERYTHING. I write-off a portion of my rent, my car, my gas, my household bills, etc. … along with all design software, electronics, furniture, etc. Since my business is run out of my home, I can claim a portion of just about everything as a business expense. It may not be a lot, but it all adds up. If I go out to dinner with a colleague, and we discuss potential clients/contracts, etc. I’ll keep the receipt for the dinner. It’s a business expense. Those graphics I bought off of iStock? Business expense. The gas & ferry I had to pay to meet up with ongoing clients? Business expense! The first 3 or 4 years of my business I went to an accountant to do my taxes. Through them, I learned a lot about what I could and couldn’t claim. It was pricey to take it to an accountant (anywhere from $100-300), but I learned a lot and now I can comfortably do my taxes on my own.
  6. Claim all income. I don’t try to cheat the tax man. I claim everything that I earn. I send out official invoices with real statement numbers. I claim all of my design contract money, as well as all money that I make online and through my blog. I guess I’m lucky because my blog can be considered an umbrella of my design/marketing business, so it’s simple just to group all the advertising money I make off the blog into my design income.
  7. Contact previous employers & network. I think it’s really important to let people know that you’re for hire, but not in an obnoxious way. I created a LinkedIn account, and contacted previous employers that liked my design work. I let them know that I’d be happy to discuss contract work if they’re ever in need of my services. I also bid on contracts when I don’t have anything on the horizon. I’m lucky because 2 of my previous jobs were with government agencies, so I can charge a decent fee for my services and they always let me know when contracts are up for bid. Other than that, I really don’t do much networking.
  8. Design for fun. Have you ever seen ridiculously unattractive packaging before? I re-design things just for fun! It’s good exercise, and it’s something you can put in your portfolio. I also am really glad I got into blogging because social media is kind of the new marketing fad and every company is looking for someone who at least possesses the knowledge of how to set up a company with a presence on the internet (that’s not just a website).

Other than that, I really don’t do anything to maintain my side business. I have all the essentials in place, and I know that in the future if I wanted to take my business to the next level, I have the marketing skills to do so. And for those who have suggested I take my side business and try to turn it into a full-time job so that I could be my own boss? The answer is a huge hell no. I do not want to work for myself as a designer. I would much rather work for somebody else when it comes to designing, marketing and communications. That being said, I think I eventually do want to own my own business (something sports-related, haven’t quite figured it out yet), and the fact that I can do all of my own marketing is really going to save me a ton of money.

So that’s that! Sorry I couldn’t be more help. I’m really not a great resource when it comes to starting a side business, because I kind of suck at it in terms of making steady income. But it works for me and what I need.


Adobe CS5? March 29, 2010

Posted by gmbmfb in : design business , 9comments

OMG. I NEED to have this new Adobe Creative Suite. What they’re doing in this video is ridiculous. It’s so crazy that it just blew my freaking mind. Hours and hours of Photoshop work can now be reduced down to a click of the mouse? I’m dying over here. Right now I’m running CS2 on my home computer (I worked in CS4 at my last 2 jobs), and I desperately need to upgrade. Not just for my side business, but also to stay current and up-to-date with the industry standard design tools, since that is part of my career training too.

But that also means a new computer, since mine barely runs CS2 right now (as a reference point to my computer’s performance, it doesn’t run The Sims 3 smoothly either). So Adobe CS5 plus a new Mac is going to set me back thousands of dollars. NEED A JOB!


BF and I are human (we argue sometimes) March 5, 2010

Posted by gmbmfb in : design business, relationship , 8comments

BF and I were not talking to each other on Wednesday. We were fighting. It happens. We are both so stubborn, so when we do disagree about something, you can guess what happens. But, our arguments never last long; I don’t think we’ve stayed mad at each other for more than a day. And, usually our arguments come around dinner time. We both get really cranky and moody if we don’t eat food – which is why we usually make up by making a nice dinner or going out for a bite to eat. :)

So, yesterday after work (when we started talking to each other again), BF treated me to all-you-can-eat sushi. It was so yummy! Then we came back to watch The Office – who watched it yesterday!? Such a good episode. Although. Andy and Erin as a couple? Barf. Sorry if I ruined that for anyone who hasn’t watched it yet. But, um … isn’t Andy gay? Does anyone remember those comments about being sexually confused last season? OH, and what’s up with Ryan being totally emo and hipster-like now? When did that change happen, and why?

Anyway, I’ve been super stressed out at work lately. I’ve been very, very busy. But on a positive note, I sent a design project to print, so that’s something I can put in my portfolio. I also got a copy of a promotional CD that I made a client, which would make an excellent addition to my portfolio as well! I’m still waiting for word from a client who wants to hire me on a part-time basis to “pretty up” and maintain their website. It would be nice to have an ongoing gig like that, but I do get jobs from them every few months as it is.


Design Contract + Blog now runs in Chrome January 26, 2010

Posted by gmbmfb in : blog, design business , 11comments

A past client of mine has asked me to take on another design project. I’m really excited about this one, because I get to produce marketing material for someone to use during the Olympics. This is definitely something that I can put in my portfolio.

This won’t be a big job, but it needs to get wrapped up fairly quickly due to production time and the Olympics being just around the corner! I’ll probably make around $400 – which isn’t a lot, but definitely helps.

I don’t advertise my side business, I just take on clients who fall in my lap. Most of them are repeat clients. I know I could make a lot more through my business if I actually tried to market myself – but that would require more of a time and money commitment (need to upgrade my computer set-up). So for now I’m happy with what extra I’m able to bring in.

In blog-related news, my website now works on Chrome!!! HOORAH! The problem ended up being a little script I had to insert into my HTML to track my blog through PayPerPost. So weird, considering I’ve had that script embedded in my blog for at least 2 years. And now it decides to cause problems? Oh well. At least it’s fixed! :)


Happy Friday! December 11, 2009

Posted by gmbmfb in : design business , add a comment

Yesterday I was in discussion with someone to start up a design/marketing contract with them. The scope of the project was a lot bigger than what was initially discussed, and also required experience and contacts in the industry. It was also a really exciting opportunity. That being said, the money they were offering was just too little. They wanted to pay me a flat rate, and sometimes I make exceptions for friends or if I’m positive I know how many hours the project will take, but I usually insist on being paid hourly – at a rate of between $25-60/hr – a wide range, but it depends on who I’m talking to.

Anyway, I knew wasn’t willing to work on such a large project for such a small amount of money. So I thanked her for her time, and that’s that. She probably won’t have a problem finding someone to take on the job, it just won’t be me.

It’s too bad, really. I would have loved to have started 2010 with a new contract, but that’s just how it goes. The job was too big for me to handle (and work a FT job and have a personal life), and the money wasn’t there to entice me to change my mind.