I respond to calls and emails the day of if possible, but 48 hours max. Small jobs like website content updates and quick graphic design projects are usually completed within a day or two.
I prefer to keep correspondence through email, so I have a record of where we’re at on various projects and it’s easy to reference and stay on the same page. Sometimes it’s just easier to call and talk through things, and I’m totally fine with that. Texting is not great for me with business stuff.
When you have a new project, for example an ad for a magazine or brochure, just shoot me an email explaining the project specs, deadline, any written text you know you want, and as much detail as you think I’ll need to get you an accurate estimate of costs and time. I’ll quickly reply with an estimate, or a formal proposal and we can go from there.
My time is all I have to sell, so it’s important that I track and bill for that time. That said, I don’t charge for answering emails, unless it requires a substantial amount of time and is related to a current project, but things like conference calls, in-person meetings and presentations are all billable. My rate for graphic design and website work is $120/hr. billed in 15-minute increments.
I bill in two ways depending on the work: project based, or hourly work. Larger projects, like branding, logos and websites are typically 50% down, 50% upon completion of the scope of work. Smaller graphic design projects like ads or brochures are billed hourly and invoiced at the beginning of every month for work performed the previous month.
I prefer check, but cash and credit cards are also accepted. If you prefer to pay by credit card, I will need to add a 3% service fee to any invoice to cover the cost of credit card processing. Just let me know what works best for you.
It’s important that you’re able to critique my work and share how you feel without worrying about hurting my feelings. I want the unvarnished truth from you, so I know where the issues are and how to craft a solution. I’m a pro- I can take it.
There are different laws for how rights are managed for graphic and web design materials. For a logo or website, once we’re all paid up – you own it and can do whatever you want with it. For a brochure, you will own the final printed piece, but I retain ownership of the source files (like Photoshop and Illustrator files) that were used to create the brochure. This means that if you want to make changes to the brochure, you’ll need to have me make them.
In rare cases, clients want other designers or staff to update or modify the brochure. In this case, I sell them the rights to the brochure (industry standard is 3 times the cost of the original design fee) and deliver them the source files and assets. 99.999% of the time, they just send me a quick email telling me what to update.
Anytime you have any questions, just shoot me an email or give me a buzz. I want you to consider me as part of your team.
