creative inspiration

creative freelancer conference recap: taxes & proposals

| heather parlato

creative freelancer conference 2009

the first 2 thursday morning sessions of the creative freelancer conference dealt with the business-end of design: taxes and proposals. creatives notoriously struggle with balancing out the finer points of paperwork in our lives, so these sessions are a great mix of new & innovative information as well as cheerleading to keep us all on the right path.

money-saving tax solutions for creatives with june walker
walker started off the morning sessions with a lot of helpful tax advice, first and foremost that creatives have a specific set of concerns with our businesses and it’s important to work with a tax professional who understands how the law best applies to us. rather than give a run-down of standard deductions, she explained how some deductions can be interpreted differently in various situations, and dispelled some common misunderstandings of tax law. her book, self-employed tax solutions is a great value and comes highly recommended as a definitive reference guide for self-employed creatives.

the essential rules for writing and presenting proposals with peleg top
if you find yourself spending too much time crafting proposals that don’t necessarily get you the work you want, it’s time to take a better look at your marketing process and redefine how a proposal can work within it. top offers the 3 elements in an effective sales cycle to work toward using your proposal as a recap of a sales meeting rather than using it as a selling tool: put a strong brand for your business in place, operate a well-oiled marketing machine to attract ideal clients, and have the right conversation with potential clients:
– ask how they chose your firm and how they define their challenge as well as a successful solution.
– ask them to define their market, goals & objectives, and what models they’re using.
– ask where they are in the buying process, speak to the decision-makers and ask how their process works.
– ask what kind of research has been done and will it be available to you.
– ask what level of involvement they want from you: strategy or execution?
– based on these criteria, ask about the 2 most critical resources allocated: timeline and budget. talk about both and agree upon realistic solutions in person!

once you get your potential client to this point, the proposal itself should be a recap of the discussion as a project scope, timeline, list of deliverables and cost estimate. the support info you include should be boilerplate copy you have on file, including terms & conditions, and information about the design team. this system should change how you approach proposals and minimize the time you spend preparing them. always present in person, and stay in touch with clients who are still on the fence—they may just need more time to decide. once they do, get a signed contract and a deposit check—and get to work!

[photo by bruce wayne stanley]

creative freelancer conference recap: petrula vrontikis

| heather parlato

creative freelancer conference 2009

my brain is just starting to wind down and parse the creative freelancer conference i attended last week, august 26-28, 2009 [produced by HOW magazine & marketing mentor]. in a nutshell, it was an incredibly motivating, inspiring, and highly connective conference that got all us indie professionals in an awesome hotel setting and let us loose on a varied intensive of marketing, business and management education.

i was particularly curious about the opening night presentation by petrula vrontikis, what will your freelance business be when it grows up? this session addressed growing your business in a sustainable way so that it is always balanced and relevant to your markets, clients, and the ways you work over the course of your career. vrontikis outlined many of the common motives, pros & cons of working on your own, and main points to revisit over the course of your career to stay on track. below is a list of some of the key takeaways i liked:

– keep your skills fresh & ahead of the curve; add relevant skills as the market demands.
– happiness is sustainable: some will be happier hiring employees while others will prefer working solo.
– diversify your work across a few industries and clients for variety and security.
– be voraciously involved in your target markets so you can stay ahead & change with them.
– balance your billable work with good management, relationship & professional practices.
– it’s easy to let life changes compromise your career—stay involved and commit to your practice.
– never become complacent about personal creative growth—it’s a necessity, not a luxury.
– work directly with the visionary of any project, for the sake of the quality of your work.
– be honest with clients when they have not allocated enough time or money to a proposed project. the quality of your work depends on having proportionate time and money to the task at hand.

my favorite piece of advice was “you should be working differently at 40 than at 30. and differently at 50 than at 40, and so on…” a healthy trajectory is one that moves off an emphasis on the daily grind and toward writing, speaking, mentoring and generally giving back some of your experience to the industry at large. timely advice as i’ve recently been in touch with LA area chamber‘s pillar program about speaking to high school kids about graphic design.

more about the other topics of this fantastic conference will follow throughout the week. i wanted to recap it all in one post, and realized i had way too much to say!

people who are doing the same thing every day

| heather parlato

it seems like i’m meeting a lot of people who have committed to projects involving production on daily results. i figured i’d commend them now that i found three who are each doing pretty interesting things every single day.

jonathan mann [above] has committed to write one song every day, perform it in video and post to his site chronicling every song for 2009. jason met him at sigint 2009 and he came back to LA for a visit before going home to the bay area. in his time here, we got to see and participate in the process of daily songwriting, as well as host him at betalevel for a talk about the process of daily creative work and the pitfalls of perfectionism.

i’ve never met evan kleiman personally, but i am a big fan of her approach to food, showcased in her traditional italian, farm-fresh restaurant, angeli caffe, on kcrw as she hosts good food, her position as the slow food LA chapter presidency, and her cookbooks [many co-authored by another favorite, viana la place]. this summer she is baking a different pie every day and posting the recipes online. i like to follow along with her facebook fan page, but you can try any of the recipies [and many more] on the good food kcrw blog

i found the joshua langlais’ i heart strangers project through one of my friends he photographed who linked it from her own blog. he goes out to find someone every day, shoots their portrait and writes a little about meeting them. pretty interesting when you think of how many times he has to approach people with his story and a request for a photo shoot.

creative retreat: hope springs resort

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hope springs resort, desert hot springs, ca

i have been looking at this boutique motel’s web site for a few years, always longing for a good excuse to go. we go out to joshua tree a few times per year, but only have time to hit the desert hot springs hotel & spa for some afternoon soaking on the way home. this time we made desert hot springs the destination in itself at hope springs resort.

december in the southern california deserts is probably second only to early springtime when everything is in bloom. the air was cool and clear, though still warm in the sun. this getaway spot highlighted the low-key, wind-down, quiet-first aspects in advertising no tvs, no cell phones by the pool, no kids & no pets. okay then! what they do have are sparse chic rooms that get down to business with an ipod hookup, wifi, comfy waffle weave bathrobes, signature herbal toilitries, an outstanding daily continental breakfast, and a community kitchen just off the pool area with the invitation to chill your wine or pour yourself a glass of their multi-citrus & cucumber spa water. taking that recipe home with me!

i won’t lie, i did all manner of floating, swimming and soaking. there are 3 pools, the hottest at 104 in a covered gazebo for maximum steam action, the next around 95 with natural champagne bubbles, and the main pool at about 80 degrees. the garden area around the pool offers every shade of green in the indigenous california desert landscape, while keeping a nice sense of privacy between the pool and the rooms. also, the standard checkout is noon, and they invite you to stay and hang out after you check out of the room–bonus!

we took our time to reflect on the past year and brainstorm on projects to come in 2009 while taking in the majesty of mt. san jacinto capped with a dusting of snow. the quiet was just what we needed and the scenery an excellent motivator. i think the wine helped too. i highly recommend this place for a creative retreat or weekend getaway–we are back, recharged and refreshed!

[editor’s note: the good news is, i have come back to hope springs every year. it’s a wonderful place for a retreat. the hotel went up for sale in 2011, i only hope someone with as much care buys it and keeps it going—i love this place!]

rejuvination vacation

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i took a springtime camping trip with some friends to joshua tree national park last weekend. the combination of a well-spaced rainy season and our particular weekend choice made for a desert exploding with color. the flowers were quite prolific, as were the lady bugs, lizards, jackrabbits, and even ducks in the barker dam area. we must have timed it just right, because we got to see the joshua tree fruit, which i have never seen before. i’d have liked to dissect one, but there are menacing signs warning not to within park boundaries.

joshua tree is host to several microclimates which make it possible to see clusters of different plant concentrations, or to see ducks thriving alongside lizards. hard to believe that these succulents and cacti who otherwise camoflage themselves in the summer heat reveal hot pinks, flaming reds and yellows, and soft lavender and sage in early springtime.