First time business owners, what would you wish they knew?

[maynardsayswhat]

Title says it all. I'm working on writing some articles (or blog posts) that, hopefully, will help inform and educate small business owners about graphic design, branding, marketing, etc basics. My goal is that a first time micropenuer would be able to read "How to pick a graphic designer" (for example) and would A) be able to supply the vital information that designers actually need from the start, and B) save both parties time, frustration and money by removing common misconceptions.

I have several other ideas sketched out and have started 2 of the articles and I just thought I'd ask the community for input before I got too far along =)

So, what would you wish a first time business owner would know before they called you? Or are there other article ideas you might like me to add to the possible list?

Thanks in advance for your kind attention. Cheers!

[Buda]

• Good design requires a reasonable deadline.
• Choose a designer based on past work, not just price.
• Disclose with a designer everything you know about your company, brand, product and requirements at the start. Not during design, during proofing and certainly not after printing.
• Believe in your product enough to invest in it's branding. If you do not believe in your product, how can you expect your customers to?

[KitchWitch]

That it's insulting to a designer (even if the designer doesn't realize it's insulting) to ask for work based on the argument that the company is small/new and the designer would get exposure/more work down the line/portfolio pieces instead of actual pay. That whole 'We'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a logo today' usually only ends up hurting the company in the long run.

That there's a reason that cheap logos are cheap.

And you get what you pay for.

[PrintDriver]

Maybe you should explain that all graphic designers don't know all things design.
Even pretty pictures on websites can be misleading. Always check references.

[<b>]

I would explain to small business owners that a good designer can be a partner in finding and implementing strategic solutions to problems. With this in mind, clients should carefully define problems, then articulate what the expected outcomes should be.

Telling a designer (or marketer or writer or PR person), "I need a trifold brochure for my new widget," is not defining the problem — it's defining a solution that might or might not be appropriate. Instead, the small business owner might be best served by saying, "I have a new widget that I'd like to promote, and I'd like to reach this particular audience with my message." This approach leaves the designer (marketer, etc.) the space in which to work out a strategy with the client that might involve a trifold brochure, but might, instead, mean a poster or a radio spot or a billboard or a direct mail piece or a guy standing on the street in a rabbit suit waving a sign and juggling kittens.

I might also point out that business owners need to deliberately screen for these kinds of strategic thinkers since not all designers fit the description.

[PrintDriver]

I might also point out that business owners need to deliberately screen for these kinds of strategic thinkers since not all designers fit the description.

My point exactly. With today's propensity for students to start freelancing directly out of school, not many new designers today are strategic thinkers, mostly because they just don't know the avenues of marketing strategy available to them. Or if they know of them, they don't know how to implement them. Without experience honed by exposure to others who have been in the business a while, it takes a lot of practicing and failing on real clients to learn the ins and outs of marketing strategy.

Colleges don't promote this kind of thinking either. How many graphic design majors actually have to take marketing theory classes?

There are very few opportunities in college to break out the thought processes. "Today we are going to do a logo." So everyone does a logo. "Tomorrow we are going to do a trifold." So everyone does a trifold. Usually with no give and take and with no concept of what the fake company is supposed to be selling. A lot of times the concept itself is left up to the student, who more often than not, makes a cool image then comes up with a company to fit it.

<So want the return of the apprenticeship model of learning.>

[Dr.McNinja]

Good answers all round, I particularly like the way b articulated the partnership aspect.

I'm glad I have a personal interest in marketing and business because there is almost none of it in my course (well there was a business plan class, but that should have been redone into marketing & business). Or at least have an elective along those lines.

Im currently doing my major project with the added bonus of the 'client' being a real thing - me and a friend planning an actual event/convention parallel to my project. Helps a huge amount because we discuss general things but also go into marketing and opportunities. And fun stuff.

[maynardsayswhat]

Thank you all for your ideas and kind attention. I've added and changed my planned list of articles a bit since reading these suggestions. When I publish them I will let everyone know for review =)

Thanks all!