Four (seemingly) harmless mistakes that are hurting your design biz

She was adorable. 

Curly black ringlets. Big brown eyes. An ice-cream in one hand. Leaning down to tie her shoelace with her other hand. It was a disaster waiting to happen.

And I knew, without any fortune-telling skills whatsoever, that shit was gonna go south really quickly.

Just like as a design mentor I can tell when my fellow boss ladies are making easily avoidable mistakes that are totally screwing up their business.

It’s painful. And it kills a little bit of my soul every time I see it.

These mistakes are tarnishing your reputation, professionalism and business clout.

So, this week, I’m putting my educator hat on and showing you the seemingly small and harmless mistakes you’re making in your biz that are f*cking everything up (so, you know, you can stop making them).

We’ll do the band-aid approach, ‘kay? I have my tough love pants on, so don’t get upset. I only say this because I love you. Promise.

Embracing the pain in three … two … one….

YOU DON’T HAVE A PROPER EMAIL ADDRESS.
If you were in the last round of my Design Biz Bootcamp, you would have heard me rant & rave about how a Gmail/Hotmail email address for your business is not acceptable!

Seriously man, if someone hands me a business card with a Gmail email address on it, I’m chucking it in the bin. You are a grown-up business person and that is why your business requires a real grown-up email address at your domain. By having a Gmail or Hotmail email you are cheapening yourself and you should be embarrassed. 

YOU DON’T HAVE PACKAGES.
Not those type of packages. #thanksmailman OR those ones. #winkwinkthanksmailman But packages for your services. This seems like such a little thing, right? Like, big deal Anna, what difference does bundling up your services make?

Well it makes a big difference lady! Why? 
Because by creating packages you:

1. Create a sense of value, just like Maccas has a family deal which makes you think, “Whoa, all of THAT for JUST $xx!” The same thing goes for design.
2. You book in more work at once which helps with cash flow. And haaai, bigger deposit!
3. It helps you make money goals.

YOU DON’T HAVE A LEGIT, PRO-LEVEL, CONSISTENT BRAND.
I get it. You haven’t had time to PROPERLY brand yourself because you have been busy
doing client work. Well, your dodgy quickly-thrown-together brand is not doing your business any favours – especially since you design brands for a living! 

Your brand should be the absolute best example of your work, not something you are ashamed of. It’s time to put some serious thought & effort into it, okay?

Starting, like, now. How?
Book your business into Brand Rehab.

It’s brand AA (authenticity and alignment) for your business, giving you everything you need
to recover from bad branding and become a force to be reckoned with.

YOU’RE DOING BIZ THE OLD-SCHOOL (AND HARD AF) WAY.
Do you spend most of your days on the phone? Yeah … and I guess you quote on each new enquiry that lands in your inbox too? Yup … and, ah, are you thinking of doing a flyer drop to promote your biz? Hmmmm. 

Lady, you are doing business the old-fashioned, hard way!!
Stop making your work harder. 

Don’t do phone calls. Only take calls by PAID APPOINTMENT.

Make email your preferred method of communication. Create a price list that is available for download on your website with a whole automated follow up series. And dooooon’t think ever think your audience and client base is strictly confined to where you live. Hello internets. Think bigger and smarter.

And remember, you’re the only one that can change this shit.

Like a sugar addict that has to accept she’s a sugar addict before she can start doing whatever recovering sugar addicts do (I wouldn’t know, I’m still a sugar addict), you have to face up to the fact that your business needs help.

I love you. You’ve got this.
Anna xo