You’re not here ‘cos you’re into a lifestyle of two-minute noodles and 14-hour workdays.
You’re here ‘cos you want five-course meals at that amazing restaurant you’ve been eyeing up, chased by a two-week vacation to the destination of your dreams.
You want high conversions and low stress.
You want a graphic design business that supports you like the best goddamn push-up bra you’ve ever had.
That’s what you want.
… And not to be too high-maintenance, but you’d like it NOW. Please.
Right?
Well, while I can’t deliver your dream design biz to you via a prettily-packaged Express Post parcel …
… I can give you five of my hard-earned tried-tested-and-boss-lady-approved tips for helping you create the design biz you want TODAY.
Grab a coffee, turn on your auto-responder and consider yourself occupied for the rest of the day.
Five boss lady approved ways to get the biz you want today
1. Create a price list and automated follow-ups
You’re the boss, lady. You don’t have time to quote on jobs as they hit your inbox. PLUS, you shouldn’t be charging hourly anymore! *Confiscates your hourly rate card* It’s time to play with the big girls and work smarter, not harder.
By making a price list available on your website for visitors to download, you will free up your inbox from quote requests, you will get paid more (hello, packages) and you can set-up an automated follow-up email sequence to increase your conversions. Find out more here –
2. Offer prospective clients a free 15-minute chat
Once someone has downloaded your price list you can follow up a few days later with an email offering them a free 15-minute chat with you. Talking to a prospective new client may seem like a hassle but it can have a huge impact. You can answer their questions and give them ideas for their new brand – a sneak peek into your genius really! I recommend linking directly to your online calendar for them to reserve their spot then and there (I use calendly – it’s free). And if these 15-min calls don’t convert well, ditch them – I know they will though.
3. Build additional branding services
Want to instantly elevate your income? Brand audits are where it’s at! These services are not only great for earning extra cash, they are also brilliant at forming relationships with new clients. Bonus: They convert into ongoing design work by showing people how clever and talented you are! I wrote an article on brand audits last week (it got a huge response!) that you can read here.
4. Add your hours to your e-mail signature
It’s called being the boss and laying down the boundaries, yo. Let people know when they can expect to hear from you by including your working hours in every email. Also, don’t be afraid to let them know when they can expect a response from you, i.e. within 24-48 hours … not ten minutes! This simple change gave me so much power back in my biz.
5. Include a list of who you do and don’t work with on your website
Once again this seems like a no-brainer, but do you actually clearly state on your website who you do and do not work with? If you’re having a run of difficult clients, it’s worth exploring the kinds of people you love working with (and the ones you don’t).
Make a list. Check it twice. Get clear on who’s naughty and who’s nice. And I promise this way you will eliminate so many more tyre kickers and difficult peeps before they even download your price list. Not sure where to start? Just add a section under your services page, similar to mine: see it here.
These simple tasks (that you can totally do today) will make a HUGE difference in your biz, setting you up for the kind of design business and lifestyle you are craving … and totally fricken deserve.
