Bandwagon Graphiks

The last couple weeks at the wagon have been especially tough. I finished a large project at the end of January and after several sales fails, really had nothing substantial lined up. So begins the money crunch. Sleepless nights, inability to concentrate, wondering what the next step is going to be…all things that plague the freelancer.

Blame it on what you want…economy, Los Angeles, flakes, disregard for business ethics…it really doesn’t matter – I live in a city where the majority of the population lives in poverty, but has the dreams of a billionaire. Unfortunately when you market to independents, you get a lot of people who think $5 for 10 hours of work is reasonable. I’m not joking!

I can’t tell you how many times I get this in emails “I want someone who is driven by the sheer desire to be creative, and support the independent spirit.” – it happens time and time again. As if it were the most original thing they ever said and big dreamy words made my heart quiver.

The sad part is that my landlord does not take creativity for rent, Burbank Water and Power does not accept desire stamps in exchange for kilowatts and The Gas Company certainly does not support the independent spirt. The world runs on money.

I’m a creative person, I’ve always supported the independent spirt, but I cant help you unless you treat me like a true business working for you. I will not take $75 to draw a logo. Be realistic.

I have a good friend who thinks my money woes exist simple because I don’t charge enough money. As if putting a big sign up on this site…saying “WEBSITES ONLY $39,999.97…ON SALE NOW!”…is going to lead me to clients with money. Yes thats the answer. Can someone please direct me to the line of clients all begging for expensive designers! I’m ready…lets go. I’ll buy lunch.

But it does bring up an interesting idea, I do charge very little for my services, compared to a regular agency….but clients with money want agency security. Freelancers are still not seen as an easily accessible/affordable route to take. People in Armani suits don’t want to sit down at my kitchen table next to the cats food bowl and discuss their next E-Commerce site. My skills are so broad yet so specialized at the same time.

Then due to the fact that working with many independents mentally puts you in this position where you fear what you client is going to say when you send your invoice. You think they are going to freak out over a $500 bill. You immediately start questioning your rate because you want nothing more than to retain that client but will you when you charge late fees, rush fees, development fees. How much longer can we go on being nice…sometimes you just have to be an asshole.

The main reason out purse strings are so tight is because I went after probably 5-10 big budget clients, spent a lot of time writing proposals and doing face time…only to get my butt handed to me. I’m not a saleswoman, I’m a designer…I make pretty pictures that sell your product…and thats what I love to do. I’m one person here at Bandwagon and wearing 8 hats can sometimes backfire.

But charging too much? You have to charge what you think you can get. Its client specific and its a major pain in the ass chasing down flakes. I’m a believer that Los Angeles has more flakes per capita than Alaska has snow flakes…but I’m also a realist and tell it how it is. I work so hard tracking down potential clients and networking yet still have not found this huge ocean of people throwing money at me like my one friend seems to think exists.

Sending off big bills when you think you might lose a client over it is part of the game. You really can’t get to know someone until you talk money. It’s how marriages start and end, banks get robbed, and how the world spins. If it were up to me…I would like to travel in time to the 24th century where Captain Picard is waiting in the world where money doesn’t exist and everyone does everything for the good of humanity.