[.uk] The Designer's Commonsense Business Book (ISBN 0891343733)

self help for the self employeed!:
Starting a graphics business in this world of incredible technology, comfusing taxes, money management, and millions of OTHER graphic designers was simply daunting! I am not to record keeping type and this book gives you the forms and ideas that inspire you to do those things that will make you look professional, structure (bad word to artists! but my life and creativity changed dramatically when I employeed these methods!) your days so you have both the time and money (billing was one of my weak points! I could do the work but would forget to bill the clients...as you can imagine I was a favorite among entreprenures!) to do what you do best and most importantly, you will not be worring about what is around the bend because you actually KNOW! as you are doing it yourself. I recommend this to all graphic professionals and wish you crash free days, wild abundant creativity and amazing success!, Li

Great Examples, but Info Out-of-Order in Pricey Book!:
This review is for the version I have, which was published in 1991. It's well-organized and easy-to-read. Be prepared to make several copies of the forms in the book. (Why not a CD-ROM included in the book so that you could just print them out from that? I hope they did that for the new edition.) The best chapter is 5: Work Smarter Not Harder, which takes you from First Client Meeting through writing a letter thnking the client for allowing you to work on the project! (Billing the client is the NEXT to last thing you do! ) I was wondering, though, if some of these chapters aren't out of order; for example, the above Ch. 5 could go after Ch. 8 Pounding the Pavement and before Ch. 9 Growing Your Business and Ch. 9 Planning Your Future. Also, Ch. 7 Who Hires Designers and Why could be the first or second chapter! So hopefully this new edition was a little better edited. Also, the 1991 version sold for $24.95 (got mine for $5 used!) so is the new, more expensive version worth it? Well, I guess that'll have to be for someone else to say!

About The Book-:
Designer's Commonsense Business Book FROM THE PUBLISHER: It's time for you to go freelance, and Barbara Ganim is here to teach you all the nuts-and-bolts of business. You'll learn practices they didn't mention in art school - practices that will mean the difference between squeaking by and enjoying a successful career as your own boss. Ganim helps you through those initial insecurities of setting up shop and shows you how to map your way through the maze of business concerns: networking, pricing, self-promotion and keeping records. With her advice, you'll be able to set and meet long-term goals for yourself and your business, whether you want to remain a one-person shop or expand and become the head of your own advertising agency. In this guide, you'll learn about loans and alternative forms of financing for your business; the latest tax information; organizing your work space for maximum efficiency; computer hardware and software; preparing electronic mechanicals; getting the most out of your computer; solving and preventing production problems; collaborating with and hiring other creative professionals; working with an accountant; recession-fighting business strategies and setting up a retirement plan that works for you. Icons throughout the book make it easy for you to locate special tips, important warnings and time-saving techniques. You'll discover sidebars that discuss particular business problems, and you'll also find instructions for setting up a one-year promotion plan for your business; a step-by-step guideline for managing projects from start to finish with minimum hassle; checklists for successful portfolio reviews and presentations and ready-to-use business forms that will help you make your operation more organized and efficient, as well as detailed instructions on how to use them. You've got the style. Now get the business savvy. Grab this book and start the freelance design career you've been dreaming about!