This post, “Don’t Worry About The Money (Kinda),” is in response to tip #9 in our post, “101 Graphic Design Tips for Business Success.”

Track your time

One of the biggest challenges about graphic design is educating your client to the value of your work. Most of the time they will only see your finished project, not the time that you put into it. They won’t see that you sat for ten-hours in front of your MAC instead of going out with the family or working on something else. Tracking your time will take an intangible and will translate it into tangible specialized man-hours.

While most people will approach you to create material that they cannot produce, it’s hard for some to grasp the monetary value. Their nephew or wife can do that with their scrapbooking software right? It looks like fun, and even easy sometimes. The fact is that you are not just doodling; you have an important skill that can take an idea and translate it into a valuable marketing tool. This in the end will help your client earn money. You are important to their bottom-line.

Don’t worry about the money…

Sometimes it takes a relationship to establish with a customer before you can actually translate it to dollars. The relationship may even exist without it ever producing anything substantial. Always value a relationship over money; you never know what will happen in the future. Networking is always worth it and referrals are the best!

Be prepared to do a few pro-bono projects in your career (and for your portfolio). If a small start-up business approaches you, offer to provide them with some basics for trade or even future business. Once you have proven your worth, they will come back to you. At the same time, don’t be a sucker. If you feel you are being taken advantage of, bow out gracefully, your time is valuable and it is precious. If it is not a mutually beneficial relationship, cut it off.

Money is important, no doubt, but if you can focus on creativity and the needs of the client and prove to them your value as a designer, money will be no object if you’re charging what you’re worth and no less…