Office Redesign - Part 2

Desk is nearly complete! 

The new desk is coming along beautifully. In order to save money (a lot of money) as well as get the perfect amount of desk-space, size and layout, as you know I chose to build my new desk as opposed to buying one ready-made. All-in-all, the materials cost about $300 and it has seventeen feet of desktop space. You read me right - seventeen (17) feet of desktop. It's glorious!!
Simple in its design, the desk consists of three "module" bases, which both hold up the desktop as well as serve as spaces to hold up to seven 2-drawer file cabinets comfortably. This measurement was done on purpose, as I am in need of lots of file space and those grungy metal file cabinets make for excellent storage. But we'll get to those later.

The desk has a top that, although I would have preferred a solid hardwood, actually has an oak veneer top on a 1/2" of support material. I went this route for cost reasons only. Solid hardwood would have been beautiful and very sturdy, but since I needed 17' of it (at 29" deep), going the solid-wood route would have cost me around a grand. Tax write-off, I know, but I just can't shell out that kinda dough at the moment. Good news though? The oak veneer is really pretty and works just as well. The husband added some solid oak trim around the appropriate edges and affixed it with glue and nails for durability, and just today I added my 6th coat of Polyurethane to seal it all together. It shines like a newborn baby's tears. The final coat needs at least 24 hours to dry and set before install, so this bad boy is just about ready to go.

Creative Space

One of the things a "store bought" desk doesn't provide much of is storage and file space. Even in a module desk you'll be lucky to get 3 or 4 drawers worth of file space, and that just 'aint enough for all the crap I've got. So I came up with a cheap, fun and surprisingly simple solution for my new desk. As mentioned above, I measured out those standard 2-drawer metal file cabinets and had the modules built around those specifications. The next step was to get enough file cabinets to fill those spaces.
Buying them new, metal file cabinets weren't as cheap as I was hoping. They go for at least $60 to $100 a piece!! Hey, I know it's a tax writeoff, but for 6 new cabinets I could be dealing out up to $600. NO WAY. So I came up with a better solution. I'd look around at every thrift store and garage sale in town until I found what I needed. And just this weekend, I found 3 in decent condition averaging $14 a piece. What a steal!
Now for the creative part. I didn't mind buying mismatched file cabinets at the thrift store because of the next step in my plan: color. I now have a nearly-black accent wall, and nothing brings out black like bright, fun color.
Even as a designer, when it comes to my home, I've always been afraid of color. I was the girl with all white walls, wood furniture, and earth-tone accents. Then one day I met a person who was not only unafraid of color, but he used it in ways I had never seen before and it looked... AWESOME. So I started taking a risk and playing with color on my walls. Turns out it looked really good! So here I am again, this time with my black wall (which I never would have done 5 years ago) and now I'm going to liven it up by using brightly colored spray paint to re-coat the mismatched file cabinets.
Take a look at two of the originals:

As you can see they're completely different styles and colors, but that doesn't matter, because all it took was two cans of spray paint and voila!!

Completely transformed to fun, colorful and creative storage space. Okay I admit it makes me think of the golden arches at the moment, but I've got a can of green and a can of blue reserved for my next couple of great file-cabinet-finds. When it's all put together it'll be bright, colorful, and I think my chi will be happy.

That's it for now. I think I'll be doing the final install sometime later this week or next weekend, so look for my next update when everything is put together and I present to you my custom home office, done on the cheap, with both form and function (as well as a little inspiration) in mind.

A Conversation About Web Presence

I headed into downtown Boise last night to check out a local artist (First Thursday's in Boise are when all the artists come out to show their stuff) and happened upon two very nice gentlemen who struck up a conversation with me. We started by talking about art and artists, then the convo merged into what we all did for a living. I was first and told them I was a freelance graphic designer.

Now, when this comes up with people I don't know it usually evolves into questions about what exactly it is I do and I typically end up explaining it in laymen's terms to keep it brief, and that was no exception here. I turned the conversation to the one gentleman, Richard, who in this case was the one probing, and it turns out he was a copywriter for twenty-some years who had worked with just about every ad agency in Boise until the economy fell 3 years ago. After some discussion we realized we knew some of the same big-shot Ad Agency guys -- pretty cool living in a small city sometimes. But he was asking me more about my life as a Freelancer because in the last few years (after losing so much business after the '08 crash) he had decided to pursue his passion of writing and developing music, and the conversation segued into marketing and web presence.

Richard was in the mindset that you had to get out and meet people personally in order to get the word out about you and your business... that's how it was done 20 years - even 10 years - ago. So now he's trying to figure out where he should move to in order to gain traction for his music. I assured him that, in my case at least, you don't have to move. You simply need a good (strike that - an EXCELLENT) web presence. I have very few local clients, and I can say that I've only met about 30% of my clients in person. This surprised him I think, but in today's telecommuting and internet-driven world I firmly believe one of the best ways to market yourself and your business (if you're interested in becoming known nationally or even internationally) is by utilizing the internet and social media outlets. I delved deeper into my reasons for this claim.

In the five years of running my own freelancing biz, I've never had to cold-call to get a client. Every client I've ever had has contacted me first. "How do they find you?" Dennis (the other gentleman) asked. Simple, they either did a Google search for "Freelance Graphic Designers" in a certain area or they found me through one of the many freelance graphic design listings or articles that I'm connected to.

It's more than just having a website - they're a dime a dozen nowadays - you need to have a good website, on the front-end as well as the back-end. You need proper search engine optimization, which means all the little bits of code and keyword copy that help you get indexed properly in the major engines, as well as a good amount of web presence on social media outlets, website listing services and in my case I also write articles for popular blogs which increases my hit-rate and boosts the popularity of my site. Without these things I would have a hard time finding clients, because they wouldn't be able to find me. These things are KEY if you're doing any kind of freelancing, whether it's graphic design, web development, copywriting, etc. There's a much larger market for these services if you go national, rather than staying local. And it's true that getting to know people helps, whether in person or online, because referrals are 50% of my business now. But starting out is the hardest part. If you don't have any clients or portfolio to being with, you're screwed. Gone are the days of being able to walk into a company and market your personality... here are the days where it only matters what you can do (aka. portfolio) and how much you charge.

Go back in this blog and you'll find other articles I've written that explain these concepts in more detail, but I think I was as surprised that someone wouldn't know these things as I think Richard was when he found out about them from me. I suppose I'm so far in the mix that I didn't realize the information hadn't fully reached the masses. Apparently that's the case.

Thank you, Richard and Dennis, for the enlightening conversation last night. It was a pleasure meeting you both, and I look forward to meeting up with you again at the next First Thursday event!

Wall Colors

Narrowed my new office wall color down to three choices: "Cut The Mustard", "Cajun Red" and "Black Fox". Conclusion? While I'd really like a brighter tone like Cut The Mustard on first glance, the deep contrast of Black Fox continues to appeal to me. My custom desk will have an industrial look - my plan calls for natural wood and large silver bolts for use as function as well as décor in the corners - so using something so yellow as Cut The Mustard would likely wash out the color of the natural wood, and Cajun Red might be okay, but the contrast of natural wood against the deep mossy-brown of Black Fox would REALLY look nice in my opinion.

If you've never tried it, go to the Sherwin Williams website. They have a wonderful tool there that allows you to take a picture of your room, select the areas you wish to paint, and preview your paint colors. How awesome is that? So I've attached the three shades I've narrowed it down to for my accent wall. Keep in mind I will no longer have a mahogany desk - it'll be more of a natural wood color... I'm thinking Redwood or Cedar. Your thoughts/opinions?

Office Redesign

I bought a house last year that doesn't have any "formal" office space, so I've been working in what was supposed to be a formal living area. I've written articles and given vast amounts of advice on home office space in the past, but since moving into my (hopefully permanent) home, I have found myself living in a slight state of disgust at my lack of order and happiness with the area in which I spend 80% of my time.

So, first goal:
My office area has no doors, so I often get distracted by noise from my kids, the TV in the family room, dogs barking by the back door, you name it --- anything that comes with not having a way to close myself off from the rest of the house. So my first order of business is to get a door that I can close to the rest of the world.

My second goal is a desk.
I've been working on the same 29"x66" Manager-style desk for the last 5+ years, and it's literally ready to fall apart. The desk has always sat a little too high for my stature, making desk chairs difficult to deal with and I require a box of books to rest my feet on since they can't reach the floor. I've largely out-grown the coverage area of my desk leaving me little room to sketch only after I've reorganized the placement of my mouse and keyboard; it doesn't have enough file storage and the area where my wrists lie as I'm typing on my keyboard is covered in 3 layers of tape to prevent splinters and further rubbing (the finish on the desk has long-since warn to the bare wood). In essence, I need something bigger and sturdier that will allow for more file space, and something a little shorter that would be more comfortable for a person of my average height (apparently most "Managers" are tall and need high desks). After a year of consideration, I have come to the conclusion that this problem will require that I build a custom desk. Based on the finished product, I may invest in a new ergonomic chair as well.

And lastly, feng shui.
About a year into having my own business, while still living in Arizona, I was feeling uncomfortable and ill-at-ease in my office. So I thought I would take the time to research some common feng shui techniques and reorganize it. The difference was night and day, and maybe not only because my "chi" was flowing better, but one of the core principles of feng shui is getting rid of clutter and disorganization. I'm not necessarily a clean-freak, but clutter has always bothered me, so the principles work well for my personality.
Before moving into the new house I wasn't able to clearly gauge the amount of stuff I needed to find a home for in my office area, so I still have a pile of boxes sitting in a corner and far too many books on my bookshelf that spill onto the floor. I have a makeshift photo studio on one side of my office with no way to really store anything away when we have guests, and I have the irreparable eggshell white walls surrounding me in their stark-vomit glory. Mismatched artwork and a variety of nick-nacks don't help either. The only thing I have going for me is a beautiful bay window that allows me to get natural sunlight and a little bit of insight on the day's weather, which I do enjoy. So, my goals are to update the layout of my office space (this involves coordination with my new custom desk), add feng shui principles which include the creation of a bagua map to help with proper layout, adding color to the walls, removing clutter, and adding water/fire/nature elements in the form of color and/or objects. That might sound a little silly, but adding something simple like a scented candle or a large fern can really change the mood/feeling of any space. I've done it before, and I just can't express what a difference it can make.... at least, for me.

So those are my three big goals to complete within the next 6 months, in no particular order. I've already planned out the "industrial barn doors" to close off my office area, the HUGE custom desk will begin construction in the next week or two, and I've already got paint samples for my walls (you can see one sample on the wall above my printer, but that's not the color I've chosen). I'm including "before" pictures of my current workspace below. This is my desk area - to the left is the bay window and behind me is my pseudo-photo studio and bookshelves. As work begins, I'll be documenting my progress. Wish me luck! I can't stress enough how important a workspace can be, especially when you're spending so much time in it.

File Formats & Sizes

I want to thank "Lunessence" for submitting an excellent question regarding what types of file formats should be presented to clients upon completion of a project - her example was for a logo, so that's what I'll address here. I hope to answer that question as thoroughly as possible, but please leave a comment if you feel I have missed anything!

There are three types of file I always give to a client after a new logo design has been completed. They are:

• a web-ready file (typically .gif or .jpg, 72dpi, RGB with a max width/height of 400 pixels)
• a print-ready file (.jpg, 300dpi, RGB with a max width/height of 6")
• a vector/original file (since 99% of my logos are created in illustrator, this would be a CMYK vector EPS (saved back to Illustrator version 10.0 for maximum compatibility) or, in the rare case that the logo is not vector, a 600dpi or greater uncompressed .tif file

I label all the different files accordingly, by adding "_web", "_print" and "_vector" at the ends of the file names. This allows for easy understanding of which files are best for which applications. Notice I do not supply an AI file - this is because, having worked with manufacturers in other countries, an outlined legacy EPS file seems to be the most widely accepted file type. If you supply a CS5 AI file with all the fonts in tact instead of outlined, chances are high that it'll corrupt through emails or come back as incompatible for someone else. I keep the native AI files in my computer should I ever need them, but if the client doesn't have Illustrator there's no reason to give them a file they can't use.

This way of saving can often create a ton of files if you have alternate versions, which is often the case. To have the most thorough logo possible, I like to create a black and white version (yes, people still use fax machines and it's nice to have a compatible logo) and sometimes a logo will require CMYK, PMS Spot colors, a horizontal version and/or a vertical (or stacked) version. It can be a timely process to convert so many versions into three different file types, but I guarantee your client will appreciate it and will rarely (if ever) come back to bug you for another version of the file. Give them everything they could possibly need and they won't know what to do with it all, but at least they'll have it!

So, when I supply a file set to my clients I give them a very lamen's-terms explanation of what they can do with which files. This is my typical email:

"Please use the files labeled "web" only for web and email purposes. This will ensure the best compatibility for your website, social media and email applications and the best overall look of your logo online.
The files labeled "print" should be used for in-house printing such as letterhead printed from your home computer or Word documents you wish to distribute in-house. While that logo is high-resolution, it's saved in such a way that makes it easy for you to use in locally printed materials while maintaining excellent quality. 
The files labeled "vector" should always be used in professional printing. You may not be able to open these files on your personal computer (you'll need Adobe Illustrator in order to view them) but they are the only files that should be used to make high-impact signage, large-format posters and for those materials that require the highest quality logo."

I also instruct my clients to make at least one or two backups of all of their logo files and keep them safe. I try to keep all of my client projects on file for at least two years, but I am not responsible for lost logos a few years down the road.

To address one other part of Lunessence's question, she wanted to know how the client can adjust the sizes of the files without losing resolution or image quality. The best way I avoid any problems is by the size of files I supply to them. As you'll see in the beginning of this post, I supply my "print" files at @ 6" wide/tall, at 300dpi. This will typically cover any in-house printing needs. While a rasterized image shouldn't be increased in size, you can decrease it (size it down) pretty significantly without losing quality. Same goes for the web-ready files. I supply a file that's approximately 400 pixels wide or tall - it's not often that a logo is displayed any larger than that - and it can be sized down with little to no problem. Now, if a logo has some very delicate lines or details that I know will be lost with downsizing, then I'll include a smaller version with the fileset and label it "web_small" or "print_small". You'll need to use your best judgement on when you think these smaller files might be necessary.

In many cases your client will be so happy with your work that they will have you handle all of their marketing needs and they won't need to worry about differentiating all of the files anyway. That's certainly the goal. But I also like to avoid any future nit-picking from a client about their logo, like having them come back and say "I need a black and white version" then a few days later, "I want a small version for my email" and another few days go by, "I want a version I can use for a six-foot banner". It's just best to give them everything at once. It saves everyone time and should make your client feel secure in knowing their graphic designer is so thorough that they've supplied everything they could possibly want or need.

Visit www.ellephillips.com for more information about Elle Phillips Design. Thanks for reading!

Trackbacks

Just wanted to display some of the older articles I've written for AllGraphicDesign.com - see below, and thanks for visiting!

Designing A Catalog From Conception To Completion

Freelancing 101: The Typical Life

Career Advise From A Professional Graphic Designer

Visit www.ellephillips.com for more information about Elle Phillips Design. Thanks for reading!

Running a business... for the first time.

I have no formal business training. Let's just get that out of the way. I'm a graphic designer... and a pretty good one at that, but although some might look down on me for my career choice, I think I've done a pretty good job of starting my own business as a freelancer and pushing it through one of the toughest economic recessions of our lifetime. Could be luck, could be skill -- I think it's about 50% of both. For those of you gearing up to start your own business, whether it be as a freelancer, a writer, a website designer or the like, this article will give you some insight to the mistakes, and successes, I've had along the way.


Getting started: Is a business plan necessary?

You may remember in your High School or College Business class some talk about a business plan. Or maybe you’ve read all the books that tell you how you can’t start a business without one. Well, in my experience, much of that is hogwash for freelancers and one-man businesses. Don’t get me wrong, I think having a business plan in place can really put things in perspective, but is it absolutely necessary for Freelance Design business? Not really, and I’ll tell you why.

First, the number one reason people write business plans is if they need to approach a bank for a loan. If you’re opening a retail shop and need an advance on store space and supplies, then a business plan becomes a necessity. The person who’s looking to open a new Widget Shop needs to show the bank forecasts, expense charts and all sorts of other numbers to prove their business will eventually be profitable. But that’s not what a freelancer needs. I should know – I wrote a 22-page business plan 3 years before it ever began and I might as well have thrown it out the window for all the good it did me. In fact, by the time I left my job for full-time freelance I had completely forgotten about the business plan and only later found it buried in a drawer, clean and pristine.One key to starting your own one-man show is taking it one step at a time while you continue to work for “The Man.”  That will allow you to build your business from the ground up without taking a financial toll. Therefore, a business plan to show to your local banker isn’t all that necessary. 

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t write one, though.

Writing a business plan will indeed help you organize your wants, needs and establish your goals and opportunities. It will help you evaluate your current and future worth, show you what tools you need and which ones you can do without for a while, and guide you to where you’d like to take your business in the future. For me, this kind of information wasn’t necessary because I’d been thinking about it for nearly 10 years. For you, as someone who may not have been thinking about it for very long or who just decided yesterday that freelance writing is the coolest job on Earth and a better direction for you, a business plan may help you stay on the right track.

So if you prefer to create a business plan, then write it for yourself, not for anyone else and let it serve as a guide to get you where you want to be.


Taxes. Need I say more?


One thing I was not prepared for was the substantial difference in taxes when you have your own business, and the required "forms" and "ID's" you need in order to keep your business legal via the Fed. 
I never realized how easy I had it working for someone else... they just gave me my paycheck, I saw the different amounts of money being removed from my check every month, but never thought much of it other than my occasional groan about how much I would be making if they didn't take out so much. Well, that was nothing compared to managing your OWN business and taxes.


First, get a Federal EIN number. It's quick and easy to get one (visit: http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=102767,00.html), and for a sole proprietorship (aka. a one-person show), it's just safter to use a Federal Tax ID number instead of your Social Security number. At this level there isn't much difference between the two, but I personally like to keep my SS# close and, with the amount of forms you have to fill out that require such a number, better to fight against fraud with your EIN than your SS. 


Next hurdle, the bank. Is your business under your legal name? If so, you can relax. For all others, prepare for a pain in the patooty. My name is (legally) Eleanor Phillips. My business name is Elle Phillips Design. Because I use my nickname, "Elle" instead of my full legal name, I was required to file for a DBA (Doing Business As) or also called a Trade Name Registration through the state and provide that paperwork to my bank in order to deposit and withdraw from my business account. Oh, and by the way, you WILL be required and SHOULD to open a "business" account if you're self-employed. While you may not be required to open a separate account if you're just doing business as yourself under your legal name, it would behoove you to have one anyone for tax and audit purposes. Keeping your accounts separate really will make life a whole lot easier later on. For example, come tax time, if I have any doubts on a receipt I might be missing or a check that was sent out for business purposes, I can simply go back to my bank account and get the record. The IRS will too, should you ever be audited.


Moving forward, you also need a business license if you're running a business out of your home. Check with your local state or county office, and 99% of the time if you're a freelancer, writer, designer of some sort, you'll be granted a license, but you will want to make sure you have the proper permission to run your business from where you live. As far as I've heard, the only way you might be denied is if you run a business involving other people or chemicals or something of that nature... i.e., hair salon, daycare, etc. Get a business license to be on the safe side. The last thing you want is some kind of fine from the county because you've been discovered operating without one.


More money to be dished out! Register with your state tax commission. Most states are different, so really research what you need to do, but in more cases than not you will be required to pay some kind of state tax. Visit your local state government website for details. Some states require taxes be paid monthly, some quarterly, some yearly. Some require only income tax, others require sales tax. 


And here's the final doozie... self-employment tax. If you work for yourself and no one else, guess what? The Fed wants their money and by golly you're going to pay it. If you earn more than $400 per year being self employed, prepare to dish out 15.3% (for current 2010) on income up to $106,000. This percentage covers your federal social security and medicare taxes. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER! If you write a book and profits come in at $40,000, then you will owe $6,120 to the government. Put it aside or pay it right away - just don't spend it!


Save on taxes you have to pay by deducting EVERYTHING.


So while the bad news is you don't get to keep all the money you make, the good news is you only have to pay taxes on your profit, not your gross. What does that mean? It means if you made $50,000 Gross last year, but your expenses came to $15,000, then you only pay taxes on the profit amount of $35,000. That's a savings of nearly $2300 in taxes. So if you buy anything that could be considered for your business, keep the receipt and deduct it! I use Quickbooks to help me keep track of my invoices, receipts, etc. but there are a lot of choices out there and I highly suggest you obtain one of them as soon as you start your business. Take the time to learn the basics of accounting and life will be much easier in the long run. I actually found it kind of fun. I can track who owes me money, how long my invoices have been out, what bills have been paid and when, and I can pull a report at any time on what my current profit and loss for the week, month and year is. I can even compare my income and expenses to the previous year, so I always have an idea of what my taxes will be. 


Here's a great little story for you:
My first full year as a freelancer was great. I was making great money, working my butt off, and I watched my savings account fill. Then tax-time came. At the time, I had no idea about the 15% self-employment tax and deductions didn't really matter to me (after all, I'm a designer, not an accountant), so when my accountant came back to me saying I owed the Fed over $16,000 I about had a heart attack. WHAT????? How did that happen? Why didn't anyone tell me I would owe that much??? It's because I was stupid. I didn't do my homework, and I failed to realize one of the most common parts of owning a business: deductions. So I'm telling you now, don't let it happen to you. I nearly closed my doors that year because of it. But then I got smarter. So, to help keep you from making the same mistakes I did, here is a list of things you can (and should) deduct if you operate a small home-based business:

• Office space and everything that goes with it (if you have dedicated 10% of your home to office space, you can also deduct 10% of all your utilities (water, garbage, sewer, etc.))
• Food (you have to feed yourself while you're working, right? So deduct your lunches for the entire year)
• Office supplies (obviously, but be sure to enter the receipts for EVERYTHING that could be construed as office supplies. Buying tape to wrap Christmas gifts? No you're not. It's for your office. Get it?)
• Computer programs and upgrades
• Furniture for your office. This includes your desk, your speakers, the antique-lamp that sits on your desk, file cabinets - even a couch or laz-y-boy if you need a comfy place for your clients to sit when (and if) they come to visit
• Car mileage (if you go to the grocery store to get stuff for dinner and you pick up a pack of pencils (say that 5 times fast) then you can deduct the mileage of the entire trip)
• Travel to visit clients (if you have a client out of state, you deduct everything for that trip!! This means the flight or mileage, any clothing you may need to buy for the meeting, all meals (not just lunch), gifts, entertainment, hotel, car rental, EVERYTHING.)
• Client gifts (if you send thank you cards or a bottle of wine to every client at the end of the year, deduction).
• Charitable contributions (remember to get a receipt for every donation you give, including to the Salvation Army or Good Will)
• Retirement account contributions (last I checked the max amount you can donate into a personal IRA each year is $4,000, and in some cases up to $10,000. That's money you don't have to pay taxes on until you retire.)

If I knew even half of this information when I first started my business I might not have had such a shock my first year, so if you're reading this then you're already further than I ever was.


Best of luck in your business and more articles will be coming. If you have suggestions or questions, feel free to contact me through my website at www.ellephillips.com.


Visit www.ellephillips.com for more information about Elle Phillips Design. Thanks for reading!