Brand Strategy Unwankified

29. How Much Should You Charge for a Logo?

Here on The C Word Podcast I like to tackle a whole range of topics, including ones that I get asked about. And this is one of those.
 
In this episode I talk about what is perhaps one of the biggest conundrums for a brand-led designer and that’s how much should you charge for a logo?
 
As well as giving you what I think is a watershed fee for logo design (any less and you're devaluing your work and your skill), I’ll dive into the other questions you should be asking yourself.
 
I want to guide you to do what's right for your business, and remind you what a 'simple logo' is worth to your client and the value you create, so you have that in mind when pricing!
 
If you enjoy this episode, please share it with your business buddies, and rate and review on your favourite podcast app.
 
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7 Strategies to Plump the Profit in Your Creative Business
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28. Setting Boundaries with Clients and Staying Friends

On this episode of The C Word Podcast I'm talking all about boundaries. Because as creatives (and any kind of small business owner really) I think it's easy to be a bit bendy with our boundaries.
But the impact of that can be significant.
I'll dive into:
• Some of the areas where you should consider setting boundaries on your business
• What it looks like when your boundaries are being overstepped - because sometimes it can be hard to identify it
• The impact of bendy boundaries on you and your business
• How to make it stop!
• Who's responsible for your boundaries
• A simple way to communicate or reset your boundaries and stay friends with your client
• Some of the tools you can use to help reinforce your boundaries
I hope you enjoy it and would be super grateful if you could rate and leave me a review if you find it helpful.
 
And don’t forget doors are currently open for my Creative Value Incubator. This is the 8 week program specifically for creatives in business who want to communicate their value, be valued and be perceived as valuable >>> bechughes.com/creative-business-incubator
 
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27. Growing Up In Business: Confidence, Creativity & Entrepreneurship With Kate Toon

In this episode of The C Word Podcast I'm talking to Kate Toon about, well everything really. Prepare for a juice-fest because there is so much! 
This is a fun, entertaining and diverse episode that I know you'll love.
From puppy dogs, Kevin Bacon and toxic personal development, to clients, taking things personally, creativity, what it it to be a misfit entrepreneur, confidence and focusing on the big idea as creatives, we cover a SMORGASBORD of topics.
The best part about this episode was shooting the breeze with Kate Toon, the hardest part was naming it because we cover so much ground and there is so much gold that I couldn’t give it one label!
Kate Toon is an award-winning digital marketing entrepreneur. An online business success story. A Google Beast tamer. Straight-talking copywriting coach. And a popular educator, speaker, author and podcaster.
She’s a down to earth human on a mission: to demystify the realities of running a successful online business. And she does plenty of that in this episode.
So sit back and enjoy an awesome fireside chat packed with pearls of wisdom.
 
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26. Preventing Budget and Timeline Blowouts

Budget and timeline blowouts are a reality for any creative business at one time or another.But they shouldn’t be the norm.I think the main reason they happen is because the stakeholders involved didn’t have realistic expectations in the first place.In this episode of The C Word Podcast, I share my key tips for stopping or minimising budget and timeline blowouts:✨Detailed scope – Be clear on the deliverables and what is and isn’t included✨Clear process - Ensure everyone understands the full extent of what’s involved ✨Step out every stage in detail- If it’s too broad you’ll overlook stages that take time✨Agree the timelines- Don’t be tempted to truncate or shorten timeframes and be realistic about how long things take✨Lock it in- Set aside meetings and time to do the work up front✨Enough time for review, feedback and revisions- Be clear on when the client will get work for review and when they need to respond with feedback✨Communicate well and often with your client- Give regular updates- Let them know straightaway if something is out of scope or if there are potential delays✨Penalties for delays- This can be a good motivator to keep your client on track- Give the client plenty of warning and make it clear up front, the relationship is important ✨Hold yourself accountable- Stick to the timeline- Keep your energy up to maintain the momentum
 
And don't forget doors are currently open for my Creative Value Incubator. This is Tthe 8 week program specifically for creatives in business who want to communicate their value, be valued and be perceived as valuable >>> bechughes.com/creative-business-incubator
 
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25. Mistakes Designers Make Pricing Their Services

In this episode of The C Word Podcast I cover the reasonably long list of mistakes that designers quite often make when pricing their services.
This combines the practical with the mindset hurdles, to examine why designers sometimes struggle to price their work and communicate their value.
I'll share 15, that's right one-five, of the most common mistakes I see solo creatives and agencies making. In highlighting some of the pitfalls you may be coming up against, I hope to help you price your work more confidently and accurately.
This episode is practical and value-packed, and I'm certain their will be lots of take-outs and new learnings for you to apply in your own creative business.
Just a reminder to save your seat for the Invisible to Valuable Masterclass at bechughes.com/binge
And don't forget doors open for my Creative Value Incubator on Monday 3 Oct 2022 so jump on the waitlist to be the first to know about the bonuses when I launch at bechughes.com/creative-business-incubator
 
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24. Cultivating Unshakeable Belief in Your Creative Work

In this episode of The C Word podcast I'm tackling the question of how to cultivate unshakeable belief in your creative work as a designer or brand-led creative. 
Having absolute conviction that you will produce work that nails the brief every time can be an ongoing challenge for many designers. It's a skill, like many others, that we need to invest time in developing.
However cultivating that strong belief has an enormous impact on your own self-belief, the sustainability of your business and your growth. In other words, it's worth investing in!
As well as exploring why that belief and confidence in your creative work is so valuable, in this episode I also talk about 5 key principle that I use to develop my own sense of surety and conviction when it comes to my own work:
1. Trust in the Process
2. Beware When Seeking Validation
3. Positive Self-Talk
4. Know and Celebrate Your Strengths
5. Listen to Your Intuition 
 
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23. Presenting Your Design Work with Confidence

If you find the prospect of presenting your design work to clients a little bit nerve-racking or uncomfortable, you're definitely not alone.I think presenting creative work with confidence is something a lot of designers and creatives find challenging.It’s not a skill we’re necessarily taught in any meaningful way, and designers are left to pick it up as they go.In this episode of The C Word Podcast, I talk about some of the skills and strategies I've learned that have made me more confident when presenting my creative work. In fact, I'd say I'm pretty good at it these days, but that hasn't always been the case.Along the way, I’ve recognised that the quality of the presentation is so important to the success of a design or creative project. I’ve learned some key go-to skills to put my best foot forward, and they fall into 3 broad categories which I'll dive into in the episode: 1. Preparation2. Energy3. Rationale
 
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22. 7 Key Strategies that Grew My Creative Business

On this episode of The C Word Podcast I lift the lid on my own creative business growth.
My aim isn't to tell you what you should be doing to grow, but rather to inspire you with some of the things you could be doing. I hope to give you some food for thought, and ideas for what you could introduce into your business if growth is something you want to focus on.
I've reflected on the past 7 years as a Brand Creator and the things that have had the greatest impact on my growth, in particular my financial growth and profit.
In this episode I share how and why the following things have been transformational:
1. Brand Strategy
2. Up-skilling
3. Pricing Strategy
4. Networking and Collaboration
5. Profitability Management
6. Service Packages
7. Streamlined Processes
 
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21. What I Had to Unlearn After Working in a Creative Agency

In this episode of The C Word Podcast I talk about my own agency experiences as a designer and brand strategist, and share what I had to unlearn after working in creative agencies
 
I often find designers have an employee mindset in their own business. They struggle to let go of some past habits, beliefs and behaviours they may have as a hangover from freelancer or agency life.
 
This episode focuses on:
 
~ What you need to unlearn from being an ‘employee’ in order to graduate into being a ‘creative business owner’
~ The myths and unproductive cultural norms that are perpetuated in ‘agency-land’
~ Some of the key things you may need to learn to be an effective business owner if you didn’t work in an agency or haven’t exposure to some of the business side of things
 
I also share my own resume and journey to being a creative business owner, which took some surprising and maybe slightly unconventional twists and turns in the early days.
 
Whether you’re a graphic designer, web designer or brand-led creative that has taken or is planning to take the leap from agency, this is essential listening to prepare you for what might lay ahead. And if you bypassed the agency experience altogether and jumped straight into business there are some juicy insights for you too.
 
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20. Do Designers & Creatives Need a Niche? With Jessica Osborn

I hope you’re ready for an awesome episode of the C Word podcast, because I’m talking to Jessica Osborn all about niching.
Jess is the poster child of niching because she has made it her niche, and she has so much insight to share on this topic.
Jess is a business coach, podcast host and author who is all about business that puts family and lifestyle first. 
When I think of Jess is think of sunshine and days at the beach because I feel like that’s where I see here hanging out the most. She’s all about a ‘less work, more life’ style of strategy that leads to faster, easier growth without succumbing to the hustle-hard mentality!
In this episode we go pretty deep on niching, and in particular we diving into the question do designers and creatives need a niche?
Jess and I cover:
~ What it is and what it isn’t
~ Why it's such a huge advantage for your business if you dare to do it
~ 3 key things to think about when developing your niche
~ How to leverage your niche once you define it
 
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