Just Creative Design

Online Project Management Review: Liquid Planner

In this guest article Kris Rowlands gives a non-paid review based on her first hand personal experiences of using the free (now requires membership) online project management software, Liquid Planner. Kris Rowlands is the author and creator of Fresh Focus…On Productivity. She discusses GTD, organisation and productivity tips for your daily life.

Being a designer can be a hectic line of work. Clients with deadlines, last minute projects, and huge projects that make you wonder how you will ever get it all done! But you know what? You don’t have to do it alone. I’d like to introduce you to an online project management system that will knock your socks off!

LiquidPlanner is online project management software designed to manage uncertainty in project schedules so all your projects will succeed—just what every business owner wants. Every feature has been designed with that goal, and the way you work, in mind.

Very similar to Microsoft Project, time lines can be viewed as a Gantt chart which is an excellent way to see, at a glance, the status on all your projects at once. With this view, you can clearly see where you will run into delivery issues and what areas you can move forward in order to meet your deadlines.

Task Management is definitely something that any designer needs. LiquidPlanner handles this with ease and finesse, with an attractive interface to boot! I know that myself, if what I’m working in isn’t attractive, I’m less likely to use it and become proficient with it. But with LiquidPlanner, it is indeed useful and good looking!

Intuitive workspace allows easy and efficient organization and prioritization of tasks to help you get things done and delivered on time.

• Two Distinct Task List Views. View, schedule, and update your work by project folder or prioritized tasklist. Switch between the two views with a single click.
• Drag-and-Drop Prioritization. Change the order of your scheduled tasks in a snap by dragging and dropping items as priorities shift. This is a great tools that allows you to use this service much as you’d use an application on your own computer.
• Global Priority Management. Set global priorities for your team or the entire organization.
• Easy Task Entry. Add up to 20 new tasks, complete with owners and work estimates, in seconds.
• Multi-level Organization. Create folders, subfolders, and sub-subfolders so you can view, filter, and zoom in on tasks at any level of detail, no matter how complex the project.
• Task to Project Conversion. Quickly add subtasks and new levels of organization to items in your project plan.

LiquidPlanner is also fluent at Project Collaboration, too! If you sub-contract your work out to other designers, LiquidPlanner will handle this with ease. All you do as send them an invitation via email, and allow them to view that project. They can then keep you updated on their progress without you having to constantly check in on them, which allows you to concentrate on your own tasks-at-hand!

Personalized Dashboards make priorities clear.

With LiquidPlanner, you finally get to see things your way. View what’s on your plate, what’s happening in the project space, and see critical alerts – all at a single glance.

• Action Items. See only the tasks assigned to you, in priority order, and jump directly to any of them in the project plan.
• Easy Updates. Mark progress and re-estimate tasks right from your dashboard, so you can get back to work in a snap.
• Workspace Activity Feed. View the latest updates, comments, alerts, and uploads to your items and to the entire project space.
• New Item Assignments. Comments or discussions on tasks assigned to you are surfaced front and center.
• Project Alerts. Readily see red flags, required updates, and other alerts. If any of them are yours, LiquidPlanner makes sure you know.
• Email Notifications. Get changes to your items emailed to you in real time (or daily or weekly).

LiquidPlanner can handle teams of any size. From the single designer to a Fortune 500 design firm, LiquidPlanner can handle it all. They handle both large clients and small, and give all of them the same excellent customer support. Check out the graphic to see the logos of some of their customers!

“The dynamics of our team are constantly in flux with contractors and remote employees contributing to various projects. Collaboration isn’t an option, it’s a necessity. LiquidPlanner has fundamentally transformed the way our team members assign tasks, build their schedules and communicate with one another in a truly seamless manner.”

- Mark Snow, IPexpert Training, Inc.

“Before LiquidPlanner, our teams found it difficult to manage project resources, balance the workload within our organization, and provide accurate work estimates. By allowing our teams to collaborate, share key information, and efficiently manage projects, LiquidPlanner keeps everyone knowledgeable and engaged.”

- Eric Bowers, Butterball Farms, Inc.

“We have to constantly be ahead of the curve in terms of planning in the competitive real estate market. We didn’t have the time, interest or need to master any kind of elaborate project management tool yet we definitely needed something more than Excel. With LiquidPlanner we were up to speed and on top of dates and deadlines in no time.”

- Ben Nordlander, Coldwell Banker Bain

I bet that you are thinking that you can’t afford this. What I’d like to do is make you a bet on that! You know why? You most certainly can!

For small designer firms less than four members, you get all of this functionality for free! Yes, you heard me correctly, for FREE! For larger ones, you can either choose the monthly or yearly payment option. LiquidPlanner aims to please, so if you don’t see a plan that fits what you need, contact them and I’m sure that they will work with you to reach your end goals.

Now I know that all the pictures look so nice and shiny that you may feel intimidated by them and you don’t think you’ll ever figure out how to use use it. But I promise that you will! LiquidPlanner offers FREE (yes, there is that “free” word again) virtual online training. This course is well-planned and succinct, and the trainers always stays online and devote time for questions that didn’t get answered during the session.

But as a disclaimer, let me say this: I do not work for LiquidPlanner. I came here to tell you about it because I am a satisfied customer. I am a single business owner and don’t have to pay a dime to use LiquidPlanner. And they don’t hold back features like other project management sites, either. You get all the features whether you are a paying client or not.

In the past I have had the opportunity to speak with them via email regarding questions I have had and they are always pleasant and get you the answers that you need. I have also taken the virtual training. I recommend LiquidPlanner not only based on the plethora of features available, but all the price and training that you can get to go along with it. You really cannot find anything like this for this price. Trust me, I’ve looked. It’s just not out there in the quality and value that you will get from LiquidPlanner. Try them out – you won’t be disappointed!

How much to charge for design work?

Often I get asked this question via email, facebook or twitter about how to price yourself as a designer. The usual phrase goes something along the lines of “how much should I charge for” …  web design, graphic design, logo design, etc.

In reply, I usually send them off to Freelance Switch’s pricing yourself section and / or refer them to my article on the fast, good, cheap pricing method however I have come across a few other valuable resources:

Danny Outlaw suggests to ask yourself 10 Questions when pricing yourself:

1. What services am I pricing?
2. How much does it cost me to run my business?
3. How much money do I want to make?
4. What is everyone else charging?
5. How bad do people want what I have?
6. How good am I at what I do?
7. How long have I been doing this?
8. Will I charge by the hour or by the project?
9. How much can my client afford?
10. What’s my business strategy?

Similarly, Jeff Fisher suggests some other questions to ask yourself, in his article How Much Should I Charge?

1. What is your experience in the field of graphic design or with a specific type of project?
2. What is the amount you are currently charging as a hourly/project rate for similar projects?
3. What do you feel the final project will be worth?
4. What are the exact project specifications the particular client has provided?
5. What is the estimated amount of time such a project will take for completion?
6. What are the methods to be used to execute the project?
7. What do you need to charge to cover your overhead cost and expenses on such a job?
8. How badly do you want the project?
9. What prices will the local geographic market will bear?
10. What are competitive rates in your local area for similar work?
11. How much is the client is willing to pay? (It doesn’t hurt to ask if they have a budget)
12. What are you providing the client in the way of rights to use the design for future purposes?
13. Is the client a for-profit or nonprofit entity, and do you price such work differently?

However, one must remember when doing so that there are certain realities that you will have to face -  Steven Vandelay outlines 12 realities of pricing your design services and below is the summary of them:

1. There’s no exact formula.
2. Both hourly pricing and project-based pricing have pros and cons.
3. Pricing is a necessary part of freelancing.
4. Mistakes are a part of the process.
5. Your prices will affect your own outlook on your services and it will also impact your client’s opinion of your services.
6. Uncertainty is common.
7. The variety of prices is as wide as the variety of talent levels.
8. Losing a job isn’t always a bad thing.
9. Pricing can be a good way to weed out the tire kickers.
10. Some potential clients will think your prices are high no matter what you charge.
11. Charging more than you quoted may be necessary.
12. Starting out you’ll probably have to charge less than you’d like.

So really, there is no magic formula? Sorry, no… but I did come across an article that came close…

Here, Josh provides four steps to effective design pricing:

1. Determine your hourly wage:
   (Expenses + Salary) ÷ Hours Worked Per Year = Hourly Wage
2. Develop base prices:
   (Hourly Wage x Estimated Time To Complete) x Complexity Level = Base Price
3. Develop prices for additional requirements:
   Assign a complexity level system and put them into the formula above.
4. Develop prices for outsourced work:
   (Quote From Contractor x 1.10) = Price

But always remember… there is no exact formula.

I would like to leave you with a point that Jeff Fisher made in his article How Much Should I Charge?

The major point I wish to convey here is that all designers need to work smarter in independently determining what their talent, skill and expertise are worth and charge the client accordingly – without question or apology. Being smart in determining what you should charge for your work will hopefully allow you to “work less, charge more” in the future.

Online resources (not linked above)

• Freelance Switch Rates Calculator
• Setting Your Rates: The Ultimate Guide
• How Much Do Designers Earn?
• 9 Factors to Consider When Determining Your Price
• 7 Tips on Quoting Freelance Projects

Books to help with pricing

• AIGA Professional Practices in Graphic Design
• Business and Legal Forms for Graphic Designers, by Tad Crawford and Eva Doman Bruck (with a CD of business form templates)
• Digital Design Business Practices: For Graphic Designers and Their Clients, by Liane Sebastian\
• Graphic Artists Guild Handbook: Pricing and Ethical Guidelines
• Graphic Designer’s Guide to Pricing, Estimating & Budgeting, by Theo Stephan Williams
• The Business of Graphic Design, by Ed Gold
• The Business Side of Creativity, by Cameron Foote
• The Creative Business Guide to Running a Graphic Design Business, by Cameron Foote
• The Graphic Designer’s Guide to Clients: How to Make Clients Happy and do Great Work, by Ellen Shapiro

So… how do you set your prices?

20% Off Unlimited Freelancer eBook

A few weeks back I let you guys know about an eBook that I was eagerly awaiting, that book was called the Unlimited Freelancer and soon after that I wrote a review of the book and got comments from the community about what they thought.

Well since then, due to it’s popularity and great feedback, the book has become a sponsor for Just Creative Design and now available to JCD readers only, you can get 20% off the book.

Click here to check out the book and use the code “JCDReaders” to claim your 20% discount. The discount is only avaialble to the first 30 buyers so Godspeed.

Becoming A Successful Freelancer: The Unlimited Freelancer eBook Review

Last week I wrote up a small post letting you know about a new eBook release I was eagerly awaiting… that book was the The Unlimited Freelancer written by Mason Hipp and James Chartrand.

Well, I have been lucky enough to get an advance copy to review on here for you guys so listen in if you wanna know how to become a successful freelancer / designer.

Overview

The book starts off with a short question to see if you are the right person for their book…

Would you like a life that lets you grow, enjoy more free time, do what you love every day, make more money, and build a valuable business?

If you said yes, then this book is for you.

Well, that pretty much got me sucked in - who wouldn’t want that? And if you already do have some of that, why wouldn’t you want more?

But in saying this, I am also pretty sceptical of eBooks, they all claim to be the answer to end all answers, but as I have been following Mason & James’ blogs for a while, I knew that I wouldn’t be disappointed.

Mason & James write in their usual crisp and polished style that I have come to expect on their blogs. The 200 page book is easy to understand, to the point and genuinely helpful with many practical tips. You can read the full list of topics on their sales page (which is also quite short and to the point).

I would, however, have to say that the book is probably geared a bit more towards freelancers who have had some experience in their trade, and with some knowledge of business. Another criticism would be that it doesn’t provide enough visual examples… the book is rather text heavy which I suppose works for some, but personally I prefer visuals.

But other than that, I would have to congratulate Mason and James on this truly resourceful book… If you’re a freelancer of any sort - (designer, journalist, blogger, etc) then this is a book worth checking out.

*Affiliate

How To Become A Successful Freelancer / Designer

It is not very often that I get excited about an eBook launch (if ever) but for some strange reason I can’t wait for this one to come out…

The book I am talking about is called The Unlimited Freelancer and it is written by two extremely experienced freelancers (Mason Hipp of Freelance Folder and James Chartand of Men With Pens).

Basically, the book is going to tell you how to grow to your full potential as a freelancer, whether you be a designer or an acrobat… ok maybe not an acrobat but you get the point.

I’m not going to say much more, but I can’t wait to read this book - all 200 pages! I’m mostly looking forward to the part about making more money and expanding your business.

I will be posting a review of this book when it is launched next week but in the mean time, you may want to check out the pre-launch page to see what it’s all about.

*Affiliate

PayPal Fees | Should You Charge Your Clients?

To charge or not to charge, that is the question.

When accepting payments via PayPal, PayPal takes a percentage of what ever you are paid and this fee usually ranges between 1.9% to 3.9% - think of this fee based over a year - if you are earning $50,000 a year, you are losing $1750 worth of your hard earned cash. Times that by 5 years… well you get the point.

At present, my opinion is that you should charge your clients PayPal fees however I would like to hear both sides of the story. I have listed some reasons for both sides below.

David Airey also posted an article on how designers charge their clients which outlines various alternative methods of payment along with further discussions on the subject.

Reasons To Charge Your Clients

• More profit - The most obvious reason to charge your clients PayPal fees would be to keep your cash rather than PayPal take it which in turn, improves your cash flow, profits, etc.
• It is an acceptable practice - many small businesses charge a fee to use their credit card services and for a good reason… it really does add up. As freelancers, we generally work as sole traders so we also classify as small business, thus making it acceptable.
• It is a small price to pay for a client - 1.9% - 3.5% is a very low fee to charge for a client in comparison to your earnings.

Reasons NOT To Charge Your Clients

• Higher fees for the client - Your services become more expensive which may lead to your clients going elsewhere. Generally, these small fees are not a huge problem unless you have large or repetitive projects.
• Poor cash flow - When clients pay by cheque it can take longer to receive your payment which decreases cash flow. You also have to take into consideration the 3-4 days it takes to withdraw your money from PayPal.
• Loss of clients - If you have recurring clients, the fees can add up over time and they may go elsewhere to find someone who does not charge PayPal fees.
• PayPal is risky - There has been instances where the client has claimed a dispute with PayPal saying that they never received what they paid for. This means your money can get held up for weeks on end.
• Can be seen as unprofessional - Some clients may consider charging fees unprofessional and possibly unethical.
• Against PayPal Terms Of Service - Someone mentioned that charging your clients PayPal fees is against PayPal’s terms of service however I have not seen any confirmation of this. Confirmed - it is against PayPal’s TOS.

Poll

I also ran a poll on Twitter (follow me) to see how many people charge clients PayPal fees and how many do not. Cast your vote to see the current results.

Update: Steven also did a great write up about PayPal fees here.

Comment Below

1. What is your opinion?
2. Have you got any more reasons for or against charging clients PayPal fees?
3. Do you show that you have incorporated the PayPal fee into your price or not?

A First Hand Guide On How To Start Freelancing

In this guest article, Jacen Nicely goes through the first hand personal experiences of becoming a freelance designer detailing the emotions and the three phases of the process (research, planning and implementation) of going from frustrated to a full time freelancer. This article is applicable to all freelancers, not just designers.

When Jacob first threw out the offer on Twitter (Follow Jacob On Twitter) to write a post for his website before he left on his trip around Australia I responded with““I would offer but I don’t have any examples of written work, just the last 6 months of planning & implication of starting my business.”

I mean I’m a nobody you’ve never heard of right? This is why I really didn’t expect much from that but I was shocked with how Jacob responded back which was “If you think you can get an article out of your experiences and benefit others, why not?”

I may be a nobody but I am a nobody that has been struggling with a way to escape the desk job life for almost six months now which I am sure there are many others who could relate with me in that scenario.

Over the past few months I have researched, planned and implemented my way into a new life of freelancing and what I wanted to do was show you what it was like for me to go from frustrated to the first client in six months. The article details the three main phases of the process: research, planning and implementation of becoming a freelancer.

Making The Choice To Freelance

You could feel free to name your typical frustrated cubicle jockey situation where thoughts of meaningfulness fly around in your head on rotating shifts. Thoughts like “What am I doing” and “Is this what I am going to do for the rest of my life?” were a Monday through Friday routine. I knew the answer to the second question for sure and it was a very emphatic negative.

I had been surfing around the web and discovered entire websites dedicated freelancing and the art of how to start and I was instantly hooked. I had been working with Photoshop for around 7 years and enjoyed doing random projects for friends and family, all of which paid in meals, which was fine with me because I always got the steak. So I knew that I enjoyed doing the work but I didn’t really like not getting paid. This freelancing gig seemed like a good deal, you find work and people actually pay you for the work you do.

Doing The Research

So I began my search for how people were starting out and I found a lot of resources available out there, this site being one of them and found that it wasn’t that hard to start up. There were a lot of great ideas out there of what one needed to be aware of before taking the plunge.

Mostly articles about getting started as a freelancer, pricing ones self and independent insurance coverage cost, which if you are a family man like I am that is pretty important for the sanity of your entire household. There were many of great resources for anything that you could possibly dream up on sites like Freelance Switch, Freelance Folder and Vandelay Design.

These along with Just Creative Design were my top four inspirations for getting started, which if words were to actually have a weight measure then these sites would have TONS of information for any eager wannabe freelancer out there.

To this day one of my favorite posts is Jacob’s “Why logo design does not cost $5.00” because it helped give me a sense of value to the work I did and erased the fear of quoting a cost to someone even if it seemed a little “expensive” in their eyes. I also found other sites like FreshBooks or Zoho Invoicing to assist with looking extremely professional when it comes to sending an estimate or letting someone know you mean business by sending a bill for services rendered.

Planning

I was stoked to say the least, here were all of these mostly free resources to utilize so that I could basically operate out of my home in my pajamas should I desire, but I needed a plan.

I couldn’t just be excited everyday and not do anything. There came a time to face quite possibly two of the most dangerous words in the entire English language, Personal Responsibility.

To be comfortable with that I wanted to make sure there would be enough funds in the bank to cover any unforeseen trouble in case one month didn’t go as well as another. I believed 6 months of my gross income saved up would be enough and I set a date one year from then to have that money saved.

I also wanted to make sure of exactly what services I was going to offer and I knew that I was most comfortable with print type projects but I knew that there was some major money to be made with website and blog designs.

I actually ended up teaming up with a friend of mine that I have known for almost 15 years that has a lot of excellent experience in developing web sites. So now I knew how much money I needed to save and what services I was going to offer now all I needed to do was to start getting my name out there. Which leads me to the next section.

Implementation:

I decided to get some business cards and a small brochure, make a list of local business’s that didn’t have a web site or who desperately needed a makeover and drop by for a visit. Editors note: You may like to read A Guide On How Freelancers Can Compete Against Large Design Studios.

I also decided that whenever I would meet someone and they would ask what I did I would make sure and tell them that I was a graphic designer who designed anything from wedding invitations to websites. This really did two things, it boosted my confidence and it opened up a lot of opportunities for some business card projects and yes even a wedding invitation.

It’s amazing what a little eye contact and decent suit will get you. Those projects gave me a lot of encouragement… it helped me to think that this could actually be done. I started letting other people know what I was doing. I sent out a letter to every friend and family member whose address I had and I got a couple of projects out of that as well until recently we got our first order for a full-on e-commerce website and logo.

It’s hard, tedious and I am pulling some late nights but I honestly love it. Editors note: You may want to read the article Freelancers: Inspire yourself, Vary your Working Environment to help you become more productive.

Conclusion:

• It is completely worth putting your man/woman pants on and owning up to what you want to do in life.
• Personal responsibility isn’t so scary once you commit to the pursuit of your dream.
• The more action that I took towards making a freelancers life, the better I felt about the decision I made.

Can you relate to Jacen’s experience? What resources have helped you the most in your freelancing career?