"This refreshing, straight-talking advice guide from Logo Design Love author and designer David Airey answers the questions all designers have about launching and running their own design businesses. In fact, the book was inspired by the many questions David receives from the more than 600,000 designers who visit his three blogs -- Logo Design Love, Identity Designed, and DavidAirey.com -- each month." -- back cover

Annotation Unlike other dry business books, this refreshing, straightforward guide from Logo Design Love author and international designer David Airey answers the questions all designers have when first starting out on their own. In fact, the book was inspired by the many questions David receives every day from the more than 600,000 designers who visit his three blogs (Logo Design Love, Identity Designed, and DavidAirey.com) each month.How do I find new clients? How much should I charge for my design work? When should I say no to a client? How do I handle difficult clients? What should I be sure to include in my contracts?Davids readersa passionate and vocal groupregularly ask him these questions and many more on how to launch and run their own design careers. With this book, David finally answers their pressing questions with anecdotes, case studies, and sound advice garnered from his own experience as well as those of such well-known designers as Ivan Chermayeff, Jerry Kuyper, Maggie Macnab, Eric Karjaluoto, and Von Glitschka. Designers just starting out on their own will find this book invaluable in succeeding in todays hyper-networked, global economy

• Essential traits
• Never stop learning
• Find your niche
• Pros and cons of self-employment
• Work direct or be a subcontractor?
• Planning for success
• Brand naming
• Designing your brand identity
• Working from home versus renting space
• Launching your online presence
• Marketing yourself and finding good clients
• Why bigger business isn't always better
• Legalities, integrity, and morality
• How do you manage Projects?
• Choose clients widely
• Handling the client approach
• Pricing your work
• Terms and conditions
• How to best present your work
• Before we Depart
• The mentors speak
• A future without clients
• Keep the fire burning
• Resources