Small business owners love creative service providers like graphic artists and writers. They offer the ability to get work done with out having to hire a part-time or full-time staff person, or without having to assign the task to a staff person who may already be overloaded. In addition, these service providers bring a valuable skill set to your business. Whether you’re creating a website, developing marketing materials or just refreshing the look of your business, the right creative service provider can be an integral part of your strategy. Here are a few tips to help you get the most from your creative service provider.
What Your Creative Service Provider Needs
Communicate. A creative service provider works best when he or she knows something about your business, and knows your end goal. Talk to your creative service provider about your business and your goals during the initial consultation. Before you meet with a new creative service provider for the first time, spend a few minutes thinking about the image you want your business to project. Bring examples of what you do and don’t like to the meeting to share with the creative service provider. By communicating how you want to present your business to prospective customers and what kinds of designs you generally prefer, you’ll give the creative service provider a very good foundation to work from.
Communicate. Let your creative service provider know the best way to get in touch with you, and make yourself available when he or she contacts you. Identify your preferred method(s) of communication and how long it may take you to return a decision or provide feedback. Your service provider may not need instant feedback on a draft or a decision, but delaying a response for days or weeks can really take a bite out of the creative process. Providing timely feedback will ultimately produce a higher quality result and a shorter production turnaround.
Communicate. A creative service provider can offer a wide range of services for your business. If the service provider asks for something you can’t (or don’t want to) provide – draft copy or photographs, for example – let your service provider know that up front. Good service providers develop relationships with other creative providers who can step in and fill in the gaps. This can be a relatively inexpensive way to keep the creative process moving forward and relieve you of a responsibility you may not be comfortable with.
If you would like more information about working with a creative service provider, or would like a consultation with us, please contact our Creative Director, Dave Ramsell or give Dave a call at (330) 243-0651 to set up a consultation.
Photo Credit: channah, via FreeImages.com
