Tips and FAQ when hiring a branding firm.
Hiring is hard, you don’t want to make a mistake and lose momentum, time, and money on a failed project. I know I’ve been there. Working with a consultant, whether it’s to develop your branding or something else, can be stressful. In most cases, it’s critical that communication between client and consultant is clear, respectful, and structured. In this post, I’m going to share 5 general tips on working with a consultant and 5 of the most frequently asked questions I get from clients interested in working with a branding firm.
5 Tips on working with a freelance designer, small branding firm, or consultant.
In general, never assume! Be as transparent about your goals and expectations as possible. Most humans are not mind readers, so do your homework to articulate what you need and how you like to work. Ask your consultant to do the same. What’s their process and their expectations? The goal is to get on the same page as quickly as possible and become partners in the process.
1. Write a creative brief. Include your goals, budget, timeline, and deliverables. This is especially important when getting quotes from multiple people – you want an apples to apples quote.
2. Get a detailed quote. The quote should include things like project phases, how many revisions are included, and a schedule for the process. This provides a roadmap and shared understanding of the process.
3. Create a mood board for your creative ideas. A consultant is only as good as the input they get and the constructive feedback they get from you, the client. If you have ideas in your head, find inspiration online and take screen shots. Create a collage of inspiration (or mood board) so that you can show instead of tell your consultant what you’re envisioning.
Sample Design Brief
4. Write your mission statement & value propositions. This is essential for both you and the consultant. If you can’t clearly articulate your mission, your goals, and how you differentiate yourself in the market then you’re not quite ready to brand your business or work with a consultant.
5. Define your audience. Again, without knowing who your business is speaking to, it’s very difficult to create branding that is effective and resonates with your audience. Who are they demographically, culturally, socially? If you’re struggling with the foundational elements of branding your business, check out this online branding course that guides you through these steps and will make you... the best client ever, saving you time and money!
5 Frequently asked questions by clients.
Of course, each freelancer or firm will answer these questions slightly differently, but in my over 30 years of experience this is generally the norm.
1. How much will wil working with a freelancer or branding firm cost?
It all depends on the scope of work, consultant’s experience level, and size of the firm. It can range anywhere from $1,000 to $25,000 and up. There are a couple of ways to approach fee structure, this should be determined before any work begins, ideally in a contract.
Freelancers generally charge by the hour ($75 to $250 is a range) but can also work within a flat fee for a well defined project. Small firms or agencies will generally estimate a total project fee and will have allotted hours for each task. If they go over or there are changes to the scope, they will issue a change order before proceeding. Here are a few key considerations;
Make sure the scope is clearly defined and hours are estimated before proceeding whether it is an hourly project or flat fee.
Be clear on how many changes are allowed within a task – three is the general rule.
Expenses such as printouts, purchasing fonts, or any specialized work will be billed as an additional expense.
The clearer you are (see the above tips) with your goals and feedback, the more streamlined and less expensive the process.
2. Do you have to pay all of it up front?
In general, the project is scoped in thirds and payment is tied to approval of each segment. For instance, a designer will usually charge a third to start a project, a third upon creative approval, and a third once all the deliverables are completed.
3. What is the process and how long does it take?
Again, this depends upon the scope of the project and timely feedback from the client. Reasonably, a branding package for a small to midsize business should take about 1-4 months depending upon both the client and consultant’s schedule. As mentioned above, scoping the project in thirds makes the most sense. For example;
• intake > strategy
• creative exploration > creative refinement > final creative
• production > deliverables
4. What if I have confidential information?
Generally, the designer will sign a simple NDA (non-disclosure agreement) or it can be included in the overall contract.
5. What if I don’t like it in the end?
It’s really important to articulate your vision in concrete terms (a mood board) and also be open to other ideas. Another consideration is to make sure that the designer or firm’s style is similar to what you are looking for. Designers have distinct capabilities so don’t expect them to be jack of all styles. Along the way, if you are unhappy, stop the work immediately and discuss it with your consultant. Hopefully, you are able to get back on track. If not, usually a kill fee is written into the contract and you can agree to part ways, only after paying for work that has been done to date.
Armed with this knowledge, and with clear guidelines and respectful communication, working with a designer, small firm, or agency to brand your business can be a rewarding and super fun experience!