renee rodriguez designs

Contracts, Estimates & Invoices - Oh My!

Just the hearing the terms; contracts, estimates, budget, invoices & deposits make me want to run for cover. It is one part of the creative business process that I have been procrastinating for a while and when I do sit down to begin working on this particular facet to my business, I feel the need to nap.

But, I finally sucked it up and brewed a strong pot of coffee and chained myself to my desk for about 10 hours and cranked out the documents that I feel are important to my creative business.  I believe having these documents makes everyone feel more comfortable.

When someone selects me to create a design for their event or business, I want the experience to be an outstanding one!  Nowadays, we correspond so much through email, it is easy for things to be lost in translations. But, by having clear communication and documentation the possibility of a misunderstanding can be eliminated. 

 

I think it is very important to get to know who I am working with, so I usually begin the process with a phone call. This way, I can hear their excitement about the project, listen for clues and most importantly get to know who they are as a person. After my initial phone meeting, I write up a summary and email it to them for their review. This is to ensure we both know that I have interpreted their design expectations correctly. 

From there I begin my "Work Order" to price out the job and then present them with a "Design Estimate". Once they agree to the estimate, I will send them a contract to sign and at this time their deposit will required -  I send them a PayPal request,  I love the request because the money goes directly into my bank account and I don't have to be responsible for their credit card. 

If you are interested in taking a look at my documents you can download examples  Download Renee Rodriguez Design Forms.

I would love your feedback about my process and forms and welcome suggestions. Let me know what works for, your clients and your creative business.

My Brochure Is Complete! {cue music...}

Well, the day has finally arrived and I feel that this auspicious occasion deserves a theme song,  so for your listening pleasure...

 

Please take a few moments and join me in celebration by listening to Download 01 ~ At Last by the lovely Etta James

at last...

my brochure.

 

Instead of the traditional tri-fold brochure, I opted for an invitation style brochure to "invite" potential clients to choose me for their design needs.

 

the details are just the frosting - love frosting!

 double sided, rounded corner business cards - delightful!

 

swarovski crystal details - more frosting!

 

a good story is essential.

 

the end - or should I say - the beginning :)

I hope you enjoyed today's musical guest, I know I did!  And if you have not had the opportunity to download A List And A Latte, visit my last post and take a look - the list is becoming a vital part of developing my business plan, and I am starting to see the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. Also, I am starting to receive some positive feedback from others who have downloaded the list and are using it to launch their biz. Yay! 

 
 

The Journey Or The Destination?

Someone once said that it is about the journey not the destination! Lately I have been pondering these words of wisdom and have come to realize that the journey is critical in getting to the desired destination. Even though I would like to reach my goals as quickly as possible I know it is important to think about where I want to go and how in the world I am going to get there!

In order to see the dream of my design business come to fruition I needed to create a list of goals and set them with real intention. Six months ago I began this creative expedition and I am now beginning to see the fruits of my labor, one by one my goals are becoming reality. Believe me,  I am honest with my self and realize there is still a great deal of work left to do, but I think it is time for me to put my seat back in the upright position & tray table away because I am about to arrive at my intended destination!

 

In the beginning, I wrote down four major goals that I felt were important to the development of my business. Why four?  For me, any more than four would be too overwhelming and I needed to be clear about my destination. I thought long and hard about what I wanted to accomplish and once the thoughts were out of my head and finally on paper, I knew it was possible to break each one down and see it through to the end. 

What are my goals? 

#1 Turn my artwork into a line of stationery and invitations.

#2 Create a simplified business and marketing plan to assist in launching my business.

#3 Start an online presence with a website and blog.

#4 License my artwork.

 

In the past six months, I have been able to accomplish a great deal of work in a few hours every weekend (and a few nights) without becoming too overwhelmed. Today's post includes an updated version of "A List And A Latte"( Free PDF), I believe this process has been essential in helping me reach my desired goals, and I hope that it will help you as well. 

In addition, I have added a goal setting sheet with a sample of my "Project Categories" Eventually I will include everything from my experience in this little e-book, but in the meantime, I am offering a snapshot of my process, give it a try and let me know if it helps.  If you have questions or feedback, please don't hesitate to drop me a line. 

If you would like the complete set of lists click  Download A List And A Latte

Every Tuesday I will be here with more information until I cross off every item from my list. You can access other posts by going to the archives and clicking on A List And A Latte. If you would like to receive an email with new updates then pop on over to my website and click on "Contact" leave your email and I will add you to my list.

Thank you for stopping by today, I hope this post will help bring you closer to your dreams! I would love to hear from you and what is working as you continue on your creative journey!

A List And A Latte is for personal use only and may not be sold or reproduced.

  
  

My Brochure Design

I have been slaving over my company brochure for weeks! The plan is to create an "invitation" style brochure that will represent my stationery & invitations. My intention is to make it very visual and light on content with the hopes that people will then visit my website to find out more about pricing, the design process and all the service that I offer. I will also add this to my website as a digital brochure which can be downloaded as well.

I believe by having this "mini" portfolio to represent my design work will give potential clients a glimpse of who I am as a designer.

 

 

I still have a bit more tweaking to do and I want to include a few more services, in the meantime, I will print this and put it on my bulletin board along with paper and envelope samples, my business card and other branded materials. I usually like to keep it up for about a week, make notes and then move into the phase of design.

Once all of my branded materials are complete I promise to photograph and post them here. I think I am very close!

      

Perfect Packaging ~ Icing On The Cake

This weekend I not only enjoyed a great deal of sun, fun, friends and family, I also did a lot of thinking about how I want to package my note cards.  I love wonderful packaging and want to create something very fun - and economical - for my stationery line. 

I think that great packaging communicates the care that has gone into a product and also creates a sense of excitement for the recipient. When selecting a gift for someone,I am always drawn to interesting product packaging - it is sometimes a gift in itself!

I also love when I receive a package in the mail that has been carefully wrapped with beautiful tissue and sealed with lovely labels, or an unexpected little surprise has been included with my order. This is exactly the feeling that I want my customers to have as they open a package from me. It should be all about the experience from the minute someone receives their package!  And, hopefully they will think of me next time they want to make a purchase.

 

 
 
 

 

 

   
   
    

This phase of my creative business is such fun as I experiment with different ideas and try to keep it within my teeny tiny budget. I want it to be fun and an extension of the product and be environmentally friendly; something that can be reused again would be nice. I will be sure to share the results once the final decision has been made. In the meantime enjoy the wonderful packaging examples from: Lovely Package
 
 
 

About Me? Really?

There are many challenging tasks when you set out to launch any business, but what I seem to find excruciating is writing about myself, whether it is my FaceBook profile or the About Me page for my website,  I often find myself frozen as I stare at the computer screen and decide that it would be much easy to clean out my creepy basement.

When I visit other blogs and websites I get the feeling that it is quite effortless to most  - so many smart, witty and well crafted prose that gives the readers a glimpse into who the person really is - not to mention so many cute and chic photos.

   

What do people really want to know about me? 

Do they want to know the "real me" who loves daydreaming of owning a pair of Christian Louboutin shoes, but actually shops at DSW?  Or the fact that I feel quite good about myself when I wear my Spanx Power Panty, even though I get a bit light headed after about an hour. Or that I am a Marketing Director by day and really love what I'm doing, but still have a burning desire express myself as an artist?  I also wonder if any one is the least bit interested in the fact that I can polish off a pound of red Twizzlers in about 15 minutes, and that I haven't read the Twilight series? Or that I have the most beautiful fantasy of living in a fabulous apartment in Paris? 

Hmmmm... So you see my problem! How real is real?

So after months of analysis paralysis and sleepless nights I feel fairly satisfied with my approach - leaving out the part about my Power Panty of course. 

By blending together a nice mix about my family, education and what I love about creating invitations and stationery, I feel that it is a nice representation of who I am as a person. 

If you are interested in reading about me visit my website here. I am still having a few technical difficulties with my blog and will hopefully have a better about me page in the future.

   

I still need to figure out a cute & chic picture - another angst ridden post I'm sure!

photo: carl bengtsson, photo: 2 & 3: this is glamorous

Creating My Brand Identity

According to all marketing experts when creating a brand it is important to use an image that will reflect the company's personality. As I build my business, I want to make sure I have an image that will be true to who I am and true to my business - easier said than done - right?

The purpose behind my company is to create designs and stationery that are beautiful, fun, colorful, fashionable and modern. I want to keep alive the tradition of the hand written note and celebrate life's beautiful moments - I know that I'm not alone in my love of beautiful paper, packaging and celebration!

So, now that brings me to my brand. Below is my first business card design, while I do love this girl, I don't feel it exactly reflects who I am - I certainly don't have flowers floating around my head or butterflies following me, and only on occasion will I tilt my head to the side and smile ever so sweetly. However, I do love her houndstooth dress and flower brooch! I'm sure I will find a place for her, but not on my business card.

Now on to my swanky little party girl. While I do love, love, love this girl I don't really stand around sipping cosmos in a little black dress while wearing fabulous mules with little poofs on the toes - well maybe on the occasional girls night - a little too Carrie Bradshaw for my brand.

So, I guess it is no to her.

 

Now, about six months ago when I started my blog I decided to use the girl below because I think she is so darn cute and fun.  I Love her bouncy hair (no I don't have great bouncy hair) love her fabulous sunglasses, her cute little outfit and the fact that she cares about the environment (note flowers;) but most of all, I love how she walks with purpose while wearing cute shoes!

Ah ha! 

 
She is the one!!!

Since I love the houndstooth pattern that I created in the first image, I want to incorporate that in my business card as well. The result is a two-sided card - the image below is a bit small and light, but I think you can get the idea.

 

Well, there you have it decision 1 out of 100,000 made and one step closer to finishing my business plan - what do you think?

 
 

A List and A Latte - Creating A Project Plan

Last week I discussed the Business Plan Worksheet and created various categories that should be addressed when starting a new business. This week I am going to focus on one of the categories and create a Project Plan.

Beginning with the Business Details category, I divide it into a few more manageable lists and create four different Project Plans.

#1    Home Office Set Up

a) computer

b) printer

c) samples

d) supplies

    Desk & chair

    Storage unit

a) storage containers

    Phone 

I will add in the cost of all of these items and include them in my start-up costs.

#2    Order Process & Business Forms

a) Order Process 

b) Payment Process

c) Service Agreement/Contract

e) Design Process

#3    Mission Statement or Company Description

       a) About Me/Bio

       b) Photos of Products

        c) Photo of me

#4    Financial Overview

a) Start Up Cost

b) Personal Investment

c) Projected Revenue

Download List & Latte Project Plan

 

Once I have filled in my Project Plan I will then use the "Daily List" to assist in completing the tasks.  I have limited my list to 5 tasks and the ones that I don't complete will be moved to the next day's list. I try to do work on something everyday in order to make headway in building my plan.

Download Daily List

 

I hope that sharing today's post will help move you closer to your business goals. 

A List and A Latte - Business Plan Worksheet

Welcome to another edition of “A List and A Latte". – One Woman’s Guide To Launching A Creative Business. To recap, I am a marketing director who is in the process of starting a creative business.  I will be sharing the details of my experience along with free PDF downloads each and every Tuesday - if you happen to miss a week, just check in the archives under “A List and A Latte”.

Being visual by nature, I think the Business Plan Worksheet helps to put everything into perspective and makes the task of writing the plan a little less daunting.  This is my "Big Picture" and I can tweak and change it as often as I like - there are no steadfast rules, but there are certain things that will help keep everything on track. Below is a list of categories that I think are important to writing a successful plan.

           The Business Structure (last week’s post)

            Business Details

            Internet

            Brand

            Marketing

            Advertising

            Contracts/Service Agreements

            Vendors/Suppliers

            Product Development

Every business is different, so these are just a few areas that I am starting with, as my business changes, this worksheet will reflect those changes.

Below is a sample of how I am using the worksheet. (click to enlarge)

 

Download Business Plan Worksheet

To keep from getting overwhelmed with all the projects that are necessary in building a successful business, I prefer to break every task down into a smaller projects – yes there is a list for this as well - It gives me a jumping off point and keeps my  thoughts organized.  I feel so empowered as I cross something off my list, take sip of my non-fat triple latte and  move on to the next task. 

Next week I plan on creating my first project plan from this list.  I hope you found this helpful, please let me know how things are going with your fabulous business.

photo: flckr 

  

A List and A Latte - Creative Business Essentials

Last week I decided it was time to get the details of my design business out of my head and into a formal plan of action. I can see the big picture, but time and a very small budget are raining on my parade. So, welcome to my little experiment – launch a creative business, write a simple business & marketing plan, take care of my family and work full time job that I love. ( oh, don't forget about updating my status on FB)  Is it possible? Yes, I believe anything is possible with a bit of dedication, organization and passion.

Mind you, I don’t have a degree in business or marketing (Fine Arts degree) but I owned and operated a clothing boutique for eight years and forced the other side of my brain to become involved.  I am happy to say that the business became successful and I was able to sell it to someone who had aspirations of running a small business.

 

One thing I know is certain, you must write everything down. Make a plan and then follow it, tweak along the way when necessary and you will see your dreams come to reality - I forgot to mention that one of the secret ingredients to launching a business is to be VERY positive!  Another thing that I always remind myself is that it is not a race.

 I have read and researched countless books and articles, taken e-courses, subscribe to news feeds and sifted through a great deal of information on developing a business and marketing plan in today's world. (and wrote a couple as well) I found that it all comes down to one major tool - a list. Sounds a little too simple right? Well, since I don’t have a lot of time and I want to make this happen, I have created a series of lovely little lists to help keep me on track. The first one is the “Business Plan Checklist”. This is where I list all the essential business details and check them off one by one. 

This is what is on my list.

 

Now if you are in the start up phase of your business you can download my free checklist here and begin to organize the necessary details. I have also included a few links that might be of help to determine your legal structure and tax information. I would love to know if this works for you, so let me know.

Click here for list number 1.

Next week I will include my “Creative Business Worksheet”  - this is when the real fun begins!.

If you need further clarification about what type of legal structure is best for your business click here

For tax information the best place to visit is... drum roll please! The IRS

If you are a successful creative professional and would like to share what has worked for you, let me know and I will feature you on my blog.

photo one, photo two. journal