1. Give a Discount
The most obvious way to save your clients money is to give them a discount. Of course, this can work in your favor as potential clients looks for ways to save money they will clearly notice lower design fees. In order to make this a better situation for you as the designer, consider offering a discount for clients who will pay you up front and on a specific schedule. It may also help to give the client a flat rate… this way they know what they’re spending from the start.
2. Print for Less
Another great way to save the client money, and therefore make your proposals more attractive, is to reduce printing costs. You can potentially keep your fees and profit the same, while reducing the cost of paper or inks, and offer the client a lower price for a project. Lighter weight or lower quality paper costs less, but can still look great when what goes on them is designed well. Longer turnaround times can also save money, as can online printers. Show the client several options for printing, with the advantages and trade-offs for each.
3. Reduce Fees
Take a look at some of the fees you pay for design or business-related services and products. There are often many ways to reduce or eliminate some costs. Examine things such as:
- Web hosting – Are you paying too much to host your website?
- Magazines – Do you need all the magazines you currently subscribe to?
- Software – Having every little application is great, but do you need them all to operate your business?
- Hardware – You want the latest equipment, but is it necessary to have it this year?
4. Promote for Less
This may not be the year to go for the expensive advertising options. There are plenty of ways to promote your business for little or no money, such as:
These all take time, but there is less of a monetary investment.
5. Working Within Budgets
When you do find a client that has a low budget, there are several ways to work with them, and often while finding benefits beyond pay:
