I have been wondering for a while now how potential clients perceive the idea of a freelance designer. Since I started freelancing 3 years ago, like many freelancers I have simply been trading under my own name, but am now trying to decide if that is the way to continue or if I should work under the guise of a company name.
How freelancing under your own name could be an advantage:
- If you are looking for work from design agencies/printers they are less likely to feel threatened that you could potentially take their clients
- A company may approach freelance designers as a cheaper alternative to an agency (not sure if this is a good or bad thing)
- People like to talk directly to the person who is working on their project
- People like the idea that you are upfront about being a one man band
- Your client is more likely to feel like a big fish in a small pond, a feeling that they are valued by you as a client.
How trading under a design company name could be an advantage:
- You can make yourself seem like a much larger company than the one-man-band you are. This could open up the doors to working with clients who may not have considered a freelance designer
- If you do expand and decide to take on employees you already have a company name in place.
- If you decide to outsource some work it goes under the companies name rather than you giving the impression that you are the hands on designer.
I am still debating the best option, to continue freelancing under my own name, trade under a company name or do both. If you are a freelancer, what do you find is the best route for you?
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18 Comments
Hi! I noticed you visited my blog at 6doi.net, I was wondering what impression you had about the design, since you are in design.. Also, what do you think I should work on??
By the way, I love your blog!
Hi Nicholas,
Thanks for your comments, I’m glad you like it.
Regarding your site, maybe you could introduce a background to your header and create more of a logotype with your heading. My design experience lies more in design for print than web.
Why don’t you ask for suggestions on your blog? There are alot of good web designers blogging who I am sure will be glad to give you a bit of advice.
You know, with the writing that I do, I’ve just never even thought about it. You are so right about people being helpful. I meet them every day in this vast blogosphere..
I think I’ll be taking your advice. I may just post an open ended invitation to a graphic designer.
Thank you so much!! I really appreciate your time in responding!
I started off as a freelancer, and with a stupid ego which disables me to work under anyone i decided to open my own with a partner.
I like to keep it low profile with same freelancing rates till i get popular in the market. The truth is i am stressing more on my USP thats faster and lower than other companies. I still get orders as a freelancer, but just leave a note that i opened a company.. they are not bothered till they get their designs well.
Yes, the thing i hate the most is people demading work for free, and then asking modifications from scratch.
Hi – nice site you have here. Very interesting stuff
This may seem like a weird angle… but what if you don’t like your name? It’s just not catchy, doesn’t roll off the tongue easily, isn’t sexy?
I am actually completely happy with my name, but at the same time I think it would be a bad name for a business for the reasons above. Not all names are very marketable.
That said, can a startup freelancer using a a trading name appear somewhat pretentious?
I think you’ve made some good arguments for both cases above.
Hi Aaron,
Many thanks
I hadn’t thought of that, but you are right. You can spend ages trying to come up with a good company name, one that’s Catchy, but I just hadn’t thought of that applying to my own name.
Aaron makes a good point about seeming pretentious when using a trading name for a one person entity.
When I first started out I traded under New Dawn Graphics. It didn’t take long to scrap that in favour of David Airey.
If it’s just you, I say use your name. If you take on employees then that’s the time to think about a more generic business name. Even then you can continue to use your own name. Look at Ogilvy, Anderson etc.
I had the decision thrust upon me rather than making it independently.
It’s becoming increasingly difficult in the UK to be a freelance lone trader. I had a client from a large multi-national company paying me with personal cheques because he couldn’t put me on the payroll!
I went for Rob Cubbon Ltd because my URL is http://robcubbon.com and I think that’s all important these days. It’s funny because I’m older now and I kind of prefer being called Robert!
Don’t worry, Robert.
robertcubbon.com is still available.
Not any more, I just bought it
Looks like I’m “Rob” forever more!
with reference to the original post: please view my website: http://www.reactivegraphics.net
You wouldn’t think that I’m merely a freelancer from my site would you? When i say ‘we’ within the content I’m actually referring to me and my cat dave!
Hi Steven
I’m sure Dave is very productive
I took my nick name (alvo from Alvaro) and Lastname and made it into a design studio name, but still people can se the man on top of it. alvoluksic is the hat I wear so it resumes both my name and works as a company when I need to apply for a big job.
To Steven:
You are right, from your website it does indeed look like you have a team behind you. But you see, that may not actually be an advantage. Some companies prefer to work with freelancers because of their personal touch and the likes. And on the other hand, making your company look ‘larger’ than it actually is may not necessarily be an advantage – you get jobs that are out of your depth or too large for yourself to handle.
Personally I go the other route, using my personal name. But again, the decision is made because the company I am currently working in has this ‘intriguing’ clause in the contract (I should’ve read it through before signing I know). During and 12 months after my employment, I am not allowed to start a business in the same vein as my current company, nor use the works I did as portfolio.
Using my personal name then gives me a point to argue. I’m putting works that I did from work as portfolio, as this is merely my ‘personal portfolio’. And I’m not setting my own practice per say, but merely working on projects that are out of scope in my company.
I don’t think there is any real differences in the marketing possibilities if you use your own name or create company name, a cross maybe is the ideal scenario. I am a web developer – based in Poland and my team often work with one person companies that appear to have loads of staff, not least a digital team! we have also worked with larger companies that go under the name of the person who started the company.
I find both have advantages and it what it comes down to is the clients you are trying to target. Not many corporate everyday companies will use freelance designers whereas more large companies like ford, who maybe working on a project will use a well recognised freelance designer.
I also have the same dilema, but have a completely uninteresting name Michelle Thomas ,…… boring. I think maybe i should go with something more targeted… and that maybe the wording of the site should state that i am a 1 man operation ?? what do you think ?