How to survive the “design apocalypse” by setting up your own agency
When the design industry was at its most precarious during the recession, three creatives who were made redundant decided to start out on their own and form Blush design agency in Manchester. One of the co-founders, Alex Dempsey, gives us his advice on the dos and don’ts of starting an agency from scratch.
Almost exactly two years ago, my world, or at least my career felt like it was ending. My future job security was left teetering over a precipice when one afternoon, out of the blue our company director uttered the c-word – “closure.”
At after work drinks with non-designer friends, any mention of work-related stress is often met with jibes such as “did you lose a felt-tip today?” However as any good designer knows, graphic design is all about ideas, and as everyone else knows, the best ideas happen down the pub. Luckily for me, the nearest pub was only a two-minute cry away from my previous agency. Luckier still, not everyone ordering craft beer that day worked outside the industry. Three of my similarly doomed colleagues joined me that evening, and like the exhibitors at a university first-year graphics degree show, we all had the same idea. We decided to set up our own company.
As would-be design magnates two things were firmly in our favour; we all had more than enough experience – roughly 50 years combined, and like every other 9-to-5 zombie in the land, we had spent more time in each other’s company than with our respective families/partners over the last few years. This, we thought, would stand us in good stead through the fraught process of setting up shop, and any pressurised deadlines we would encounter.
Even more important than the good relationships we had forged between ourselves were the ones we had maintained with our previous clients: when starting out on your new business adventure burnt bridges are the last thing you need!
We decided the best course of action was to “split up” by working from home and communicating by Skype. This has turned out to be a real life-saver and very cost-effective.
Another surefire way to flirt with disaster must be to start a company amidst the burning embers of a global financial crisis, isn’t it? Well, someone very wise once said, “there’s opportunity in chaos” – and what we have found is that our size is actually one of our greatest strengths. We get to know clients very well, on a one-to-one basis, making for better understanding of their needs. This lack of complication and low overheads means we cost less than many larger agencies. Also, with everyone involved having a sense of ownership of our shiny new company any rare midnight deadlines are no burden.
If you want to stay alive in business then you can’t simply walk after new clients like a zombie, groaning endlessly when you don’t quite catch them. Instead we use any downtime to chase up new work and targeting attractive potential projects using carefully crafted bespoke direct mail pieces, alongside good old-fashioned networking and never being afraid to pick up the phone.
Design agency survival tips:
1. Choose your team wisely. You should trust these people with your life! (Or at least with your living).
2. Forge and maintain good client relationships.
3. Consider where you’ll be based – staying home may be the safest option initially.
4. Be prepared to put in the odd nightshift.
5. Diversify your skills, you never know what’s around the corner.
6. Get a good accountant to look after your money.
7. Never stop chasing new clients.