CLIENT:  Self-Employed Creative Professionals (SECP), of IABC; City of Portland

PROJECT:  Create an educational brochure to help clients hire and work with independent creative  professionals

ROLE:  Project manager; writer and editor

EXCERPT:

Why Hire a Self-Employed Creative Professional?

* For unique or specialized skills (eliminating the time and money to train yourself or an employee)

* For one-time projects or as a backup for overload situations (no ongoing expenses or commitments)

* For a fresh perspective for your business

...

Before You Go Shopping for a Creative Professional

Carefully lay the groundwork. The better you plan, the better your creative professional(s) will perform -- and the better your results.


MESSAGE

* What is your message? What do you want to say?

* Do you want this piece to educate or motivate?

* Are you selling a product, service, or idea?

* Avoid the temptation of making one marketing project (ad, brochure, event, etc.) serve a multitude of purposes.

* Keep it simple and concise (your creative professional will help you determine the content, look, and feel of your message).


AUDIENCE

* Who is your primary audience?

* How much does your audience already know about your message? In order to nail down the audience, nail down the message first.


MEDIUM / VENUE

* How (in what format) will this message reach your audience? (e.g., print: direct mail; electronic: your Web site)

* Where will this message reach your audience? (e.g., at work, at home)


BUDGET

* Know what your resources are and share that information with your creative professionals up front.

* Ask for estimates based on the project you have in mind. Expect it to take a few days for the creative professional to provide you with this information, depending on the project's scope/complexities.


TIMELINE / PRODUCTION SCHEDULE

* Allow plenty of time for planning and executing your project.

* Note the factors that affect a timeline -- number of people involved, length of project, stage of development, etc.

* Be aware that a generous time frame saves you money, reduces stress, and results in a superior product.

* Build in extra time for possible delays.

* If you're faced with a short turnaround, lower your expectations and be prepared for relatively higher costs.

* Recognize that scheduling is often an evolutionary process.



OTHER PROJECTS / WORK COMPLETED: