Books For Running Design & Creative Service Organizations

New! Fall 2011 Release.
The Creative Business Guide to Marketing.
Selling and Branding Design, Advertising, Interactive, and Editorial Services.

This book addresses the biggest challenge facing twenty-first century creative firms--marketing. It is for anyone who has had difficulty prospecting for clients, needs to know more about hiring and motivating new business development (sales) personnel, and has been less than successful in converting presentations into projects, and concepts into client-approved work. Contents include:

SECTION I. STRATEGIES AND TACTICS. Why marketing is important, creatives' hangups about it, how much to spend, developing a plan.

SECTION II. PROSPECTING AND CONTACTING. Finding new clients, hiring and compensating new business development (sales) personnel, prospect budgets and their relationship to pricing.

SECTION III. PRESENTING AND CLOSING. Preparation and self-confidence, the importance of differentation, when it is better to focus on a firm's processes and when on its portfolio, closing a presentation and getting the order.

SECTION IV. FOLLOWING UP. Proposals and paperwork, presenting concepts in a winning manner, strengthening relationships and keeping clients coming back for more.

SECTION V. APPENDICES. Seven examples of marketing mistakes, understanding the world of branding, twenty-one downloadable forms and templates, a marketing lexicon.

This book complements The Creative Business Guide to Running a Graphic Design Business and The Business Side of Creativity by providing a more thorough coverage of marketing issues.

Hardbound. 225 pages. Order directly from Creative Business or booksellers. (Author: Cameron Foote. Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company. ISBN: 978-0-393-73347-1)

Note: Many of the forms in The Creative Business Guide to Marketing are also available at Free Forms.

The Creative Business Guide to Marketing

Creative Business Newsletter Subscribers		Non-Subscribers
$40 (Mailed to U.S. addresses)	$55 (Mailed to Canadian addresses)	$45 (Mailed to U.S. addresses)	$60 (Mailed to Canadian addresses)

Prices are US$ and include shipping by USPS media post to United States addresses, and by air post to Canadian addresses. (Due to high postage rates, books cannot be sent to other countries.)

The Creative Business Guide to Running a Graphic Design Business. Second Revised Edition.

With over 12,000 copies in print,The Creative Business Guide to Running a Graphic Design Business is the industry's best-selling and most comprehensive management text. Design schools use it to teach design management. Experienced principals use it to see how they stack up against industry practices and metrics. Newly revised, this second edition addresses all the issues facing twenty-first century design organizations. Contents include:

SECTION I. ORGANIZATION. Establishing a solid foundation, structuring & facilities, and obtaining outside support services.

SECTION II. PERSONNEL. Policies & procedures, hiring good staff, motivating, creative direction, and dismissing.

SECTION III. MARKETING. Positioning the firm, promoting its services, and managing sales & sales personnel.

SECTION IV. OPERATIONS. Pricing services, working with clients, growing the business, financial & profit benchmarks, maintaining personal balance, and valuation & cashing out.

SECTION V. APPENDICES. Twenty-five management standards, six management case histories, and samples & forms.

With its focus on the management of a multiperson organization, this book complements the best-seller The Business Side of Creativity described below. That book addresses freelancing, and the basics of pricing, selling, and running a small design or marketing communications business.

Softbound. 416 pages. Order directly from Creative Business or booksellers. (Author: Cameron Foote. Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company. ISBN: 978-0-393-73299-3)

Note: Many of the forms in The Creative Business Guide to Running a Graphic Design Business are available at Free Forms.

The Creative Business Guide to Running a Graphic Design Business

Creative Business Newsletter Subscribers		Non-Subscribers
$30 (Mailed to U.S. addresses)	$45 (Mailed to Canadian addresses)	$35 (Mailed to U.S. addresses)	$45 (Mailed to Canadian addresses)

Prices are US$ and include shipping by USPS media post to United States addresses, and by air post to Canadian addresses. (Due to high postage rates, books cannot be sent to other countries.)

The Business Side of Creativity. Third Revised Edition.

This is the most popular book ever published on establishing and running a creative business. Nine printings, three editions, over 35,000 sold. Based on input from thousands of creatives, The Business Side of Creativity covers everything from starting out to checking out in a clear and practical, real-world manner. Contents include:

SECTION I. ESTABLISHING A FREELANCE BUSINESS. What you need to know to start and run a single-person operation. Includes norms, standards, and appropriate expectations.

SECTION II. PRICING, COLLECTING, & TAXATION. How to charge for time, prepare estimates, and keep more of what you make. Includes pricing and collecting benchmarks.

SECTION III. SELLING & MARKETING. Where the opportunities are, portfolio preparation and presentation, and employing sales help. Includes how much to spend and what to expect.

SECTION IV. RUNNING A MULTI-PERSON SHOP. Hiring staff, good management practices, systems procedures, and profitability. Includes key operating and performance ratios.

SECTION IV. APPENDICES. Dozens of sample forms, procedures, and plans.

With its focus on the basic essentials of running a creative business, this book complements The Creative Business Guide to Running a Graphic Design Business described above.

Softbound. 432 pages. Order directly from Creative Business or booksellers. (Author: Cameron Foote. Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company. ISBN: 0-393-73207-X)

Note: Many of the forms in The Business Side of Creativity are available at Free Forms.

The Business Side of Creativity (Third revised edition)

Creative Business Newsletter Subscribers		Non-Subscribers
$30 (Mailed to U.S. addresses)	$45 (Mailed to Canadian addresses)	$35 (Mailed to U.S. addresses)	$45 (Mailed to Canadian addresses)

Prices are US$ and include shipping by USPS media post to United States addresses, and air post to Canadian addresses. (Due to high postage rates, books cannot be sent to other countries.)

Booklets

For a description of the content click on the appropriate link below.

Creative Business' Fifty Business Standards	Creative Business' Pricing and Billing Standards
Creative Business' Personnel Policy Standards	Creative Business' Valuation and Sale Standards