As a small business owner, you are probably acutely aware of the bottom line. With expenses such as storefront rental, staff salaries, insurance, the ever-rising prices at the gas pumps, etc., it may seem as if you have nothing left for your marketing efforts. But, you can't just sit back and hope that your potential customers will simply stumble upon you. You need to go out and find them.

Marketing and promotion should be a key component in your business plan. You certainly realize the importance and usefulness of brochures, print advertising, yellow pages advertising, even your business cards and letterhead say a lot about your company. These items are often the first contact that your new customers will have with your company and their desire to do business with you can often be directly effected by the impression that your collaterial materials give.

Clearly, this is not an area where you should be cheap. Good, targeted promotional materials are an investment. Conversly, poorly designed advertising can actually cost you money in the form of lost customers. Are these types of items that you should attempt to make yourself or have done by your good friend's son who has a pirated copy of Adobe Photoshop? Obviously not!

Finding a designer

A qualified graphic designer or design firm is vital to the success of your marketing efforts, but how do you find the right one? Unfortunately, there are no required certifications or licenses required to sell one's services as a print designer. There are literally tens of thousands of individuals that call themselves "Designers" whose experience can range from those with a Masters Degree and 20 years experience all the way down to high school students hacking away in their bedrooms. Which ones have the experience, talent and resources to handle your project within your budget and timeframe?

Well, luckily there are several resources that you can tap into to help narrow that huge number down. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Referrals - Are you a member of any professional organizations, chamber of commerce, or similar? Ask those that you know. You will be more comfortable getting a personal recommendation from someone that you trust.

2. On the Web - There are several "watering holes" where designers tend to hang out. Try the following web sites:

- www.aiga.com - (American Institute of Graphic Arts) This is a membership association that represents more than 16,000 designers. On their site you can conduct a search for designers using criteria such as location and area of expertise.

- www.designoutpost.com - For the budget conscious. This is a very unique site because you actually set your own price and member designers will design pieces for you to choose from. Certainly worth a look if money is of major concern.

- www.elance.com - By registering and posting the details of your project, member designers will place bids. You can then select one and commence with your project. There are thousands of designers associated with www.elance.com so chances are pretty darn good that you'll find one that fits your needs.-

3. Collections - Grab and keep every brochure or ad that catches your eye. Contact the companies and ask who their design firm is. Not quite the same as a personal referral but close.

Portfolio Review

Once you narrow down to a dozen or so possible firms it's time to make contact. One of the first things to ask for is their portfolio. Most designer's now have work samples posted on the web so this should be easy. What are you looking for? Style. Quality. Variety.

At this point you should be most concerned with their previous work. You want to find a designer that has produced work in the past that fits your personal and business tastes. Do you need a clean, feminine look for your catering business or a tough-as-nails, masculine style for your earth-moving company? Most designers have a natural style and you want one that fits your vision.

Keep in mind that designing for print requires a different set of skills and knowledge than designing web pages. Be sure that the designers that you interview can show you samples that they have taken completely through to the final printed piece. It's not too difficult to make a good looking ad on screen but getting it to print properly can sometimes be difficult. And this is one area where experience definately counts.

Interview

After you further narrow down the list, make time to discuss your project with them. Be clear about what you need and what you want to accomplish. The more accurate that you are about your expectations, the more accurate the designer can be with his or her price quote.

What resources does the designer have at their disposal? Maybe you need a copywriter or photography for the catalog that you want to have designed. How about printing? Do you want the designer to contact a local business printer and walk the job through to completion? All of these extras are important because it affects the final price and clearly you want a designer that can handle it.

Is this designer someone that you're comfortable working closely with? This endeavor is very much a partnership. Remember, you're paying the bill so ultimately, you're the boss but your designer should have the knowledge and experience to take your design places that maybe you never considered or even imagined. You should be open to their suggestions and advice. By the same token, you want to hire a designer that will listen to you as well. Some professionals get caught up in the "art" of their work and forget what the ultimate goal is. Make sure that you feel that your designer understands what you are trying to achieve.

Ask for references and CONTACT THEM. Past clients are a great indicator of what this designer is like to work with. Did they complete the job on-time and on-budget? Was the designer easy to contact when it was necessary?

Contracts

Once you finally decide on a single designer, read the contract carefully. Depending on the scope of the project, there's a good chance that you may have to leave a deposit and make payments at specified "mile-stones". Many designers incorporate a "kill-fee". This means that if you contract them to do the work and then cancel, you still owe them some money. The point is, make sure everything in the contract is clear and you completely understand the terms before signing anything.

Make sure that you feel good about your decision. By partnering with a graphic designer you can grow your business by leaps and bounds. Once you find a good one, stick with them. A knowledgeable, qualified designer is a great thing to have on your team.