If you've been in business for more than a few minutes , chances are that you've either hired or attempted to hire a graphic designer in the past, so you know how difficult it can be. But once you've put your project into the hands of a capable designer, the ball is rolling, so it's important to know how to get the most from your relationship. In order to do that, you're going to need to have a basic understanding of an industry that is shrouded by myths, misnomers and misconceptions. Once you know what a designer is and isn't, and how the industry works, you can communicate more effectively with your designer, shorten the timelines and cost of your projects, and make life a lot easier on both you and them. Graphic designers are professionals Understand that just like any other member of your staff, graphic designers, whether freelance or employees of a marketing company or advertising firm, are professionals who have taken certain steps to achieve their education and experience. The work that they do can be a valuable asset to your business. Treat them with the same level of respect that you feel you deserve you should be treated. Software is nothing more than a tool There is a certain level of technical skill and experience required to design effective marketing materials. It's not a matter of simply having access to a particular computer program. Most accountants use one of the industry standard computer programs to maintain their client's finances , but you wouldn't give your receptionist a copy of Quicken and think that she could effectively handle your corporate taxes. Graphic design is no different. When graphic design software is used by a professional, the results can be astounding, but when used by a novice, the results can be range from mediocre to dismal. Designers are often asked to "photoshop" a graphic, often to fix some catastrophic problem, such as turning a black and white photo into a color photo. To put the humor of this request into perspective, let's assume that you run an auto mechanic shop and a client comes in with a major problem with his vehicle...let's say a cracked engine block. When you inform him that because of the severity of the problem and the amount of work that will go into fixing it, the job will take several days and will cost $3,500, he asks you to simply "matco" it. Graphic design does not have an "easy" button that does the work for us. Graphic designers are not mind readers Despite their sometimes eccentric appearance, graphic designers can not read minds, nor can they see in the dark, fly , or cast spells. If you want your project to be completed in a timely manner, it's imperative to communicate with your designer. If you can't explain what you want, you can show them other things that have the same feel that you are trying to achieve, such as a magazine, another web site or even the architecture of a particular building ? but don't ask them to copy something. Not only is it illegal, but it will also present a poor image of you and your company. If you find that you are having a difficult time conveying your vision to your designer, an option may be to proceed in smaller steps so that you can make minor changes along the way rather than having to start over with a design that took the wrong direction entirely. Both time and ideas are money Unless you have agreed to compensate your designer on an hourly rate instead of a flat rate, you should never ask them to design something without some sort of direction as to what you want. It's not any more acceptable to tell your graphic designer "I don't know what I want, but I'll know when I see it." than it would be for them to tell you "I don't know how much this will cost, but I'll know when I charge you." The graphic design industry is unique compared to many other industries in that there is no tangible product when a project is completed. If a customer at the checkout register of your hardware store chooses to leave without purchasing your products, you can simply put them back on the shelf and sell them to a different customer. If a designer finds him or herself in a similar position, they can not take the same course of action because a design produced for one client will rarely be suitable for another client. This is why it's morally wrong to ask a designer to work on "spec" or to create a design for you in the hopes that you'll like it enough to actually pay for it. It would be like asking a home builder to build on your land, and if you liked the house , you would pay them for it. No builder in his or her right mind would agree to that, nor would any person in their right mind be comfortable requesting the builder to do it. Graphic designers have personal lives too At the end of the day, you go home, but for some reason, people seem to think that it's perfectly acceptable to drop a project off to a designer at 5:45pm and expect to see it completed by 9:00am the following business day. Your business is normally conducted during a set range of hours and you should expect the same to be true for any graphic design firm. Sure, there will be cases when burning the midnight oil may be necessary ? but that is the exception, not the norm. The more time that a designer is given to complete a project, the better it will usually turn out. Rushing a project inevitably leads to mistakes and an overall lower quality. Author's Resource Box From web site and graphic design to full color printing, and just about everything in between, Wildfire Marketing Group is the marketing company that can help your business succeed. Article Source:e essential first step to be taken by a small business un regard to a tax inspection happens long before that small business is advised a tax enquiry is about to take place. That first step is to obtain and retain receipts and third party evidence for every sale and purchase and maintain accurate accounting records