Mon 27 Feb 2006
Alright. I need to secure my future. I want to invest in a new venture.
I was reading the Charlotte Business Journal the other day and I read about some guy that started a business called “Sales Performance International” in 1988 that is now worth $20 Million.
Sales. Performance. International. I need a company like that…just sales. Sell service. Make Money. Sell the company. Sit on the beach.
The creative industry equivalent would be one of those local web design firms that recycle framework and plug in new logos and colors. Or, on a more global level, one of those huge corporate, publically-traded branding firms like FutureBrand. Those companies make a shit-ton of more money than Stafford.Tisdale. So why can’t I just ave one of those? I get so hung up on things like artistic integrity, office environment, peer opinion, and creative control that just slow things down and burn up billable hours.
What is the perfect business when it comes to design?
~ David Tisdale
February 28th, 2006 at 9:05 am
ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT. . .
So it seems that the goal here is national, if not international, recognition and accolades. With that inevitably comes the financial rewards. I think the idea of starting a turbo-huge branding firm (like FutureBrand) is like aiming to be the CEO of GM when you like working on cars. Designing, problem solving, and completing a great piece are what gets me out of bed (around noon). There’s a difference between building a mega-corp and selling it for profit and creating commercial artwork that generates great profit. A business major vs. pretentious art school geek.
Let’s say a design firm, known for top notch sylistic work were to form and in the span of 2 to 3 years gain national recognition. Soon thereafter, only 4 or 5 mega contracts would be needed to fund the firm for 10 years or more. The bonus would be that most of those projects would take 2-3 months of work while paying three times what a solo designer would make in a year.
It’s absolutely ridiculous to assume that a modern “creative professional” can sit down everyday and be awesome from 9 - 6 and then call it quits and do that again every day like the average over-worked American. There are pressing times on projects and there are times to hit the road, see new things and get inspired about visual art (media/graphics/commercial/whatever). With the focus on growing a business in sight, the aim to be the best designer/artist possible should still be miles ahead of profit goals and earnings.
My major concern about the mega-firm, is the organization and hierarchy that comes with it - thus totally punching my beloved flow and lifestyle in the face. Maybe I just want to keep the most tasteful, like-minded chefs in the kitchen, while the world begs us to cook for their star-studded events.
March 3rd, 2006 at 9:47 pm
Dude. You have a much larger lexicon than i.
Get ready for your Physical Challenge:
I would like to pick out our favorite Design Firms that appear to, how do I say, be living the dream. Meaning, they do stellar design work, national clientele, and have a solid “package” that has resulted in a staying power in excess of 365 days.
Mine are as follows:
The Chopping Block - the pioneers (new site launching soon).
Xylem Interactive - An early fave. Frequented their site while doing my internship in Lakewood, Colorado with Genghis Design in 2001.
WEFAIL. duh. "bringing the real into the unreal"
gotomedia - This stuff is amazing.