This episode is part 1 of an 8-part series with Melinda Livsey called The Process. Melinda Livsey is on the path to growing her creative business.

Chris coaches her on how to run her creative business to achieve focus, raise her rates and delegate work to others. They’ll be discussing mindset and what Melinda needs to do to overcome the power money has over her. This is an in-depth breakdown especially for freelancers who want to start their own business.

Melinda is a practicing graphic designer based in Anaheim, CA. She started out at a large eyewear company working in the graphics department doing marketing and advertising. Later, she moved into the branding department and worked on product graphics, in-store graphics, retail displays, and packaging. She found this job at an AIGA portfolio review, and was initially hired as an intern.

From a full-time job now to business owner, Melinda’s ready to tackle her first question: how do you land new business? Currently, she’s receiving one new business inquiry a week, which is actually pretty good for a new business owner. Roughly 90% of her leads come in through referrals.

Part of the business of design and knowing your numbers. So how much do you want to earn each month, quarter, or year, depending how you break it down? For Melinda, she’s charging somewhere between $800-$1,000 for projects, but wants to charge more. She knows her work is worth it, but has a hard time pricing accordingly.

Don’t just think of yourself; start thinking about your company. When you take on projects for half your normal rate, your company is also taking a small hit. Don’t forget that your business is a business, and if you want it to run smoothly, you have to make sure you’re earning enough to keep things afloat.