The Business Side of Creativity: The Complete Guide to Running a Small Graphics Design or Communications Business (Third Updated Edition)

I read a lot of business books so I tend to think I won't get much out of any one book. That's not the case with this book. I highly recommend the book to anyone who works in any kind of creative/freelance setting.Cameron Foote really gets to the heart of the details of creative business. Most books like this take a 10,000 foot view of all the issues. I end up being frustrated with not really learning tactics, just strategies. With this book, even the generic business issues are dealt with in a way that's relevant to creative/freelance businesses.When I first got the book I skipped to the chapter on how to go after the right business. I then read the chapters on how to make money in the business. After those chapters I realized there wasn't anything in the book I wanted to skip. I wound up reading the whole book back to back (and for a business book that's a big compliment--at least coming from me).This may sound like a glowing review--that's because it is. I was very impressed with the level of detail and relevancy the book has to what I wanted to know. I found a few mistakes I was making with the way I was running my own business. I used the tips Foote gave and improved the issues immediately.One last reason you might consider this book--in the Appendix there's a ton of helpful resources. Not only that, if you log on to the author's website, you can find about two times the forms found in the book. I wound up using 3 forms the author gives away on a daily basis.

I just received this book a couple of days ago and it has been the best book I bought rescently. I have only read the first three chapters and I don't seem to be able to drive my eyes off of it. It is clear, organized, straight to the point and well illustrated (good examples). Buy it, together with with "How to be a graphic artist without loosing your soul" by Adrian Shaughnessy and, if you apply the knowledge that these two acquired and dare to share with us, there's no way you should fail in your intent to build your own business in the creative field.If you are a newby in design bussines or still studying, do yourself a favor, read this book before attemting anything else and you will be better directed in even the task of deciding if you really are going to be a graphic designer for the apropriate reasons or if you should really do something else. If you have been into this for some time already, you will still learn many things that you are still doing wrong and so on...Listen, go and buy it... Period!

While this book is technically for those looking to start a graphic design or perhaps an advertising business, it also was helpful to me as I started a business in photography (and could help those in related fields like web design). The best thing about this book is that it is pretty thorough in the number of topics it covers, though it doesnt' cover any of them in great depth. There's nothing "authoritative" here per se, but there is a lot to think about and that's really this book's greatest strength is that it gives you a coherent, concise look at many of the more important business tasks and issues you'll be facing. So you'll have a better idea of what to expect, and be able to plan better and prepare better (yes more reading will be necessary for sure beyond this book) than you would have just jumping in blindly.

I am reviewing this, even though I purchased this as a gift for my son. He said it seems to have everything he will need to assist him if he should decide to start his own graphic design business (which mom is hoping he does someday!). I looked briefly at the chapter headings, and it seemed to be full of practical information he will need to begin a business on his own. The writing seemed easy to get into, there didn't seem to be alot of jargon that would be difficult to understand. I am hoping that this book helps him out and gets him started.

This book is amazing and I recommend it to all of my fellow freelancers and small business owners in various creative fields. Love the book but the lack of proofreading drives me absolutely bonkers! I was told the print version is just as bad. As useful as this book is, and though I recommend it to many, it pains me to see so many blatant and easily avoidable proofreading errors.

Very helpful, especially all the extra stuff at the end. I am a freelancer looking to get my one person shop off the ground and the advice here was invaluable. It could've used some more editing, but other then that, this a book I would highly recommend to any small creative freelancer.

I've used this book as a reference for many years in my business, Hillhouse Graphic Design. This copy was a gift to a young illustrator who was looking at her career choices. It is an excellent book for anyone considering entrepreneurship in communications, graphic design or illustration.

Great reference!