Over the past few years, value-based pricing has been gaining momentum in the world of design. With this approach, your pricing hinges on the perceived value you deliver to clients, rather than mere competition or the hours you need to complete the project. But is this strategy right for your design studio? In this blog, we're looking at: what is value-based pricing, my perspective on value-based pricing and what you can do instead of value-based pricing

There's a common thread in the challenges so many talented designers face. Challenges, that if left unaddressed, can have a big impact on the sustainability and profitability of a design studio. In this blog, we'll explore the connections between these most common issues and how addressing one challenge can have a domino effect, positively impacting other areas of your design studio.

When I started my business I did what many of us do - I scoured the web for what other designers were offering and made a combination of their services and deliverables.

Back then, I didn't think much beyond that. I didn't consider who my ideal clients were or what they truly wanted. I didn't factor in what my business needed to support my life and lifestyle.

But let's face it, being a designer is more than just crafting stunning visuals or websites. If that were the sole objective, we'd be working for design agencies.

It's about being able to work from home, having more flexibility in how you spend your time, and having not just more time but also mental space to be present with your loved ones. And for that to happen, you need a financially stable business.

So, if that's the goal, why create your services in isolation, without considering the broader picture of your business, your personal preferences, and your way of life?

Are you feeling like you've maxed out your capacity? And I am not talking about capacity in that you're fully booked with design projects. I am talking about capacity in terms of time, energy and mental space to take on more clients. You don’t have to take on more clients to increase the revenue of your design studio. Here are 4 ways you can do this.

You know how important it is to track your revenue. But how do you actually do this? Spreadsheets are a logical choice, but most creatives don’t like working with them. And it's probably not just the spreadsheet, it's looking at numbers in general. As most of my clients are creatives I worked on creating a revenue overview that did not involve spreadsheets. Enter ClickUp.

Do you have a revenue number in mind that you need to make this year in your design studio? If you do, what’s this based on? A ‘random’ number or is it based on your enough? Because only you know this, you can put a plan in place to get you there. Not sure how to get to that enough number? Then you're in the right place because in this blog we'll get into how to create a revenue budget for your design studio.

When you want to create a sustainable business you need to know the numbers at which your design studio is sustainable. So let's look at what this actually means for you + 4 key pieces of your finance routine you need to get comfortable with so that you can determine what a sustainable design studio looks like for you.

Pricing your services is one of the toughest things you need to do. Because your pricing is not just a number, there are often a lot of emotions connected to your pricing. But these emotions are not serving you when it comes to building a profitable business. So that's why this blog dives into a 6-step plan to price your services based on data, not on feelings. So that you can transform your business to be more sustainable and profitable.