Author: Emily Ludolph / Source: 99U by Behance
A good entrepreneur mixes creativity, strategy, and smarts. From uncovering under-the-radar gems to the hard science of Gee whiz, how the heck do I price this?, we gathered some of the brightest ideas from 99U stories this year to help us put our entrepreneur thinking caps on.
1. Create an experience.
Design isn’t just cosmetic fixes; it’s savvy business strategy that gets to the structural heart of a problem. When a real estate client asked Design Army to create a one-page magazine ad for its new condos, co-founder Pum Lefebure had a better idea: make your own magazine. The slick glossy profiles creatives and business in the developer’s neighborhood, with ads for the condos in the back pages. It’s a recurring win for both creative and client.
2. Set a standard pricing formula.
Ask 10 people for their pricing strategies, and you’ll receive 10 different answers. Which is best for you? The one that works for you. So ignore what other businesses are charging or how much you think your client can afford to pay. Instead, focus on the value of you and your work. “We ask ourselves how much time will it take to do a good job, then multiply that by our hourly rate (cost + desired margin) and add in a 5 to 10 percent buffer for unexpected events,” says Metajive CEO and founder Dave Benton. “We use this principle no matter if the client is a 20-person company or a 2,000-person company.”
3. Search for opportunities where others aren’t looking.
“Usually, people starting businesses, and entrepreneurs in general, are very interested in looking cool and being cool people,” says Jesse Genet, co-founder of shipping supplies company Lumi. Instead of going for the glitter, ask yourself: What does everyone overlook? Packing tape, anyone?
4. Engage in creative hallucinations.
A designer is never executing the status quo. Good designers are always moving forward. Many people have great jobs, but they don’t change the way people do things; they don’t envision a different world. “Zero designers are just…
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