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Privacy PolicyTerms & ConditionsEver found yourself buried in client revisions at midnight? Or declining an amazing project because there just aren't enough hours in the day to get it all done? Or crying in front of your computer because you thought a specific part of your project would take 2 hours, but it’s taking 12?
I see you, friend. I really do!
But that’s why outsourcing your design work (or some of it!) can be the best thing ever.
Outsourcing your design work isn't just some fancy business strategy that people talk about on podcasts. It's a real solution to that pit-in-your-stomach feeling when you look at your to-do list. And, it’s one of those business moves that can help you make more money while working less. (Or just work less and make the same amount!)
So if you’ve been thinking about hiring someone to help out with your design work, but are wondering if it would actually be worth it? This blog post is for you.
You said yes to a few too many projects (because the money was good, the project was exciting, or you just have a hard time saying no), and now you're STRESSED. Your calendar is a mess of overlapping deadlines, you're sending late-night "so sorry for the delay" emails, and no matter how much you work, your to-do list just keeps getting longer and longer.
You live for digging into brand strategy, wireframing a website, or hopping on calls with clients, but the other parts of the process? Maybe not so much.
You'd love to live in a design world where you get to do only the things you love and can pass on the rest.
You’re practically famous for the work you, your clients are obsessed with you, and you're ready to start passing off projects to designers who work for you so you can keep saying yes to all the awesome inquiries you’re getting.
If you’re nodding along to any of those situations, outsourcing your design work to an expert behind-the-scenes designer (AKA a white label designer, not a junior designer who’s still learning) could be just the thing you’re looking for.
And, of course, there are other situations where outsourcing your design work makes total sense. But as a designer who designs for other designers, these are the most common situations I see my clients in that make hiring design support the right move for them!
(That will have you saying, “we are never, ever, ever getting back together” to doing everything in your design business yourself.)
Besides the obvious perks of making more money while working less (which is pretty freaking cool all on its own), here's why outsourcing design work to a fellow expert designer (like me!) might be the best decision you make for your business this year:
Remember why you started your design business? I'm guessing it wasn't so you could spend hours troubleshooting CSS or working on revisions at 2 AM while questioning your life choices.
When you outsource some of your design work to a skilled designer, you get to be the visionary while they handle the detailed execution of your brilliant ideas.
Basically, you can keep doing the creative direction parts, if that’s something you love, while passing off the time-sucking parts! It's like having your cake and eating it too (which is how cake should work, if you ask me).
Got a lead for a Webflow site, but you're mostly a Showit designer? Or have a project where a specific part of the build requires coding, which isn’t your cup of iced tea?
Instead of having to say no to that inquiry, or watch 87 YouTube tutorials to figure it out, you can outsource that design work to an expert designer and confidently say YES to that project or to delivering a stellar final website that includes everything the client wanted and more.
When you collaborate with another skilled designer, your deliverables get even freaking better.
(Because what’s that saying? Two designer minds are better than one?)
You’re able to send deliverables to clients that have been well thought through and executed beautifully because they’ve had your awesome direction, and a second set of eyes on everything from the expert designer who helped you.
Your clients get great results (which means better testimonials and more referrals!), you feel ridiculously confident in what you're delivering, and everyone walks away absolutely thrilled.
When your brain isn't completely fried from doing ALL THE THINGS (client management, design work, revisions, emails, bookkeeping, marketing… I’m getting tired just typing this out), you have more energy for creativity and building your business.
One of my designer clients told me that outsourcing her design work to me helped her…
“Prioritize my own mental health and visualize a future for my own business where I can have sustainable growth by outsourcing projects and using my own time for the bigger picture tasks!”
If you’re feeling buried by your to-do list with no mental space for creativity when it comes to your projects or your business, outsourcing your design work can help! And you deserve that, friend.
Design burnout is the worst. When you're working nights, weekends, and holidays, yet still behind, you start feeling like a shell of a human. And that sounds dramatic, but it’s true because you have no time to pour into taking care of yourself, or spend time with people you love, and everything starts feeling hard.
Your work suffers. Your relationships suffer. And YOU suffer.
But, when you outsource some of your design work to a fellow expert designer, you break free from burnout city because you no longer have to personally execute every single task. Plus, it's an amazing feeling to know work is happening even when you're not the one doing it.
(Imagine opening up your computer after a week off to find a brand guide completely done and ready to be delivered to your client!)
Remember vacations? Those things where you disconnect and don’t check your email every 5 minutes from your beach chair? Or weekends? Those mythical two days every week for doing fun things?
Outsourcing your design work to an expert designer means you can take vacations, weekends, or whatever because you have more time for yourself!
Maybe you want to take a trip you've been putting off for 3 years, or end your work days at 3 pm so you can pick your kids up. Maybe you want to work on a side project that fills your cup, or have a 3-day weekend where you don’t open your laptop once!
One of my designer clients was able to take a full 3-month maternity leave, while her business kept running, because I was behind the scenes designing!
Point is, the freedom to live your life while still making money is seriously the best part of outsourcing. Because what's the point of having your own business if you're more chained to it than you would be to a 9-5?
Almost every designer I work with ends up raising their prices within months of outsourcing their design work. They literally DOUBLE or TRIPLE their rates! Why? Because they know they’re delivering higher quality work, can take on more complex projects, and start to see themselves as a premium studio rather than a solo freelancer.
One of my designer clients went from charging $2,000 for website design to charging $5,000+ after we started working together. Which meant that even though she was paying me around 50% to do website design, she was still making more money than she would have before, AND was spending one-third the amount of time on designing!
Whether you're scaling, desperate for some free time, or just trying to survive a busy season without losing it, outsourcing design work to an expert can help you shake off your overwhelm so you can spend more time scaling, working on your biz, and doing whatever lights you up.
You might have seen this coming, but it’s me, hi, I’m someone who can help! In fact, my whole business is dedicated to designing for other designers, whether that’s brand design, website design, web development, or all of it together, I’m here to help.
And not to toot my own horn, but I’m good as heck at it, too. That’s what my clients tell me.
"Outsourcing design work has led to me [to] raise my rates, but also it has created a happier existence for me as a business owner. I really value how reliable you are, I feel less overwhelmed daily, feel confident offering services that aren’t in my own wheelhouse, and have more time to focus on things outside of the day-to-day work!” — Courtney, Brand & Web Designer
If you're nodding along thinking, "this is exactly what I need," I'd love to chat! You can download my Pricing Guide or learn more about my white label design services.
Check out: My Guide to Hiring a White Label Designer
Or read: What is a White Label Designer? Or Which One is Right for You: White Label Designer vs. Junior Designer
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