What it’s like to run a design studio

What it’s like to run a design studio

We set up our Bristol based graphic design agency www.onlyorca.com around 5 years ago and it’s been an exciting journey with lots of ups and downs along the way! Both myself and my friend James were both freelancing before, and always wanted to have a design agency which could take on graphic design projects from some awesome clients in-and-around the Bristol area. 5 years on and our studio is doing well, we have 6 members of staff and some fantastic clients. I remember when we first started out and were looking for information and advice from other people who had set up agencies, for guidance, and we struggled to find it, so I thought I would write a little re-cap and quick guide of what to expect should you be planning to take the leap and set up your own creative agency!

Starting out

First thing’s first, I couldn’t have done it on my own. You quickly learn along the way that running a graphic design agency has a whole load of unexpected challenges that arise, so teaming up with my business partner James was the best decision we made, as two heads are better than one! When we first started out, spending a lot of time on promo and our own artwork was not bringing in enough cash to survive, so we were both working part time jobs on top of working crazy hours in the studio, just so we could pay our rent!

Staying motivated

There are times when things get tough — we were told by many people that it normally takes around 2 years to get any business established and running smoothly, and although we were getting some great clients early on, there was alot of extra non design-related things that we needed to get to grips with, like tax, accounting, client management and getting systems in place that make your day-to-day running of the design studio as smooth as possible. For us we always ensured that we dedicated at least half the week to working on stuff we enjoyed, like practising design briefs, improving our illustration skills and refining our style so that even when times got tough, we still got enjoyment and satisfaction from our work.

Taking risks and aiming high

After around 3 years, things started to smoothen out nicely. We had a steady amount of clients and were building up a strong reputation for graphic design in the Bristol area. This was the stage we realised we needed to expand and take some more risks again, so we employed more staff members and upgraded our studio by moving to a larger place. We also kitted it out with our custom desks and new equipment so we felt creatively inspired. This was an important step for us and enabled us to take on more clients and bigger projects, which in turn, meant more revenue and enabled us to inject more money into advertising and promotional campaigns to help our design agency grow in Bristol.

Managing staff

Running a studio basically means going from a designer to being a boss very quickly, and being a boss means managing staff. You need to ensure that your staff respect you and enjoy working in your company, which at times can be hard when your workload is piling up, but it’s crucial to running a successful design agency. We want our employees to feel comfortable at work, so we are focused on creating a relaxed, laid-back environment that inspires our staff to work hard and enjoy their time in the studio. You’ll need to work out a good balance between friend and employer, to be there for your staff when times are tough, but also to ensure that they are focused whilst at work to help them grow their professional careers and help your company grow at the same time.

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If you’re interested in setting up your own agency or are in the process of doing so, send me an email at joel@onlyorca.com and I’ll be happy to help out and offer any support I can!