The Business Side of Creativity: The Complete Guide to Running a Small Graphic Design or Communications Business, Third Updated Edition

I feel that this book is very benificial to those trying to start a business. I showed this book to an entrepenuer and she even feels that this book gives REAL tips as to how to get your business going. The way the book is written it feels like you have your own personal advisor talking straight to you. I would recommend this to everyone.

Having just started a graphic design business, I find this book incredibly helpful. It is detailed but still reader friendly. I did not know much about the business aspect of graphic design and this book helped get me the knowledge I needed quickly. My only criticism is the forms they use for examples are too small. They are difficult to read and I had to enlarge them on a copy machine.

The sub-title of this book is "The Complete Guide to RUNNING a Small Graphic Design or Communications Business" and as such I have given it a 2-star rating. If it was re-titled "The Complete Guide to STARTING a Small Graphic Design or Communications Business" then I would probably give it a 5-star rating for readers based in the USA and a 4-star for those elsewhere.

If you are in position where you are considering starting up your own business or going it alone as a freelancer then this book contains a lot of valuable information and good advice and I would highly recommend reading it before you go any further.

Those outside the USA should be aware that some sections of the book will not be relevant (for example those focusing on company registration procedures and tax issues) as they are based on US law and regulations -but there is still a lot of other good advice.

I would estimate that around 3/4ths of the book focuses on pre start-up and start-up issues so, if like me, you are currently running your own business then much of the content is already redundant and, while the remaining content is informative, this does limit the overall usefullness of the book.

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!

Cameron Foote's books and monthly newsletters are truly must-have resources for graphic designers, from the lone freelance to a busy studio. I teach design, and this book is one of about three that I have recommended to every class.