Why great designers still struggle with business

You know how professional athletes make everything look effortless?

That’s you with design work.

A client describes their vision, and your creative instincts just… kick in. You can navigate any design challenge intuitively, like creative muscle memory. And from the lens of “passion”, this is great!

But when it comes to what Steven Pressfield calls “Turning Pro”, even the most natural talent needs a playbook.

You think Serena Williams just walks onto the court and wings it? Or that Tom Brady improvises every play? No.

They have systems, strategies, and documented approaches for every situation they might face.

Their natural talent is amplified by their preparation.

But most of us designers are still playing pickup basketball while wondering why we can’t compete with the pros who have elaborate game plans.

So today, I’ll gonna give you an insider view into the 4 systems Strategic Brand Designers use to build a business that fuels your lifestyle, and not the other way around.

Now, you might not realize it, but you already have everything you need to build a successful design business.

You’ve got the skills, the drive, and you’re gaining experience with every project.

So what’s missing?

It’s not more talent or time.

It’s a system.

See, when you’re running a design business, you’re not just the designer - you’re the CEO.

That means you need to stop figuring things out on the fly and start thinking beyond the design work itself.

It’s time to shift your approach.

You need to create systems and repeatable processes that make each project smoother, more professional, and easier to manage than the last.

And here’s your blueprint to create 4 systems that build a sustainable design business!

Before you feel overwhelmed, the best part of these systems is that you can build them one at a time, and each one unlocks the next level of your business.

System #0 (Pre-requisite): Your Irresistible Offer

If your systems are gasoline, your offer is the fire.

For any of the systems to work, you need to crystallize your offer:

• 1 specific person you serve

• 1 clear transformation you provide

• 1 unique differentiation that sets you apart

Once you have clarity and confidence on your offer, it’s time to start diving into the 4 systems.

System #1: Lead Generation System

Most struggling designers have NO process for generating leads.

So many times, I see them saying things like:

• “I’m posting on Instagram. Why aren’t clients magically reaching out?”

But when I ask them:

• “Did you send any DMs?”

• “Did you ask anyone about their specific problems?”

• “Did you educate anyone about how you help clients get results?”

…crickets.

Getting leads is your responsibility, and there IS a step-by-step process you can build to generate leads on demand.

If you invest time in building this system early, you can unlock full control over your business growth!

System #2: Client Delivery System

This system starts when a client says “YES.”

• What’s your onboarding process? – Clients trusted you to solve their problems. You want to reinforce their decision and show them they made the right choice, right? What do you do?

• What information do you gather? – To deliver on your promise and get clients results, you need specific details. How do you ask for it systematically?

• How are you tracking progress and results? – How do you make it easy for yourself to prove (and improve) the impact of your work?

• What’s the order of your work? – What’s the schedule and what phases will you work through?

The more strategically you think through your client delivery, the better your client experience will be. And the better your results will be, because you’re making sure the client does their part too.

If you want to fast-track this system, check out Strategic Designer OS.​

It is a complete, pre-built operating system that lets you plug in your creative skills and start running a “professional” business, even if you’re just starting out.

System #3: Client Growth System

What do you do AFTER you complete a project successfully?

Here’s the amazing thing about design business: whenever you solve brand problems, you unlock bigger (and more profitable) problems. So when you complete your project and delight a client, you unlock what I call the Strategic Designer scaling choice:

• Do I earn more by getting the next new client?

• Or do I earn more by making this client more valuable with additional services?

If you choose (1), you’ll go back to your lead generation system.

If you choose (2), you’ll need a system to present them the next offer!

Client Growth system is one of the highest ROI systems you can build. As a Strategic Brand Designer, you can close $2k-$5k retainers for ongoing social media posts, brand management and expansion work!

System #4: Business Review System

This final system is specifically for your “CEO” mode.

Running a design business pulls you in all directions at the same time. You face questions like:

• “What should I prioritize next?”

• “How am I spending my time? Can I spend it better?”

• “What should I delegate/automate/eliminate?”

• “When should I look for new clients? How many do I need?”

To confidently answer these questions and build a business that serves YOU, you need a system that helps you make strategic decisions.

With a business review system, you can track important metrics, generate insights from the clients they’re working with, and set priorities for short and long-term growth!

This system ensures YOU, the CEO, run the business (and not the other way around).

Next steps: How do you start incorporating systems into your business?

Don’t overcomplicate it. Don’t try to engineer the perfect system from day one.

You don’t need to make them flawless right from the start. And you definitely don’t need to replace taking action with building systems. That’s just a form of productive procrastination.

Instead, shift your mindset to “thinking in systems.”

Start here:

• If you complete a task, think: “How do I systematize this for next time?”

• If you get a lead from Instagram, think: “What worked? How do I repeat this process?”

• If you create a brand strategy presentation, think: “How can I turn this into a reusable template?”

Build in order of impact.

Over time, the mindset shift helps you build something INSANELY powerful.

Chat soon,

Abi 😊

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