Today I'm talking about getting clear on the "WHO" and the "WHAT" of your freelance rendering business.
WHO ARE YOU OFFERING YOUR SERVICES TO?
Offering services directly to the client:
At the beginning of my freelance 3D modeling and photorealistic rendering journey, I offered these services directly to residential and commercial clients. These clients had a somewhat clear vision and just needed to know if their design would work out the way they’d hoped. I enjoyed this process because I could interact with the client directly, measure the space, and still exercise my creative muscle in helping them work through their ideas. The downside to working directly with the client is “scope creep.” These projects can quickly turn into helping with sourcing materials, project management, and so on (a full-service interior design project). If you hope to offer drawing services solely, I advise offering these directly to other designers.
Offering services to other designers “To the Trade”:
This is now my preferred client. I still love my residential clients; however, working with interior designers has many upsides:
- The onboarding process is much easier.
- When I work with residential clients, there is the initial site visit, phone calls, emails, and the contract. When working with other designers, they send a project request, I quote them, and we proceed. I like this clear and concise path.
- Designers bring multiple projects.
- Once you have a good working relationship with a designer, adding another project to your queue becomes easy, and you each know what to expect from each other.
- The workflow is straightforward.
- When your business is focused on a niche like 3D modeling and rendering, your workflow is more predictable and clear. While each project is still unique, the approach that I use in each is always the same.
Offering services to professionals in other fields:
- Contractors, real estate agents, real estate developers, product designers, etc.
- This has similar upsides to the above. This isn’t my preferred client simply because I come from an interior design background and enjoy staying in that field.
NICHING DOWN EVEN MORE: WHAT SPECIFICALLY ARE YOU GOING TO OFFER?
While building your portfolio of work, it’s important to get clear on what you will be offering. Here are some possibilities:
- Photorealistic and Non-Photorealistic Renderings
- Design Documentation
- Building Permit Plans
- 3D Floor Plans
- 2D Floor Plans and Elevations
- Panoramic Renderings
- Virtual Tours
- Exterior Renderings
- Product Renderings
What format will the client receive this file in?
JPEG, PNG, DWG, PDF, etc.
My advice is to get out a pen and paper and record the target audience you will start your business with (it can change later!) and what you will offer. Don't try to be everything to everyone; choose a few from the list above that you enjoy creating.
(See Part 1 here)