Resourceful Designer podcast: Offering tips, tricks and advice for starting and growing your graphic or web design business.

Join the Resourceful Designer Community today and grow your design business!

The Resourceful Designer Community is like having your own personal board of advisors.

Already A Resourceful Designer Community Member?

Growing a graphic or web design business isn't easy.

You've devoted a lot of time and effort to becoming the best designer you can be, but there's more to running a design business than being a good designer.

Growth is essential for any business to succeed, and knowing where to start or the best tactics to use can be challenging.

Some of the problems you may be facing:

  • You're having trouble attracting or converting clients.
  • Clients don't see the value in the services you provide.
  • You're working hard but feel like you're not getting ahead or earning enough.
  • You're unsure which of the many available tools is best for you.
  • You are stuck and don't know who to turn to for help.
  • You feel isolated and have a loss of connection with your peers.

Sure, you can tackle these problems on your own and hopefully figure them out. But how long will it take you, and at what costs?

Five reasons why freelance design businesses fail.

Lack of clear marketing strategy:

Without a well-defined target audience, value proposition and unique selling point, a graphic design business will struggle to attract and retain clients.

Poor project management:

Failing to properly plan, manage and communicate with clients can result in missed deadlines, over-budget projects, and unsatisfied clients.

Limited network and collaboration:

A narrow network and lack of collaboration can limit productivity and opportunities for growth, leading to a stagnant or declining business.

Inadequate design skills or keeping up with industry trends:

To remain competitive, graphic designers must continually enhance their design skills and stay current with industry trends and technology. Neglecting these will produce subpar work, loss of clients, and, ultimately, a failed business.

Lack of connection:

Working for yourself can be lonely. The lack of communication with colleagues and peers can make you feel isolated and possibly worse. You can lose focus and drive if not treated, leading to your business's decline.

Are you suffering from any of these problems?

Do it alone or with help?
The choice is yours.

I started my design business with a can-do attitude. Even though I didn't know what I was doing at the time, I felt confident I would succeed.

I thought everything was going well the first few years. I acquired new clients who were happy with the work I provided them. I made good money, and my business slowly grew.

But a few years in, I realized I had reached a plateau. I was working harder but didn't feel satisfied, and the hard work wasn't reflected in my income.

The few successful designers I followed made it look so easy, but I had no idea how to reach their level from where I was. I felt stuck.

That's when I stumbled upon something that changed everything.

I found a graphic design forum filled with people similar to me. And sharing, communicating and learning from them got me unstuck and helped me get to where I am today.

That forum has long been disbanded. But the importance of being a part of a community of peers remains with me.

That's why I started the Resourceful Designer Community. So that graphic and web designers, at all stages of their careers, have a safe place to interact, learn and grow with like-minded people. And from what members say, it's doing all of that and more.

What members are saying about the Resourceful Designer Community.

Keith Groshans - Rocket Juiced
{An invaluable resource! As a solo designer who left an agency gig, the RD community has been a very important lifeline to other creative pros all going through the same day-to-day challenges. Whenever I need help, an opinion, or just some good old camaraderie, I know I have friends in the RD Community I can rely on. We all have professional respect for each other and support everyone's individual goals. Mark has built a truly epic place for creatives. {
5
Keith Groshans
Member Since January 2019 Rocket Juiced
Beth Cardwell
{The Resourceful Designer community has helped me grow my design skills as well as my confidence in running my own design business. There's always someone there who is willing to help out with any design or business problem I have. Having a community of supportive designers to turn to has been immensely helpful and has given me the kind of guidance that is impossible to find by searching online. I highly recommend it if you're looking for a group of genuinely nice designers who will give you constructive feedback if you want it, and help you work out how to move your business forward. I learn a lot of things I didn't know that I didn't know just by reading the other conversations in the group. No one has a big ego or makes you feel like your questions are dumb, and I really appreciate that!{
5
Beth Cardwell
Member Since October 2020 Cardwell Web Design Studio
Liz Tomsuden Graphic Design
{Being a part of the Resourceful Designer Community has been invaluable to my business. It can get a bit lonely as a solopreneur, but this group has given me a space to bounce ideas off of, get advice, strategize, commiserate, and just be inspired overall. I felt welcomed from the very beginning, both by the community as a whole and Mark himself. He takes the time to get to know everyone and ensure they're on a good path to making the most out of the community. You don't feel like a number, you are truly part of a design family, and everyone wants everyone else to succeed.{
5
Lyz Tomsuden
Member Since April 2021 Lyz Tomsuden Graphic Design
Jan Sileo
{The Community has been invaluable. Since joining several months back, I’ve learned about things that weren’t even on my radar. Best of all, it’s been a safe place to share ideas, discuss issues, ask questions and say, “I don’t know how to . . . does anyone?” And someone is sure to answer.{
5
Jan Sileo
Member Since March 2022

Are you ready to get serious about your design business?

The Resourceful Designer Community is limited to 50 members.
Don't miss your opportunity.

Are you looking for a community of design peers to connect and interact with without all the B.S. and drama typically found in Facebook and other groups? The Resourceful Designer Community is the place for you. We're a close-knit group of graphic and web designers dedicated to growing our design businesses. As a Community member, you have access to resources, videos and like-minded people eager to help you succeed.

Facebook Groups may be free to join, but they are overcrowded, and most members are strangers and often share contradictory, confusing and unhelpful advice.

The Resourceful Designer Community will never have more than 50 members, making it easy to get to know your fellow designers and trust their advice and opinions.

As a paid membership, the Resourceful Designer Community is home to enthusiastic designers invested in their business's success. This devotion and commitment mean better conversations, better advice and better friendships.

Plus, you can claim your Monthly membership fees
as a business expense on your taxes!

What you get:

Community Member – $14.95/month

  • Access to the Resourceful Designer Community Slack Group where most interaction occurs.
  • Weekly video chats to ask questions and get to know fellow community members.
  • Weekly Accountability Group (WAG) to help you stay on track and grow your business.
  • Special presentations from Community members and outside experts.

The Resourceful Designer Community Slack Group is where all members interact. The Slack group is the perfect place to share your work, seek advice, help fellow designers and get to know your fellow community members. It's where friendships are born.

Mastermind Member –  $49.95/month

On top of receiving all the Community Member benefits, Mastermind Members are part of a private Mastermind Group. Once per month, the mastermind group meets via video chat to share and discuss our design businesses in-depth. It's 100% confidential, allowing you to share details you wouldn't want to discuss on other less private platforms.

Every Mastermind Meeting has a different topic of discussion as the central focus for that month. Mastermind members help each other by offering tips, advice and support for whatever the topic is. The conversations then continue throughout the month in a private Mastermind Slack Channel.

Recordings of the Mastermind meetings are available for rewatching on the Resourceful Designer website's private Mastermind Members page.

Are you ready to escape the mundane and grow your design business?

Nobody wants another monthly expense.

But think about this.

  • Learning how to grow and improve your clientele will pay for your membership.
  • Becoming a more productive and efficient designer will pay for your membership.
  • Having a “Personal board of advisors” to help you is invaluable.
  • Finding peers to collaborate with can increase your business and services.
  • Eliminating that feeling of isolation can improve your mental state and help you focus on your business growth.

More importantly, think about this.

  • How long will it take you to grow your business at your current rate?
  • How much time will you waste researching new tools and strategies?
  • How many things are you currently doing wrong and don't realize it?
  • Who can you turn to when you're feeling stuck and need help?
  • Who can you talk to that knows what you're going through?

What are you waiting for? Join the Resourceful Designer Community today, wait for the invite email, and start growing your design business.