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Good morning freelancers! It’s Monday, and you know what that means - the second week in our interview feature here at Freelance Wurk. Today we have Eric Iffland and his new business from an old passion, ImagineIFF.

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“Imagine if everyone used rocket packs to get around. Imagine if you led your market.” – Eric Iffland

On April 4, 2006, the World Wide Web and everyone in it were officially given the portal to all of their graphic and branding needs—ImagineIFF. Hailing from the San Francisco area, freelance graphic designer Eric Iffland has big dreams—no, scratch that—big plans for ImagineIFF, which includes providing interactive design, multimedia, and branding and logo services, just to name a few. Although ImagineIFF is still taking baby steps, Eric is not. An entrepreneur by nature and an extrovert by practice, Iffland talks with Freelance Wurk about balancing work, school, family, and dreams—all while turning imagination into reality.

FW: Eric, in your own words, describe ImagineIFF. Why, and how, does it help people? What do you think some of its best features are?

EI: I help businesses create a better image through branding, and the creation of websites, print or other materials. The best feature is definitely the quality of work.

Imagine if everyone used rocket packs to get around. Imagine if you led your market. Those are the two things that ImagineIFF consists of; a creative visual theme, and a slogan that incorporates the name. I left it open like this so that I may change the visual theme at any time. I wanted this theme based business because I am tired of seeing minimalist portfolios. And if I am tired of them I know some companies have to be. Why not make everything interesting?

FW: I agree. It seems like you did some thinking before launching ImagineIFF. Rhonda Abrams, a journalist for USA Today, is quoted as saying, “To greatly increase your chance of success, find out as much as you can BEFORE you open your doors,” in her article “Focus On Success, Not Failure.” Tell us what kind of planning you did for ImagineIFF and what kind of changes, if any, did you make after its launch?

EI: All the planning I did for ImagineIFF was purely conceptual. After that I created my web-portfolio, and jumped in. Now come the changes for me. I had to learn how to market myself, and get consistent work. Freelancers aren’t really going to be hurting much if they open their doors unprepared – that is unless you quit your job. Luckily I didn’t do that. So take that, Rhonda.

FW: Yes, take that! But, USA Today also reported that 85% of new businesses fail in the first year. Does this percentage scare you? Where do you see ImagineIFF a year from now?

EI: No, it doesn’t scare me. ImagineIFF, in some form or another, will always be with me no matter what I am doing. On the path I have set for myself, I can’t see ImagineIFF failing as a possibility. It’s what I do. Whether I’m going to school, or working at some other job I’ll always be doing this because it’s what I love. In order for something to fail you have to either give up on it, or go broke trying….and it’s not like I have to worry about high overhead costs or anything. I plan on going to the Acadamy of Art in San Francisco in about a year studying either industrial design (automotive) or newmedia. So ImagineIFF will be there with me.

FW: Sort of like writers, right? They may be waiting tables at Chillis, but they’ll always have their writing in them.

EI: Exactly.

FW: Eric, you are definitely a busy man! Tell our readers what fills your daily planner aside from ImagineIFF.

EI: Why yes I am! My schedule is erratic to say the least. I go to the junior college here in town 4 days a week. I will work at my mom’s business occasionally. I am also working at a small web design business in town. I’ve been there a year…I started out as an intern there, when I decided that I was going to be really committed to bettering my skills. I moved to an employee position fairly quickly, but I have yet to see much interest in providing me with pecuniary rewards, so that might be crossed off my schedule soon. When I am not with my friends, I am at home working with ImagineIFF, or learning new things FOR ImagineIFF. And just to stay healthy I’ll throw in working out. My perspective is completely restored after a good workout.

FW: So not only are you developing your own design business, but in order to sharpen your skills, you’re also committing your time to another one? That’s very dedicated.

EI: Yep, nothing can substitute for experience.

FW: Tell me about your family. How do they measure into your goals?

EI: My family is a whole other interview… They inspire me. In a recent effort to resurrect our family gatherings, we started going out to dinner. And at the table we will discuss ideas for inventions, or ways to improve what work we are doing. (We’ve actually caught a couple people writing down things that we were saying on napkins….) So that should give you some idea of where our heads are at.

My mom runs her own business called Skraps bakery for dogs. It’s a pet boutique we started 2 ½ years ago, and my sister and I both work there. The ceiling was painted by my sister. We rolled her around on scaffolding as she brushed down a wood pattern to finish off the original concept of the store: It is under the table - where opportunistic dogs pick up Skraps off of the floor. Some of the slat-wall resides in-between giant chair legs that stick out of the wall.
My sister is going to the Academy of Art in San Francisco. And is basically the most creative person you will ever meet. An idea will pop into her head about every minute, and every one is good. It is amazing. I’m jealous.

FW: You come from a very entrepreneurial and creative bunch then, don’t you?

EI: Yea, our dad encourages us to be entrepreneurs. He became a pilot after being in the air force, and I think he kind of regrets not doing that for himself. Especially after the firings and pay cuts after 9/11. So we’re learning from his mistake.

FW: Do you find it hard to balance your school work, web designing, and family time?

EI: The only thing right now in my life that has a time restriction is school. Everything else has worked out to be extremely flexible. Family time is not usually a problem; we see each other everyday when we all get home. And I work every free chance I have. My friends on the other hand take up a good portion of my time… friends are important, that’s all there is to it. I have seen articles written for freelancers on how to cope with loneliness. But if you work at home and set your own hours, this really shouldn’t be a problem. The new adage is something like… freelancers are loners. It is quite the opposite actually. A lot of extroverted behavior is required to even get the work in the first place.

FW: That’s an interesting take on the life of a freelancer. Ideally, a freelancer’s life in regards to time management and well-roundedness should at least have the potential to be as you described. But are there ever times that you find you’ve barricaded yourself at your desk for, oh I don’t know, days?

EI: Yes. Sleep is the first thing to be cut when you’re a designer. I even caught myself resenting going out sometimes, because I could be accomplishing so much at the time. But you can’t do that, you won’t have any fun.

FW: Earlier you mentioned marketing yourself. Just starting out with ImagineIFF, what ways have you tried marketing yourself? Have you found it difficult? I assume this extroverted behavior helps?

EI: Yes, the most difficult part of the job. If you pick a career you love, don’t assume you’ll love every part of it! I have submitted my website to various directories, and even bought some bold listings. (big spender) Right now I am getting some business cards printed; extroverted behavior won’t do much if you don’t have anything to follow it up with. I will soon start buying advertisement space as well.

FW: What is your favorite “type” of design work to do?

EI: Print definitely. Flash is a close second, but I like seeing tangible results too much for it to win me over.

FW: And your favorite program to use?

EI: Photoshop. I’ve used it for about 8 years now, so I’m pretty comfortable with it.

FW: Many freelancers just starting out find it difficult to determine what their “rates” are, much less conveying those rates to prospective clients. Have you had trouble setting, and sticking to, rates?

EI: ALL freelancers. When you work in a creative profession, or any service based job – people will always have different opinions of what a certain service is worth. The problem going around right now is that many students/hobbyists will do work for a fraction of what they should be charging - because they either need to bulk up their portfolio, low on jobs and need the money, or just plain sell themselves short. This not only devalues other workers in the same profession, but allows the kids to be taken advantage of. Don’t sell yourself short. If you are just starting out, and set your own prices – chances are good that you could be making a lot more money.

There are some people out there now that are setting standards for creative work. Sure it sounds like a good idea, but how do you gauge experience, skill, and natural ability, right? Well the fact is that there are probably thousands of other people out there offering the exact same thing as you. So you really do need to have some idea of how to gauge the value of your services. If you don’t know where to start with prices, there are plenty of resources available to help you out. Creativebusiness.com is one. They’ve got plenty of books on very specific topics for creative professionals.

FW: I couldn’t agree more. What are your thoughts on taking gigs for free in order to bulk up a portfolio?

EI: Nearly everyone has done it. I know I have. And really, I think it’s fine. Because not too many businesses are going to feel comfortable hiring you unless you can show them some examples of what you’ve done. But I would have to say don’t make a habit of it. When I did free work, I did it for people that I know. Mixing business with friends is usually a good thing to stay away from.

FW: Chris King, the mind behind CreativeKeys.net, wrote an article called “How to Craft an Effective Elevator Speech.” In a nutshell, it explains how to answer the question, “What do you do?” – a question that so many freelancers are faced with. It’s easier to explain that you’re a student than it is to explain your graphic design venture, I assume. Have you thought about an “elevator speech,” or do you already have one?

EI: I read over that article and I have to say, I like the idea of explaining yourself as a solution provider rather than a label. A label is boring. I think I’ll be changing the way I answer that question from now on.

FW: Awesome. What one website, if any, do you visit everyday, and why?

EI: First of all, no it’s not MySpace. Besides Gmail, I go to various freelance sites to apply to job postings pretty consistently. Even when I’m working on something else, just to keep a consistent flow. It’s easy to get into a cycle of feast/famine work.

FW: It definitely is. When I first started freelancing, I got into a bit of a time jam because I applied for too many jobs. Are there any business mistakes you’ve made thus far? Anything you had to stop and rethink?

EI: That’s better than no work though, right? Lol. I’m always trying to improve. One thing that has really set in for me in the past year is that there isn’t some ideal place that you will get to one day, but instead you have to look at where you are actually at. You will always be improving.

Right now it is tempting to quit school and go all out. But I have a feeling that might be added to a list of my business mistakes later when I don’t have a degree.

FW: What is the most important thing you’ve learned about starting a freelance business and what advice would you offer those who are considering, or have already started, venturing into the world of self-employment?

EI: If you can do it, the best thing that you can do for yourself is find a niche market that requires some weird combination of skills that nobody has, learn those skills, and you’re set.

A huge part of freelancing that prospective workers do not see is the whole marketing aspect. It is pretty easy to assume that your undiscovered talents will be a goldmine that will rocket you to success once they are in a neat portfolio. But even if they were, they will get you nowhere without a good marketing plan. So start thinking about how you are going to sell yourself and get your name around before you quit your nine to five.

Plan. Make sure you are constantly attracting new clients. Learn to take criticism and disapproval. Keep doing your personal projects, because those will be strongest. Make your work perfect, because only employees can get away with the occasional sloppy job. Be friendly with your clients. Learn everything about taxes and being legal. And keep being inspired, take classes etc.

That’s all.

I’d like to thank Alicia. She has been very helpful. She even inspired me to start my own blog here on the Wurk network. Look out for graphicdesign.wurk.net!

FW: Thank you, Eric, and we are excited to have you on board as well!
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Eric Iffland has just joined the Wurk network and will be the man behind the screen over at graphicdesign.wurk.net. He will be attending the San Francisco Academy of Art during the Spring 2007 semester, where he plans to major in Automotive Industrial Design. Don’t let his busy schedule fool you, though—if you’re interested in talking shop with Eric, check out some of his work and send a proposal, or email him directly at eriteric@gmail.com.