5 Benefits of Hiring a Graphic Designer on Retainer

As more businesses are recognizing the importance of having a professional handle their graphic design needs, some struggle to know when it’s right to have outside help on a per-project basis versus hiring someone on staff. Would you believe me if I told you there’s a happy medium? Check out these five benefits of having a graphic designer on retainer to help you decide if it’s the right path for your business.

Before we dive into the benefits of a retainer, let’s talk briefly about what exactly that means. To put it simply, with a retainer agreement you are paying a designer ahead of time for work to be completed later. A common practice is to pay for a certain number of design hours per month, but you can negotiate the terms that work best for the two of you. Don’t be afraid to revisit the agreement down the road to make sure it’s still working for both parties. Now that we have a general understanding of what a retainer is, let’s talk about those benefits!

1. Access to an experienced designer for your exact workload

When you hire someone on staff full (or part) time, you need to make sure you’ve got enough work to keep them busy, and not so much that your expectations are unrealistic. When you hire a designer on retainer, however, you can customize the exact number of hours you’d like based on your need. You don’t have to worry about trying to justify a full- or part-time position—not to mention the overhead that comes with it—if you can create an agreement with someone catered exactly to your needs.

2. High level of trust and familiarity

The more consistently you work with someone, the better you will understand each other. You won’t have to explain massive amounts of background information for each project, because the designer will already have a deep understanding of your brand. They will be able to jump right into assignments because they know your look, feel and goals.

On the other side of things, you will already have an understanding of your designer’s skills, needs and processes. Not only will this reduce back-and-forth conversations as you try to make sure everyone is on the same page, it will also eliminate that anxious feeling that they will come back with something that doesn’t reflect your goals.

3. Priority status over non-retainer clients

If you think of booking hours with your designer in the same way as booking a night at a hotel, you can see how a retainer can help ensure your priority status. If you lock in 20 hours of work a month, a designer will carve that out of their monthly calendar to make sure they have the time they need to dedicate to you. It’s like you’ve booked the room, and nobody else will be allowed to double-book! That leaves you not having to wonder if they have capacity to do the next job you’d like from them.

4. Ability to negotiate a discounted rate

More often than not, you’ll be able to negotiate a lower rate with a designer if you can commit to purchasing a specified amount of work or hours. The designer will have the peace of mind of knowing a certain amount of work is coming in, while you can rest easy that you are getting the best rate possible from them.

5. Simplified accounting and paperwork

A standard monthly rate for one contractor sure is a lot easier to keep track of than a host of individual project invoices for one, or even many, contractor(s). You can also take care of business with one contract at the start of the agreement, rather than individual contracts for one-off or irregular work. You’ll always know what to expect, because you and the designer have decided on it ahead of time!

Now that you know some of the key benefits to hiring a designer on retainer, keep in mind that you shouldn’t hire just anybody. Be sure to thoroughly vet your prospects for the most compatible match. After all, this person will ideally come to feel like an extension of your team.

Ready to see if Chelsea Liske Design is the right fit for you? Contact me to set up a time to talk over your needs!