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Perfect for those who have enough marketing materials needed on a monthly basis, but don't want to hire a full-time designer.

A retainer fee is like a monthly fee. It is perfect for those who know they will need design services throughout the year and want to reserve a creative professional's time. Since its purpose is to retain the designer, it is paid up front each month before work is ordered. Essentially, you are "pre-ordering" time versus a service. Since I will anticipate a preset number of hours of work from you, I will block out my schedule with the appropriate time each month. This gives me the ability to plan my workload accordingly. Which gives you the certainty of a pre-established amount of work each month without having to worry about what else is "in the queue" ahead of you. It's more efficient for all involved.

Why choose a retainer program?

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  • Plan your project deadlines with peace of mind - Guaranteed amount work, given priority over non-retainer clients. 

  • Discounts - You get discounted rates compared to normal freelance fees. The more hours you commit, the lower the hourly rate.

  • Consistent, Quality Work - You don't have to worry about outsourcing design work to multiple people. The quality and design language will be consistent across all of your projects.

  • On-Call for Emergency Issues.

  • Extremely fast turn-around for routine tasks - such as turning out new versions of an existing designs or making edits to existing photos.

  • Simplified Accounting - You pay a set amount each month for the duration of the retainer contract.

  • Less Paperwork - Eliminate contracts to sign and multiple invoices to track on a per-project basis.

  • Establishes a long-term relationship with a designer - avoiding the need to continually interview and brief a new designer for each project that comes up.

  • No Overhead - you get the access to a professional designer without the overhead associated with an employee.

Graphic Designer Retainer Details:

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  • 3 month minimum commitment. At the end of 3 months, we will re-evaluate the program you're enrolled in to ensure the number of hours are fitting your business' needs. After that, we can move to a 6, 9, or 12 month commitment.

  • Each retainer contains a set number of hours each month. Overage time will be billed at the standard hourly rate of $100 per hour.

  • Unused hours will expire. They do not roll over each month as that would defeat the purpose of allocating retainer time for projects. If I am running close on hours hitting their threshold, I will let you know before going over.

  • You will get a detailed invoice each month of the projects worked and the hours allocated to them.

  • NOTE: The retainer program is for repeat clients, so if we haven't yet worked together, let's start by working on a branding package, website or other design materials first before considering the retainer program. We have to make sure a long-term contractual relationship is a good fit on both ends.

What type of services can be used in the retainer programs?

  • Graphic Design - logos for new products/services, icons, and typography treatments

  • Print Materials - sell sheets, direct mailers, brochures, business cards, etc.

  • Digital Materials - Social Media graphics, PowerPoint & Keynote Presentations

  • Web Updates & Maintenance - content, graphics and web maintenance can be provided for select customers. (Only for Wordpress, Squarespace, Wix and Shopify websites)

  • Services do not include additional costs like stock photography, paid speciality fonts & printing

  • Additional services are available upon request.

PRICING

STARTUP RETAINER

$799/month

  • 10 hours per month

  • 20% discount - you save $200!

  • Priority service on projects

  • 3 calls per month to review project load

PRO
 RETAINER

$1499/month

  • 20 hours per month

  • 25% discount - you save $500!

  • Priority service on projects

  • 4 calls per month to review project load

PREMIER
 RETAINER

$1999/month

  • 30 hours per month

  • 33% discount - you save $1000!

  • Priority service on projects

  • 5 calls per month to review project load

How does it work?

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  • Fill out the contact form. Be sure to select "Retainer" under "What can I help you with?" Then schedule a consultation with me (there will be a link under the contact form) so I can hear more about your projected design needs. I want to learn all about your business and goals. I'll also use this time to discuss recommended design updates and quick fixes you'll benefit from.

  • First payment. Once the paperwork is completed and the first retainer fee is paid, I will set up all your projects needed for the month in my client service dashboard. From there you will be able to see how much time is being spent on each project as well as time remaining for the month. Prior to the 2nd month, we will have a conference call or video chat to review the next month's priorities. Payment for the month ahead will be due on the 1st of each month. 

  • Repeat. We will repeat the process each month for the remainder of the program you selected.

  • Reevaluate. At the end of your contract, we will review the program to see if you want to adjust the number of hours reserved each month before signing again!

READY TO GET STARTED? JUST FILL OUT A FEW DETAILS AND LET'S TALK!

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