Your business brochure may be the first impression a potential client has of you and your business. Hiring a professional graphic designer to create your brochure may be one of the more important decisions you make regarding your marketing plan.

Finding the right designer is a process, and you should be prepared to spend some time interviewing prospective graphic artists.

For a home-based business, a good place to start is with freelance designers, who, like you, work independently from corporations or large companies. Often, freelancers do not charge as high a fee as a graphic design company. They also may bring a personal touch to the project.

Though the Internet and email make it possible to work with a designer on the other side of the country from you, consider hiring someone local, as this will allow you to meet face to face. It also allows you to bring the designer and the local printer together. Developing a working relationship with both printer and designer helps to reduce costly mistakes.

One of the best ways to select two or three candidates for interviewing is to go online and search for local freelance graphic designers. A serious designer will have an online portfolio displaying his or her work. Pick two or three candidates based on their artwork and contact them.

For the face-to-face interview, ask that they bring print portfolios and well as references from previous clients. During the interview ask if they provide pricing for a complete business kit that includes a brochure design, but also a logo, a business card, and letterhead.

When looking at samples of their work, pay attention to your "gut" reaction to their styles. Select the designer who makes you feel like you want your potential clients to feel when they see your brochure. You want the artwork and layout to reflect the essence of your business, be it cutting edge or homey, traditional or offbeat.

This is a primary criterion, but you also want to consider deadlines, cost, and experience. Question the candidates about probable turnaround times, how much a full color brochure would cost as opposed to a single tone project, and how long they have been freelancing.

Be sure to check the references provided, and to ask previous clients if they would hire that designer again. Often, previous clients are wealth of information, and can have an impact on your final decision.

Mostly, you want to select a candidate whom you feel is best able to convey the image you want portrayed in your brochure. You want to select a candidate that presents himself or herself professionally while remaining personable.

Learn more about this author, Shelly Mcrae.
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