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TemplateCloud.com: changing the way we do business

Business marketing is changing; this is an undeniable fact. Far from the Mad Men-esque era of not-so-subtle suggestions right up to heavy-handed persuasion, these days the promotion of your company and its services needs to be a little more sophisticated.

Thankfully, new online communities are paving the way for a new group of designers and graphic experts to offer their services, providing an excellent marketplace for business owners and artists alike. Owned by printing company Flyerzone, TemplateCloud.com is one of the largest of its kind, offering a place to bring clients and designers together and foster relationships across the industries. Networking and personalisation are today’s biggest selling points - so how can you use this to your advantage?

Benefits for business owners

Unique designs. Your brand will instantly lose authority if your printed marketing materials look generic and uninteresting. A unique design ensures that you appear as a company with an established brand aesthetic, giving you a far better chance over smaller businesses.

On-brand materials. Posters and flyers should tie in with the design of your website to create a cohesive appearance that people can relate to your service at every step of their contact with you. Nobody knows your businesses’ missions and values like you do, so ensure that these are reflected in your overall design scheme.

Memorable networking tools. If you’re meeting a lot of new people, a business card that stands out will make you far more memorable at corporate events. Make sure to leave one side blank or with lines on, for writing on - anecdotes suggest that scribbling a note before giving it to a prospective new contact increases the chances of them contacting you in the future.

Expertise. Pre-made templates are ideal for those who don’t have the time or the skill to design their own. Clients can still edit designs and make changes where relevant, but the pre-designed template will have been created by a professional, meaning that business owners can focus on running their business rather than trying to work out an effective brand aesthetic.

Benefits for designers

Exposure. While your own website may already bring work in, you can use design marketplaces to further promote your business and find new clients. On TemplateCloud designers earn a royalty when their creations are sold, meaning you can easily find a new source of income.

Authority. By affiliating yourself with a reputable and well-established brand, you can give your own work a lot more authority. This is particularly good if you’re still trying to build up a portfolio, as you can show that you’ve been pro-active in getting your designs up for sale.

Experience. By selling work through an agency, start-up designers can get to grips with the process of running a design business without having to set up a dedicated e-shop straight away. This means you can ease into it slowly, rather than throwing yourself in at the deep end!