Personal Branding

Steve Schulze

I'm in the process of drafting up some new business cards which got my thinking about personal branding.

Do you think as an individual Freelancer working on a pretty wide variety of different projects, that it'd be worth going through the rigmarole of getting a business name and logos and whatever else comes with that territory? (I suspect this isn't actually what people calling personal branding, but let's go with it.

I've always kinda chuckled at people popping up in here calling themselves X Productions, albeit partly because they're usually kids still in school, but where I'm at now taking in business from all over the place maybe it'd be useful. I guess?

Neox

creating and using a brand definitely helped me/us. the question is, whill you be doing this alone or are you willing the spread the work amongst others? having your own production house, just for yourself definitely sounds silly.

Eric Chadwick

Yeah. If you're sub-contracting then you should definitely incorporate, for legal and tax reasons. Consult an accountant versed in your local laws, well worth your time.

Even working as an individual, there are tax benefits to this. However it's not free, and takes time to setup and manage, so that's something to weigh.

We have some info here. The "Going Indie" section is also good. Heck, it's all good, I'm so awesome. :smokin:
http://wiki.polycount.com/wiki/Game_Industry#Employee_Rights

Clark Coots

Feng Zhu weighs in on branding as an individual or a studio at 31:33:

http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1021752/A-Live-Art-Demonstration-of

MagicSugar

Steve Schulze wrote: »

but where I'm at now taking in business from all over the place maybe it'd be useful. I guess?

I think from a marketing point of view it would be useful. If you or your rep say have a booth at a major convention it would make more sense to have a company name with logo (preferably on a big banner or life size standee). "Steve Schulze Productions" "Steve Schulze Studios", etc.

Versus, a tiny table tab saying Steve Schulze, freelancer.

It would definitely imply you can handle a large volume of work regardless if you're a one man deal or a boss man type who sub-contracts.

Steve Schulze

It might be a bit late to organise a life sized standee for PAX. I think the most salient point here is that this isn't a decision that one should rush into. I think I'll stick with being regular individual art dude for now and consider the finer points of company-hood when I have less of a deadline.

Useful points, guys. Tah.

Rurouni Strife

I'll say this: One of my regulars wouldn't work with one of the guys I sent him for a job a while ago because he was an LLC. So that could be a problem if you incorporate/become and LLC. I don't know-maybe it was just him.