Use Shutterstock Create to unite solopreneurs and interns with a professional design plan that rivals high-end competitors.
There’s a new partnership developing that will be a gamechanger for students and solopreneurs alike: internships. According to the latest statistics, 60% of students in each graduating class since 2013 have completed an internship prior to graduation. By doing so, they are 15% less likely to be unemployed a year later.
It’s a misconception that an internship has to be within a company that specializes in the student’s area of study. Internships can be the way for young designers to get their feet wet in the industry while starting their professional portfolio. The internship is, in fact, the student’s first solopreneur experience.
Starting small: A personal story
While it didn’t have a name at the time, I started my solopreneur venture as a writer when I was in high school. Back then, I was paid $0.25 per column inch printed in my local paper. I started by covering small town happenings, but within a year, the editor sent me to interview a wood carver who had been commissioned for the original Exxon tiger for the “Put a Tiger in Your Tank” campaign a decade prior. The man was retired, but his talent was incredible.
The article got picked up by a larger market, and then a larger market beyond that. It became a feel-good “whatever happened to” piece. Being a business-savvy 14-year-old (a.k.a. my journalism teacher told me to), I rode that small success and started writing for the larger paper in the next city where I made $1 per column inch. By my junior year in high school, I was writing for the Dallas Morning News though I’d never been to the city that was two hours away. The stories were of interest to readers across the state.Each small step added to my resume.
When you’re making gas money from your passion this young, you get hooked and begin to tune out all of the “you can’t do this for a living” nay-sayers.
Everyone has to start somewhere. All we need is to get our foot in the door.
How creative internships work today
Now that we have the internet and measurable metrics like click-through rates and followers, this same idea can be utilized as a win-win relationship between students and solopreneurs. The solopreneur provides the tool (such as Shutterstock Create, a free design tool with templates for various business needs), and the student starts building a professional portfolio. As the student proves their value, mutually beneficial incentives can kick in.
A step-by-step guide for solopreneurs
- Decide your biggest pain points. (LINK to pain points article) Are you struggling with social media? Branding? Writing blog articles? Creating website content? Make your wish list.
- Connect with local schools to find potential candidates and/or advertise the internship online. You can contact the school directly to ask for the chair of the appropriate department.
Don’t limit your search to college students. High schoolers have their fingers on the pulse of what’s new and popular. Also, consider homeschoolers because they traditionally have a more flexible schedule and are often business-minded.
- Define how success will be measured. Do you want followers? Subscribers? New customers?
- Connect the intern with Shutterstock Create. Accessible to people with various levels of design experience, the Create tool will allow your intern to flex their creativity with a large variety of color palettes, textures, stock imagery and more. And you can quickly and easily tweak the images and wording long after the intern has moved on.
- As deliverables are met, provide an incentive like a social media push with a coupon code #paymyintern where the client saves 15% and the intern gets 50% of the profit. Their success is now measurable and mutually rewarding as you gain new clients.
Keys to working with interns
The key to working with interns is recognizing that you are not only their boss, you can be an incredibly effective mentor. The right candidate will want to learn and grow. If you are a good mentor, they will never forget who gave them their first break.
In addition, if you have a solid relationship, the intern is likely to give a positive referral to their school who may be able to provide additional interns and, if applicable, utilize the services your business provides.
A step-by-step guide for interns
If you are a student who would like to break into the design market, you don’t have to wait to be approached. By definition, solopreneurs are one-person operations. We are everywhere, and many don’t feel confident in their creative skills.
- Start local. Look through the social media accounts of small local businesses. Is there a coffee shop you frequent? An ice cream parlor? A boutique? Check out their online presence. Think you can create something better?
- Open a Shutterstock Create account. Play with the professional templates or start from scratch. Design a logo, a social media banner, a business card, and more.
- Now it’s time to connect with the client. If this is a company that you frequent, consider doing it face-to-face. Bring in your laptop next time you stop by the shop and say that you’ve been studying design and you’ve actually been tossing around ideas for a new logo for them that would attract the younger customers. Don’t ask for money. Your goal is to build your portfolio, gain experience with Shutterstock Create, and start your professional resume with a client.
- With Shutterstock Create, you can work on multiple projects within the same account. So, keep going. Build your portfolio by creating multiple logos for multiple potential clients. Ask each for a testimonial to add to your own website. Ask them to link to your social media.
- Go bigger. Just like with my first newspaper jobs, once you have a win or two under your belt, keep expanding your business into larger markets.
Age doesn’t matter
Online, age is not an obstacle. Businesses want to know that you can deliver what you’re promising, not that you have an advanced degree in design.
With Shutterstock Create, the professional look is at your fingertips . . . whether you’re a retired professional turned solopreneur or a high school student trying to get your foot in the door.
Solopreneurs + Interns + Shutterstock Create
The “solo” in solopreneur is a choice. It’s a solid one for those who don’t want to rely on someone else for a paycheck, dress code, and hourly requirements. But it’s also essential to know when and where to find help. Interns are a great place to start.
And with Shutterstock Create, you never have to give up the autonomy that made you start your own business.
License this cover image via Grinbox.
