Exclusive Illustrator

[glorybound]

I have the interest of a company, outside of a major city that is about 3 hours away, wanting me to be their exclusive architectural illustrator. The angle is, I can't do the work for any of their competitors, which needs to be clarified. I am thinking a radius around their several offices, but again, this needs to be clarified. Has anybody here ever done this? What was your experience like? is it a good idea? Should I run the other way and not look back?

[Neilg]

if you can get a retainer and you can work for their competitors the second they stop paying you then it would just be like working in house. I wouldn't do it unless they were willing to pay a significant amount for it though.

[glorybound]

Typically, a retainer is less per hour, but the non-compete kind of changes a typical retainer relationship.

[glorybound]

A studio worker makes $30 per hour and a freelancer makes $60. When you work on a retainer you discount 10%-20%, so we are talking $54 per hour. Let's say you contract for 20hrs per week, you would get $1080. I would do month to month retainers, and if they want a non-compete I would need a 30day break up notice. The non-compete would have restrictions, like a radius. How does this sound?

[flino2004]

this is very tricky...I understand something like that if the companies were Target & Walmart, Coke & Pepsi but if they do what you usually do (residential), you really have to charge a lot money, including the potential work and the opportunity to grow your business like you have been doing for the past years.
usually those agreements are for those big companies like a mentioned because they are sharing with you information non-available like Prototypes or secret locations of future stores as well as a full package of branding and identity.

[glorybound]

So, I just bumped my fee up some. Let's say $65 per hour, or $1,300 for 20 hours. A steady income is comforting, especially since Fall is fast approaching.

[andybot_cg]

Would you be paid a certain amount each month even if the workload from them drops off? What if they only have half the work they promised, but still want to keep the non-compete?

I've turned down similar agreements before. There's just nothing certain, and I value my flexibility as self-employed over everything else.

Do you have current clients that this non-compete would affect?

Also, I don't know that seasonal issues affect archviz that much. I've found summer is the slowest since everyone is on holiday, especially August. Don't let current slowness drive a fear about future work. You do good work, it'll keep coming

Andy

[glorybound]

Thanks for the kind words. Yes, they would pay, even if they don't have the work, but I don't see that happening. What I do see happening is, I put in way more hours than we agree, because that's just how I am. I tend to work regardless of the clock. I'll have to think on this one. It would be nice not chasing work and payment, at least for some of my work.

Would you be paid a certain amount each month even if the workload from them drops off? What if they only have half the work they promised, but still want to keep the non-compete?

I've turned down similar agreements before. There's just nothing certain, and I value my flexibility as self-employed over everything else.

Do you have current clients that this non-compete would affect?

Also, I don't know that seasonal issues affect archviz that much. I've found summer is the slowest since everyone is on holiday, especially August. Don't let current slowness drive a fear about future work. You do good work, it'll keep coming

Andy

[Neilg]

Would you be paid a certain amount each month even if the workload from them drops off? What if they only have half the work they promised, but still want to keep the non-compete?

That's what the retainer is for, if you're not going to work for their competitors you need to get paid even if they have no work to give you. if the non compete only includes a radius around their offices and you can still get work in from elsewhere, having a quiet month from them could be quite profitable.
Tricky to make it work though.

[fraggle]

Non compete can apply in the creation process, but as a CGI artist in arch viz, you just give shape to other people ideas (architect, designer...).
In the VFX industry it makes senses but not in the CGI viz market according to me.

[AlexP]

Non compete can apply in the creation process, but as a CGI artist in arch viz, you just give shape to other people ideas (architect, designer...).
In the VFX industry it makes senses but not in the CGI viz market according to me.

Well not really, as all arch viz artists are not equal

[glorybound]

This is how I am handling it. I'll work on a month-to-month retainer, which is paid in advance. I will not work with their local competition in exchange for a guaranteed amount of work from them. So, I'll get paid for 20 hours a week, regardless of if they have work for me or not.

[alexyork]

Start a second arch-viz business under a completely different name, register as a limited company. Any new contracts with companies outside the local radius would be with the company, not with you, therefore not going against any agreement you personally might have. Any enquiries that come in that fall into the local radius you push through that new business. Anything outside you take on directly as normal. Just a suggestion.

Depends on how much business you think you might get from those local businesses. Are there lots?

Personally if I were to close myself off to business from potential clients I would want double or triple or more for such an agreement. The lost potential revenue could be significant.

Difficult situation.

[AlexP]

Theres also the lost relationships, while not working with you they'll find someone else to work with.
If your retainer deal dries up then you will have missed out on other working relationships potentially.

[glorybound]

The second company idea, although a solution, sounds a little second handed. I'll have to see how much money would be worth it.