Dian Sourelis, Principal of Brainforest, began the third Tools of the Trade workshop on studio start-ups with unexpected advice. “Just because you have a lot of talent doesn’t mean that you should start your own firm. The majority of design firms fail, in part because so many designers try.”

These words drove home a pivotal point: most of us at the discussion were designers, but not everyone there was cut out to be a businessperson as well. Further, gaining business savvy isn’t necessarily easy or natural for some.

Other words of wisdom revolved around gaining a comfort dealing with and talking about money. Dian spoke to the anxiety that most designers have with this topic and emphasized the need to conquer it. “You can’t ignore one side of the business or your business will fail. Either force yourself to do it well, or partner with someone who will.”

Brainforest, the studio she started with Nils Bunde, embraces this philosophy. Nils handles the creative aspects of the company while Dian handles the business side, assuring that all facets of the business are handled well. Prior to Brainforest, Dian successfully ran her own design consultancy, Sourelis + Associates for ten years. Her own experiences and war stories served as good examples throughout the workshop.

Topics ranged from the general (advice on choosing an appropriate business model) to the specific (how to obtain trademarks and local licenses). Because of the limited time, the workshop was focused mainly on step-by-step business basics without delving into too much detail. For more specific information, Dian highly recommended Talent Is Not Enough: Business Secrets for Designers by Shel Perkins.