How to Prepare for Hiring a White Label Designer

After 3 years (and counting) of working with brand and Showit web designers as a white label designer, I’ve come to realize two things: 1) there isn’t a whole lot of information out there on what it’s like to work with a white label contractor, and 2) that lack of info and the stigma that sometimes comes with white label work often holds designers back from outsourcing. But I have experienced that white labeling can be beneficial for everyone involved – and I’ve got the happy clients to prove it! So, I’m creating this blog post to help you prepare for hiring a white label designer. Let’s get you ready to ready to outsource with confidence and ease!

Why hire a white label designer?

Before I get into how to prepare, I do want to briefly explain what white label is, what it isn’t, and how you can decide if working with a white label designer is right for you.

White Label Design means that a designer completes a project for another designer, with the credit going to the outsourcing designer’s studio. Typically, white label designers specialize in being able to adapt to different styles. So, the completed designs will look as if you created them, and your clients won’t know the difference! You can outsource any type of design work, including logos, web design, and website templates.

Which brings me to what white label design isn’t. White label often gets a bad wrap for being associated with “ripping people off” or being “sleazy” by “not doing your own work.” But ethical white labeling is mutually beneficial! I am fairly paid by all of my clients. Yes, the credit for my work does go to their studio, but I am designing in their style and they actively participate by providing creative direction as the visionary.

Designers typically decide to outsource for one of these reasons:

• They are booked out and need help meeting the demand
• They want to decrease their own work hours through delegating
• They want to scale, but don’t have the capacity for more 1:1 work

If you can identify with any of those scenarios, it’s time to think about outsourcing.

Step #1: Know What Tasks You Need Help With

Like I mentioned above, you probably have a reason for wanting to hire help, and probably involves time and money. But now we need to get more specific – what tasks are you willing to hand off?

There are different ways to go about this. Some designers that I’ve worked with prefer to outsource an entire project like a template customization or custom branding. Others will do part of a project themselves, and then hire a white label designer to get things to the finish line. This can look like outsourcing mobile optimization, brand exports, or subpages.

Go ahead and make a list of ways you would like to invite another designer into your process. It’s also totally okay to experiment with all of these options to find what you like best!

Step #2: Use Templates, Checklists, and Workflows to Streamline Your Projects

Here’s the part where the organizational nerd in me gets to shine! It’s so important to get organized and find ways to streamline your projects before hiring. This will help your collaborations go smoother, and it will save you time in the long run, too!

Now if this sounds daunting, don’t get stressed and close out this tab! Since you’ve already been doing this work yourself you probably already have everything you need. It’s just about packaging it up in a way that makes it easy for another designer follow.

Here are some examples of how my clients have streamlined their design work:

• Having a clear workflow of steps that need to be completed for each of your packages/offerings
  • Bonus points if you add this into a project management system!
• Using templates for things like brand presentations, brand style guides, or mockups
• Identifying a list of any signature touches that are always present in your work
  • Ex: Do you have favorite fonts and color palettes? Do you always present two brand concepts initially? How about features that you always include in a client website or template?

These are just a few ideas, share whatever you think will be helpful! Your white label designer can guide you on things they will need as well. Go ahead and make a list of any templates, checklists, or workflows you want to have ready to share.

Step #3: Know Who You Want to Work With

Now that we’ve taken care of all the nitty gritty task details, it’s time to decide who you want to hire as your white label designer! Just like with hiring any team member, it’s important to consider things like personality and working styles here. You want to find someone who you feel comfortable working with and trusting with projects. Also be aware of *how* you’ll work together – one-off projects, VIP days, and monthly retainers are popular options!

Ready to get started? Check out my white label services!

Hopefully this article has helped you feel more excited about working with a white label designer! Some designers have shared with me that the admin side of outsourcing can sometimes make it feel like more trouble than it’s worth. However, I truly believe that if you prepare well and have clear goals, hiring design support can change your business (and life!) for the better.

I currently offer both VIP days and monthly retainers with limited spots available! Explore my white label packages and inquire here. I’d love to chat more about how I can support you!