According to research, the UK creative industries are enjoying very strong growth and this is continuing to fuel an expanding talent pool. Research by Falmouth University and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) expects that the gross value added (GVA) of the creative industries is due to surpass £100 billion by 2018.
Naturally, this means there are more designers trying out freelancing and many of those who want to come out of freelancing looking for jobs.
Is the time right for you to consider bringing more creative services in-house?
According to US research from Clemson University, commercial printers cited several advantages to bringing creative services in-house. Respondents said that the main reasons were:
- better control of job timelines (32%)
- customers expecting it (27%)
- produce press-ready artwork from the outset (20%)
- more cost-effective (10%)
Adding Creative or Design Services
Tooling up an in-house creative person is relatively simple with primarily salary costs, the cost of a Mac and either an Adobe Creative Suite subscription or a growing number of non-subscription alternatives that many designers are turning to in preference.
Unlike the challenge in finding print production staff, the creative and designer market is healthy. According to the IBISWorld’s Graphic Designers market research report, the design industry is a multi-billion dollar industry with continuing strong growth forecasted. According to the study, “Over the past five years, new participants have surged into the Graphic Designers industry amid relatively stagnant demand for industry services. Growth in advertising expenditure and manufacturing output have helped sustain demand for design work related to product promotion and packaging.”
In many ways now might be an ideal time to expand your creative services.
