If you are a designer who has ever found yourself drowning in client work, juggling way too many projects at once, or wondering if cloning yourself is an option… hiring a white label designer might just be the perfect move for you!
And if you're not clear on what the heck a white label designer actually does, how much they can truly change your life (spoiler: a lot!), or how to go about finding the right one, this blog post is for you, friend!
What is a White Label Designer? (And What Do They Actually Do?)
A white label designer is an expert who designs behind the scenes for professional designers and agencies. They create work that you can present under your brand… that’s why it’s called “white label” because you get to label it as your own!
And hiring a white label designer is the freaking best because:
- You can pass off parts of projects you don’t love (like website development or logo design!)
- You can take on more projects (because you’re spending 70% less time since someone else is doing the majority of the design work!)
- You can say yes to projects you wouldn’t have been able to before (for example: squeezing in an extra project during a busy month or taking on projects, like Shopify website builds, that you don’t have the experience to do yourself!)
- You can have more time for whatever you want (Three-day weekends? An impromptu trip to the beach? Working 20 hours a week instead of 40? Do it!)
(P.S. It’s me, hi. I’m a white label designer who can help you accomplish ^ that! If you’re interested, check out my white label design services.)
A White Label Designer vs. A Junior Designer: What’s the Difference?
The last thing you want when you’re feeling overwhelmed as heck with client work is to have to train someone else and spend a bunch of extra time explaining, reviewing, and revising someone else’s work.
(It would be easier to just do it yourself!)
In fact, chances are the thought of adding extra work to your plate makes you feel a little like this…
Well, when you hire a white label designer, you won’t have to do any of those things. That’s the biggest difference between hiring a white label designer versus a junior designer: they have a much higher level of expertise.
A junior designer is still finding their footing. They need your guidance, your feedback, and time to grow their skills. They're perfect if you're building a team for the long haul and have extra time to mentor them, but they're going to require more support from you.
A white label designer is an expert. They should be expertly skilled, have established processes, and be able to take on anything from designing a homepage to a full brand design and website development project without you having to oversee everything.
When you work with a white label designer they’ll be delivering work that’s client-ready or close as heck to it while that would be a totally unfair expectation to have for a junior designer.
(If you’re still debating whether hiring a white label designer or a junior designer is right for you, check out this blog post!)
How Much Should You Pay a White Label Designer? (And How Much Should You Expect to Profit?)
Long story short? Generally, designers pay their white label partners between 40-60% of the overall project cost. And I know that that might sound like a lot, but it’s actually not when you break down the numbers…
Let’s say you land a $3,000 brand project.
You’d pay your white label designer around 50% ($1,500) and they’d do about 70% of the work. You’ll still be handling 30% of the work since you will be managing the client, handling project delivery, and reviewing your white label designer’s work.
But. That means you’re making 50% ($1,500) to do 30% of the work!
As a white label designer, I've seen my design clients be able to make way more money (even though they’re paying me!) because they can:
- Book clients they previously would have turned away (like Shopify builds they didn't know how to do)
- Scale to a small agency without the hassle of managing employees
- Maintain their income while reducing how much they’re working by 30%
(And fun fact: most of my clients raise their prices significantly after working with me… we’re talking going from $2,000 for website design to $5,000-8,000! If you’re interested in working together, download my pricing guide for more details!)
Questions to Ask Your (Potential) White Label Designer
Just like you’d spend time finding the right person if you were hiring a social media manager or a copywriter for your business, it's ridiculously important to make sure your white label designer is the right fit. And once you’ve found one (or a few!) you’re interested in working with, here are five questions I recommend asking during your discovery call:
1. “What's your process?”
Since white label designers are experts, they should have an established process in place for their projects! That means they should be able to share what they’ll need from you, what their timelines are, how they manage feedback and revisions, and more.
2. “How is your pricing structured?”
Some white label designers charge per deliverable (like $500 for a homepage design), while others might offer flat-rate packages ($1500 for a brand identity) or monthly retainers. You want to make sure their pricing aligns with what you're looking for, and, if you need something more custom, like icons or illustrations in addition to brand design, ask them if they’re flexible on adjusting what’s included!
3. “Do you have any minimums?”
Some white label designers only take on full brand kits or require a minimum number of website pages (it has to be worth their time too!). Other white label designers might be open to helping out with smaller projects, but only if they’re on a retainer.
Double-check to see if you’re on the same page before moving forward and get a good idea of what you’ll be able to hand off now and in the future.
4. “What parts of projects can you handle?”
Do they only do design? Or do they offer development too? Can they handle brand strategy, Shopify builds, and WordPress customization? You definitely want to ask them about the specific parts you’re looking to pass off so you know if that’s something they can handle!
5. “What’s your availability?”
Are you looking for a white label designer who offers a monthly retainer so you can pass on random design tasks that pop up? Would you prefer to hand over whole projects every couple of months? Are they available per project or do they prefer working on a set schedule?
Whether you’re looking for ongoing support or want help with a one-time project, make sure you two are aligned!
Green Flags to Look for When Hiring a White Label Designer
Besides asking those ridiculously important questions above, you’ll also want to be on the lookout for a few important green flags when chatting with a white label designer.
1. They Lead the Conversation
White label designers are experts who will make sure to ask you the right questions to get the information they need to deliver what you’re wanting.
They should lead the conversation and ask questions like:
- "What types/parts of your projects are you looking to hand over?"
- "How does your client communication usually work?"
- "How hands-on do you want to be?"
- "What does your step-by-step process look like right now?"
2. They Have a Clear (But Flexible) Process
A white label designer should have a solid process, whether it's for a quick landing page development or full brand design projects.
But, they should also be open to adapting their process to work with yours!
Whether that means being okay with using Slack for project communication (or whatever tool you use!), making themselves available for special timelines (like VIP days), or following your lead on creative direction rather than taking charge, a dang good white label designer should adjust to your needs, too.
3. They Have a Portfolio (Even if it’s Just Passion Projects)
Some white label designers have permission from their past clients to share their work and some don’t. (That’s a choice you’ll get to make too when you hire a white label designer!) However, even if they can’t show you past work they’ve done for clients because they’re sworn to secrecy, they should still have portfolio pieces to share, like passion projects, that give you a clear picture of their skills.
5 Ways to Prepare for Hiring a White Label Designer
So you've asked all the right questions, spotted the green flags, and found a white label designer who's the perfect fit? Amazing! (So proud of you, friend!)
But before you let them know you’re ready to move forward, you’ll want to make sure you are fully prepared.
1. Get Clear on Your Deadlines
Figure out what you will need from them and when. And don’t forget to include extra time between when they deliver to you and when you deliver to your client. That way, if you need to make any revisions, you have some space to do so!
2. Start with a Trial Project
Before signing a forever contract or passing off a bajillion projects to your white label designer, I highly recommend starting with one, smaller project and treating it as a trial project. (That’s what I do with my clients!)
It’s a little like dating, you wouldn’t propose after the first coffee date, right? (Well, I mean, no judgment if you would!) Learning how you two communicate and if it’s a good match will give you peace of mind moving forward.
3. Make Sure You’ve Got the Money
Real talk time! Your white label designer is a professional, and professionals don't work for "I'll pay you when my client pays me" promises.
Be prepared to cover at least 50-60% upfront before your client payment comes through.
4. Write Down Your Expectations
Since effective communication is probably the most important thing ever when it comes to working with a white label designer (or just… in general, honestly), you’ll absolutely want to be crystal clear on everything you need to communicate.
Spend some time thinking about what you want from them, what your non-negotiables are, and how you prefer to give feedback so you can share all of that with them when you start.
5. Shift Your Mindset
The truth is, if you’ve been doing everything yourself and know clients have high expectations of you (which of course they do, you’re amazing!), handing off work can feel scary! But having an awesome relationship with the white label designer you hire involves letting go of that fear and trusting that they know what they’re doing.
So, take a deep breath, let them do their thing, and enjoy not having to do it all yourself.
Ready to hire a white label designer?
Wow, friend, you made it through that whole blog post! And that can only mean you’re thinking hiring a white label designer is the right move for you.
Well, it’s me, hi. I’m a white label designer! (I know, big surprise, right?)
If you’re looking to pass off website design, development, brand design, and more, my white label design services might be just the perfect thing.
And not to toot my own horn but my clients say that I’m a breeze to work with, someone they fully trust to help with the design they’re practically famous for, and someone who has changed the way they operate their business—from being able to raise their prices, make more money, and letting go of the stress of having to do everything themselves.
(Sorry, that was definitely some horn-tooting.)
If you’re interested, download my pricing guide and inquire so we can chat!
