So what you really meant was not ‘where do I advertise’ but ‘where can I advertise for free to find a gullible senior level designer who’s into biking but will work for peanuts and take on board all of the risks associated with a startup company’? Singletrack?
At your level of salary you’ll get an average artworker at best. Any good designer worth their salt or looking to advance their careers would be looking to work at a big agency, working with international brands and blue chip clients. As a new agency, working in not the most glamourous or creative of industries (carpet) you’re probably going to have to pay far more than the going rate to attract the right candidate.
Yet you seem defensive and reluctant to listen to the good advise given on here! What does that say about you as a potential manager?
I’ve seen time and time again people who’ve set up agencies but skimp on salaries. You pay peanuts, the saying goes . . The fact that they have not employed good people from day one is still negatively impacting their business today as these ‘average’ designers are now senior designers within the company, yet still need micro management and basic creative direction from the founders on a daily basis.
If I were you I would listen to the ‘FREE’ advise on here and be grateful for it – it’s worth it’s weight in gold. If you can’t afford to pay more then I would either:
– Take on a part time senior (maybe someone with kids who needs shorter hours).
– Employ a graduate – but the guidance they will need will impact a lot on your time and there will be lots of trial and error along the way. As a new business founder could your time be better spent?
– Recruit for senior freelancers to work when required on a daily rate.
– Split out the photography and employ a good freelancer when required. We know several excellent photographers for around £300 per day.
– Offer the new employee equity in the agency for the risk they’d be taking (real equity, not share options). But this is risky for you too.
Don’t promise an increase in salary when the agency gets bigger – most people have heard these sort of promises and hot air before and are generally very skeptical about this sort of promise (unless you write the guaranteed increases into their employment contract, with dates and amounts agreed from day one).
Design Week would be a good way to advertise – but you need to bear in mind that it’s ‘GOOD’ and as a result its not ‘FREE’. Good luck.