I have been doing some freelance graphic design from home since I got laid off over a year ago. I haven't really put much effort into it though. I have a friend/ex-coworker that works in the graphics dept. at the local community college. She has given me their overflow work, but it's sporadic and definitely not enough to help pay the bills.
Rather than do design for the general public, I'd like to send a letter to some local businesses that do graphic design in-house (create ads for the local newspapers, ads/catalog layout for Foster & Smith, random jobs for local printers, etc.), but I am horrible at writing. I have a rough draft, but if anyone could pick at it and give me some tips, I'd really appreciate it. Here goes...
Dear Mr. Soandso,
My name is Janice Lastname and I am a professional graphic designer. I have been in the advertising and marketing field for ten years. Some of the companies I have worked for are ABC, Inc. and DEF, Inc. Most recently I started my own freelance graphic design company, GHI.
I am writing to offer my service as a freelance graphic designer. I can take any overflow work you have and complete it in a timely manner. Much of the work in this field can be done via email, but I am able to meet in person if needed.
You can view my résumé and portfolio at http://www.xyz.com. Please contact me at 000.000.0000, so that we can arrange a convenient time to meet. I will be looking forward to your call.
Best Regards,
Should I change the "Please contact me..." to "I will be calling to arrange/follow up..."?
I'd like to elaborate a bit about why a freelance graphic designer could save them money, but I don't know how to word it. Something like...
Hiring a freelancer rather than a full-time employee can help cut
down on
unnecessary overhead expenditures. Benefits include: pay per job as opposed to
hourly (eliminate paying for "down time";), and they wouldn't have to provide benefits (insurance, retirement plan, vacation pay.)
Thanks in advance for any help!