3 Retainer Clients in 30 Days – A Brand Designer’s Success Story for Freelance Growth

Jigsaw Thinking
Oct 31
6 min read

Every freelance brand designer knows the feast-and-famine cycle too well. One month you’re flooded with project work, the next you’re wondering where your next client will come from.

For 26-year-old Pune-based freelance brand designer Zainab, this cycle had grown tiresome. She was doing a lot of work, creating great designs, but the absence of consistency meant she could not budget her income—or her life.

So she broke the cycle. In 30 days, she acquired three retainer clients—a development that transformed her freelance business into a stable, thriving enterprise.

This is her story of brand designer success, how she did it, the process she used, and the takeaways you can apply to win your own retainer clients and build real freelance growth.

The Struggle: Brand Designer Challenges Before Retainer Clients

Zainab had been working freelance as a brand designer for nearly two years. Her portfolio was solid: clean logos, bold brand identities, and refined visual systems. The issue wasn't the quality of her work—it was the type of her clients.

Her average projects went like this:

Logo Design for ₹15,000
Brand Guidelines PDF for ₹25,000
Website Graphics for ₹10,000

These projects were from referrals or Instagram DMs. Though they were lucrative creatively, they were uncertain financially.

"I'd earn ₹60,000 one month and hardly ₹15,000 the next. I couldn't plan savings, travel, or even invest in tools. I knew I needed retainer clients, but I didn't know how to find them," she remembers.

The Turning Point: Redefining Her Offer

Rather than selling just logos or brand identity packages, Zainab—after joining a coaching program at Jigsaw Thinking—shifted her mindset completely.

She asked: “What do my dream clients actually need every month?”

She found that her dream clients—small businesses, coaches, and e-commerce brands—required continuous brand design work rather than one-time projects.

Such as:

Monthly social media graphics
Regular email newsletter design
Regular packaging updates
Seasonal campaign creatives

So she designed a new retainer offer:

Brand Support Packages (₹40,000–₹60,000/month)
15–20 design deliverables per month
Priority turnaround (2–3 days)
Monthly brand strategy check-in

This relieved clients of worry and provided her with recurring revenue.

The Overlooked Goldmine: How Past Clients Became Zainab’s First Retainers

The epiphany wasn't job boards or ads. Zainab got her three retainers by engaging with the warmest audience—the past clients.

Here's how she did it:

List Past Clients: She created a spreadsheet of all the clients she'd worked with in the past 18 months.
Audit Their Needs: She reviewed which clients were still active on Instagram, releasing new products, or making inconsistent designs.
Personal Outreach: She sent each of them a customized message:

"Hi [Name], enjoyed working on your [logo/project]. Saw that you've been sharing some awesome content lately. If you need constant design help—such as monthly social media assets, campaign design, or packaging—I built a retainer package that could be just what you're looking for. Interested in me sending you the details?"

The Retainer Domino Effect: One Yes Led to Three

Week 1: First Retainer Secured

One of her previous clients, a nutrition coach, responded the moment she reached out. They were sick of hunting for Canva graphics weekly. Zainab signed them up for a ₹40,000/month retainer.

Week 2: Second Retainer Gains Momentum

She contacted a D2C skincare company she had done packaging design for last year. They were growing rapidly and required similar campaign images consistently. She pitched her package, and within a week, signed her second retainer at ₹50,000/month.

Week 4: Third Retainer Seals the Deal

One of her old clients, who had previously hired her for a single webinar design, returned. With their appreciation for her proactive follow-up, they contracted for a ₹60,000/month retainer.

The Results: Consistency + Growth

Within 30 days, Zainab had landed:

3 Retainer Clients (₹1,50,000/month total)
Predictable income for the next 6 months
Breathing room to plan out her schedule and say "no" to low-paid projects

“This totally flipped every

thing. I went from logo hustling to actually forming relationships with clients who respect long-term design service,” Zainab says.

Want results like this?

You don’t need to work harder—just smarter. If you're ready to turn one-off projects into consistent monthly income like Zainab, match with your coach and start building your retainer game plan today.

Why Retainers Work for Freelance Growth

Zainab's experience shows why retainers are a game-changer for freelancers:

Predictable Income: No more feast-or-famine. You know what's coming in each month.
Deeper Client Relationships: Long-term work generates trust and makes you an actual partner, not a vendor.
Less Marketing Stress: Rather than finding new clients every week, you can concentrate on working with a few really well.
Increased Lifetime Value: A customer paying ₹50,000/month for 6 months is worth much more than some one-off logo work.

How You Can Use This Strategy

If you're a freelance brand designer (or any kind of creative service provider), here's how to model Zainab's success:

Step 1: Set Your Retainer Offer

What can you reasonably deliver each month? Social media visuals? Monthly site updates? Packaging redesigns? Break it out concisely.

Step 2: Price It Smartly

Base your price above a single project. Retainer fees should equal deliverables and priority status.

Step 3: Audit Past Clients

Take stock of all the people you have worked with over the last 1–2 years. Mark the ones who are still up and running.

Step 4: Send Personalized Pitches

Don't spam generic emails. Mention the previous project and indicate that you care about their development.

Step 5: Remain Consistent

Even if only 2–3 clients reply, it's enough to create stable recurring income.

Struggling to create your first retainer package? Match with the coach of your preference and we'll assist in pricing, packaging, and pitching it to win.

Bonus Tips from Zainab

Provide Three Tiers

She designed a "Lite" (₹30,000), "Standard" (₹40,000), and "Pro" (₹60,000) plan to provide clients with flexibility.

Set Boundaries Clearly

Add boundaries (e.g., 15 deliverables per month). Otherwise, clients will overwhelm you.

Highlight Retainer Work

Share monthly design roundups on Instagram/LinkedIn to demonstrate consistency and attract similar clients.

Begin with Discounts (If Necessary)

As an introductory retainer, Zainab provided a little discount to get the commitment. Afterwards, she increased her prices.

Your Next Step

If you're fed up with running after logos and ad-hoc work, retainer clients are the ticket to stable freelance growth

Play Zainab's playbook:

Set your retainer offer.
Call on previous clients.
Pitch ahead.

Who knows? Within 30 days, you might be toasting your very own retainer win.

Want to create your freelance stability? Match with your preferred coach and begin crafting your retainer plan today

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is a retainer client, anyway? A retainer client is someone who pays you a fixed monthly fee in exchange for a set amount of ongoing design work. For brand designers, this can include things like social media graphics, monthly campaign visuals, packaging updates, or brand maintenance tasks. Retainer clients help build consistent income and long-term relationships—two essentials for freelance growth.

2. How do I determine if my clients will say yes to a retainer?

Start with clients who already need frequent creative work. Think: D2C brands running regular campaigns, coaches creating weekly content, or startups launching monthly promotions. These are ideal candidates for ongoing brand design support. If they’ve needed your help more than once, they’re likely ready for a retainer.

3. Do I discount retainer packages versus one-off projects? Yes—but only slightly. Retainers bring monthly stability for you and reliable delivery for the client. Offering a 10–15% discount compared to your project-based pricing is standard practice. It makes your retainer packages more appealing while still ensuring profitability and scalable freelance growth.

4. How do I propose a retainer without being pushy? Frame your retainer offer as a helpful next step, not a hard sell. Refer back to a past project: “Since we worked on your [project], I’ve noticed you’re running consistent campaigns. I now offer a monthly retainer that ensures your design stays aligned and on-brand. Would you like me to send over the details?” This positions you as proactive—not salesy.

5. What if I don't have prior clients to pitch?

No worries. You can still land retainer clients by creating a strong proposal and showcasing example deliverables. Consider offering a limited-time trial retainer to a new client as proof-of-concept. One successful case study can unlock future monthly work—and your path to freelance growth begins.

6. How many retainer clients should I target? That depends on your bandwidth and income goals. Most brand designers find that 3–5 well-priced retainer clients are enough to hit ₹1.5L–₹3L/month in revenue, while still leaving space for personal projects or one-off gigs. Focus on quality over quantity.

7. How do I manage scope creep in retainers?

Set boundaries early and clearly. Always outline:

Number of deliverables per month
Number of revisions (e.g., max 2 rounds)
What’s included vs. what’s billable extra Use a simple contract or scope doc to make expectations clear—and protect your time.

8. Can retainers be used in other creative domains?

Absolutely. The retainer model works for any creative professional who offers recurring services. Copywriters, social media managers, web developers, content creators—even photographers—can all benefit from packaging their work into monthly retainer plans.

9. Should I request contracts with retainer clients? Yes—always. Contracts protect both parties and help maintain professional boundaries. Your retainer agreement should cover: