If you want to stand out in the graphic design industry, you’ll need a well-structured business that prospective clients value.
As you can imagine, there are a lot of moving parts within a successful graphic design business. For that reason, we’ll discuss how to start a graphic design business successfully in today’s guide. We’ll cover everything from business plans to pricing strategies to help you attract potential clients and establish a reputable brand.
The Beginning: How To Start a Graphic Design Business With No Experience
Learning how to start a graphic design business with no experience can prove a difficult challenge. What’s more, without experience, you’ll struggle to stand out among your competitors, who are already proficient graphic designers.
For that reason, we’ll focus on the things you need to start a graphic design business.
1. Learning the Basics
Clients will always gravitate toward graphic designers who can demonstrate exceptional creativity, client communication, and time management. Other technical skills that every graphic designer has include an understanding of branding strategies, print design, and UX design.
When considering essential graphic design skills, we recommend that you evaluate your strengths and weaknesses. Knowing your weaknesses can help you identify areas for further study that will help you grow as a designer.
Understanding graphic/UI design principles is also crucial to your professional growth. Regardless of the project, graphic designers rely on principles like contrast, balance, rhythm, proportions, color, typography, and visual hierarchy.
When clients can see your use of principles in your work, they’ll trust you to produce high-quality deliverables.
You may find it helpful to study a degree in graphic design, although we understand this isn’t always feasible. Alternatively, you can always leverage more affordable resources like books, blogs, video tutorials, and even podcasts.
2. Experimenting With Graphic Design Tools
After you master the basics of graphic design, it’s worth getting to grips with popular design software. Think Sketch, Canva, Figma, and Adobe Illustrator – graphic designers employ all of these tools to elevate their designs.
With the right tools, you can create illustrations and animations, stylize images, create color palettes, design logos, and more. Clients will expect you to use the best and latest tools for the projects they hire you for. That’s why you need to know the features of the tools you use and how to leverage them.
3. Building Your Portfolio & Resume
Your portfolio is your chance to advertise your value to your clients. It contains a visual collection of your design projects, often displaying images, wireframes, and infographics.
It also explains the rationale behind your design decisions, user research, and any obstacles you had to overcome. This part of your portfolio is crucial as it demonstrates your ability to prioritize your user-centricity and problem-solving prowess.
Without much experience, you may wonder how you could create a portfolio without having any professional work. Luckily, you can always work on personal projects since it’s your portfolio’s content that matters, not its subjects.
Once you have a few projects to your name, you can work on your graphic design resume. Your resume summarizes your design skills, experiences, and the impact of your work on your clients/users.
Overall, both your resume and your portfolio will help you stand out to future clients and hiring managers. While the goal is to start your own company, it will never hurt to work for other companies first.
4. Establishing an Online Presence
With some projects under your belt, your next step is to show it off. Given how valuable social media is to modern-day businesses, it’s easier to showcase your value now more than ever.
Consider creating social media accounts that are separate from your personal profiles, and that display your professionalism. Your social media accounts should showcase the work from your portfolio, the services you offer, and your contact information.
It’s worth noting that you don’t have to create accounts on platforms like Dribbble, Behance, and Instagram. But if you do, you’ll find that it’s much easier to communicate your brand’s identity and attract more potential clients.
5. Welcoming Collaboration
Making yourself visible within the graphic design community is a great way to find valuable connections and acquire more skills. Depending on who you meet, you could even find graphic design jobs to add to your portfolio.
To assimilate into the graphic design community, we suggest looking into online groups and forums like the Graphic Design Forum. You should also consider attending industry events and even just simply reaching out to other designers.
Within these communities and events, you can gain insightful advice and mentorship from business owners you aspire to be like.
How To Start a Graphic Design Business Online
Now, you know what it takes to become a talented graphic designer. Next, you need to learn how to become a successful graphic design business owner.
By creating an online graphic design company, you can become a business owner from the comfort of your own home. For that reason, you’ll find out how to start a graphic design business online that will see you generate success below.
1. Choosing Your Business’s Name
The first part of owning a business is naming it. Whatever name ideas you have, make sure it’s easy to spell and not too long. This will help those who visit your website remember its name.
When you’re happy with your graphic design company name, you should check its domain availability. You can do this by searching up your company’s name in your browser with its TDL extension. If you find yourself on a website, you know that someone else is already using your prospective name.
Once you’re in the clear, you can design the logo for it. Like your portfolio, this is a great opportunity to show off the skills you now have.
2. Registering Your Business’s Name
You must register your business as either a sole proprietorship or a limited liability company (LLC). A sole proprietorship is a popular option for freelancers with no employees, as it requires minimal paperwork and costs.
On the other hand, LLCs have the benefit of flexible taxation and better legal protection.
Ultimately, it’s your call to decide which type of registration is best for your business. Fortunately, you have the freedom to change your business registration in the future.
3. Acquiring Your Tax Identification Number
You should now apply for your Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN). This number demonstrates that you own a legal business entity and allows you to file your tax returns. You can’t have business licenses or business bank accounts without this number, so you must apply for it early.
You can apply for your FEIN on the IRS’s website.
4. Creating a Solid Business Plan
Every business needs a solid business plan to guide its operations and growth. Your plan should outline your company’s goals and the strategies you’ll employ to meet them.
Detail your business’s services, niche, target customers, rates, and plans for finding and retaining clients. You’d also benefit from including market and competitive analysis, marketing efforts, potential promotions, and necessary resources into your business plan.
5. Setting Up a Business Bank Account
While it isn’t compulsory, having a business bank account will help you separate your business expenses from your personal finances.
By doing this, you’ll mitigate any legal risks pertaining to tax audits and find it easier to track financial records.
6. Securing Your Business
Covering your business with business insurance is never going to be a bad idea. We especially recommend you look into professional indemnity insurance. This insurance will protect you if a client faces financial losses due to your work.
Additionally, depending on how you’re structuring your business, you may need business licenses and permits, especially if it’s an LLC.
7. Selecting Your Pricing Strategy
To determine the right pricing strategies for your business, you need to consider the following:
- Whether you’ll charge clients by the hour, project, or expected ROI
- Your material costs
- Your labor costs
- Your ideal monthly revenue
- The amount of revisions you permit your clients to request
It may be helpful to investigate how other graphic design businesses are approaching their pricing strategies.
8. Building Your Website
Using platforms like Wix and Squarespace, you can build the focal point of your online business – your website.
Your website will act as the home for your portfolio, pricing model, and contact information. For an additional personal touch, you should include a section that lets your website visitors learn more about you.
Treat your website as another one of your designs. Employ the graphic design principles you know, brand-specific design elements, and accessible design practices.
9. Attracting Clients
Due to your online presence and networking efforts, finding clients may not be a challenge for you.
But to make your business extremely visible, you can leverage the power of word-of-mouth and promotional packages. You can even try selling digital prints on platforms like Etsy to showcase your talents to Etsy’s vast user base.
10. Developing Your Proposal Template
When clients find you, you should introduce them to your professionalism with a comprehensive client proposal.
Your client proposals will emphasize your business’s value proposition and how it will benefit that particular client. They will also clarify the services you offer and approximate project timelines, costs, and scopes.
What’s more, by using a template, you can streamline the proposal creation process. Consider the following proposal template providers:
- Jotform
- Google Slides
- Canva
Tip: When you acquire new clients, remember to put your client communication skills into practice!
11. Managing Your Invoices
After you deliver high-quality work to your new clients, you’ll need to send them your invoices. Since invoicing can take up a lot of your time, we recommend investing in invoice templates and software like Xero.
Unfortunately, you should also prepare yourself for the instances where clients don’t pay. As much as you won’t want to think about unpaid invoices, this is something you should take protective measures against.
To avoid this, you can ask for deposits up front, maintain short payment terms, and provide alternative payment methods.
12. Gathering Testimonials
Now that you have happy clients who regard your work highly, you should ask them to leave ratings and reviews. You can then post these testimonials on your website and professional social media accounts.
By doing this, you’ll establish your business as one of credibility and exceptional deliverables, but you shouldn’t stop there. Contemplate respectfully asking your clients to refer you to others who would benefit from your services.
Now, you have a graphic design company that is on the right track for consistent success!
How To Start a Graphic Design Business From Home: Best Practices
Now, you know how to start a graphic design business from home, but the work isn’t over. There are always things you can do to improve your business, and we’ve discussed them below!
- Create your business plan as early as you can.
- Regularly update your portfolio and resume as you work on more projects.
- Set up a comfortable home office that is free of distractions.
- Prepare for a long journey; success isn’t instantaneous.
- Maintain your presence on social media, even after you’re successful.
- Don’t complete any work without a formal contract in place.
How To Start a Freelance Graphic Design Business: Key Differences
When looking into graphic design businesses, you probably came across freelance graphic design businesses. It beckons the question, “Is a freelance business any different from a typical online graphic design business?”
The answer is yes and no. It’s not different in the sense that you should still follow the same steps we’ve provided in the previous sections.
That said, freelance businesses differ from usual online businesses in terms of client communication, services, and growth potential.
As a sole proprietor, you’ll manage every aspect of your business by yourself. That’s why it’s understandable that freelance business owners often offer a smaller range of services and handle fewer business expenditures.
Freelance design business owners also tend to have closer, more personal relationships with clients, which contributes to their success. As for growth potential, the only limits you’ll face are your own time and workload.
So, if you want to learn how to start a freelance graphic design business, read the following tips and tricks:
- Only accept projects you feel comfortable with. Your dislike of a project may affect the quality of your work and tarnish your brand.
- Don’t select a niche that’s…well, too niche.
- Constantly strive to refine your design skills.
- Join freelance platforms like Fiverr and Upwork.
- Only take on a manageable number of clients, or you’ll risk burning yourself out.
- Don’t undercharge your services for the sake of securing clients.
FAQs
What are the initial steps to starting a graphic design business?
The initial steps to starting a successful graphic design business include choosing and registering your brand’s name.
How much does it cost to start up a graphic design business?
It can cost you anywhere between $1,500 and $10,000 to start a graphic design business. You’ll likely allocate most of these expenses to creative/project management tools and marketing materials like social media advertising campaigns.
Can you make money creating graphic designs from home?
Many remote graphic designers produce deliverables for their companies from the comfort of their own homes. You can also work with graphic design clients as a freelancer by selling your services on websites like Fiverr and Upwork.
How To Start a Graphic Design Business: Use Page Flows for Inspiration
Building your own graphic design business will take a lot of hard work, money, time, determination, and creativity. That’s why you’d benefit from finding tools and resources that can help you make your business as lucrative as possible.
But you shouldn’t just look for tools that help you manage your projects and track your website’s performance. You should also look for resources that help you enhance the quality of your products. This is where Page Flows comes in.
With Page Flows, you’ll learn how to refine your design’s user flows so that your users experience seamless in-product navigation. We source our wide range of versatile user flows from already successful industries and brands, including Asana and Dropbox.
The idea is that you don’t try to reinvent the wheel before you learn how it works. With our examples, you’ll not only learn how user-centric flows operate but also how to adapt them to your industry. Best of all, we collect both web and mobile user flows so you can practice responsive design successfully.
You know how to start a graphic design business; it’s time that you enhance its offerings with Page Flows. Take a look at Page Flows now and find the resources that will help you deliver meaningful user experiences!
