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  • Maybe graphic design is your favorite hobby and you're looking to take it to the next level, maybe you just graduated from design school with an incredible portfolio that you're ready to expand or perhaps you're using your graphic design skills in your current job but want to start your own company. Running your own graphic design business can be fun, creative and lucrative, but it also requires a careful combination of organization, motivation and direction.

    Business Plan

    Before you do anything, it's essential to take some time to get organized and ask yourself the following questions: 1) Do I have the necessary skills to run my own business? Do I have the appropriate equipment? 2) Where will my financing come from? 3) Where will my clients come from? 4) What is my three- to five-year plan? 5) What is my business name and mission statement? If your skills are more artistic then business-centric, you might want to meet with a small business specialist--many nonprofits and banks offer this assistance--who can help you craft a well-organized business plan. The Small Business Administration or SBA also has great resources for new business owners. Your business plan will cover everything from start-up to financing to marketing to strategic planning and will be a great point of reference as you move forward.

    Putting Business Plan Into Action

    With your business plan in hand, you can start carving out your niche. First of all, you need to set up a good office space, whether it's in your home or in a more traditional office. A home is very feasible for graphic designers, unless you'll be meeting with clients regularly, in which case you must make sure your office is professional and not in the middle of a busy living room, for instance. Either way, it's important to have a dedicated, distraction-free work space. Equipment is key to your success, so you must have the latest design software as well as attractive marketing materials--your portfolio, business cards, a website, social networking outreach. Because your look is what will get you hired, this step is critical--really take some time to invest in your marketing materials. You also must set your price and develop a standard business contract that you'll use with future clients.

    Clients

    Ideally, you already have a network of clients you can turn to. If not, consider joining professional organizations where you can market your services, volunteer to design a website for a local nonprofit in exchange for free publicity, and ask your friends and former colleagues for referrals. Running your own graphic design business entails a lot of legwork and motivation. You will always need to be prospecting for new business. Client satisfaction is very important to your success--keeping the clients you do have is easier than finding new ones, so make sure your graphic design work shines and that you respond quickly to customer questions and issues. You can design your way to business success with a combination of skill and dedication in your new business.

    Resource:

    Designer Today: The Business Side of Design; Bob Nicholl; 2004

    A List Apart: Starting a Business: Advice from the Trenches; Kevin Potts

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