10 DOs and DON'Ts of Starting a Graphic Design Business

Most graphic designers start by working with agencies or as freelancers until they realise that starting a business was what they wanted all along.

While all this sounds exciting, you should know that nearly 80% of those who have started a business in this niche have quit within a year and a half.

So, how can your business soar when you see such discouraging numbers? Well, you should know that, like every other business, a business in the graphic design niche also comes with pitfalls.

But you can learn to avoid those pitfalls and discover the secrets to a successful business career in graphic design. So, here's what you should and shouldn't do.

1. Do Come Up with a Robust Business Plan

Successfully doing a graphic design business and working as a graphic designer elsewhere are two different things. Making the transition can be more challenging than you imagined; which is why you need a solid business plan that covers every aspect of your business, including how to raise capital, what advertising and marketing strategies you should use, and more importantly, what you hope to achieve from your graphic design business.

Essentially, these five things are the must-haves in your business plan: an executive summary, market trends and analysis, projections of your finances, the structure of your business, and the products and services that you want to offer to your customers.

2. Don't Expect to be Successful Right from the Word 'Go.'

While you should keep in mind that the products or services that you offer must be of value to your customers, don't expect that to happen overnight. In the beginning, you will have those few months where you will get no revenue whatsoever. But don’t let that stop you from offering services.

If you are sure that your business plan will work and that your marketing efforts will pay off, you must wait a while before you can see where your business is going.

Hoping for instant success is one of the common mistakes that most entrepreneurs tend to make. Make sure that you don't go down that road when you decide to start a graphic design business.

3. Get Help

Don't be afraid to ask for help. Every one of us is lacking something or the other. And not everybody has a knack for doing business. So, get help, preferably from an expert. You can also ask someone you know if you feel that they can guide you in the right direction. The person you take help from, should help you avoid most of the shortcomings or help you face and overcome them.

These days, you can get such help by going on to the Internet. There are special agencies that support such individuals. So, contact them and see if they can help you establish a graphic design business.

4. Don't Agree to Work Without a Contract

Many clients have handed over the work and never been paid for it. It may have been because of miscommunication or a lack of experience. Whatever it is, make sure that your clients are trustworthy and safe to take work from them.

Read and understand all the contract terms and conditions. The words may include the variables, dates and deadlines, the length of the project, and even payment terms.

Ensure that you go through them and only accept the project if you feel that they conform with yours.

5. Build a Solid Portfolio

Once you acquire a steady stream of clients, you should ensure that you provide high-quality work that they would appreciate. In that way, you can build a reputation. A good impression comes in the form of a good review. So, get good feedback from your clients as it will help you retain them and find other such clients who will value your work.

Your portfolio should be a collection of your best works and nothing less than that. It should also have a wide range of works in your niche so that your clients know that you can handle all types of projects.

6. Don't Ignore the Power of Copywriting

Once you have a steady flow of clients looking to develop long-term business relationships, it is time to expand your offer. You can start your expansion by offering services like copywriting. Web content has more power today than it ever did. So, it would help if you acquainted yourself with the best practices in copywriting.

Not only will this help you to bring forth your services to the masses, but it will also allow you to document your work professionally.

If you feel that you don't have what it takes to write a good copy, you should look for someone who can. Graphic design and copywriting go hand-in-glove, and many entrepreneurs in the niche are looking to learn various skills related to writing for the Internet. Such is the power of copywriting.

7. Think of Ways to Fund the Business

One of the essentials of any business is raising the funds required for operations. If you don't have enough money, you can always take out a loan. These days, graphic designers need expensive tools to stay ahead of the competition. So, you can either get a loan or get investments from other such companies.

8. Don't Make False Promises

The last thing that you should do is make promises to your clients and not deliver. Hundreds of graphic design companies promise to deliver for less but rarely provide the results in time.

So, make sure that you are not one of them. Not only will you lose your existing clients, but it is also possible that you may not get any work in the future.

9. Find your Niche

As a graphic designer, you will have various services that you can offer to your clients. But note that you may not be good at doing all of them. So, if you want to deliver high-quality work, then find what you are good at doing. In that way, you can promise to deliver on time and acquire new clients in the process.

10. Don't Get Into Legal Issues

When you decide to start a graphic design business, you may have to comply with the law. You may need to get it registered, for instance. And when doing so, make sure that you know all the legalities involved so that you don't find yourself in a legal fix.

Final Thoughts

If you are a graphic designer, and starting a business in the niche has always been on your mind, you should first sketch out a business plan. But before you do that, it would also be best if you talked to people who are already into such businesses. By doing so, you can get valuable inputs that you can use to chalk out an idea. A business in graphic design can be a great idea. However, since there are already many such other businesses, you should get a head start by researching all the aspects, starting from the niche to your marketing plan.

Also read:

1) What are some good ideas for a YouTube channel?
2) 50 Work-From-Home Careers to Mint Handsome Money
3) How to Promote My Business on Youtube?
4) 3 Amazing Ways to Make Money Online in India

FAQs

Q. Can I Start a Graphic Design Business with Limited Resources?

Ans: While starting a graphic design business can be expensive, owing to the tools you will be using, many people have also done it on a budget. So, yes. You can start a graphic design business on a low budget and then scale up after you get some clients.

Q. What if My Business Fails?

Ans: Research suggests that nearly 80% of those who start a graphic design business have quit within a year and a half. However, if you do the right groundwork and research, you can be successful and part of the 20% who get it right.