How do you become a succesful independent graphic designer?

Answer 1

You didn't mention whether you have any experience or training as a graphic designer so I'll just wing this. The first step if you haven't taken any training would be to sign up for a graphic design course at your local college. There is a lot of work for graphic designers but there is also a lot of competition so you really need to know your stuff. Most colleges also offer entrepeneurship courses which are excellent because as well as knowing how to design, you also need to have some bookeeping and organizational skills in order to run a home based business. As someone planning to go into design I'm sure you know how important it is to have a good company logo and image that's easily recognized. Print up business cards, letterhead and envelopes. Put up small posters with some business cards attached at the grocery stores, garage stations, laundrey mats and community bulliten boards. Approach businesses and tell them that you are interested in doing some work for them and tell them you will give them a cut on the price of the work you do for them if they direct traffic your way. Be sure to show them your portfolio of design work and leave them a business card. I made some things to leave as a small gift at the businesses as well. I bought some cheap clocks and replaced the face ( under the glass) with my company logo, a slogan, and contact information and placed it on their desk as I was leaving. It leaves them with a constant reminder of my business and not many people will through out a clock. Be sure to get a cell phone so potential customers can contact you regardless of where you are. You won't be in business long if your customers have to play phone tag with you. Organize your workload according to priority, and try to set some fairly regular hours so you don't fall behind and miss any deadlines. Put ads in the newspapers and put together a website and don't under estimate the power of word of mouth advertizing. Keep your prices resonable but don't undercut other designers prices drastically. It's bad business and people will have a tendancy to think that your quality of work is probably not as good as your competitors, however be careful not to price yourself out of the market either. After you have done work for a business give them a call once in a while to see if they need anything else designed. You have to be a very strong self promoter and have confidence in your work. If you have confidence in yourself, so will your customers. And don't forget to make regular customers feel appreciated by sending Christmas cards out at the end of the year. Good luck in your future endeavors and I hope this was of help to you.

Answer 2

The best routes to take are to research the process of starting a business as well as the industry you're interested in.

I recommend checking out the SBA, Entrepreneur, The Start Up Journal & Nolo. All 4 are great informational resources for the new/small business owner. I posted links for you in the source box.

Associations may be a good avenue to explore. These organizations will address many of the thoughts, questions and concerns you'll inevitably have as well as many you haven't anticipated yet. See the source box for some relevant links.

Research, research, research – this cannot be stressed enough. Read as much as you can about the industry. Here are some book titles that are relevant:

* The Creative Business Guide to Running a Graphic Design Business by Cameron S. Foote
* The Business Side of Creativity: The Complete Guide for Running a Graphic Design or Communications Business by Cameron S. Foote
* Inside the Business of Graphic Design: 60 Leaders Share Their Secrets of Success by Catharine M. Fishel

Check the source box for an article link.

Hope that helps! I wish you much success & happiness in all your ventures!