×

How to Start Your Own Graphic Design Business: Step-by-Step

How to Start Your Own Graphic Design Business: Step-by-Step

We independently research, test, review, and recommend the best products—learn more about our process. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.

This article was contributed by Shawn from FeedFond.

Are you a burgeoning graphic designer eager to get your graphic design business off the ground? Follow our step-by-step guide and you’ll be up and running in no time!

sponsored message

Adobe Creative Cloud Discount

Step 1: Consider your Level of Motivation

Designing Logo
Step 1: Consider your Level of Motivation.

Motivation and commitment are very important when it comes to creating your own successful business. So ask yourself: are you motivated enough? Are you fully committed?

If the answer is yes, you’ve already got one of the hardest parts done and dusted. Many people struggle with making their business a success because they lack the commitment and do not put all of their energy and determination behind it.

But if you’re thinking of starting your own graphic design business simply because you’ve landed some new clients lately, think again.

That should not be the only reason to devote your time and money towards a startup business. Because starting up a business is hard. You will struggle. And without proper motivation you may be tempted to throw in the towel when the going gets tough.

There will be times when things will be difficult. Clients will move to your competitors. There may be times when you struggle to find work. You won’t be making big bucks straight away.


sponsored message



But it will be your motivation and urge to succeed that will keep you going. And if you’re not motivated enough, it won’t take you more than a few months for doubts to creep in.

However, if you’re highly self-motivated, this is all you need to move forward. If you have a passion for graphic design, this will take you a long way with your business.

 

Start Your Own Graphic Design Business Book

In this brilliant book, industry experts and successful graphic designers share what they’ve learned and give you the motivation and priceless tips and tricks to help you reach success.

Start Your Own Graphic Design Business: Your Step-By-Step Guide to Success (StartUp Series)
29 Reviews
Start Your Own Graphic Design Business: Your Step-By-Step Guide to Success (StartUp Series)
  • Used Book in Good Condition
  • Media, The Staff of Entrepreneur (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 138 Pages - 05/01/2008 (Publication Date) - Entrepreneur Press (Publisher)

sponsored message


 

Step 2: Understand your Skills

Logo Design
Step 2: Understand your Skills / Logo Design

Graphic design is a very broad industry. There are lots of avenues to explore. So if you want to start your own graphic design business, you need to understand your own skill level.

You’ll also need to figure out exactly what your prospective clients expect from a graphic designer. There’s a chance you’re not yet aware of all of the services that are in demand.

According to some of the leading graphic design companies, clients usually have the following requirements:

  1. Brand strategy
  2. Logo designing
  3. Web designing
  4. Social media designing
  5. Animation
  6. Typography
  7. Brochure designing
  8. Infographics
  9. Poster designing

According to a recent study, the current market for graphic design is worth $15 billion in the United States alone. Logo designing and branding takes up about $3 billion of that market on its own.

So besides your passion, you also need to consider the current market size and trends. Assess your skills and determine how you can enhance your profitability by utilizing and expanding on those skills.

How to Teach Yourself Graphic Design

Becoming a graphic designer does not have to be done at school. In fact, if you follow the below steps, you will be well on your way to becoming a professional graphic designer.

  1. Understand the core principles of graphic design (see courses below)
  2. Ground yourself with the history of graphic design (this book is essential)
  3. Familiarize yourself with the graphic design process & solving problems creatively
  4. Consider advanced study & development (either online or at school)
  5. Learn from professional graphic designers
  6. Develop your proficiency, intuition, and flow (your process)
  7. Put together a portfolio and blog
  8. Participate in professional graphic design communities
  9. Diversify your skillset (enroll in more courses)
  10. Find work as a freelance graphic designer

 

Free Graphic Design Software Trials + Adobe Creative Cloud Discount

Logocore Adobe Discount
Logocore Adobe Discount

Adobe provides industry-standard graphic design software

Adobe offers a subscription service called ‘Creative Cloud’ which gives you access to several powerful design applications including Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and more.

If you’re just getting started, you should know that Adobe offers free trials as well as some generous student discounts.

 

Step 3: Develop your Skills in Different Areas  

Design on Computer
Step 3: Develop your Skills in Different Areas.

Are you an expert at logo and web design but have very little idea about infographics? Well in that case you need to consider spending some time studying the market.

These days, the demand for infographics is increasing dramatically. Graphic design companies are getting many more orders for infographics than they ever did before.

So you need to expand your horizon by enhancing your skills for these different services.

The aim of the game is to become a “one stop solution” for all the things your clients might ask for, but also have a specialization in a certain area, such as branding.

 

Step 4: Develop your Mission and Vision

Plan Design
Step 4: Develop your Mission and Vision

By now you know what type of service you’re going to offer your clients. You have a good understanding of the graphic design industry.

But you cannot start just anywhere. Graphic design is a highly competitive industry. You’ll first need to work on your company mission, long term goals and your vision.

Once you’ve determined your primary mission, it’ll be much easier for you to develop your business strategy.

Start thinking about what would you like to achieve and how are you going to make it happen. Are you hoping to secure at least 10 clients within the first two quarters? Then you’ll need to assess how many people you need to reach out to.

sponsored message


Your marketing strategy is going to be dictated by your objectives. You’ll need to develop not only Plan A, but Plan B, C, and even D in case your first attempt doesn’t yield the expected results.

Having short and long-term goals is vital to assess your progress. You should check your progress regularly and measure how far you are from where you want to be.

 

Step 5: Identify Potential Clients

Potential Clients
Step 5: Identify Potential Clients

Determining your target market is one of the most important steps in starting your graphic design business. There are hundreds of different categories or segments you’ll need to consider.

Are you planning to offer your service to large and medium corporate companies or small local businesses?

Or will your clientele be young women who are trying to establish their business in fashion design?

Determine your target market first. Then determine whether your current skills are going to be enough to meet their needs.

Now you can develop your marketing plan and business model that will suit your target market best. With some useful tips provided by top virtual event success metrics and KPIs you can communicate your thoughts to secure more potential clients.

 

Step 6: Run a Competitive Analysis

Magnifying Glass
Step 6: Run a Competitive Analysis

One thing is for sure, when you start your own graphic design business, it’s not going to be a walk in the park. Graphic design is a cut-throat industry with plenty of healthy competition.

So, before you start your own graphic design company, you should study the market carefully. Take a look at how other companies in the industry are running their business.

sponsored message


Pay close attention to what makes the most successful firms stand out from the rest. This will help you to understand what you’re going to be up against.

There are two benefits of studying your competition. One, so you can figure out how you can offer better services than your competitors. And two, so you can learn from their mistakes and success stories.

There is nothing wrong with adopting good practices that are successful for others in the industry. However, in order to ensure your sustainability, you should be innovative and think outside the box.

Take a look at what others are doing and try to offer something unique. This way, you’ll be one step ahead of the competition.

 

Step 7: Work on Pricing

Pricing
Step 7: Work on Pricing

As you’re well on your way to starting your very own graphic design company, make sure to do some industry analysis to find out what the going rate is.

Gather detailed information about how different services are being priced by other companies in the industry. Then, adopt the best pricing structure for your services. You might need to come in slightly lower at first in order to build up your clientele and get your name out there.

As a startup, you’ll need a solid plan to attract clients. Try and offer them the best deal but make sure that you don’t go in too cheap. You have to prove to your clients that you’re giving them the best deal and something that will add value.

Always remember, many clients will be willing to pay top dollar for a premium service. So divide your service quality into categories and provide clients with what they’re willing to pay for.

 

While you’re starting your graphic design venture, make sure that you have a talk with a lawyer. Learn about all the legal requirements associated with setting up a startup business such as business registration, insurance, and so forth. For instance, if we consider forming an LLC, then how much does an LLC cost in your state? What are the state regulations to be followed for an LLC?

Talk about licensing, legal policies in your line of business as well as tax requirements. There will be copyright and trademark issues as well that you will need to discuss with your lawyer.

Depending on the size of your business, you should work on your privacy and refund policies, how to handle disputes, and other legal issues. Your lawyer will be able to give you a clear understanding of all the legal factors involved.

 

Step 9: Look Out for the Right Professionals to Expand your Business

Professionals
Step 9: Look Out for the Right Professionals to Expand your Business

If you want to grow your business, you won’t be able to do everything all by yourself. At some point, you’ll need a helping hand.

Instead of dealing with two or three clients at a time, you may be handling 5 or even 10 clients at a time so keep an open mind about hiring some experts.

You’ll need to form your own team of experts to provide the best service to your target market. If you’re expanding your level of service, you’ll also need more manpower.

For example, you might be doing great with logo and web design but you’ve discovered there is a huge market for animations.

Besides expanding your own skills in that avenue, consider hiring someone who has the expert skill to work on projects that involve animation.

You may have to invest to nurture your team but in the long run, this will add to your net profit. So have a clear understanding of the experts you’ll need to expand your business.

 

Step 10: Get a Proper Workspace

Designer Workplace
Step 10: Get a Proper Workspace

The type of workspace you have for your business depends on your finances and client base. Lots of successful graphic designers started in the owner’s own home.

You can follow that path if you’re not willing to spend too much for an office space at first. However, make sure that your workstation is ideal for doing all of the projects required.

You should be safe from all interruptions and distraction. Then as your business grows, you may want to consider moving to a larger office space to accommodate your employees.

Having the right workspace is vital to ensure professionalism and to enhance productivity. Having a great space will also make a good impression on your clients.

 

Step 11: Get the Right Gear

Designer gear
Step 11: Get the Right Gear

You’ll need a high configuration computer system, professional apps, and top-of-the-range software to offer the best service to your clients.

While some of the basic graphic design software is free of charge, most of the professional applications will have a one-off price or subscription cost.

Based on the type of services you’re going to offer, do some detailed research on the tools you’ll need to do the job.

Invest generously to develop your system so that you can offer a professional service to your clients. We can assure you that this will secure a good return on your investment in the long run.

 

Step 12: Have an Official Website

Create a website
Step 12: Have an Official Website

One of the most important steps in starting your own graphic design company is launching an official website.

This will serve two purposes for your business. First of all, it’ll be your point of contact so that your clients can find you online. Your clients will get in touch with you via your website to enquire about quotes and to place their orders.

And secondly, your website will be an online portfolio of all of the work you have done to date. Use this platform to showcase your best works and most important clients as this will build trust and your reputation in the industry.

This will allow your potential customers to have a clear understanding of your skills. So take some time to develop a well-designed website for your business.

Hire a reputed SEO company to promote your website online. Make sure that when people are looking out for a professional graphic designer on Google, your website appears among the top 10 search results.

 

Step 13: Design your Marketing Plan

Marketing Plan
Step 13: Design your Marketing Plan

Marketing is the heart of any business. No matter how good you are at what you do, your skills will useless if you’re unable to reach the people who can make use of those skills.

So make sure that you have a solid marketing plan and execute it carefully. You can go for both traditional and non-conventional marketing techniques here.

You can invest in billboards and brochures to get your name out there. Social media marketing should also be utilized to grow awareness amongst your target market.

Your marketing plan will depend on the type of customers you’re willing to serve.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you identify potential clients for your design business?

This depends on what you believe is your target audience. After you determine whether your target audience are large and medium corporate companies or small local businesses and assess your skill set, you may develop a marketing plan and model to cater to their specific requirements.

What is the best way for graphic designers to price their services?

For a new design agency, you may price your services on your portfolio and previous clients. However, if you have nothing to go on, doing market research can go a long way. If you’re working with experienced designers and are in the brand identity field, this logo design cost article should give you an idea.

What are some skills that graphic designers should develop if they’re looking to start their own business?

When starting a new business, brand strategy, logo designing, web designing, social media branding, animation, typography, along with brochure, infographic and poster design are some skills that are worthwhile to develop.

When creating your start up business, registration and insurance are some important things to keep in mind. Copyrighting, trademarking, licensing, legal policies and tax requirements are necessary to keep in order.

What are some vital tools and equipment that designers should consider when starting their own business?

For designers, some important tools to keep in mind are a powerful laptop, a high resolution monitor, a reliable hard drive, a graphics tablet and color swatches for practicality. You should check out our graphic designer tools article for more information.

Where is a good place to start when starting a graphic design business?

In 2022, a desk, table and laptop set-up is the best place to start your business. If you’d like to work with a large group of people, coworking spaces are popular and affordable for new businesses just getting started.

 

 

How to Start Your Own Graphic Design Business in 2022

Always remember, planning and execution is the key to success for any business venture. At the same time, you’ll need to put 100% commitment into your work.

Having a clear understanding of the market and potential competitors is vital to succeed in the industry. You’ll also need to focus on specific target markets.

Have a strong online presence and promote your official website through digital marketing. Be willing to hire experts to expand your business.

Be confident, consistent, and patient throughout the endeavor. With time, you’ll gradually see your business start to grow and make an impact in the industry.

At the end of the day it is your mindset and perspective that will make all the difference. Stay positive throughout your journey and you will surely see success knocking your door.

Learn More

Start Your Own Graphic Design Business Book

Start Your Own Graphic Design Business: Your Step-By-Step Guide to Success (StartUp Series)
29 Reviews
Start Your Own Graphic Design Business: Your Step-By-Step Guide to Success (StartUp Series)
  • Used Book in Good Condition
  • Media, The Staff of Entrepreneur (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 138 Pages - 05/01/2008 (Publication Date) - Entrepreneur Press (Publisher)
Share This Post: