Graphic and Web Design

[GraySandDesign]

I have been working as a creative director for a marketing firm over the past few years. I feel my experience in multi-media, web, and graphic design has gotten me to a point where I could/should start my own business. Does anyone have experience in launching a successful design business?

[GriZzly]

With design businesses it is best to start small. I don't know if you have any previous work that you did for your last company that you can call your own, so if you don't my advice it to offer your services free to a few charities with sites that are in need of a revamp. This will give you some content for a portfolio section on your site. A lot of design sites tend to use paid for web templates (templatemonster.com) but this results in them all looking the same, and why would anyone trust a designer who didn't even do his own site. So make your own, come up with an easy to remember name for your company which preferably has no more than three syllables e.g redrhino. And then after you have got a few charities under your belt you start emailing/ mailing businesses in your local area who have pretty rubbish sites. Try and arrange meetings with them to maximise the chances of getting the deal.


Did you need any specific advice?

[GraySandDesign]

Thank you for your response.

I have actually done lots of charitable and professional graphic and web design work. Right now, I am juggling a full-time job and freelance work. I believe my portfolio is diverse enough to tackle most areas of graphic design. I also believe I can help lots of small to mid-size businesses with marketing their business(es). I guess my question is, when do you break away from the 9-5 job? AND, when you do break away, how do you go about building, maintaining, and billing clients? The latter is a big concern. I have dealt with freelance clients who are constently tardy with payments.

[GriZzly]

Well as far as payment goes, an upfront desposit can be off-putting to some. But any genuine customer will be comfortable paying anywhere in and around 25% of the total projected cost. Get this before you even start the real work. And when you are working on their project you host the whole thing on your own test server (just password protect a sub folder on your site). This way they can monitor the progress of their project and you can show them the final result. But you agree with them that they will not recieve the final product until full payment is made.