Start & Run a Graphic Design Business. Michael Huggins

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      Making the leap from employment to self-employed can be stressful. Freelancing before you quit your day job can help ease the stress, especially since you’ve been conditioned to get that nice little paycheck every two weeks. When you are on your own you’ll have no way of knowing if you’ll have the clients and workload you need to compensate you for what you are now earning. Freelancing to build a client list might be the way to go for you, but keep in mind you will be stretched and your part-time freelance work could start to have an impact on your day job.

      Most of your clients will work in the day and they will often want access to you when they are working. This can make it difficult when you still work for another employer. Be careful of “stealing” time from your current employer. Subtle things such as taking your freelance phone calls and emails while working at your full-time job can expand to large proportions and become overwhelming.

      Be ethical and honest when you freelance. Do it on your own time, not on your current employer’s time. Talk to your employer in advance to make sure the company doesn’t have an issue with freelancing while you work for them. Be sure that there are no agreements such as noncompete agreements that prevent you from doing so.

      In some cases your current employer can even be an excellent source of work when you start your business. You can talk to your employer about switching to freelance and moving into a contract position as you build your client base.

      Even if you don’t choose to freelance while you work full time, you can still build your business by making connections with other people in the industry now. Build your relationship with other support businesses such as print suppliers, illustrators, photographers, web programmers, and production houses. Make sure to keep good records on these people. Chances are you’ll need their help when you’re ready to go out on your own.

      3. Your Start-up Costs

      Maybe you’re ready to just jump in and get started. If this is the case, then you’ll need to ask yourself this question: Do you have enough money to make it through the early months in your new business? If you are planning to go it on your own, you’ll need to prepare for it in advance as much as possible. Just as you would save to purchase a computer before you actually buy it, you should plan to save for your opening day. Starting a business is one of the most expensive and exhausting things you’ll do in your life.

      Many small-business experts recommend setting aside anywhere from three to six months of income to help carry you through the first stages of your business. Getting clients takes time and patience.

      Even when you do have paying clients, you won’t always be able to expect prompt payment once you finish a project. Some companies have payment policies in place that prevent their suppliers from receiving payment after a project is done for up to 90 days. Even getting work right away would mean you could have a delay until you see some actual money.

      3.1 The need to make money and be profitable

      As a solo entrepreneur you need to start with the mind-set of being profitable in all that you do. This is a business and you need to approach it like one. Yes, it will be fun, creative, and exciting, but it’s a business. The obvious truth is you need to be profitable or your business experience will be short lived. Making money is not optional so don’t be shy about charging good money for your services.

      You may have started your business out of a love for design, but as a solo entrepreneur it’s up to you to make sure that you find people who are in need of your specific skill set and that you charge them for the full value for your services. Funnily enough, I’m preaching to the choir here. I used to “give” my services away to clients at very cheap rates. In hindsight, I probably felt like I wasn’t good enough to charge premium prices, but we’ll leave that discussion for Chapter 19! I’ve seen the same trend among hundreds of other designers through my years of coaching.

      You need to be diligent about profitability. You need to create a process for designing that is efficient and maximizes the time you spend on each project. As a designer, you sell solutions to problems by applying your expertise, and time is always a factor. You’ll need to assess the value of each project and apply your expertise in the most cost-effective and efficient way possible. Essentially, you’ll have to ensure you always make more than the time you spend on the project. That way your business not only stays healthy, but so will you.

      4. Dealing with Insecurity

      Along with the new mind-set of becoming an entrepreneur (and a profitable one at that) you’re going to have to constantly battle an old mind-set — your own insecurity. You’ll discover that one of your biggest business challenges could be you. Days will come when you don’t think you have what it takes to make it, so get ready for them. When those days come your insecurity will raise its ugly head. There will be multiple challenges ahead, but take heart, you can get over them all and you can come out on top. Starting your business with this little piece of knowledge could make all the difference, and help you overcome your fears.

      Fear immobilizes you and can prevent you from achieving success in your business. Fear is a real income killer. It constantly sets up roadblocks, which cause all sorts of negative effects on your pocketbook:

      • Fear stops you from selling effectively.

      • Fear prevents you from charging market value (or above market value).

      • Fear causes you to be defensive and negative in the way you communicate to prospects and clients.

      In fact, negativity is a mind-set that communicates to others long before you open your mouth. It’s a subtle and deadly foe of the design entrepreneur and, if not kept in check, it can really hurt your business. Having a negative attitude can be an immediate turnoff to any prospective client. If you don’t act like a confident and successful designer, you won’t get many clients.

      How do you guard yourself against insecurities? One of the best ways is to spend time around positive people. This might mean meeting with a business friend or mentor once a week, or getting together with a group of other business owners once a month. Either way, it’s important to protect yourself against becoming negative. Look for relationships with people who are encouraging and uplifting, and ask for help when you need it. Most importantly, be positive. As simple as this sounds, it will be a real benefit to you when you make a conscious effort to look for the good in every situation.

      5. Are You Cut out to Be Your Own Boss?

      Although the thought of working on your own can be enticing, it really isn’t for everyone. There are many challenges you will face. One of those challenges will be to stay focused on the task at hand. That means you must be self-disciplined, self-motivated, and an all-round self-governing person.

      There are many distractions to guard against. The daily calls of life are some of the biggest ones. Being on your own gives you freedom to do what you want to do, when

      you want to do it. But that doesn’t mean that those things are going to be beneficial to growing your business. You’ll have to experiment with how to best divide up your time. Discover what your best times are for designing and the best times for meeting with clients. Then try and schedule your activities around those time slots. You’ll also have to discover the methods that work best for you when you do your work. It’s your job to stay sharp and remain focused.

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