Start a Desktop Publishing or Graphic Design Business
Learn step by step how to start a desktop publishing or graphic design business. Get advice on naming your graphic design business and the structure it should take, overview of types of design and publishing businesses, developing a business plan, pricing your desktop publishing services, and other other start-up essentials.
The lessons listed in this section are part of a free Start a Desktop Publishing Business course available by email.
The lessons listed in this section are part of a free Start a Desktop Publishing Business course available by email.
Personalized Letters as a Desktop Publishing Business
Whether desktop publishing is a major part of your business or simply a hobby, this series of articles, tips, and links can help you produce the best possible personalized letters, including Letters from Santa.
Whether desktop publishing is a major part of your business or simply a hobby, this series of articles, tips, and links can help you produce the best possible personalized letters, including Letters from Santa.
How to Start a Freelance Desktop Publishing Business
Learn step by step how to start a desktop publishing or graphic design business.
Learn step by step how to start a desktop publishing or graphic design business.
1 - Is Freelance Design Right For You?
Successful freelancing requires more than just artistic talent or proficiency with software. Explore four myths about working for yourself before taking the plunge into freelance graphic design or starting a desktop publishing business.
Successful freelancing requires more than just artistic talent or proficiency with software. Explore four myths about working for yourself before taking the plunge into freelance graphic design or starting a desktop publishing business.
2 - Skills Assessment
In addition to the business side of freelance desktop publishing, there's the design side of the equation. It's not unreasonable to believe that a person thinking of starting a desktop publishing business is doing so because they already do some kind of design work (either as part of their job or for personal projects) and want to make money doing something they enjoy. That's not always the case.
In addition to the business side of freelance desktop publishing, there's the design side of the equation. It's not unreasonable to believe that a person thinking of starting a desktop publishing business is doing so because they already do some kind of design work (either as part of their job or for personal projects) and want to make money doing something they enjoy. That's not always the case.
3 - Find Your Niche
What kind of work comes to mind when you think of a desktop publishing or graphic design business? Brochures? Business cards? Newsletters? There are dozens more types of design projects that can be created in whole or in part with your computer and desktop publishing and graphics software. I've put those projects into 16 categories or groupings.
What kind of work comes to mind when you think of a desktop publishing or graphic design business? Brochures? Business cards? Newsletters? There are dozens more types of design projects that can be created in whole or in part with your computer and desktop publishing and graphics software. I've put those projects into 16 categories or groupings.
4 - Business Plan Basics
Build your graphic design business by writing a business plan. It's not as difficult if you start with the two essential elements. This tutorials helps you start the process painlessly.
Build your graphic design business by writing a business plan. It's not as difficult if you start with the two essential elements. This tutorials helps you start the process painlessly.
5 - Develop Your USP
Identify what is unique about your desktop publishing business and how it benefits the customer. Here's how to come up with a USP or unique selling point and use it to promote your desktop publishing graphic design business.
Identify what is unique about your desktop publishing business and how it benefits the customer. Here's how to come up with a USP or unique selling point and use it to promote your desktop publishing graphic design business.
6 - Qualify Yourself to Your Customers
What makes your business unique? How do you convince your prospects that you are better qualified than your competitors to type their theses, layout their resumes, or design their corporate logos?
What makes your business unique? How do you convince your prospects that you are better qualified than your competitors to type their theses, layout their resumes, or design their corporate logos?
7 - Your Designer Portfolio
Potential employers or clients use examples of your work to help determine whether they want to hire you. The samples you choose to display and how you present them can affect whether or not you get the job. Your graphic design portfolio should be more than just a few samples thrown into a folder.
Potential employers or clients use examples of your work to help determine whether they want to hire you. The samples you choose to display and how you present them can affect whether or not you get the job. Your graphic design portfolio should be more than just a few samples thrown into a folder.
8 - Eight Ways to Find Clients
Finding clients can be one of the more daunting aspects of starting a new desktop publishing graphic design business. Here are eight tried and true ways for freelance designers to get those first clients. Try the advertising, marketing, and promotional methods that work best for you and your design business.
Finding clients can be one of the more daunting aspects of starting a new desktop publishing graphic design business. Here are eight tried and true ways for freelance designers to get those first clients. Try the advertising, marketing, and promotional methods that work best for you and your design business.
9 - Give Away Business to Build Business
Giving away your time and expertise can sometimes be better than charging for your services if what you get in return is more valuable than the fee you give up. Think of your freebies as simply an alternate method of doing business. Gain publicity, training, and valuable experience — and possibly paid work somewhere down the line.
Giving away your time and expertise can sometimes be better than charging for your services if what you get in return is more valuable than the fee you give up. Think of your freebies as simply an alternate method of doing business. Gain publicity, training, and valuable experience — and possibly paid work somewhere down the line.
10 - Customer Profiles
Customer profiles are simple, yet powerful, marketing tools. The more you know about your customers and potential customers, the more you can tailor your marketing to their wants and needs. Profiles also provide information you can use to give your customers personalized attention.
Customer profiles are simple, yet powerful, marketing tools. The more you know about your customers and potential customers, the more you can tailor your marketing to their wants and needs. Profiles also provide information you can use to give your customers personalized attention.
11 - Choose Your Business Structure
Doing freelance design involves more than just saying you're open for business and getting a few clients. You need to choose a business structure. Explore the basic pros and cons of three primary types of business structures your desktop publishing business might take.
Doing freelance design involves more than just saying you're open for business and getting a few clients. You need to choose a business structure. Explore the basic pros and cons of three primary types of business structures your desktop publishing business might take.
12 - Choose a Name for Your Design Business
Choosing a business name can be fun and frustrating. To do it right you need to pick a name that you can live with for a long time, reflects the nature of your business, and isn't already being used by the business down the street. There are many types of names such as made-up names, suggestive names, and names that have no relationship to the business.
Choosing a business name can be fun and frustrating. To do it right you need to pick a name that you can live with for a long time, reflects the nature of your business, and isn't already being used by the business down the street. There are many types of names such as made-up names, suggestive names, and names that have no relationship to the business.
13 - Tools of the Trade
The equipment you need to start and run a desktop publishing business is both varied and subjective. As a minimum you're going to need hardware (computer and printer) and software. Whether or not what you currently have is sufficient or whether you need to upgrade depends on the type of work you plan to do.
The equipment you need to start and run a desktop publishing business is both varied and subjective. As a minimum you're going to need hardware (computer and printer) and software. Whether or not what you currently have is sufficient or whether you need to upgrade depends on the type of work you plan to do.
14 - Taxes and Desktop Publishing
Explore tax matters including income tax, social security, self-employment, state taxes, and sales taxes for desktop publishing businesses.
Explore tax matters including income tax, social security, self-employment, state taxes, and sales taxes for desktop publishing businesses.
15 - Pricing Your Desktop Publishing Services
Learn how to set the right price for design and production services by calculating an hourly rate and then creating flat fees and per project pricing.
Learn how to set the right price for design and production services by calculating an hourly rate and then creating flat fees and per project pricing.
16 - Craft a Freelance Contract
Deal with every contingency with a written contract. Learn what goes into a contract and what the different clauses do.
Deal with every contingency with a written contract. Learn what goes into a contract and what the different clauses do.
17 - Back to Business Planning
A desktop publishing business plan and the process of developing a business plan establishes you as a real freelance design business and saves time and money by focusing your start up efforts in the right direction.
A desktop publishing business plan and the process of developing a business plan establishes you as a real freelance design business and saves time and money by focusing your start up efforts in the right direction.