Design

Published on October 24th, 2012 | by Guest Author

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Going Freelance as a Graphic Designer

Working from home and being your own boss appeals to many of us, but getting any new business off the ground can be time consuming and costly. Some professions find it easier than others to start up their own business, and one of the fastest growing segments of the work at home market is graphic design and website design.

CC photo by Simon Zirkunow

Types of Projects

Graphic designers do everything from coming up with logos to developing packaging or designing leaflets. If you have a background in this sort of design, chances are that you already have contacts in the local business community which will prove invaluable. Companies are far more likely to place business with someone they already know than a complete stranger, and if you have done a good job for them in the past they are also more likely to recommend your services to customers and suppliers. Start off with small projects and build up to bigger commissions worth more money.

Website Design

Many graphic designers are turning their hard to designing for websites, and it is certainly a valuable skill to have. Courses are available to teach you the basics of designing for the internet, and once you have learned the basics you can turn your creative flair to making websites for all sorts of businesses and organisations. Beginners in the world of website design often offer to do “freebies” for charities or friends to allow them to build up their portfolio and have examples of previous work to show when speaking to prospective clients. It is a good idea to have as wide a range as possible of different design styles and industry sectors in your portfolio.

Setting Up an Office

You don’t really need much to work from home, but rather than working on a laptop on the sofa it helps to have a separate work space with a proper desk. Depending on the sort of work you are planning to do, you may need to invest in specialist graphic design software packages, and in a decent printer. Consumables such as Epson t1285 multipack ink should be factored into any costs you are putting together, and receipts for the T1285 multipack or anything else you buy for your business should be kept as these can be set against tax at the end of the year. By law you must inform the Tax Office that you are working freelance, and they will ask you to complete a tax return annually. It’s not too difficult to complete this yourself, but local accountants will be happy to help.

Spreading the Word

If you’ve already spoken to existing contacts and built websites for friends and family, taking the next step to build your business can be difficult. Many towns and cities have business associations which will help make more contacts, and adverts can also be placed in local magazines aimed at the business community. Going to see businesses and taking your portfolio can also prove lucrative, but getting your foot in the door in the first place may be difficult.

Article by Guest Author

Citations:

• Photograph by Simon Zirkunow (via Flickr) [CC BY-SA 2.0]

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