Setting up your own graphic design business is an exciting opportunity to be your own boss and showcase your creative skillset. Graphic design work is an in-demand profession with many industries requiring your special talents.
To help inspire your journey into starting your own graphic design business, we’ve rounded up 7 steps to help get your business on track for success.
Draw up a plan
Crafting a basic business plan can help set up your graphic design business for the long term. Look at things like your budget, goals for your business, research your competitors, plan for the future. It’s also a time to invest in professional assistance from people like a financial advisor, tax agents, career coaches to get their guidance on the early stages of setting up your graphic design business.
Know your value
From the start, make sure you do not undercharge your services. It might be tempting to do mates rates and deals, but undermining your business’ value can cause financial issues for the future. Do your research, know the going rates and price your services accordingly.
Have systems in place
Being organised and having good systems in place from the start can help make or break your graphic design business. Some of the systems that you may need to have a think about include:
- Accounting software
- Graphic design specific software/ subscriptions
- Customer relationship management systems
- Payment systems
- Diary management
- Contact forms
- Marketing programs and platforms
Be a show off
You might be new to the whole owning your own business gig, but chances are you have had years of experience in the graphic design industry. Spending time in fine tuning and creating an impressive portfolio is going to speak volumes to your potential clients.
It is your visual resume of what you can do and why someone should hire you. This should be a main section of your website and something you promote through social media to help connect your clients with your services.
Build a website
This is going to be your primary contact point with clients and where you can host your portfolio of works. It’s where clients can connect with your business, see what you do, and reach out if they need to. It will also become an important place to share customer reviews and feedback as your business grows.
If you don’t feel confident in building a website, there are plenty of IT guru’s out there for hire who have the skills to create a website to suit your graphic design business in next to no time.
Create your ‘why’
Establishing your business’ ‘why’ can come in handy down the path of your graphic design busy journey. What is the ultimate reason why you have started this business? Write down what it is that motivates and inspires you, the direction you want to take your business. Revisiting these reasons on the days when you don’t feel motivated will help you to push on and remember your ‘why’.
Know your limits
It is so tempting to take on as many projects as possible but doing so can actually do more harm than good. Taking up many small short-term gigs could mean missing out on bigger, long-term projects. It can also result in pushing your resources like time to the limits and potentially rushing jobs to get them done.
It’s ok to be selective and picky when it comes to which projects you want to work on.
Arrange your graphic design business insurance policies
When you’ve been putting in all the hard work and hours to get your graphic design business started, it makes sense to have something in place to protect it, especially from unwanted claims. Designer insurance options range from policies like Public Liability insurance*, Professional Indemnity insurance* and even coverage for your business assets with Portable Equipment insurance*.
Business insurance can help safeguard your graphic design business from unexpected challenges like a claim which can not only impact your business financially but could mean time away from your business to fight your claim.
We appreciate how busy life can get, especially when you are setting up your own business. Finding the time to shop around for your business insurance policies can seem next to impossible as that to-do list seems to never stop growing.
So, when it comes to getting your design insurance policies for your graphic design business sorted get in touch with BizCover today. Leave the shopping around to us! We believe in making the process to get your cover sorted easy and simple, with no-dramas!
Visit bizcover.co.nz and get insurance for your designer business without the stress so you can get on with your day. If you’d prefer to pick up the phone and chat, you can find us at 0800 249 268.
*This information is general only and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. It should not be relied upon as advice. As with any insurance, cover will be subject to the terms, conditions and exclusions contained in the policy wording. © 2023 BizCover Limited.
