Start & Grow Your Design, Illustration or Photography Business

How to Start Your Own Graphic Design/lllustration/Photography Business

Before you take the plunge after graduation or want to leave your day job, this course will give you the tools to help you maximize your chances of success. Ask yourself: are you motivated enough? What does it take? Self-Discipline. Pitfalls and benefits of being self-employed. Evaluate your skills and learn about software programs and equipment. Identify your target market — Aim to identify and profile your ideal client. Check out the competition. Compile a spreadsheet which records what services your competitors provide, how much they charge and how, when and where they advertise. Establish a price list for your services - Learn how you will charge for your services. Learning how to write a contract, best practices, getting legal advice, setting up your business entity, commissioning art, liability, copyrights. Time to start selling your business — How to do sales and effective networking skills. Get geared up — What is it going to take to get the office started? Leasing space, buying space, incubators-sharing space. Review the cost of any software licenses, both for you and any employees who might use these.

WEEK #1 - The course will cover the following:

Ask yourself: are you motivated enough? What does it take? Self-Discipline. Pitfalls and benefits of being self-employed.

Evaluate your skills - Will you need support staff? What will you be expected to produce? How do you subcontract? What is your niche going to be?

Further develop your skills — do you have what it takes in the industry? Programs and equipment

What is your ultimate goal? What makes you unique? How will you measure its success?

Identify your target market — How to focus your efforts on a specific segment of the market and aim to provide a first class service in the first instance. Aim to identify and profile your ideal client. Learning about your client's expectations and aspirations.

Check out the competition - Research the graphic design businesses in your geographical area — particularly those competing for clients within your target market.

Compile a spreadsheet which records what services your competitors provide, how much they charge and how, when and where they advertise.

WEEK #2 - The course will cover the following:

Establish a price list for your services - Learn how you will charge for your services.

Will you charge each client an hourly rate or will you be a paid on a project-by-project basis? What is a retainer?

Don't forget the legal bit — Learning how to write a contract, best practices, getting legal advice, setting up your business entity, commissioning art, liability, copyrights

Consider outsourcing skills — What do you need help with? Insurance, accounting. Legal advice

Time to start selling your business — How to do sales, and when to know it is time to hire an account manager for      your business

Get geared up — What is it going to take to get the office started? Leasing space, buying space, incubators-sharing space. Review the cost of any software licenses, both for you and any employees who might use these.

If time permits:

Showcase your skills through your own branding - Your visual identity is your shop window. Creating your logo, business card, brochure and website. These will be taken as a reflection of who you are and what your business does. Which brings us to a crucial question: what will you name your business?

Create a market strategy — Learn how to promote your business, how to use printed media and the web and keep track of which is the most effective. Tailor what you spend on promotion and aim to maximize your budget. Learn how to start blogging. Learn the skill so effective networking.

Build your digital portfolio.