Many people you deal with may not have any experience in purchasing design — they just know that they need something. For example, website design. Almost all businesses today need a website — from super large corporations to the mom-and-pop shops down the street. When a designer specializes in one particular design discipline he or she can attract clients from many different markets. You’ll practically find a market for any type of design discipline. If you can do it, and specialize in it, then you can bet that someone is probably looking for it. Here are just a few graphic design specialties:
• Packaging
• Web
• Trade show
• Marketing and promotions
• Point-of-purchase (POP) display
• Signs
• Business-to-business (B2B) communications
• Business-to-consumer (B2C) or retail design
• Advertising
• Direct response
• Corporate identity and branding
5. Can You Make a Living in the Graphic Design Business?
The answer is yes, you can make a living in the graphic design business, but first you’ll have to get your left-brain working a little for you. You’ll need to learn new skills and abilities that you probably never imagined you would need. You’ll need business and people skills that will not only make your design talents far more attractive but more profitable as well.
One of the neat things about starting your own design business is that almost anyone can give it a whirl, with very little risk. Starting your design business can happen with just a little overhead and relatively small start-up costs. You can literally start your business tomorrow with a computer, a basic printer, some business cards, and a desk to work on. Of course you’ll need a little talent, a computer program or two, a few interpersonal skills, a little practice, and the desire to keep learning. That stuff won’t be hard to pick up and before you know it, you’ll be all set!
With the current overcrowded communications environment it’s no wonder that effective visuals are always in high demand. Graphic design is everywhere. It impacts our lives moment by moment, and most of us just accept it as part of our culture. We see evidence of it every day. In fact, thousands of businesses use graphic design in one form or another. It attracts our attention and gains our mind share, which is consumer awareness of a brand or product. Businesses all over the world want to stand out and be remembered by people so it’s no surprise that good design communication is always in demand.
Graphic design thrives in a competitive marketplace, and that’s where we find ourselves today. We’re not just talking about local competition! Thanks to technology, almost any company is able to do business and compete globally. In fact more competition has made the need to be seen and heard a must. It’s the designer’s job to combine image, offer, and message in an unforgettable way that impacts people and increases sales. It’s the graphic designer that plays an important role in helping get those messages to the world in a way that gets people to stop and take notice.
5.1 What can you expect to earn?
A graphic design business owner can expect to be paid well for his or her services. Depending on what type of structure you choose for your business — a solo design firm, a small firm of five or six people, or a big company consisting of many people — you can choose how much you want to make and what type of role and responsibility you want to have in your business.
With a solo design firm you can make anywhere from $40,000 to $90,000 a year working from home. If you choose to grow your business and hire employees, you can increase your revenue to more than six figures.
In a recent poll of design entrepreneurs on ForGraphicDesignersOnly.com I asked how much other design business owners make each year. The answer was that 47.7 percent said their salary ranged between $50,000 and $129,000 yearly.
In the US, the AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts, the professional association for design) reports graphic design business owners’ salaries ranged from $65,000 to $140,000 per year in 2008, with the median salary at $95,000. These salary ranges don’t include other compensation such as benefits, bonuses, and various business write-offs you can include in order to be extremely profitable.
In Canada, the RGD (Registered Graphic Designers) 2007–2008 Ontario survey reports solo entrepreneurs making between $47,000 and $50,000, and owners of small firms making a median of $65,000.
The opportunity to create a lucrative business is a good one. You can find out more about salaries and rate surveys by contacting the AIGA in the US or the Ontario RGD in Canada. Both of these organizations provide surveys to their members and are great organizations to join.
It’s important to keep in mind that these numbers are based on national averages and that there are many factors that will affect what you are able to make. For instance, some regions will be able to demand more than others and some markets will be more lucrative than others. There’s also the matter of your experience. Obviously the more experience and knowledge you have, the more likely you’ll be able to demand more for your services.
The beauty of the graphic design field is that it is your ability to perform and create that helps determine your success. It’s not your years in the business or your design degree. Even a newbie has the chance to make a lucrative business for himself or herself. Depending on how big you want to grow your business, and the type of markets you sell to, the sky’s the limit.
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I love Understanding What It Means to Be a Design Entrepreneur
Success in any design business has to do with many factors: a lucrative marketplace, the ability to reach your market, your salesmanship, and the level of service you give your clients, to name just a few. It isn’t wholly dependent on your design and creativity.
Being creative is important to your business, but it’s only one component of your service offering. It isn’t as simple as creating artwork and collecting a check for it. In fact, if you’re just interested in creating art all day then maybe a design business isn’t for you. To have a successful design business you need to develop a business mind-set. That means you change from thinking of yourself as a designer in business, to a businessperson who just happens to be a designer.
If you own a design business, it’s very important to think like an entrepreneur. Yes, your clients will look to you for creativity, but they will also look to you for professional business guidance. This means that they’ll expect you to understand basic business concepts, values, and goals. You will need to put the needs of their business ahead of your own creative desires and love of design. What you do creatively has to benefit their business.
1. Working on Your Own or with Others
Having your own graphic design business can be a real thrill and nothing less than a real challenge. There are decisions to be made constantly and you need to make them! One decision you’ll need to make right away is the type of business structure you will ultimately have. Do you want a business in which you will always work on your own? Or do you plan to hire others to work with you and for you?
There are many designers who stay a one-person shop their entire business career and they do very well at it. Conversely, there are some great things about building a business in which there are others around to help you. Whichever path you choose you should start with some idea of where you plan to go with your business.
1.1 Working on your own: The solo entrepreneur
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