How to Start a Freelance Graphic Design Business

May 18

The number one question I am asked by aspiring freelancers is “where do I start?”. And that is the question! It can be daunting when you think about all of the parts of building and running a business. And I’ll admit - after 7 years of freelancing, it can still be a lot at times. When you start, it’s important to take it step by step so you don’t get overwhelmed. I have gradually built my graphic design business with simple steps that have helped me get to where I am today, so now I’m going to share them with you!

1. Understand Yourself as a Creative Individual

It’s important to evaluate yourself, how you work best, and what you are willing to tackle before jumping on the freelance train. Consider these questions:

Am I a self-starter with a passion for figuring out things on my own (client relationships, bookkeeping, taxes, contracts, proposals)?
Am I okay with working independently 90% of the time?
Am I able to stay inspired and motivated on projects by myself?
How bad do I want to make this work?

Now I don’t intend to make these questions negative in any way, but these are real aspects of being a freelancer. If you are someone that thrives in team environments and want to focus on one aspect of a project (not taxes, or contracts), then freelancing may be a bit difficult for you. And that’s okay! The biggest thing I have learned from running a business is: you have to be hungry for it, and never give up.

So now that you have evaluated yourself as a creative individual, I’d like to share some tips that helped me transition into a full time freelancer over the past 7 years.

2. Gradually Ease Your Way into Freelancing

After you read this post, please don’t quit your current job and start freelancing tomorrow. We all need a steady income to live. When you are considering easing your way into freelancing, do just that! Ease your way into it. The last thing you want to do is stop your current source of income cold turkey, and then have stress creep its way into your freelance business. Stress and creativity are like olive oil and vinegar! Instead, keep your current job (even if you want to quit tomorrow), and start building a portfolio that you can share with people. This will allow you to gain traction with your audience and eventually land you jobs if you are consistent with sharing work!

3. Dedicate Time for Passion Projects

Sharing passion projects on social media and your website is the first step to showing people what you are capable of if you don’t have any clients yet. It will validate the services you offer and help you gain recognition for what you can create. I do believe that having a diverse portfolio when you are first starting out is great for practice, and also exploring different avenues for your own creative discoveries. As you evolve as a designer, you will more than likely lean more towards a certain style that will reflect in your work. When this starts to happen, you can tailor your portfolio passion projects and most client work to fit exactly what style you align with as a creative. This is a step in your creative career that is exciting and allows you to express your own individual style!

4. Tell People that You Are a Graphic Designer

If you don’t tell people about what you do and the services you offer, then they will not know. The average person doesn’t understand exactly what graphic design is. They might think you draw pretty pictures in photoshop and call it a logo. Which - we know is not the case. If you specialize in branding, explain that you conceptualize, design and build brand identities which include logos and visual systems for brands. They may still not understand completely - but at least this gives them some insight to your process and how you are able to create something useful for a business. If you love packaging design, then share that you create labels, tags and outer packaging for products in the beauty or food industry designed to align with your client’s audience.

Sometimes I like to give examples of what I could create for someone - like a brochure for their business to help them promote their services or an illustrated apparel graphic that a brand sells on t-shirts. The thing is that people need to be able to visualize what you are talking about when you describe what you do as a graphic designer. This plants a seed in their mind, and could lead to a job down the line!

5. Put Money Aside for Your Business

This tip is an important one, and goes back to easing your way into freelancing. While you still have your current job, make it a goal to set some money aside for your business. Creating a separate business bank account is a great way to separate your money, and allows you to keep track of all of your expenses in one place. Once you gain traction with more clients and your business grows, you may have expenses such as: office supplies, advertising, contract labor, insurance, phone bills, internet, apps/software/web services, etc. (There’s a lot to keep track of!) Using a platform like Quickbooks will allow you to connect your business bank account, categorize all of your expenses, and keep track of how your business is doing financially. The biggest things is keeping your personal expenses separate from your business ones! This is a simple and effective way of keeping your cash and mind organized.

6. Learn the Adobe Suite

I went to college for graphic design, but I understand not everyone has that opportunity. There are a lot of designers that are self taught and have created a career for themselves through freelancing. That option takes more self-motivation to some degree, but it is completely possible for you! If this is something you are considering, you need to take the time to learn industry-standard programs such as the Adobe Suite. Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Xd and Adobe InDesign are the programs I use on a daily basis for all things branding, layout design, packaging and illustration. And yes, I know those programs are super intimidating at first! SO many buttons and tools and words. I get it!

Like I said before, take it one step at a time. If there was a hierarchy of what programs I would suggest to learn first, it would be Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, Xd. And to be honest - you don’t need to learn all of those. Adobe Illustrator is the program I use religiously for branding, packaging and illustration. InDesign is the other program I use daily for layout design and proposals. So if you just learn those programs, you can create a lot! Earlier this year, I launched 1:1 tutorials that are 1.5 hours long for Adobe Illustrator and InDesign. These sessions include 5-6 modules that cover all of the basic tools I use on a daily basis, and a video recording of our session so you can watch it back. If you are interested in learning either of these programs to build your creative toolbox, this is a great way to learn the basics!

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Shoot for the Stars!

Even though there are many more aspects of starting your own business, I felt these were the ones that made the biggest impact in my early journey of being a full-time freelance graphic designer. These can also apply to any other type of freelance career: photographer, illustrator, animator, etc. Being able to help others discover what they are capable of creatively is something I am extremely passionate about. If you are feeling stuck, or need someone to talk to - I’m here to chat! I’ve been doing this for 7 years, and have a lot more to share with you. Book a 1:1 Guidance Call anytime!

-Ashley

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Written by Ashley Munson of Libra Collective

Hey! I’m Ashley - founder and designer of Libra Collective. I help businesses develop visual identities, create custom packaging solutions for their products and tell stories through illustration. Interested in working together? Check out my portfolio and design services or inquire with me here!

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