These questions go out to anyone who runs their own design business. I am currently almost done with design school and will be pursuing my own freelance business. My main focus is web design however I have learned all sorts of design knowledge. 1. How did you first start your business? Small projects? One large project? Worked under another designer? Etc. 2. What type of design work? 3. How long did you work by yourself? Did you hire others right away? 4. At what size is your company today? 5. What do you look for in hired freelance help or employees? 6. Did your company slowly grow into what it is or did it develop quickly? 7. Any other interesting facts about your company? Notable clients? Current workload? Etc. Thank you in advance for anyone who is willing to participate I very much appreciate it! Kyle
1. Small projects. Just created a website and designed it by myself. 2. Powerpoint 3. I did hire people 4. Medium 5. I look for experience and to be able to trust them 6. Slowly. 7. I have a very good website and it's important to have a very good one to get more traffic and leads than your competitors. You have to impress them enough to make them choose you and not your competitor.
Well I created a good looking website. This is crucial because who wants graphics or design done by someone with a poor looking site? I waited until I started making a decent sum of money before I hired. So about 3 months after beginning. I hired freelancers but they eventually became full time. When I started I was by myself so did small jobs like logos and banners. Now with a team we do full on website design and book illustrations. My company grew pretty quickly but I didn't see it as a success until clients starting coming to me instead of me going to them. It took about 8 months of hard work to get to that stage. There are tons of notable clients some good some bad. That's one of the best parts of the job, the unpredictability of the clients. If you are looking to start, email some businesses with horrid websites or get on craiglist. This should do you to get some start up funds and a few portfolio pieces, then Id recommend you go to any local design shows and learn from other designers. I've met some of the most valuable clients and partners at these type of shows. Hope this helps!
I haven't really started a graphing design business yet, but I would love to see some tips and experiences of others. In addition to number 3: what do you think is the best time to start your own business? I have some experience, since I was working as a freelancer for some time now, but I'm afraid of rushing things too much.