Freelance graphic designers are their own boss and can work anywhere. They have no fixed office hours. They don’t have to follow hard rules and there is no limit to their earning potential. Choose a name that stands out to be a successful graphic designer. Avoid using the word freelancer in your name and register your name to prevent others from using it.
Provide a fixed workplace. Office space is okay, but most freelance graphic designers work from home. If you work from home, try to find a space dedicated to your business, without distracting children. Keep the premises clean and orderly. There is enough space for a large desk, a filing cabinet and a telephone. Doing freelance graphic design without having your own website is tantamount to suicide. Choose a reliable web host, upload your website and keep it updated to convey the professionalism of your work. Create a short, catchy domain name and register it. A domain name only costs about $10 a year, depending on where you look it up.
As a freelance graphic designer you are responsible for graphic design, but also for bookkeeping, accounting, cleaning and marketing. It’s you who picks up the phone and makes the appointment. You need to be sure to get the supplies to you on time. You can never be one at the mercy of others. Always behave like a professional. Wear formal or clean attire when meeting with customers. Always keep the client fully informed and provide clear documentation of what to expect at the end of the design process.
You have to sell yourself through marketing like you’ve never done before. Advertise your services in newspapers, forums, newsgroups and on the Internet. Be very organized; losing your client’s files will just give you a bad name. Remember that you will have bad customers every now and then; be prepared for it. As a freelancer, you need to work more, not less, to be successful. Becoming a freelance graphic designer can take some time, but it’s best to be armed and ready.
