My favorite and the best resources on how to start a graphic design freelance business

Aug 7

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I learned how to start a graphic design freelance business as I went along. And let me tell you, it was frustrating and tiring at times.

I started my graphic design freelance business in late 2019. I knew about many of the resources I would need to reach my goals but didn’t have the means to invest in them like I wanted to at the start. As I got more clients and customers, I grew my investment resources.

It can be daunting to start a new small creative business, but it can also put you on the path to earning your own business goals that you’ve been working on for so long.

I found that many resources were better to start my business with rather than invest in later on. Legal pages, the right equipment, and marketing strategies have helped me create a successful business. Still, it’s important to note that it took a notable financial investment to start my small business.

To start your small business, here are a few resources I’ve acquired to make sure my small graphic design freelance business is thriving.

Legal Contracts

There’s nothing funny or flippant about being protected when starting a business. When I started blogging, I researched everything I could about the industry before diving into the expense of creating a blog.

To start your blog, you’ll need at least three types of legal contracts: a privacy policy, a disclaimer policy, and terms and conditions. Each protects you in various ways. Mostly, you want to make sure you have a legal right to your work, and you’re disclaiming what your thoughts are towards your content.

When I started my freelance graphic design business, I needed another contract: a graphic designer contract. I hadn’t started with one of these contracts, but I wish I had. I was fortunate that I wasn’t pursued legally for any reason; I would be unable to retain many of my rights as a business owner.

While there are free versions of these contracts, I would invest in a legal contract and pay for it. Paying for a template means it is more likely to have been looked over by certified lawyers. If you’re unsure about your contract, consult a lawyer or reference one of the many vetted at TheContractShop.com.

Adobe Creative Suite

While there are many alternatives to the Adobe Creative Suite, I’m also a strong supporter of learning the right programs to start your graphic design career.

For a graphic design business, I’ve heavily used Adobe Illustrator and InDesign. Occasionally, I’ll use Photoshop and Typekit, but those are very seldom and far in between. I usually only have to open up those programs if I’m searching for a unique font or resizing a photo.

The one thing I enjoy about the Adobe Creative Cloud is that I’m able to try my hand at a variety of different programs for one subscription. I can use my main programs while learning more about After Effects or becoming advanced in Photoshop. There’s little limit to what I can try or accomplish.

There are a few alternative graphic design programs, like Canva, Gimp, or Procreate, that create beautiful graphics at a cheaper cost. Feel free to use these products, but I strongly encourage you to learn how to use Adobe products because they will be a required tool when working with other professionals.

Grammarly Premium

I went to school for a long time and have learned to write very well, but I still need someone to double-check my work. I started using the free version of Grammarly and finally upgraded it to Premium because I knew I needed better, quality writing for my audience.

I never realized how much I didn’t know about commas. Commas are my weakness when writing.

Grammarly’s free version can help you with your spelling and your more basic edits, but Grammarly Premium goes deeper into sentence structure, tone, and deliverability. Grammarly Premium might not cause a flock of audience members coming to your website, but it will help you have credible and professional content.

When it comes to crafting copywriting snippets or social media content, it can be a relief when Grammarly can tell the difference between your writing styles. I don’t want to sound as professional all the time on social media or in an email. When I realized Grammarly Premium could tell the difference and give recommendations on everything, I bought the upgraded version.

Mailchimp or ConvertKit

My most recent expenditure was to invest time in my email marketing strategy. I’m still in the early stages of creating more of my opt-ins, but it’s been a great tool to learn to reach my customers.

Email Marketing is one of the few places your message can be heard directly by your ideal clients. They support you and want you to do well because your tips and ideas add value to them and their small business.

To start, Mailchimp offers a free version to set up an email marketing system of 2,000 subscribers and 10,000 emails. Once or if you need more room for your list, you have other options to upgrade your account.

Remember, Email Marketing is going directly to your ideal client. Create engaging content that they want to invest time to build more trust with them.

Tailwind

I love Pinterest but am a bit clueless when it comes to Instagram. Both of these platforms are great when supported with Tailwind.

I started using Tailwind Plus after I saw an increase in my link clicks and engagement with Pinterest. Pinterest continues to be one of my most significant drivers for my website traffic, and I wouldn’t know how I could do it without Tailwind’s help.

Even though I’m relatively new to my Instagram strategy, I have learned so much and find Tailwind’s tips and ideas for Instagram growth. I know I can rely on their content because, like Pinterest, they are based on a visual platform and show how my Instagram growth will develop over time.

You can use both features for about a month before you need to start paying a subscription fee, but each post will help you grow your following and your digital audience.

Instagram

Instagram is such an excellent visual tool to grow your graphic design business. It helps you connect and network with other creatives, but it also enables you to show your bread and butter: graphics!

Instagram proved to have a bit of a learning curve when I first got interested in the social media platform. Tailwind and following some Instagram marketers helped me find a way to make a cohesive brand for my small business on Instagram.

When you find a content and marketing strategy plan for your feed, make sure to keep a consistent presence on your feed, highlights, and in your Instagram Stories. All of these formats are great ways to catch an audience member’s eye and lure them to your blog and services page.

Related Content: 6 well-branded profiles on Instagram

Pinterest is probably my favorite marketing tool for my small business. Not only does it help me research keywords and connect with a lot of different industries, but I’m also able to learn more about my trade at the same time.

If you’re not able to invest in Tailwind yet, Pinterest has a great pin publisher. You’ll have to pin your pins manually, but it can work just as well as Tailwind until you have many pins to publish as once.

As I’ve said, Pinterest is my number one referral tool to my site. As a graphic designer, I’m able to create engaging looking pins and reach a variety of people looking to expand their graphic design skills.

Squarespace

A reliable and easy to use website builder is excellent to have on hand when starting a graphic design business. You might choose WordPress or any other website builder site, but Squarespace has been able to create modern and easy-to-use templates for professionals.

There are a few things I enjoy about creating a site on Squarespace compared to other building sites. I’ve used other websites where they weren’t as responsive or user-friendly compared to Squarespace. I want to change things without having to learn how to code or ostracize my readers when my site doesn’t respond and adapt to accommodate a mobile viewer.

As a Squarespace user, I can also keep my domain and my website together compared to hosting my domain and other resources across different sites.

Books!

If you’re new to my blog, you might know that I rely heavily on books to learn and grow as a business owner. I wholeheartedly recommend books for you to do the same.

My favorites have been CREATE, Creative Strategy and the Business of Design, and Stand Out. I’ve used each to curate and define what my small graphic design business needs. Each one helps you with another aspect of your small creative business but will help you create a viable brand and business.

You might enjoy podcasts or videos more than reading. That’s perfectly fine! Find your preferred method of learning and educate yourself.

It’s not easy to start a graphic design freelance business but with the right resources, you can make your start easier.

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Caitlin Shogren