For me, deciding to start freelance graphic design was both part of a natural progression for me as a designer and a matter of circumstance and opportunity.

After receiving my Bachelors of Fine Arts in Graphic Communications from the University of Houston, I worked at an in-house graphic design department as an “e-business” visual designer (this amounts to the corporate design position). This was the first full-time graphic design position I held, right out of college.

However lowly this position was, it afforded me the opportunity of learning how to design for e-commerce, taught me a lot about user experience and demonstrated the corporate career environment. It was a valuable experience.

But even prior to that, I was involved in the design community and was able to do a four month internship in a major advertising agency at Fogarty Klein Monroe. I also worked briefly at the studio of one of my professors, a tried and true design studio known as Minor Design, for several months as well. Both were paid positions and my honest opinion is that being open to these kinds of opportunities is highly recommended, especially early on or prior to your career.

After the internship, smaller studio and corporate design positions, as well being part of a start-up design studio (an 18 month experiment that ultimately failed), I landed a permanent position at one of the major players in terms of branding and design in Houston at Savage.

In an professional design studio/environment like Savage, it gets very interesting because this is where you have the greatest opportunity to grow in every aspect of design: from design and layout, typography, technical skill, presentation and communication skill (both verbal and written) and most importantly the business of graphic design.

Why? Because larger studios like Savage have a collective depth of experience that likely outweighs your own. Moreover, they have solidified client relationships that are often years or even decades in the making. Larger studios have the depth of client base to keep work coming in the door to the extent that you can quickly gain momentum and learn from a variety of fields and industries.

And speaking of depth of knowledge, many of the large firms have professionals that have 10, 15 or 20 years of experience or more. Your ability to absorb the collective knowledge of surrounding senior designers, senior production artists, art directors or design directors that have gone before you and put that knowledge into practice is tantamount to your success as a freelance designer.

A lot of designers aren’t thrilled with the prospect of running their own business. It’s just not in our nature. We like to create things, not count beans. After all we have much more interesting things to do. Providing written contracts, estimates, invoices, doing your own accounting and yes, even taxes can be excruciating, especially if you have no prior experience. More on that later…

This is the primary reason why I am a huge advocate of getting the experience you need in a established design firm prior to going on your own. A lot of designers jump into the freelance industry before they’ve really learned the craft. As I’ve mentioned before you will learn so much from this experience that in all honesty it can’t be understated. And if you take your time and work your way up, chances are you will be exposed to the business side of things and get a good feel for running your own design studio.

But even before you gain the experience and confidence you will need to run your own studio, make sure you’ve considered your education. I’ve found that the most successful designers out there are the ones that have taken the time to pursue (at minimum) a Bachelors of Fine Arts degree (specializing in graphic communications or graphic arts) at a major university. It would be most advantageous to yourself and the design industry at large.

One of the first things to consider when going freelance is the direction you want to go in. At this point evaluate your portfolio, your strengths and weaknesses, and decide on the types of clients you really want to go after.

Tailor your portfolio, to the best of your ability, to the types of projects and clients you really want. In some cases, you will need to eliminate projects from your portfolio all together, at least what is directly in front of your potential client base. By eliminate I don’t meant delete. To the contrary, keep those projects handy should you need them just don’t display them front and center. As a general rule of thumb, quality outweighs quantity.

Of course, you will need your own brand identity, website and other marketing and sales presentations that speak to your own capabilities and unique value proposition. While I won’t go into detail about this here, but keep these materials as clear and concise as possible.

To that end, here are a few points to keep in mind when presenting yourself:

• Adjust your portfolio to display the most successful projects in the business segments you want to go after
• Is there data that backs up why the projects are successful: for instance, an increase in web traffic that led directly to sales after a successful website launch
• Maintain professionalism at all times, including email: spelling and typographic errors can not be under-emphasized in communications with would-be clients
• Be honest: clients will recognize the second you’ve fallen short of your brand promise.
• Don’t over-promise: if project specifications are outside of the realm of your capabilities, tell the client up front. Chances are there is someone out there that can provide the services you need (like copywriting) but you might need more time to assemble a team
• When explaining projects, consider the “why”, not the “what”. For example, clients won’t necessarily want to know or need an explanation of what you are doing with the composition, alignments, textures, shapes and/or other compositional elements. But they will need to know why: I chose — because it communicates the message of —
• Be able to articulate the purpose and meaning of your project in one (or two at most) succinct sentences

There are a number of software systems available to manage projects, expenses, budgets, invoicing and estimates, as well as others for general accounting. Because of its general ease of use and simplicity, I have personally selected the iBiz and iBank suite by IGG Software. I prefer it because it easily installs on the Mac platform and the interface seems very familiar, utilizing the native MacOS for a lot of the functionality. This article, however, wasn’t meant to be an all inclusive list of software, listing the pros and cons of each. There are other, more complicated and/or just as easy to use systems available like Quicken, QuickBooks and FunctionFox to name a few.

Unless you are knowledgeable about your local tax laws, accounting principles, or other monthly reconciliation needs, then chances are you will want to look into having a professional accountant, or CPA, manage your books.

In addition to your general ledger, you need to look into the tax law in your area concerning whether or not graphic design services can be taxed. Some laws are apparently “gray”. I’ve encountered freelancers and small design studios who do charge sales tax, some who don’t, and some who only charge tax on a portion of the final product. The last thing you want is to not charge sales tax but then come to the realization, after being audited for instance, that you should have been charging sales tax all along. In this worst case scenario, you would have to retroactively collect taxes on sales for as long as you’ve been in business. Ouch.

In considering your first client, you need to know whether or not you need a formal contract in place, or if a written estimate will suffice. In most cases, particularly with smaller clients and projects, a written estimate will do. At the time of this article, a smaller project, in my opinion, would be roughly 7500 USD or less. This should outline project specifics, number of concepts, categories of work to be performed and the number of hours it will take to do the job. At the bottom of the estimate, there should be an opportunity for both parties to sign along with a disclaimer of some kind discussing that the estimate is a “cost guideline” and that final costs could vary.

Before you “kick-off” your next amazing design project, make sure you’ve discussed payment terms with your client and have come to an agreement in the regard. A few typical payment terms would be:

• 50/50 split: half of the project estimate is due to begin work, with the balance of the project due at the time of completion
• Payment in Thirds: 1/3 of the estimate is due to begin work. The second third is billed half-way through the project and the final balance is due upon project completion
• Progress biling: No matter where you are in the project, you bill at the end of the month for work completed to date, with invoices due upon receipt, net 15, or net 30

My preference is progress billing because I feel like this solution balances the designer/client relationship best. In the event the project gets stalled, neither party is “out of pocket” in terms of what they have contributed.

In the case of larger clients and projects, however, I strongly recommend a written contract. At the time of this article, a larger project, in my opinion, would be roughly 7500 USD or more. Just in case you have no idea how a written contract works or you are completely intimidated by it, there are a number of resources available to you that you should review. A few of them are listed here:

• AIGA Center for Practice Management: there is an incredible amount of great information here. Read it. Put it into practice.
• AIGA Standard Form of Agreement: again, an incredible resource here that approaches the written contract as a modular document.

If you don’t understand these documents, or simply don’t know where to start, ask a leader at your local AIGA chapter or a design business owner you trust. If you don’t know anyone, seek them out. Many professionals are more than happy to lend their experience to up-and-coming designers.

Alternatively, you can always hire an attorney to review and explain the documents for you. This may cost a little bit of money but would be worth the investment.

One of the major investments in your freelance business will be your equipment and software. This amounts to a reliable desktop or laptop PC or Mac in most cases, and a suite of design software that will cost a bundle. Consider it an investment in your future, but acquiring everything you need could easily get close to the 10K range, depending on the type of work you do. Remember, pirated hardware, software, fonts or other types of media is unethical: AIGA Design Business and Ethics.

To keep this section simple, here is a list of a few of the items you should consider purchasing for your business:

• Desktop or Laptop Mac or PC: I prefer the laptop because of portability
• Design Applications like Adobe Creative Suite: CS5 Design Premium, at the time of this article, includes almost everything you need to get started, but you may need more
• Font Browser or Suitcase Application: Suitcase Fusion suits me well
• FTP application: I love Panic’s Transmit
• General office applications for word processing and email: too many to list but iWork for Mac and MS Office for PC/Mac are great. You can use a cloud based application for email but you will still need a local client to pull email. Thunderbird is a good example.
• Storage Devices: you will need either an attached external hard drive for back-ups or a network area storage (NAS) device or both. In my opinion, you should have both and another copy of everything on an external or cloud based automated back-up service. Consider your business and your client here: you want to have multiple levels of security and redundancy with sensitive and confidential information.
• Wired or Wireless internet and network: a wireless router works well, but pair that with a wired gigabit ethernet to your NAS and you’ll be well on your way
• Printer: I’ve chosen a wireless Epson printer as my preferred method for delivering comps to clients because of their affordability, reliability and color accuracy

Undoubtedly, there are other things you will come across that you will want and/or need. Consider your budget and do the research to make an educated decision. The important thing to remember here is that you want to stay on top of the technology to the best of your ability. Consider your needs and purchase accordingly. For instance, you may or may not need additional RAM upgrades or other performance enhancements now, but you may be able to budget for them in the next six to twelve months.

Depending on your specialty and work load, you will need to find people you can trust to help out. The concept of owning your own work from start to finish is great, but chances are you can’t do everything. For example, this may involve hiring a PHP specialist to integrate a website into the latest content management solution, or finding someone really good at copy-fitting to flow the last 16 pages of a brochure while you are focusing on the next project concept or business development.

I suggest establishing and/or maintaining a list of vendors you have ever worked with in the past or trust. The term, “vendor” is used lightly here because in my eyes, it is much more of an individual you are partnering with for the success of your client. They could include: photographers, copywriters, programmers and project managers, to name a few.

One of the things I have missed since starting my own studio is the sense of camaraderie you have in a larger studio setting. One can’t design in a vacuum. You need to have people you can trust on the outside to review your work, in a brutally honest fashion, to stay sharp and remind yourself that with everything there is always room for improvement.

Critiques can confirm that a concept is on target and/or point out missed opportunities. Almost always, they generate new ideas and most of the time result in a better finished product. I personally rely on a handful of designers I trust to keep me in check.

For freelance designers, one of the most overlooked areas is business development. Typically, designers are focused on the concept or finished product more than they are on networking and developing leads with potential clients. For that reason, make sure your work and/or availability is accessible through the usual online channels at all times including: an online resume, online portfolio, professional organizations like AIGA or LinkedIn or other online resources like the Behance Network.

It is also a good idea to have a general sales presentation ready to go at a moments notice. For me, that consists of a Keynote presentation with work samples, project descriptions and project results that go into greater detail than the online portfolios typically do. Be prepared to discuss project specifics at a moments notice and rehearse if necessary.

Also make sure you carry your business cards with you at all time and have a calendar available to you. Smart phones are great for this because your calendar and contacts are available at your fingertips. If you want to make a great first impression, please don’t hand out wrinkled or damp business cards that you’ve kept in your wallet.

In another sense, one of the the best things you can do as well is to be 100% referable. This means being up front and honest with your clients, maintaining professionalism throughout the project life-cycle, paying close attention to details and delivering your product on time and on budget.

If some of these basics are applied to every client relationship, then chances are you will be getting calls instead of pounding the pavement to get new business.

It’s all too easy to get caught in the trap of complacency when you can afford the luxury of working from home. But with freelance graphic design, the competition is too fierce to not be judicious with your time. A few quick points to remember when the environment you work in is all to comfortable and distractions abound:

• Block out hours of time to complete design tasks and stick to them
• Touch information once: that could be as simple as not leaving that nifty new email newsletter in your inbox (so you don’t have to come back to it later). Delete it once and for all the first time.
• Email is a drug: check it often but don’t let it interrupt your work flow
• Be judicious with social networks and news: get your coffee, news and social media fix in but prioritize and focus on work first.
• Save your weekends if possible and schedule time away: sometimes it is best to just walk away from the computer
• Be well scheduled: schedule time for general office tasks but don’t let them interrupt an inspired moment

It’s important to stay inspired by being aware of current design trends and being knowledgeable of graphic design achievements from the history of graphic design. All too often, designers fall prey to following the latest trends or even suffering from “design block”. A few ideas to stay inspired and help out in time of need:

• Go to the library or museum: an art and/or architecture library or museum exhibition can have endless reference material and inspiration for your next project.
• Search through the AIGA Design Archives
• Find a inspiring designer and review their Delicious bookmarks
• Go on a photo shoot or ask to be an assistant on a shoot, even if you don’t know how or don’t get paid
• Review Design Envy
• Take an art history class
• Subscribe to UnderConsideration and their suite of design blogs
• Get involved in your local AIGA chapter and find out what other designers in your area are doing. You should have a running list of studios in your region and have a general understanding of the type of work they do
• Read Profile: Pentagram Design ISBN 0-7148-4377-6

This list is by no means exhaustive; it could go on and on and even have nothing to do with design. The truth is, there is so much available to us than ever before; inspiration is literally at your fingertips.

There is a lot to consider when deciding to be a freelance designer. I hope my insight and experience can be of value to someone, but ultimately a lot of what could happen depends on your own goals and expectations for yourself. Honestly, the field of graphic design can be very subjective so it isn’t always easy to gauge success. I’ll close with few points if you ever need a little encouragement or a place to start:

• Keep educating and pushing yourself
• Always make your type look good for print: The Elements of Typographic Style
• Always make your type look good for web
• Good photography will make your job easier
• Keep up to date with technology trends and areas where design can influence user experience
• Be inspired, but don’t copy
• Give and receive constructive criticism
• Always show up, on time, ready to go
• Research a client’s work if you would like to do work for them
• Be consistent and organized
• When there’s nothing to do, update your portfolio and contacts or write an article about something you feel strongly about

I know this is a lot to think about. My hope is that my experience can encourage and give general direction and basic insight to someone graduating from a design school and/or someone who has the first few years of experience under their belt.