How to Start Freelancing in graphic design can be freeing. Working on projects you care about; determining your own schedule; being your own boss.
Follow the Start Freelancing in Graphic Design
1. Find your first clients (fast)
If you want to learn how to become a freelancing in graphic design who actually stays in business—instead of going back to your day job—then the absolute most important task at hand is getting your first clients.
2. Brand yourself and name your business
Once you’ve got a few client leads cooking, you can start to think about the other elements of how to become a freelance graphic designer. First up, is to think through how you’ll brand and name yourself.
This is important to tackle fairly early on because, for most freelance graphic designers, word of mouth proves extremely important. Many freelancers debate whether you should use your own name or a business name. If your goal in becoming a freelance graphic designer is to stay a one-person business forever, then use your own name as the company name.
3. Build a minimum viable portfolio
You wouldn’t believe the number of freelancers in graphic design who I work with on a daily basis that tells me they’re not ready to start marketing their business because their portfolio isn’t finished yet. What a sad waste. To avoid the same fate and master how to become a freelance graphic designer who actually gets clients and grows their business, here’s my advice: Build a minimum viable freelance portfolio.
4. Over-deliver for your first clients
The next critical step on your journey to learn how to start freelancing in graphic design is to make your current clients very happy.
It doesn’t matter if you found your first clients through your personal network or through freelancing websites, in either case each client represents an opportunity for more work.
5. Master proposals, invoicing, and paperwork
Learning how to become a freelance graphic designer isn’t just about getting clients and doing the creative work, though. As a freelance designer, you’ll also need to run your design business.
That means learning how to write an invoice, sending proposals to your clients, working with contracts at times, and lots more.
While you can do the bare minimum (Google Docs or similar) when first getting started, I recommend quickly finding some sort of freelancer invoicing software you can use to make your life easier.
6. Don’t get too picky too fast
I’ll assume since you’ve probably been searching how to become a freelance graphic designer that you’ve read a lot of advice from different experts.
And something many expert designers will tell you about becoming a freelance designer is to never compromise and always be picky about the kinds of clients you take on.If you’ve been a freelance graphic designer for years, this advice makes sense (which is why most “experts” recommend it). But if you’re just getting started and you’re trying to figure out how to become a freelance graphic designer, this advice is flawed.
7. Build your network and utilize it
In step 1, I encouraged you to tap into your personal network to find clients. Once you’ve utilized your current network, however, you’ll find you need to grow that network in order to continue to find new work.
Part of learning how to become a freelance graphic designer includes learning how to work with people, meet new people, and provide value to people.
8. Always be finding new clients
Do you know one of the biggest complaints I hear about becoming a freelance graphic designer? The feast-famine cycle.It’s such a common concern for freelance designers. Essentially it’s the challenge of having plenty of work this month, and not nearly enough work next month.And it happens far too often to people striving to learn how to become a freelance graphic designer—and make it stick.
9. Collect payments on-time
The sad truth of starting a freelancing in graphic design is that if you don’t get paid, you won’t last long. So one mission-critical task when learning how to become a freelance graphic designer is to collect your payments on-time.
At first, it can feel a bit embarrassing or awkward to ask for payment from your clients. But it shouldn’t be either. Getting paid is just part of doing business.
10. Get referrals every chance you have
Some of the happiest freelance graphic designers I’ve interacted with get most of their business through word-of-mouth marketing. But getting automatic word-of-mouth promotion can be difficult early on in your journey learning how to become a freelance graphic designer.Which means you’ll have to build it in.
Note: For any Graphic Designer Mockups Play Important Role in Seleting Your Design.
Below Some Free Mockups