Graphic Design Business

In this course, students complete a series of projects in preparation for setting up a design business.

You've spent years building a portfolio brimming with beautiful work; your graphics groove, your logos lift, and your posters pop. Now the bad news. All the talent in the world is worthless (or, worse, low paid) unless you know how to set up your business and position yourself for successful career.

In Graphic Design Business, you'll learn the essentials of setting up and managing your graphic design business. We'll guide you through everything from how to present your portfolio, find work, and market yourself, to the more daunting tasks of registering a company name, establishing an accounting system, and setting up your own corporation (we're not kidding).

Whether you're going freelance, setting up your own shop, or just starting out with a big company, this course will set your career on the right track. Course projects are hands-on: you'll create a business plan, respond to an RFP (request for proposal), test-drive accounting software, create a budget, and customize your own business forms. When your first customer walks through the door, you'll be ready!

Read an interview with Jason Vaughn: Getting Clients in Tough Times.

Instructor:
Jordon Schranz is a New York-based fine artist and designer ... get bio

Course Developer:
Jason Vaughn is the founder of an Internet-based resource site for graphic design businesses ... get bio

Develop an understanding of main options for a freelance or full-time career in graphic design.

Identify their personal “blue sky” goals for a design career.

Apply tips for enhancing a designer’s portfolio, resume, and skillset.

Develop an understanding of the main options for setting up a company: sole proprietorship, partnership, and incorporation.

Interview small business owners to learn from small business startup scenarios.

Develop an understanding of how designers marketing their business and explore different avenues for approaching and acquiring clients.

Design a Yellow Page ad marketing a design company and put together a response to an RFP (request for proposal).

Develop an understanding of the importance of accounting and design job management.

Test drive an accounting program to learn how to use customer job lists, estimates, and invoices.

Develop an understanding of the basic hardware and software needs of a graphic design office.

Put together a shopping list of business needs for a design business.

Create and use different business forms, contracts, and creative strategy documents.

Deduce the scope and nature of a design project from an interview.

Outline:

LESSON 1 Kick-Start Your Career At outset of your design career (and sometimes in its middle) questions arise: What skills do I need? How do I present my portfolio and resume? Where should I look for work, and how much money can I expect? Lesson One helps you navigate the eternal choice between freelance and full-time employment, with a focus on determining which environment is right for your personality and your long-term career prospects.

LESSON 2 Setting Up Your Business Sole proprietor or full-blown corporation? It's surprisingly easy to go it alone as a graphic designer. Lesson Two gets you started by showing you how to register your company and set yourself up as a corporation. You'll explore the pros and cons of partnership versus incorporation, and look at different avenues for raising money. And since fiscal responsibility is key, you'll cover how to choose an office space on a budget and take advantage of the free resources available to small businesses.

LESSON 3 Sales, Marketing, and Pricing Customers don't always walk through the door. To get business, you'll need to develop a sales and marketing strategy, then price your jobs competitively. Lesson Three covers different ways of reaching customers, including networking, referrals, cold-calling, and the Internet. You'll look at the benefits of creating different "collateral" pieces, including business cards, postcards, brochures, and Webfolios. Finally, you'll do the math, calculating how to price jobs, based on your revenue needs, available hours, and career stage.

LESSON 4 Bookkeeping and Job Tracking Proper accounting is daunting to the average designer, but critical to keeping your business above water. Lesson Four steers you clear of a fiscal quagmire by familiarizing you with foundation accounting software and practices. You'll learn such accounting basics as invoices, item lists, charts of accounts, check registers, and more. You'll also consider sage advice for small business: how to collect, bill, itemize deductions, and avoid the pitfalls of partnership.

LESSON 5 Equipment and Supplies Setting up a small design business today takes some digital savvy. Lesson Five explores the technology options for fledgling firms. You'll examine the technical requirements for such office essentials as computers, printers, fax machines and more, looking at creative (but legal) ways of acquiring them without breaking the bank. Finally, since outsourcing jobs to vendors can save you on set-up costs, tips for working with vendors will be explored.

LESSON 6 Forms and Contracts Got your first client? You'll need a professional work process and thorough documentation in place to guide each job through its lifecycle. This means contracts, terms and conditions, art approval forms, and more. Lesson Six wraps up your course by showing you how to use this documentation to manage business processes. You'll create your own forms and practice using them on a client.

Tuition: $829 US