There are 30.2 million small businesses in the U.S., and 61% of them are investing in social media marketing, which of course includes excellent web design. Around half of all these businesses do well in the long term, lasting for five years or, if they’re lucky, many more. If you think you would like to join this entrepreneurial group and offer your skills in web design, keep the following considerations in mind to boost your chances of success.
Getting Legal Matters Out of the Way
Yours is a creative field, which is why getting legal matters sorted early is key this way, you can comfortably dedicate your time and passion to what you truly love. Hire a reputable lawyer and discuss aspects such as company registration and structure, copyright and trademark issues, and tax. You will also need to cover your employees with the correct insurance. Even though design consultancy is a relatively low-risk industry, business consultant insurance will protect your company against everything from emergency medical costs to lost wages that may result from an injury on the job. If you open an office, you will need to look into areas such as accessibility, office lease length, and neighboring tenants as well.
Building Your Portfolio
When you launch your design business, one of the first things clients will be doing is checking your client portfolio. Having at least a couple of renowned names in your list can help attract business. Consider approaching companies with a large client base and following, offering attractive packages or even free services for a specific time period. Present your idea as an exchange and lay out the conditions of your agreement in a contract so everyone’s respective duties and rights are well laid out.
Creating Your Niche
Extensive market research is vital prior to your launch. You will need to work out your competitors’ target market, their pricing, and any services they might have that are unique. Match these services, but try to create your own niche, specializing in an area with a growing demand. For instance, print marketing, once thought to be ‘over the hill’, is now officially back. Consumers feel a greater sense of trust when interacting with printed material. The latter is also very well suited to luxury sectors. Print is just one example; you may choose to shine in any number of upcoming trends including animation, 3D designs, or hand-drawn art.
Making Social Media a Priority
The popularity of social media is continuing to grow; currently, there an estimated 3.5 billion users. Social media is key to business success in almost all realms but for graphic design firms, every single upload should breathe its vision, creativity, and artistry — owing to the aesthetically-centered nature of this sector. Instagram, Tik-Tok, and Facebook (the latter is still the most widely used platform) are ideal signposts for your most creative projects. Stories, short videos, and cool animations will inspire followers to share your work and potentially attract the eye of clients looking for personalized design work for their own social media channels.
If you have worked in graphic and web design for many years and you are ready to take the leap and start your own business, make sure to get things right from the start. Get practical and legal matters out of the way, so you can concentrate on capturing targeted clients and building an impressive social media presence. Instagram, Facebook, and other sites should contain uploads that reflect your company’s vision and ethos so invest in good planning tools like Hootsuite and make photography, illustrations, and animation a priority.
