It is no longer news that there are so many ways to make legit money online in Nigeria. And many people are making it.

It is also no longer news that basic skills like Writing online, Photo/Video editing and Graphics Designing are keeping some young Nigerians in school and helping others pay their bills and survive in this economy.

It's true skills like graphics designing has some learning curve attached to it but you don't need any heavily paid professional training to get started as a graphics designer. With your basic skills and gadgets, you can start out as a graphics designer and make some few bucks to support yourself.

Before we dive right in, let me clear the air.

The tips you're going to learn here will get you started out as a hungry entrepreneur but as you keep making income to support yourself, it will be in your own best interest to keep learning and improving your skill-set, even getting professional certifications where necessary.

Alright. So what's a graphics design business?

In a simple definition, graphics design business is one that provides graphic design services to clients and businesses.

There are different kinds of graphics design businesses so the one you choose will determine how the business is run
Now here is the good news…

Generally, graphics design business is not just a little less complicated to get started compared to other home run business…

It’s something you can start with some beginner skills while still learning through the process.

And If you’re a student or someone needing a part time hustle, running a graphics design business could be the perfect hustle for you.

So what are the important tips to building a home run graphics design business from the scratch?

1. Find your motivations

Before starting any bushiness, one of the things to consider is your motivation for getting started.

So you’ll want to ask yourself, am i running this business just to make money? Or to learn the skill in a better way?

What exactly is your motive? Here’s the best time to find that.

Alright. Assuming this is done and you now understand your motivations, you can then move to setting goals, based on what is motivating you to start the business.

So if your motivation is to start a business you can run by the side while doing your 9-5 job or being in school, you can set and tailor your goals to fit in with that, putting into considerations the time you'll need to spend on your business and the other activities you're engaged in.

In fact, setting goals like growth targets etc. will also affect the way you run the business..

So you have to be really thoughtful and thorough through the goal setting process. Although that doesn’t have to scare you in any way.

Also remember, while setting your goals, you have to consider the resources available to you like time, money, etc.

2. What skills do you have?

Now at step two you’ll have to figure out the skills set you have.

The reason is because there are different sub niches and genres of Graphics Design.

In fact, according to 99 designs, there are about 8 graphics design genres and sub niches.

So we have kinds of graphics design like:
User Interface Graphics design, Marketing and Advertising, packaging, publishing graphics design among other genres

Each of these will need a slightly different skill set. And resources to start a graphics design business.

So find out your skill set.

If you’re a complete beginner without basic skills or someone with intention to work part time as graphic designer, you can start with any of the niche you feel the skill set is easier to learn, for a beginner.

From that particular one you can expand to learn the others through the process.

3. Define your graphics design niche.

You can start this by defining your perfect client so you can focus your energy on targeting them.

At this point, based on your knowledge of the different niche, you’ll want to choose a particular kind of client you want to cater for.

Or put differently, your area of specialization.

The knowledge of this will also affect your business brand.

Of course most times we all want people that can pay big bucks as our first clients.

But who says you can’t start from somewhere? Depending on the level of your skill, you can start with lower to mid paying clients just to build your portfolio.

Remember, your business can always grow and expand with time, same with your brand. And based on this, the more you grow, the more you have leverage to redefine your focus and exclude some set of clients from your target market.

4. Branding and customization.

One thing about graphics design is that there are many people doing it.

So to really stand out, there have to be something unique about you.

This uniqueness can be about the client you want to target…

For instance, you can focus on targeting mid level and city based corporate clients for marketing and design ads.

Based on this target audience, you’ll want to brand your business to meet their taste preferences.

Again, if what you want them to notice about is your sophisticated designs, try to show this through your branding, websites, logos and even portfolio.

If you want your client to think of yours as the coolest or hottest or most affordable graphics design brand etc, you can show this through your branding too.


5. Plan.

Planing should have come with goals setting but I decided to list it as a separate step because of its importance.

Now at this step, you’ll try to figure out a step by step plan that will help you arrive at the goals you set earlier.

Folks say when you’re not planning to win, you’re planning to fail. So you have to map out how you will arrive at the destination to your goal.

If you’re going to run a one man part time graphics design business, find out how many hours you’ll work in a day/week.

Set a clear goal on your expectations based on your effort per week.

Figure out how much you’ll need to get started. And how much you’ll need to keep the business running.

Find out what platform you’ll need for marketing. The platform where you can find your exact target audience should come to mind here.

Based on your target goals and available funds, decide whether you're going to use targeted ads, Content Marketing or both.

Finally, another thing here is your client. Where are they and how would you meet them?

You’ll need to research this and include it through the planning process.

6. Get some portfolio and recommendations.

One good way to get client faster as a new graphics designer is to have some good jobs to show for your skills.

Yes I’m tempted to say this, in today’s digital world, you don’t just tell clients what you can do, you show them.

So you’ll need some jobs to demonstrate to your clients your level of experience. This approach is very strategic and a good percentage of marketers use this.

If you're just starting out without experience or any portfolio, don't feel sad. With the right combination of confidence and tact, you can still cross the hurdle.

As a newbie too, you can start out doing some free stuff for some not for profit organization, small businesses or your friends. Get the noise about it and tell your brand story as appropriate. In fact, you can focus on the big names. The bigger the name, the larger the impact, especially when managed well.

After all is done, be sure to get their recommendations, testimonials and add as part of your portfolio.

7. Set your pricing.

Make some research about pricing so you can set the right price for your graphics design.

For a start, you’ll want to be careful and learn some pricing and negotiating skills…

Because besides your skills, your pricing plays a big role in whether a client will do business with you or not.

For instance, depending on your target audience, if you set a very high price, you’d come off as a cheat to some clients.

And when you set a price that's too low, you’ll end up cheating yourself, because some clients would even think you’re not good enough.

So to be on the safe side especially for the beginner, you may need to have both a general and customized pricing system.

8. Get your platform ready.

Alright! So now you got a portfolio, it’s time to show the world what you got.

So you’ll first start with setting up a website for your graphics design business.

To do this, you’ll need a domain name chosen based on your business brand name.

You’ll also need your social media accounts.

Now, on your website, be sure you create a portfolio section where your work can be boldly displayed.

BTW, you can get your first class graphics design business website done with us at victorwinners.com.

9. Important pages to include on your graphics design website.

Our services page: This should list the services you offer.

About page: This is almost ubiquitous on all websites. Your about page should contain your best information about your business.

With an about page, you should be able to try to make your prospect feel a thing for your business.

Pricing page: Lists your prices and packages.

Frequently Asked questions: should answer the questions your target audience would most like want to ask.

Blog. Post regular update about industry news, tips etc.

Adding a blog to your graphics design website will help you especially when it comes to search engine optimization, and getting your prospects back to your website.

Go start your business.

10. Grow Your Social media.
In this year and age, you can only ignore the effect of social media at your own peril.

This is because the social media is not just a platform to share your brand story and other content with an already established audience, it's also a place you can scoop some clients and grow your brand while building your graphics designing muscle.

So as a start up graphics designer, you have to take your social media really seriously. Post valuable information consistently and focus on building a loyal and engaged audience right there.

11. Get the work done.

Now after all is said and done, the next thing for you is to get started. So here's where you research where your clients are located, and strategically get your services to them.

Instead of working on getting fast money, focus on building something substantial. Create enormous value to your client. Network and build robust relationships.

Remember until you do, nothing can be done.

https://www.victorwinners.com/ultimate-guide-how-to-start-a-graphics-design-business-in-2019/