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There are many prospects for setting up your home business. One of the most popular forms of freelancing includes graphic design. In order to set up a successful graphic design business you do not have to be the best artist in the world, you simply need to know a little about the field in general and know how to properly market your business.
To begin your graphic design home business you need a portfolio. This is simply a collection of work that you can show to potential clients to let them gauge your skill. A good way to reach clients and market yourself is by setting up a website offering your services as a graphic design artist. You can list your portfolio on your website giving potential clients a peek into how well you know your business. To do this you should gather all your work. This means everything. Projects that you have done for other clients if you have any are a good beginning. If not, simply design a few projects and show them on your website. If you have worked outside the internet world, say for local businesses or small companies, then use this work as well to showcase your talents. You can use a website designer to create your website or you can create it yourself and list that fact on the website. When potential clients visit your website be sure that they know you have created it by yourself. This will add even more credence to your portfolio. You should offer a brief summary of your services on your website as well as a summary of your price range. Price ranges for graphic designers have a wide range. Those with extensive experience may charge around $75 per hour for design work. If your skills are adequate you can begin around the $40 to $50 per hour mark. While this is somewhat low in the world of graphic designers, you will need to start low if you have little to no experience. Once you have begun to establish yourself as a reputable and talented graphic designer you can increase your pricing range. A good rule is to increase your hourly rates by $5 each year but this amount can vary depending on your location and individual situation. Increase your rates each year until you have reached a comfortable plateau with your home business and are earning what you want or need to earn annually. You will, of course need a computer preferably with design software installed. There are several design software applications to choose from. Ideally you will use one that you have some experience with. If you do not have particular software that you are used to using you can find online tutorials to explain how each is used and offer tips and advice on their features. If you are planning to market yourself globally you will also need website hosting. There are several companies that offer monthly hosting fees under $10. Be sure to keep up with anything that you purchase for your graphic design home business such as hosting, software, computer, printer, etc. You will need this information when you are filing your home business income taxes each year.
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