Running a Design Business: Starting Small

Transition your freelance design career into a small business, one step at a time.

Introduction

• Welcome
• Disclaimer
• About this course
• Exercise files

1. A Solid Foundation

• Starting for all the right reasons
• Balancing accountability and creativity
• Defining realities and roles
• Nine steps to developing a business plan

2. Structure and Form

• Understanding your options for legal structure
• Creating partnerships
• Naming your design office
• Project management and workflow
• Record keeping
• An overview of business licenses

3. Getting Work

• Business development methods
• Self-promotion: Overview
• Website considerations
• Using social media

4. Developing Contracts

• Estimating basics
• An outline of contract structure
• Terms and conditions basics
• Tracking and billing revisions
• The pitfalls of spec work

5. Keeping It Running

• Getting a great start
• Effective correspondence methods
• Learning to say no
• Getting paid
• Strategies for nonpayment situations
• Hiring employees

6. The Trends

• New business models
• The new designer-entrepreneur
• Cross-disciplinary work
• A commitment to social and environmental causes

7. Looking Ahead

• Career sustainability
• Setting creative goals

Conclusion

• Next steps