How to Start a Graphic Design Business: What I’d Do Again
The leap I’m glad I took
Looking for how to start a graphic design business? You’re probably standing in the same place I stood in 2016—excited, nervous, and wondering what you’re missing. I left agency life to become a business owner after six years and built my studio as a brand and web designer serving small businesses in New Jersey and all over the United States (with some clients in other countries!). I didn’t have anything figured out. What I had was a desire to start a freelance business, a willingness to learn in public, and a clear vision for the different kind of life I wanted.
I don’t regret the leap. Not once. The freedom to choose clients, shape my schedule, and build a portfolio I’m proud of has been worth the hard work. This post shares the framework I’d use if I were to start small today. I’ll teach the “what” and “why” here; the detailed “how”—templates, scripts, and checklists—live inside my Start Your Graphic Design Business Guide & Templates, the exact system I use to sell and deliver projects smoothly. You can use it for getting started here.
Along the way I’ll speak to related questions I see all the time—how to become a freelance graphic designer, how to price, and how to freelance as a successful graphic designer without burning out.
What actually matters in year one
You don’t need a perfect brand, a huge social following, or a 20-page business plan for starting a business. You need four things:
Simple legal and financial setup. Start with a structure that fits your risk tolerance and location, open a business bank account, and adopt basic bookkeeping to track business expenses. These tools help you know if your business is profitable and save so much time when doing your business taxes. I began lean and then layered tools as I grew. I still recommend choosing invoicing and e-signature tools early because they save hours each month when it counts. Keep your business and personal finances separate.
Clear, productized offers. Instead of “anything design,” portfolio pick two or three offers you can deliver consistently—think Brand Identity, Brand + Squarespace Web Design, and an ongoing Creative Support option. Packages with boundaries protect your time and make buying simple for prospective clients.
A clean business website that guides action. Decide on your new business name and then create a concise Squarespace site with Home, Services, Portfolio, and Contact is enough to launch. Speak to outcomes, showcase relevant work, and add an easy contact form. Pricing “starting at” or a short PDF helps filter misaligned leads and reduce awkward calls.
A repeatable sales process. Discovery call → proposal → contract → deposit. That simple rhythm turns curiosity into booked projects and sets expectations with many clients from day one.
These are the fundamentals for getting started. Everything else can grow from there.
Positioning that made potential clients say yes
The pairing that changed everything for me was focus plus clarity. I niched toward service businesses—wellness, interiors, hospitality—and positioned myself as a brand and web designer who brings strategy into visual design. From there I productized offers:
Brand Identity & Logo Design: Strategy session, core logo suite, color/typography system, and usage guidelines.
Brand + Squarespace Website: Brand identity plus a custom 5-page site with mobile optimization and launch support.
Creative Support: Retainer or day-rate for updates and graphic design work for seasonal campaigns.
Notice what’s missing: a long list of deliverables. In public, I talk outcomes—professional presence, consistency, and confidence. The exact scope language, revision limits, and handoff checklists live inside my Start Your Graphic Design Business Guide & Templates so I’m not rewriting the rules for every project.
How I price for prospective clients without guessing
Pricing gets easier when you stop treating it like a secret and start treating it like a system.
Start from an annual goal. Know your living expenses, decide what you want to earn, estimate realistic billable hours, and set a baseline. Then sell projects as packages, not hours. Remember as a business owner all your time won't be billable as you'll also need time to "work on" the business: admin tasks, marketing yourself, etc.
Guard your scope. Define what’s included, how many rounds are covered, and what triggers a change order. Spell out late fees, rush fees, etc. in your contract so you’re never negotiating in your inbox.
Signal with “starting at.” Publishing ranges on your site or sharing a pricing PDF after inquiry filters for fit and reduces time on leads that aren’t ready.
If you want done-for-you language, my How to Start Your Graphic Design Business Guide & Templates includes a Pricing Guide and a ready-to-send proposal so you can present graphic design clients with options with confidence without giving a masterclass on a sales call. See what’s inside here.
My small business sales flow, simplified
Here’s the high-level path I follow on almost every project:
Discovery call. I listen first, then lead. The goal is clarity: goals, audience, timeline, budget, decision makers, success criteria, and next steps. That conversation sets the tone for everything that follows.
Proposal. I recommend the best-fit package for small business owners with a succinct summary of scope, timeline, and price, and I state how to move forward.
Contract and deposit. I send the agreement with clear terms on revisions, approvals, and file delivery; new clients sign digitally and pay a deposit to reserve the start date.
Find graphic design clients: what worked for me vs. the noise
Early on, I tried a little of everything to find your first few clients. Over time, a few channels consistently delivered:
Warm introductions and referrals. Past colleagues, friendly agencies, and adjacent pros (copywriters, photographers) were my earliest wins. I still ask for reviews and referrals as a standard part of offboarding, and I make it easy with a direct link.
White-label partnerships. Supporting other designers and agencies taught me new systems and filled my calendar when my pipeline was thin.
Personalized outreach. Some of my first few clients came from thoughtful, specific emails focused on booking a short intro call, not closing in one message.
Platform experiments. Marketplaces can be useful in short bursts to gain momentum, but I don’t build my business on rented land.
The rest—chasing every trend, posting daily without strategy—looked busy but didn’t move the needle. Case-study content, consistent follow-through, and a professional process did.
Tools I still use in my graphic design company (and why)
So many freelancers starting out don't want to spend any money on design software like Adobe, but these tools can save you time and your business will operate smoothly. Start with the essentials and add deliberately. A few places to start that have earned a permanent spot in my stack:
FreshBooks* for invoicing, expense tracking, and gentle payment reminders. It keeps my numbers clear and my admin light.
Dropbox Sign for collecting signatures on proposals and contracts, with view tracking and document expiration to keep momentum.
Squarespace for my site and portfolio—fast to publish, easy to maintain, and powerful enough to grow.
Seospace* to help ensure my Squarespace site is technically sound for search.
Termageddon* for website privacy policies that stay current.
Sugarwish* for sending occasional client gifts and referral thank-yous.
*Affiliate disclosure: some links above are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase—at no extra cost to you. I only recommend tools I’ve personally used and found valuable.
How to start a graphic design business today
Here’s exactly how I’d approach my first month if I were a brand-new freelance graphic design business:
Week 1: Pick a niche, define one core package with clear boundaries, and outline “starting at” pricing.
Week 2: Launch a simple Squarespace site with that offer, a curated portfolio (even if it includes one or two thoughtful spec projects), and a contact form that collects budget and timeline.
Week 3: Book conversations—warm introductions first, then ten personalized cold emails. Focus on learning client language and refining your offer.
Week 4: Systematize—turn the proposal, contract, and handoff into templates so you don’t rebuild them for every lead. If you want a shortcut, use mine: How To Start Your Graphic Design Business Guide & Templates
The point isn’t to do everything. It’s to do the right few things and do them consistently.
FAQ for starting your own graphic design business
Do I need an LLC or business entity to start?
Not necessarily. Many designers begin as sole proprietors and form an LLC later as revenue and risk grow. Choose what fits your situation and local rules.
How much money do I need to start?
Start lean: a computer, design software, domain and website, a way to invoice and collect payment, and basic accounting. An invoicing tool and e-signature solution are the biggest day-one time savers. You don't have to start by knowing everything, you just have to start. It shouldn't really require any business loans.
Is graphic design a good business to start?
Yes. Overhead is low and demand spans industries. Success comes from clear positioning, a professional process, and consistent client outreach rather than chasing every platform.
I’m glad I went out on my own. Launch your business!
If you take nothing else from this, take this: you don’t have to be “ready.” You need a clear offer, a simple way to sell it, and the courage to start finding work. That’s how I built a sustainable studio as a brand and web designer, and it’s why I don’t regret going solo for a second.
When you’re ready to start, plug in the exact system I rely on: How to Start Your Graphic Design Business Guide & Templates—a Guide to starting, Client Proposal, Branding Moodboard, Brand Presentation, Brand Guidelines, and Handoff/Final File Delivery checklist designed to streamline booking, delivery, and offboarding without guesswork. See the full bundle with everything you'll need to start a design business here.
