So you are a pretty good designer, you make all the cool designs, logos, and images people want and need for their business. But are you struggling to keep your business actually going? Are you thinking of just working for a company instead of continuing with your own?
Having your own company is both a blessing and a curse. You get to make all the decisions for your business, but you also have to make all the decisions. Designing is the fun part, not all this mundane real world stuff that takes up way too much time and energy. It doesn't have to be this way. You don't have to sacrifice your self employment lifestyle. So how do you get a handle on this business stuff and get back to doing what you really love?
Simple. You need a plan!
I know, it sounds ridiculous, you had a plan to start your own business, that's how you got in this mess. What you need now is a detailed business plan tailored for your industry. The best way to learn anything is to seek the advice of someone who employs the strategies they are teaching in their daily lives. Having someone who has been in the design business and has a proven action plan to get the most out of your dream is priceless. Imagine the business side of things running on near auto-pilot while you focus on the designs, the only thing that brings in money, right? Your business can grow like you originally planned and beyond by employing the simple strategies you will learn in Graphic Design Business Plan. Happy Designing!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Graphic Design Programs
Starting your own graphic design business is a great way to make money online or off, but what software program do you choose? There are plenty out there that offer different price points and learning curves, as well as capabilities. You don't want to pay for something you aren't going to need but at the same time you don't want to spend your resources on software that doesn't do the job for you. Well, I think I can help out. With the information I have assembled I can offer you a great full-proof method for choosing which design software to employ for your business needs.
You can start looking at the high end for software like Adobe Photoshop ($699) or Adobe Illustrator ($599) and dive right in, but both of these programs, while accessible, have a steep learning curve for a newcomer. CorelDRAW is a less expensive option at around $360, but it too will require some effort to learn how to operate it. So where do you learn these programs?
There are no shortage of 'Dummies' books on the market to walk you thru these individual programs and teach you the finer points of getting started, but you may not need all the information in the book and it may take you quite awhile to get thru the massive volumes they comprise. Another option are training videos. You Tube is full of training videos for Adobe and CorelDRAW and individuals put up new techniques or cool tricks they have learned all the time. The web is amazing as when someone learns how to do something it is usually passed on to others in the community to try for themselves.
GIMP is a great program to consider as well. It is a powerful image editing software and the best part is it's totally FREE! GIMP also has plenty of tutorials online to get you over the learning curve. So which one of these is right for you?
Well you already know you can try GIMP for free, but it's not the first one I would download. If you have an expense budget in mind for software I would highly recommend downloading the trial versions of Adobe's products, which I believe are still 30 days. Watch a few training videos and get a feel for the software and then when your trial is over, download GIMP. You will then be able to compare the higher cost option to the free option and decide which is best for you. If you are going to buy a suite I would try CorelDRAW also just to make sure it doesn't work better for what you are trying. I believe their trial is currently 15 days, so trying them last, after you already have a grasp of how these type of programs work and what you need to look for, would be best.
If you decide you want to use Photoshop, Illustrator, or both, you could qualify for an education discount on this software. If you are a student, or if you have a child in any grade level you can take advantage of this discount. It is significant so check in to it. Take a look at some comparisons of these different programs and decide which one might work for you.
Don't forget that picking a design software is just one of the first steps in getting your business going. You might want to check out a course in graphic design. Keeping moving forward and, Happy Designing!
You can start looking at the high end for software like Adobe Photoshop ($699) or Adobe Illustrator ($599) and dive right in, but both of these programs, while accessible, have a steep learning curve for a newcomer. CorelDRAW is a less expensive option at around $360, but it too will require some effort to learn how to operate it. So where do you learn these programs?
There are no shortage of 'Dummies' books on the market to walk you thru these individual programs and teach you the finer points of getting started, but you may not need all the information in the book and it may take you quite awhile to get thru the massive volumes they comprise. Another option are training videos. You Tube is full of training videos for Adobe and CorelDRAW and individuals put up new techniques or cool tricks they have learned all the time. The web is amazing as when someone learns how to do something it is usually passed on to others in the community to try for themselves.
GIMP is a great program to consider as well. It is a powerful image editing software and the best part is it's totally FREE! GIMP also has plenty of tutorials online to get you over the learning curve. So which one of these is right for you?
Well you already know you can try GIMP for free, but it's not the first one I would download. If you have an expense budget in mind for software I would highly recommend downloading the trial versions of Adobe's products, which I believe are still 30 days. Watch a few training videos and get a feel for the software and then when your trial is over, download GIMP. You will then be able to compare the higher cost option to the free option and decide which is best for you. If you are going to buy a suite I would try CorelDRAW also just to make sure it doesn't work better for what you are trying. I believe their trial is currently 15 days, so trying them last, after you already have a grasp of how these type of programs work and what you need to look for, would be best.
If you decide you want to use Photoshop, Illustrator, or both, you could qualify for an education discount on this software. If you are a student, or if you have a child in any grade level you can take advantage of this discount. It is significant so check in to it. Take a look at some comparisons of these different programs and decide which one might work for you.
Don't forget that picking a design software is just one of the first steps in getting your business going. You might want to check out a course in graphic design. Keeping moving forward and, Happy Designing!
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Graphic Design For Beginners
Graphic design is a great business to be in and it doesn't have to be a difficult thing to learn. With knowledge and skills in graphic design you could build websites, design logos, create t-shirts, offer your services to others who want to do these things but lack the proficiency in this field. It is a skill that can take you a long way whether you want to learn for a hobby or for a profession.
The basics of graphic design are using your abilities to create images that others want to buy, or placing images on websites for customers, or any numerous other items. You could design the next great book cover that you could find on a store shelf near you. There are a few things you will need to get going with your new endeavor.
1. Software - You need something on your computer to bring your images to life. Hand drawing is still great, but at some point you'll have to load them in to a computer and use software to transfer the images in to the proper format for online distribution. There are many great programs out there and some are even free!
2. Vision - Visualizing what your end design will look like is the best method for most designers. You could start just free hand and end up with something great, but it usually helps to have something in mind when creating your masterpieces.
3. Identity - You will need to create a business identity, either online or off. What are your goals? Do you want to sell to local companies? Do you want to be strictly online and work out of your home? Or a combination of both? Defining where you want to focus your attention can save you time in getting your business off the ground.
4. Portfolio - A portfolio of your products is great to have to show prospective clients and customers. Typically this step will come a little later after you have done a few designs. Don't start a portfolio just for the sake of establishing yourself early on, chances are your designs will improve over a little time and you always want to put your best foot forward.
5. Training - So do you need to go to a university for a four year degree? Do you need to spend 36 months working with an online school to get your design certificate? You can, but both of these methods cost thousands of dollars and time! What if you could get started much quicker and for a lot less investment? There are online training programs available you can check out.
One way to save some money besides checking in to online training programs is to use a free software package. There is a great option for you that won't cost you a dime, and the great thing is there are free training videos available to teach you this free program! It won't teach you graphic design, but it will give you the understanding necessary to apply what you will learn to create your designs. Wouldn't it be great to love what you do so much it didn't feel like work at all? If you like creating images then graphic design could be the avenue for you to finally ditch the job and soar with a career! Good luck!
The basics of graphic design are using your abilities to create images that others want to buy, or placing images on websites for customers, or any numerous other items. You could design the next great book cover that you could find on a store shelf near you. There are a few things you will need to get going with your new endeavor.
1. Software - You need something on your computer to bring your images to life. Hand drawing is still great, but at some point you'll have to load them in to a computer and use software to transfer the images in to the proper format for online distribution. There are many great programs out there and some are even free!
2. Vision - Visualizing what your end design will look like is the best method for most designers. You could start just free hand and end up with something great, but it usually helps to have something in mind when creating your masterpieces.
3. Identity - You will need to create a business identity, either online or off. What are your goals? Do you want to sell to local companies? Do you want to be strictly online and work out of your home? Or a combination of both? Defining where you want to focus your attention can save you time in getting your business off the ground.
4. Portfolio - A portfolio of your products is great to have to show prospective clients and customers. Typically this step will come a little later after you have done a few designs. Don't start a portfolio just for the sake of establishing yourself early on, chances are your designs will improve over a little time and you always want to put your best foot forward.
5. Training - So do you need to go to a university for a four year degree? Do you need to spend 36 months working with an online school to get your design certificate? You can, but both of these methods cost thousands of dollars and time! What if you could get started much quicker and for a lot less investment? There are online training programs available you can check out.
One way to save some money besides checking in to online training programs is to use a free software package. There is a great option for you that won't cost you a dime, and the great thing is there are free training videos available to teach you this free program! It won't teach you graphic design, but it will give you the understanding necessary to apply what you will learn to create your designs. Wouldn't it be great to love what you do so much it didn't feel like work at all? If you like creating images then graphic design could be the avenue for you to finally ditch the job and soar with a career! Good luck!
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