There is no perfect recipe for growing a thriving graphic design business.

But through my own share of failures and successes, I have learned what works more often than not. Here are five of the top processes I have used to grow my graphic design business since I began.

#1. Learn to market yourself without burning out

Pick one or two marketing platforms and get to know them really well. This is the best way to ensure you’re leveraging your time efficiently and effectively, and not overwhelming yourself. When choosing your marketing platforms, first think about the audience you want to target, and where they would be more likely to hangout – for example, would they be more likely to be looking through Instagram or Pinterest. Should you use Google Ads or Pinterest Ads?

#2. Nail your pricing and track your finances

Keeping track of your finances is essential as a solo business owner. Especially if you are unable to hire the services of an accountant as you are starting out. This is the best way to see where your hard earned money is going, where there is potential for growth, where you could improve and what needs to be jettisoned.

And speaking of finances, take a good look at your pricing and packages, and evaluate whether you are charging the right price. This can be based on a few things:

1. The value that you provide
2. The cost amount that you need to keep your business afloat
3. The industry standards: do your research.

#3. Diversify your skillset

This is one of my favourite and most effective ways to level up your graphic design business. By adding skill sets to your business that complement each other and have maximum crossover. e.g. web design, this allows you to stand out in a sea of graphic design businesses, along with so many other benefits, like charging more for projects, freedom of time, the ability to pick who you work with and more.
Read the blog The Benefits of Diversifying Your Skillset as a Graphic Designer

#4. Create a killer website

As a graphic designer, you need to have a strong online “home”, in order to stand out. Your website is where you get to showcase your projects and portfolio, as well as sharing every important bit about you and your business.

This is also one area where you shouldn’t attempt to cut costs. It is the face of your business, so it has to be as good as possible.

If you are considering diversifying your skillset into web design, this is also the number one place to hone and demonstrate your skills.

#5. Pick a niche and stick to it

Get super clear on who you are targeting and ensure all your content and marketing is geared towards this niche audience. Curate your portfolio to target this niche.
When you have a niche, you can refine all of your services around this niche. Rather than offering a wider range of generic services, refine your offering to just a few high-skill, niche services. This will narrow your target market but will get you more targeted enquiries.

Growing a freelance business on your own can be tough, but with a well thought out strategy, you can minimise the stress and burn out that often comes with being a solo business owner.

If you’re interested in diversifying your graphic design business with web design, you can >> download my free ebook “The Web Designer Starter Kit: 5-Step Framework To Start Designing & Building Websites”