10 Things I Wish I knew Before Starting My Design Business - RD223

<h2>If only I knew these things before starting my design business.</h2> <p>You know that saying, hindsight is 20/20? It means that it’s always easier to see things when you’re looking back than when you’re looking forward.</p> <p class="p1">Before I decided to leave the print shop where I worked as a graphic designer to start my graphic and web design business in 2006, I had a preconceived notion of what to expect. Some of what I imagined turned out to be accurate and some of what I believed was way off.</p> <p class="p1">For example, I imagined how much I would love running my own business, spending my days designing beautiful things for great clients. It turns out I love it even more than I anticipated. However, I do spend a lot less time designing than I thought I would.</p> <p class="p1">I didn’t know many designers in 2006 who were running their own business. There were a few who used the print shop I worked at for their client’s print work. But they were more of what I call <a href= "https://resourcefuldesigner.com/5-things-to-consider-before-you-become-a-freelance-designer/"> freelance designers</a>. Meaning, they had other sources of income and did design as a side-gig. So there was nobody for me to emulate.</p> <p class="p1">I did have one friend, Jason, with a <a href= "https://resourcefuldesigner.com/3cs-successful-design-business/">successful design business</a> in Toronto. I talked to him quite a bit before deciding to go it on my own. But even with those conversations, there was still a lot I didn’t know or wasn’t expecting when I did eventually jump ship.</p> <p class="p1">So here are ten things I wish someone had told me before I started my design business.</p> <h3 class="p1">1) You don’t need a lot of clients to run a successful design business.</h3> <p class="p1">Before starting my design business, I thought I would need 50 to 100 clients for my new business to be sustainable. Boy, was I wrong. I quickly learned that a solo designer could make a good living with only a handful of clients. In fa