Turn Your Passion Into a Profession

Do you wake up in the middle of the night with brilliant ideas? Design in the shower? Fantasize about being hired with an unlimited budget? If so, you are a designer. Your next step should be to focus on turning your passion into a profession that pays you well. Here are some ‘must haves’ for creating a successful design business:

1. Register your business as a corporation, LLC, or D/B/A.
2. Get insured.
3. Prepare thorough contracts and enforce the terms. Decide appropriate fees and charge for ALL of your time.
4. Hire a bookkeeper and a tax preparer.
5. Pay yourself through a payroll system and stay current with related taxes.
6. Write a marketing plan; build a website, set-up social media accounts, and determine key networking events.
7. Prepare a pre-qualifying phone dialog outlining your process, fees, and minimum requirements for projects.
8. Prepare an at-a-glance project sheet listing weekly tasks and scheduling deadlines.
9. Schedule your week at least a week in advance.
10. Seek out strategic partners to insure business success (marketing referral sources, key contractors, bankers, and mentors).

This will be a good start to get started on the right foot to build a business you love.
Now, go do good work!