Start a Graphic Design Agency

People think you compete with cheap logo sites; businesses pay real money for a designer who understands their brand, not just their file format.

1. 1

   Pick one design niche

   Choose an industry (restaurants, coaches, gyms) and one core deliverable like brand kits. 'Designer for everyone' loses to a specialist every time.

2. 2

   Build a five piece portfolio

   Create five spec brand kits for real local businesses in your niche using Figma or Adobe Illustrator. Spec work counts; blank portfolios do not.

3. 3

   Package and price three tiers

   For example: logo refresh at $500, full brand kit at $1,500, brand kit plus monthly design retainer at $750 a month. Flat prices close faster than hourly quotes.

4. 4

   Set up the boring essentials

   Register an LLC or sole proprietorship, open a business bank account, and use a contract template with 50 percent upfront and two revision rounds written in.

5. 5

   Pitch ten businesses with a teardown

   Email or walk into ten businesses in your niche with a one page mockup of their improved branding. Showing beats telling; two replies from ten is a win.

6. 6

   Deliver, then ask for the retainer

   After the first project, offer ongoing social graphics and marketing materials for a monthly fee. Retainers turn one sale into twelve.