Working From Home as a Graphic Designer - DIGRAPE.com

Working From Home as a Graphic Designer - DIGRAPE "Diseños Gráficos Peña" - http://digrape.com

Freelancing is often the bread-and-butter of a good graphic design artist.  If you are interested in working from home as a graphic designer, here are some tips for getting you started.  You will find that you are not alone in the world of freelance graphic design.  Working freelance has become very common in the graphic design field.  In fact, according to some recent studies, over one-third of all graphic designers take on at least some amount of freelance work.

Why are there so many freelance graphic design artists? The main reason that they're so many graphic design artists working from home is that many companies simply do not require the need of a full-time graphic designer.  Instead of keeping on an on-site graphic designer, many companies will simply hired designers on a freelance or part-time basis.

What are the advantages of working from home as a graphic designer? There are many advantages, including the fact you are your own boss.  You can select which to work with and you can develop your own schedule.  You can bill your jobs independently, and you can work from the comfort of your own home, in your pajamas if you want to.  However, it is not all sunshine and roses in the world of freelance graphic design.  There are also several disadvantages to working from home as a graphic designer. First, there's no art director to help you make important design decisions.  If a process doesn't work, or a project fails, you are the only one to blame.

Second, you have to work directly with clients.  Many freelance graphic designers lament the fact that the business side of freelancing often clashes with the creative side of the business.  Of course, another major disadvantage of being a free-lance graphic design artist is that you get no company benefits.  You have no one to pay you for vacation time, help your pension fund grow, or provide health benefits.  When you get sick, there's no one to take your place.  Finally, as a freelance graphic designer, you are responsible for the business operating costs.  Business equipment, like phones, fax and computers, are all up to you.

One thing that many potential freelance graphic designers fail to take into account is whether they are temperamentally suited for freelance graphic design.  Some people enjoy the freedom and solitude of being a free-lance graphic designer.  But to other people, the free-flowing nature of the work can seem scary, as there is no regular paycheck.  Also, more social people may not enjoy working from home alone. Make sure that you feel comfortable with the idea of working from home before you invest in a freelance home graphic design business.

Let's say that you have decided that freelance work is right up your alley.  In this case, you will have to set up your practice and learn the basics of the freelance business. First, think of working from home as a graphic designer as a real business.  Find a room in your home or you can work undisturbed.  Of course, you will need to have access to all the necessary equipment.  If you can afford it, hire a good accountant.  A good accountant will be able to advise you on business matters and help you open the right kind of banking and savings account.  Whenever you do, avoid using your own personal account to run the business. It can become a nightmare later when you try to disentangle personal accounts from business accounts. Keep things simply by keeping your business and personal expenses separate.  This will also make it a lot easier come tax season.

Por: DIGRAPE "Diseños Gráficos Peña". 

http://digrape.com