Starting Your Own Web Design Business

Read advice for starting a successful web design business.

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Web Design Career: Going Solo

Entrepreneurship is a basic component of the American Dream: the small business owner who thrives despite all odds. And in the field of web design, the odds—and the competition—are numerous. Fortunately, it's also an industry with excellent job opportunities, especially for those with business savvy and design training.

Going solo can be financially rewarding as well as internally satisfying—in 2008, median income was $57,000 for freelance/contract designers and $95,000 for design firm owners, versus a $42,400 median salary for graphic designers in general, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Our checklist for starting your own web design business can help you take advantage of the opportunities that are out there.

1. Take inventory. Before you start putting your web design plans into action, ask yourself whether you've got what it takes to start your own business. The U.S. Small Business Administration's website has a list of questions—and pitfalls—for potential entrepreneurs. Though it's exciting to be your own boss, you need to be very dedicated in order to ensure that you put enough time into your business to make it succeed.

2. Target your web design niche. Not only are there several different careers that fall under the umbrella of web design—web graphic design, web development and user interface design, to name a few—there are also different segments of the market you can target with your design business. Some designers work exclusively with corporations, while others work with non-profits or individual clients.

3. Get the right design training. Web designers generally need some level of web design education—a certificate or associate's degree may be sufficient if you've got enough experience under your belt, but a bachelor's degree or even a master's degree can be an enormous help if your goal is to start your own business.

4. Invest in the proper equipment. Although you don't need a ton of expensive equipment to get started in the web design field, you do need to invest in some basics: a connection to the internet, a sufficiently powerful computer, and appropriate design software like Photoshop^® and Dreamweaver^®.

5. Cultivate a business mindset. Running a web design business is similar to operating any other type of small business. You'll need patience and great communication skills to work with a variety of clients, and the creativity to address design problems in a way that meets the client's needs.

6. Take care of the practical details. Do you have an appropriate home office space or other workspace? Do you need a business license to operate as a freelance web designer? Have you written a business plan to define your goals in a concrete way?

7. Grow your business. Once you've gotten started, you'll need to make sure you can maintain a steady flow of income. Doing volunteer design projects can help you get the word out about your business when you're just getting started. Other common ways to drum up clients include networking, traditional marketing and word of mouth.