A Graphic Design Student's Guide to Freelance: Practice Makes Perfect

Chapter 5

There's a First Time for Everything

Goals for Beginning Freelancers

College is all about gaining experience, and there's no better time than now to work with your first client. You might find yourself living away from home for the first time, opening yourself to personal discovery, and learning the skills you need to improve your quality of life. This is an exciting time because change is in the air. You might feel that starting a company is a tall order on top of everything else on your plate, but try to think about it as laying a foundation that you will build upon. Don't try to do everything all at once, or try and hit a home run every time you step up to the plate. All you have to do is take the first few steps and see how things go. Here are some initial goals for you to help you get started.

• Successfully set up your Sole Proprietor LLC (described in previous chapters).
• Purchase the equipment you will need to use for school and your business.
• Familiarize yourself with how to use a contract (and other forms).
• Work for a paying client.

You can probably accomplish the tasks on the list above with one hand tied behind your back, but it's important to not take shortcuts. We're going to add a little more complexity as you get comfortable. When you reach the advanced level, you'll be more selective about the clients you choose to work with, become more comfortable more complex projects, and probably make more money in the process.

The bulk of your expenses will come from ...