My journey begins with not studying graphic design.

I had taken the scenic route of graduating in Business Economics to working as a Graphic Designer through a diploma and an internship. I was ready to take on anything that came my way at work because I was having a great time doing it. My first freelance job happened while I was still working full-time. And as a result of that, I got a few more, and despite the initial limitations, I really enjoyed the variety of work I was able to do – different clients, different requirements, and different challenges. I got a break from my full-time job’s monotonous routine. When my contract renewals were up, I took a leap of faith and decided to pursue freelancing full-time. That’s when Spiffy Designs was born.

It’s funny — the thing I feared would take away my “freedom” is the one thing that has allowed me to have it.

Joelle Steiniger

Running my own business from home.

Aside from the obvious benefit of not having to commute to work every day, I was able to save a significant amount of time by skipping the unnecessary time wasted in office and the excruciating meetings that could have been replaced with a simple email. The benefit of running my own business from home is that I can keep those group / individual meetings to a minimum. Yes, some clients must be met, but these meetings can easily be completed via email, phone, or video call. One of the reasons I prefer email communication is that it achieves the same results while also keeping a record of everything said.

Quotes, Quotes, Quotes, Proposals, Contracts, Negotiations & then some.

Freelancing is frequently regarded as work which you can just get on with. A life free of clutter. No, not at all. It’s not just about making designs for online or offline needs. Most people are surprised by how much time it takes to provide quotes, drawing up contracts, and writing proposals. There are also the negotiations. If you are a freelancer, every client will negotiate with you much more than if they were dealing with a company.

 

No matter how much experience you have, how many degrees you have, or how well known you have become — there is always something new to learn. Don’t rest on your past experiences. If you do nothing to improve your skills, you won’t stay where you are.

Hurray! Free-time! Oh wait, No-Time!

You’ll spend one month contacting everyone you know for help finding work, and the following month working late nights because you have so much to get done in such a short period of time. You may have to decline a few tasks because you simply do not have the time to complete them.

Staying Organized

Staying organised is one of the most crucial aspects of running any business. Keep all of your files organised. That is the number one thing that you need to be meticulous about! I can’t emphasise enough how crucial it is to have everything organised in a logical manner. This should be reflected in your actual projects as well. Maintain a level of consistency.

Reboot. Reboot. Reboot.

One of the most underrated things is the need to reboot every now and then. Whether it’s a Sunday walk in the park, meeting friends for a quick drink or a quick weekend trip away to a new place, or maybe a longer plan for travel. My go to reboot is travel – nationally or internationally. I switch off from my work and travel & explore new places. It is the best thing for inner growth. Traveling broadens one’s perspective on the world, enhances communication skills, fosters maturity and confidence, and results in a more well-rounded professional. This doesn’t mean it may work for you too, but find you reboot.

Traveling broadens one’s perspective on the world, enhances communication skills, fosters maturity and confidence, and results in a more well-rounded professional.

The Scariest Part… Income

This is by far my greatest fear about working as a freelance graphic designer. Working part-time even in retail may not pay well, but it provides a constant income – guaranteed! If you didn’t know, a freelancer could make £1500 from a website one month, £300 from a Logo creation the next, or nothing at all the next month. YEP! It’s entirely conceivable to go a month without earning a penny. That’s why, if you do decide to freelance full-time, you’ll have to get in the habit of cutting corners and saving money everywhere you can.

But don’t be put off by the fact that you will have times you may struggle. I enjoy what I do, and there are numerous options for generating passive money if you are struggling during a period. This is part of the choice you make.

Freelance Solo, But Not Solo

Connections. You’ll need to establish connections. Join work-related online-offline groups. There are numerous online forums that post work on a regular basis, as well as freelancers who want to pass on work that they are unable to accept.

When I’m having problems obtaining work, I’m fortunate to have these connections who will refer me to job if they require assistance or are too busy to do it themselves. If you don’t already know (and chances are you don’t), I’m a designer rather than a developer. I have a bit of front-end experience (HTML and CSS), but not much programming experience (i.e. PHP). I dabble in a little bit of everything, but programming isn’t one of them. I delegate any project that involves complex programming to a team of developers (my digital partners) that specialise in this type of work. It helps to develop great connections with people who share your interests.

Future

As a freelance designer, I am constantly learning new things and striving to improve my skills. My mind is always buzzing with new ideas, and I aim to bring some of them to reality in the future years. I work on several of my own personal projects / dreams in addition to the regular client projects. Some of these are:

Photography (www.instagram.com/spiffy.photography)

E-commerce business