Читать книгу Start & Run a Graphic Design Business - Michael Huggins - Страница 11

A graphic design business owner can expect to be paid well for his or her services. Depending on what type of structure you choose for your business — a solo design firm, a small firm of five or six people, or a big company consisting of many people — you can choose how much you want to make and what type of role and responsibility you want to have in your business.

With a solo design firm you can make anywhere from $40,000 to $90,000 a year working from home. If you choose to grow your business and hire employees, you can increase your revenue to more than six figures.

In a recent poll of design entrepreneurs on ForGraphicDesignersOnly.com I asked how much other design business owners make each year. The answer was that 47.7 percent said their salary ranged between $50,000 and $129,000 yearly.

In the US, the AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts, the professional association for design) reports graphic design business owners’ salaries ranged from $65,000 to $140,000 per year in 2008, with the median salary at $95,000. These salary ranges don’t include other compensation such as benefits, bonuses, and various business write-offs you can include in order to be extremely profitable.

In Canada, the RGD (Registered Graphic Designers) 2007–2008 Ontario survey reports solo entrepreneurs making between $47,000 and $50,000, and owners of small firms making a median of $65,000.

The opportunity to create a lucrative business is a good one. You can find out more about salaries and rate surveys by contacting the AIGA in the US or the Ontario RGD in Canada. Both of these organizations provide surveys to their members and are great organizations to join.

It’s important to keep in mind that these numbers are based on national averages and that there are many factors that will affect what you are able to make. For instance, some regions will be able to demand more than others and some markets will be more lucrative than others. There’s also the matter of your experience. Obviously the more experience and knowledge you have, the more likely you’ll be able to demand more for your services.

The beauty of the graphic design field is that it is your ability to perform and create that helps determine your success. It’s not your years in the business or your design degree. Even a newbie has the chance to make a lucrative business for himself or herself. Depending on how big you want to grow your business, and the type of markets you sell to, the sky’s the limit.