STEP 10 of 10: Ready, Set, Go! – Self Promo!

Now that you have a good a foundation for your business it's time to announce it to the world! Three main things to start with are your identity package, website and portfolio.

Your ID pack should be materials that you have on hand at all times to hand out to potential clients, write thank you letters, etc. and should be well designed.

Your ID pack should include the following:

• business card 
• letterhead 
• resume 
• envelope 
• leave behind 
• cover letter template 
• thank you letter template

Your website should include at minimum the following:

• samples of your work 
• short bio
• resume
• contact info 

Your portfolio is completely up to you. Whether it be exclusively digital, matted, or in a book. Most employers prefer taking a quick look at your site to see if you're a good fit for the company before even contacting you, while some may request a meeting to view your portfolio and get to know you. So keep in mind that if your portfolio is exclusively on your website that you may not have internet access at the meeting so it's always good to at least keep pdfs or jpgs readily available on your laptop or create a well-designed digital presentation.

Tips for your portfolio:

1. Keep it simple and show only the best.
2. Practice an oral presentation of your portfolio.
3. Keep it light, no need to haul around a 30lb portfolio case.
4. Make it interactive. Don't hold on to your pieces while discussing them. Pass them around so that the client gets involved.
5. Most important, remember to show your passion for what you do. Smile, get excited!

I could go on and on about each one of the above topics - which is why I will be diving more in depth on most subjects at a later time. So follow me and keep updated on what you need to do to become a successful freelance graphic designer and please feel free to email me or comment on topics you would like to hear more about or questions you may have about the industry.

< Step 9: Prepare Legal Forms And Documents


For questions on specific topics or if you would like more information on anything related to the above post please feel free to contact me and I will get back to you as soon as possible or if it is a FAQ I will create a new post :)