Nine ways graphic designers can become creative entrepreneurs

"The world is embarking on a new age. The age of the entrepreneur, the agile small business owner, the flexible innovator. The days of the industrial age are over"

—Daniel Priestley

The prevalence of the desktop computer, freely available fonts, digital tools and templates, not to mention competition from a global marketplace, has meant that traditional graphic design roles have been undercut and undervalued.?

Conversely, the prevalence of the internet, social media and online marketing allowing graphic design graduates with an entrepreneurial mindset to flourish in ways their business school counterparts have not.?

This combination of design skills and entrepreneurial mindset positions creative professionals in the perfect position to move into the future of work.

In 2014 the Design Research Council surveyed all graphic design studios and solo operators in Australia. They were asked to break down their income streams into categories, and the bulk of these categories included print, digital, branding, publication, advertising, environmental, strategy, design management, and service design.

There was another category of 17%, which included illustration, industrial, packaging, video production and wayfinding. Except for service and environmental design — most studios offer the same services. This means studios need to differentiate themselves by a method other than listing services offered. There was also no mention of product design or educational services, which form the bulk of a creative entrepreneur's income.

In 2014, creative entrepreneurship wasn't part of any graphic designer's business model.

Over the last 16 years as a design educator, I have witnessed the job satisfaction of my graphic design graduates head into severe decline.

In 2013, I founded the Typism online community to empower my design graduates to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset. Through the subsequent conference, memberships, and publications, I have established strong networks of creative entrepreneurs around the globe, and I have also mentored groups of graphic design graduates through the process of productising their skills.

From this experience, I continue to learn new ways creatives can apply their skillsets to making money online. The digital marketing landscape changes every six months, and it has been quite a journey keeping up with all the changes.

How might you monetise your creativity and stop trading time for dollars?

If the graphic design industry continues to put all its eggs into one basket and design education continues to supply more eggs, I can't see the fee-for-service model improving any time soon.

The primary issue facing our industry is that most graphic designers continue to operate under the fee-for-service business model, even though entire chunks of their core business can be outsourced for cheaper.

Let's look at some solutions then, starting with some definitions.

An entrepreneur is an individual who creates a new business, bearing most of the risks and enjoying most of the rewards. The process of setting up a business is known as entrepreneurship. The entrepreneur is commonly seen as an innovator, a source of new ideas, goods, services, and business/or procedures.

Creative entrepreneurs then use their creative or intellectual knowledge and skills to earn a living, usually in a business or as a solopreneur. This differs from traditional entrepreneurship that has mainly focused on manufacturing and industrial products.

Here is a list of nine new business models for graphic designers to consider:

1. Affiliates

Affiliate marketing is an option when you don't have a product but have traffic to a website. It involves recommending products or services offered by others, and when visitors buy through the link on your site, you earn an affiliate commission.

You might apply this to your business by listing and recommending products and services you use or linking your reading list to Amazon. If you use affiliate links and a customer buys based on your recommendation, you are paid an affiliate fee. Pat Flynn has a website and podcast all about making smart passive income using affiliate marketing.

2. Blogging

Blogging is a form of online publishing that allows people to write and publish information, news, reviews, and other content. If a blog becomes popular, it can be monetised through advertising, sponsored content, affiliate marketing and product sales.

The key to monetising a blog is to look at it as a long term project and build an audience over time. So start writing about something you are passionate about and commit to the long haul. For example, The Design Files is one of Australia's most popular design blogs, and founder Lucy Feagins has run it as a business for many years, but she built it as a hobby for many years before that.

3. Coaching

A coach is someone who helps you to get better at something or achieve a defined result. The most common models are one-to-one or one-to-many, often called group coaching.

You might struggle with imposter syndrome at first, but many coaches are people just like you who achieved a result in their life or business and are now mentoring others through the same journey. You don't need to go to "coach school"; you need to help people overcome the same problems you've faced.

4. Digital Products

Digital products are bought and delivered online, usually through a digital download. Products such as templates, software, apps, and eBooks, can all be created once and then sold multiple times, either from your website or delivery service such as Amazon.

The easiest way for graphic designers to monetise creativity is to sell via a digital marketplace such as Creative Market. The hassle around building a website, finding customers, and setting up an online store is taken care of for you. All you need to do is create and sell your digital designs.

5. Physical products

Physical products are delivered by mail or purchased at a physical location. They can be made by hand, manufactured in bulk, or produced on-demand using a third party such as Zazzle or Printful.

There can be an investment cost with physical products, so you might need to prototype them first. Many creatives use Kickstarter to validate and fund a physical product before going to the expense and hassle of making it

6. Podcasting

Podcasting is an audio medium that allows you to record and distribute your content through various channels such as Apple and Spotify. Popular podcasts attract sponsorship or can be used to promote your products and services.

Much like blogging, if you plan to start a podcast, you need to take the long haul approach and also use the podcast as a lever to monetise other products. Of course, it isn't easy to monetise a podcast right away, but you can build an audience and test ideas quickly.?

7. Teaching (online courses)

Online courses have become a popular option for students looking to learn a new skill or hobby or replace formal learning. Many online learning platforms host your courses, such as Teachable and Kajabi.

Much like coaching, most creatives become afflicted with imposter syndrome when you talk about teaching, but the same principle applies. If you have achieved a result, share what you've learned and then you can help others achieve the same result.?

8. Vlogging

Vlogging is essentially video blogging. Shooting and editing videos have become a popular way for creatives to share their ideas on Vimeo and YouTube. You can monetise them through advertising and product/service promotion.

YouTube makes it very easy for you to focus on creating great content whilst supplying the audience and the advertising. Vlogging is a crowded landscape, but if you're clear on your niche and can create educational or entertaining videos, you can monetise the results through YouTube.

9. Influencer

Influencers are people that have built their personal brand and a large following, often through social media. Influencers usually make money via paid promotions and affiliate partnerships.

There are two ways to become an influencer, slow and steady or fast and viral. Most successful influencers have tasted both sides of the biscuit. So start slow and steady, and if you can go viral along the way, more power to you, but make sure you have partnerships in place, and you're clear on who your audience is so that you can capitalise on any viral moments.

I am on a mission to help creatives become Creative Entrepreneurs, and the best place to start is for graphic designers to consider new business models. Let's start by looking at nine ways you can add to your revenue stream

It is time for creatives to find new ways to monetise their creativity and stop trading time for dollars.

As creatives, we need to work on closing the gap between design and business and start thinking of ourselves as creative entrepreneurs.