Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

I am a stay-at-home-mom and graphic designer.

To help ends meet after i got laid off a year ago i started watching a set of twins and started Motif Design.

I love staying home with my son and being a graphic designer with my own buisness, but... my contract watching the twins is up at the end of the year.

My question and the problem...

How can i position myself and the business so that I can take care of my side of the household bills?  My husband and i know we won't make it rich and that it will take a while to build the business, but i don't really want to watch other children.  I might have to wait tables at night so that my hubby can stay home with my son(no daycare). I will do what i have to, within reason, to help this business succeed.

So what are some places that i can advertise and get my business out there?  Do i need to do some direct mail?  What are some ideas?

My target markets are small businesses (logo...branding), invitations (wedding, party, corporate events), parents for announcements.

Let me know if you have any other things i can clarify.

Thanks in advance for your time.

Rashel

Motif Design

http://www.motifdesigngraphics.com/index.html

You should do anything and everything to market your business to anyone and everyone who will listen.

You don't want to go broke marketing to people who may or may not care.  Pick a specific group of people to target first (maybe those who will use your most profitable service), and think of the ways you can reach them.  For example, what types of websites will they look at, where would they go for help, what will they do in their spare time.  Then see if there are any low-cost ways to reach them.  Were you hoping to work locally, or to do more business over the internet?  Take this into consideration too- it will help you narrow down the best channels through which to market.

Go to vistaprint.com and pay 50.00 for 500 cards...some thought this was "expensive"

but they're just plain old cards..no flash at all. Give them to everyone you run into. A

car door magnet might help too with marketing..it's a one time purchase and you

advertise to 100's or 1000's of people a day as you drive around town.

Get out there and network. People do business with people they like. Very few people will do business with you just because you handed them a business card. I'm sure your local chamber of commerce has after hours networking mixers.

Invitations? Get introduced to event and party planners, photographers, florists, etc.

Put up a web site where people can see examples of your work.

Go the social media route and drive people to the site.

Could be Ford, Citroen or maybe even Skoda. They all have a car ready to drop a 1.6T into...

Are the engine regs really finalised though? Why have they not published them?

download software

As a graphic designer you could lead discussions at your local Chamber of Commerce to position yourself as an industry expert. I wonder what kinds of publications you could write for that would also make you a local or internationally known graphic designer. I have never had any luck with advertising but every time I wrote an article for a newsletter or a newspaper, I would get telephone calls or e-mails. If you could make a connection with a non profit and do some work for an organization that you are passionate about, the non profit will help spread the word about you. That is easy work because you are doing it for a cause you believe in and it doesn't feel like work. I also agree with another post on here about getting out there and networking with your cool business cards. Be selective about the networking groups you choose though...there are many opportunities and consistency in your networking is the key. One networking event a week is perfect. I signed up for everything when I started my business and I ended up exhausted.

Good Luck!

Julie

Rashal, If you can take care of 3 or 4 childred getting your business up and running will be a piece of cake. There have been some good ideas in your post replys, networking with local chamber of commerce, write articles in newletters, passing out business cards, etc. Because you are a graphic designer I would design my own foldover business card, with the additional information on the inside of the card it acts as a small brochure. Then define the type of clients you want to work with and start calling on them at their offices for a few hours each day. You can spend thousands of dollars on various types of advertising but nothing works as well as person to person presentations. I know of several companies that have opened graphic design studios and became very successful using this method.

I totally agree with counselor, that should work because that kind of method is personal. that can lure a lot of people other than paying ads.

In the graphic design market, it’s a must that the potential clients see a sample of your work.

Make sure you find out your target market, if this is difficult, lookup any big companies marketing department, and get their email address from their company’s website, and send them a personalized sample, incorporating their service name or product. This gives it a more personalized feel.

I hope it works out for you and your family.