20 tips On creating a business in surface pattern design
During Lockdown, why not start your own business?
& Increase Your Income!
Courage
Starting your own surface pattern design business takes courage, sheer determination, and loads of passion.
Even more so during these testing times with the COVID 19 strain and the new virus that is sweeping across the country.
If you have been working for someone for a long time in the same industry and have been laid off work furloughed or not, and been told to stay at home, now is as good a time as any to think about starting your own business.
Starting your own creative business and choosing to do it as your main source of income will be hard work, but the rewards will pay dividends eventually when you work for yourself.
If you have been dreaming of starting your own business, it’s definitely worth the hassle, time, energy, sweat, and tears…
Ok. Where do you start?
Goals
- Make a list of your goals – What you want out of the surface pattern design business.
- Put these into bullet points – Work for yourself – Manage your own time – Work from home – Pay your bills – Spare time with family – Do what you love – Create surface designs.
- Ask yourself do you want to specialize in a certain type of Surface Pattern Design? – ie – Childrenswear Designs.
- Register as self-employed.
- Located a room or an area of your house/flat to use as a studio/office.
- Find or borrow a computer or laptop an iPad and a smartphone.
- You will need to purchase or subscribe to Adobe Photoshop & Adobe Illustrator – The best way is to subscribe and pay monthly around £25.00 – £49.00 per month.
- Think of a name for your business.
- Create a website.
- Create a portfolio of your work.
Building Your Brand
It can take years to build your surface pattern design brand if you just want to sell or license your own designs so what I recommend is to not be too narrow in what you decide to specialize in.
You can promote yourself on many freelance sites for surface pattern designers that specialize in various types of surface design, but if you leave it open a little you may get projects from all kinds of clients for instance –
1 – Licensing your surface pattern design prints – Via your own website – via platforms such as https://surfacepatternmarketplace.com
2 – Join Art Sites – Where you can sell prints of your artwork –https://www.saatchiart.com/
3 – Open a store on print on demand sites – https://www.bagsoflove.co.uk/
Where your designs can be printed on many products -such as -book covers – bedding – lampshades, etc – You normally get a % when something is purchased.
4 – Create original works of art – sell via your own website, Etsy, or at local craft fairs and markets, or try and sell through local galleries, craft stores, etc.
5 – Advertise your services that you are open to collaboration and will accept commissions for bespoke projects. – Creativepool.com
6 – Create your own surface pattern design tutorials and post them on youtube.com to gain followers and subscribers – This will get your name out there.
7 – Source teaching positions where you can offer live interactive tutorials for students from your home. – http://printandpatternjobs.blogspot.com/
8 – Open a creative surface pattern store on FREE platforms such as ETSY.com Selling fabric from your prints.
9 – Register on as many FREE directories as possible – Texintel is one – is a FREE Expert Resource that provides independent, authoritative, real-time knowledge and advice to Design and Print professionals.
10 – Start a social media account – Instagram – Facebook – Linkedin and post weekly!
Prints featured by Surface Pattern Marketplace Designers:
Top Left – Watercolour by Art Prints
Middle – Plaid Print by Trace of colour
Bottom – Paisley Print by Rahitex Design
I hope you find this post helpful, Good Luck with your business.
Cat Murphy
Surface Pattern Marketplace Ltd
