When the average business plan outlines goals for future marketing, very rarely does it discuss how design will play a role in that expansion. Good design is an opportunity for every business and should be one of your strengths.

STEPS TO TAKE TO IMPROVE YOUR BUSINESS’S DESIGN

Take an audit of what design assets you currently have and any that you may be looking to add down the line. For the average business, this would include things like a logo, website, business cards, or any printed marketing material. But don’t just stop with the average design assets. Think a little further.

For example, if your business will have any presence on social media, you will also want to consider sprucing up your cover photos or having a set of graphics created to add to your posts, rather than only posting text when you create an update. Social media posts that included photos and graphics had an 87% interaction rate in a study conducted by the Social Media Examiner.

Once you compile your list of current design assets and things you may want to add or improve on in the future, determine what is most important to you to improve upon. Within the Strategy and Implementation section of your business plan, include these areas in a timeline. What will you work on and have complete before launching the business? What will you implement a year from now? Two years from now? How do these design improvements play back into your strategy?

“BUT GOOD DESIGN CAN HAVE A HEFTY PRICE TAG”

If cost is an issue while you’re just starting up your business, don’t feel like you have to take on all the design and branding by yourself. No matter what kind of designer you’re looking for, you can find something within your budget.

However, it’s important to remember, you do get what you pay for. Like most vendors, you should check for references and reviews. You’ll want a designer who can concept and create original works for you – not design a logo from a cookie cutter template that countless other businesses may have already used. Originality will be key when branding your business, especially if you plan to trademark your logo.

Having good design at all of your business’s touch points not only add credibility, but also have a higher success rate at garnering customers. According to the Design Management Institute, design-driven companies have outperformed the S&P Index by 219% over 10 years.

Do a search for a local designer who you can meet with to discuss your business’s needs. Talk to other small business owners in your area and see who they work with or recommend.

Okay, so maybe we’ve all received more than a few.

WHAT IS THE GENERAL DATA PROTECTION REGULATION?

Enacted in April 2016, the GDPR protects the data of citizens in the European Union – though it isn’t enforceable until May 25, 2018. Personal data is being defined as anything that can identify the contact. Things like name, email, or address are the first things that come to mind. But even genetic or biometric information fall under the GDPR.

HOW DOES THE GDPR AFFECT YOUR BUSINESS?

Your company doesn’t have to be based in the EU to be subject to the regulation. If you process the data of EU citizens, the GDPR applies to you. If you are unsure about the location of your customers, you are better off being in compliance than risk being fined a whole lotta money.

THE GDPR OUTLINES THE KEY CHANGES TO YOUR CONTACT’S RIGHTS:

1. If you learn that your company has a data breach, you must alert your customers within 72 hours.
2. Your customers have a right to know how their data is being used. After all, if you gave people your sensitive information, wouldn’t you want to know where it’s going
3. If your customer wants their data to be erased, they have the right to it. This isn’t just deactivating their account – it’s completely deleting the data
4. Does your customer want a complete copy of what data you have on them? You need to be able to download a copy of their data and to provide them – in a format their computer can read.

Luckily, most email service providers have already begun making changes to their applications to allow their users to be in compliance with the GDPR when using their application. As a small business, it’s your responsibility to make sure this is the case.

One of the quickest wins a company can make to be compliant is to ensure consent. You must have explicit permission from the contact that you will be contacting them using their personal data. There’s no getting around it. Your customer must take an action to opt-in, such as clicking on a checkbox or confirming via double opt-in.

There is a lot that goes into being GDPR compliant – most of which is not covered in this post. But hopefully, it’s enough to get you started and on the right track to being compliant.

THE ULTIMATE LIST OF GDPR RESOURCES:

• EUGDPR.org: Get the skinny directly from the EU.
• MailerLite.com: Based in the EU, MailerLite knows what’s up with GDPR and how it can help you with your email marketing.
• Bronto.com: The email marketing giant answers commonly asked GDPR q’s.
• Mailchimp.com: Gettin’ ready for the GDPR – now with a handy-dandy PDF guide.
• Wikipedia.org: Because why not.

I think the same can be said for anybody who can be labeled as a “creative”. If you are one of these people, you may have said to yourself, dagnabbit I want to make more money with this side-hustle and make it a full-time thing!

So it sounds like you need to start your own business. A legit-honest-to-goodness business with its own fancy-schmancy website and a business checking account to match.

Unfortunately to make money, you may have to spend a little first. Startup costs for a creative biz are pretty similar to starting up any business. Luckily you don’t have to worry about overhead or office space if you’re planning on starting out working from home before expanding.

Before you dive headfirst into the world of business-ing, it’s important you do your research and prepare to budget for the startup costs you’ll learn to expect. But budgeting can make the whole experience a lot less and a whole lot easier.

1) Choosing a business name
If you’re forming an LLC (more on this in the next step), you do have to choose a business name to operate under. I chose to use Baez Creative Company because it used my last name but also wasn’t so defining that I wouldn’t have wiggle room if I chose to change the company’s direction in the future.

You may also want to consider registering a “doing business as” name or a fictitious name if you’ll be operating under a different business name. 

You’ll also need to make sure your name isn’t already copyrighted. Check for trademarks, copyrights, domain names, social media accounts – anything that could conflict any future branding plans you may have. Being proactive about picking a name you can use legally could save you a lot of trouble and money in the future.

2) Forming a limited liability company
Before you form a limited liability company (LLC), make sure you research the laws and costs in your state, and maybe even speak to a tax professional to find out if it’s the right decision for you.

After doing my own research, I chose to form Baez Creative Company as an LLC. One of the main reasons was so that if I chose to bring on a partner in the future, the groundwork would already be there to expand. 

In the state of Florida, forming an LLC is fairly easy through the sunbiz.org. You could do what I did and walk through the steps yourself, or you can go through a company that charges a small free on top of your state-fees to do it for you.

However, in a state like California, you would be required to pay an $800 annual franchise tax to operate as a limited liability company. Like I mentioned earlier in this article, startup costs vary from state to state, so operating as a sole proprietor to start with might be your best option. Do some heavy-duty research.

3) Filing for your EIN
Even if you are the sole designer working at your firm, you may still need an employer identification number (EIN) to open a business banking account. As I mentioned above, some companies will file your LLC paperwork for a small fee. However, some of these companies may also charge to apply for your EIN from the IRS.

If you file for your EIN yourself, it is completely free through the IRS website, and you don’t even have to pick up the phone. If you have ten minutes to spare, you can save yourself some cash. Just make sure your LLC has been approved first. 

4) Open a business checking account
Depending on where you choose to open your business checking account, you’ll need to make an opening deposit. When you choose how much to put in your account, think about what your expenses will be for the next year.

Take a look around your local credit unions and banks for the best rates you can find. You’ll want to keep your personal and business funds separated.

5) Get your website up and running: purchase a domain and hosting
An average domain will run you one dollar for the first year or anywhere upwards of $30 a year if you opt for privacy. Some options like Google Domain come with free privacy, and some like GoDaddy will charge for this feature.

Even if you don’t plan on launching a website right away, it’s a wise decision to purchase your domain name as soon as you can before someone else may claim it.

You may choose to use a prebuilt website through somewhere like Squarespace or Wix. Or you can have a custom website designed and developed for your needs. The only downside of having a custom website is that you’ll need to have your own hosting, which can have an annual fee attached. But being able to own the code and content of your website is worth it in the long run.

6) Setting up recurring bills that relate to your business
If you’re planning on working from a home office, you won’t have as many bills to worry about if you were opening a more traditional retail business, like a store or a restaurant.

Some common bills for graphic designers include:

• Adobe Creative Cloud
• Stock image subscriptions like Envato Elements
• Royalty-free video/music subscriptions like Epidemic Sound

Your subscription fees may vary, but make sure you get them under the roof of your business checking account if you are using them for your business. They will need to be claimed as business expenses when the time comes to do your taxes.

And speaking of taxes…

7) Getting an accountant
Your cost will vary on this. Meeting with an actual Certified Public Accountant who knows your state laws and local laws will help save you a ton of money in the long run. You may also consider investing in something like Freshbooks to keep track of your expenses in the meantime.

8) Printing your official business cards
Getting your official business cards are like a final stamp of completion on getting your business up and running. You can print at home, or if you want a more professional look and to support other local businesses, choose a local print shop.

Wait until everything else is set up before you purchase the business cards, and don’t forget – these are also a business expense. Congratulations on a job well done.

—-