Expert: - 5/1/2009

Question
Dear Jane, Hello and I hope that you are well. For the last year and a half I have not been able to find work, and I'm at the point of trying to do something for myself. I'm unsure if I'm asking this question in the right place, and if you know of what direction to point me in on Allexperts it would be appreciated. Anyway, I'm a beginner self-learned web-Illustrator, and I'm wondering if I can make an income using this skill. According to many salary calculators I saw here in New York City a Graphic designer, or Illustrator can earn as much as $40,000-$50,000 annually. The question is, Would you have any idea how much I should charge for this service as a self-employed person if I create a website to market my talents? By the hour or by the project? I was reading the content on a good website that addresses this issue, but it failed to go into the actual numbers game. I will await your reply. Thanks.

William

Answer
Dear William,

In the current economy it is a wonderful idea to start your own business and become self employed. There are very few start-up costs if you work from your home and already have a computer and internet access which it sounds as though you do.

There is great demand from someone such as yourself with your background and apparent level of experience. I am not exactly sure what kind of money you will make in your new endeavor - however I know many "Virtual Assistants" (AKA VA) who charge anywhere from $25 to $75 per hour for your type of services depending on the job. You could likely put together packages for certain services and also have an hourly rate that could vary depending on the task.

You will need to create a website and market your services so people know who you are, what your level of experience is and who recommends you. I would also get involved in Social Media: especially Face Book where you can get a personal page as well as a "fan" page with your business information; Also get involved in Twitter where you can connect with a large number of internet marketers always looking for services such as yours.  But do remember that you want to market softly on twitter by using a good home page and being interested in others without "spamming".

Places you can also find clients are through elance (http://elance.com) or craigs list. On either of these sites you can also check out what others in your same industry are charging.

I wish you the best with your new business project,

Jane Button
www.craftabusiness.com