Embarking on a journey of entrepreneurial creativity can be both fulfilling and financially rewarding for freelance graphic designers. In this blog post, we’ll explore 10 side hustles that can elevate your career, providing a roadmap for success in the world of freelancing.
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Travel Website for Sale | Potential Profit: 5000$/month
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Description: Fully Automated Travel Website – Hotels, Flights, Cars – $200/day Potential
Huge Profit through travel affiliate programs (Flight, Hotel, & Rental Car). Start an online business with this gorgeous, professionally designed, affiliate travel website. It is a powerful travel comparison website that allows users to find the best prices for hotels, flights, and car rentals. This type of website is currently very popular as more people try to save money when booking their next vacation.
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How to Start: You can build a website and online business from scratch or go with a readymade solution provided by Sitefy.
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Investment: 99$ to start the website.
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Skillset & Learning: No skillset required. Basic skills are required that can be learned in a couple of hours.
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Success Rate: Moderate to high, reliant on the monthly traffic to the website.
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Pros & Cons: It takes very little time to start this online business and ROI is the highest among all the businesses mentioned.
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Market Size: Globally, travel and tourism directly contributed approximately 2.9 trillion U.S. dollars to GDP
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Whom to Hire: You can hire developers, designers and marketing experts from different freelancing platforms or you can go with a readymade all-in-one solution.
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Where to Hire: Freelance platforms, specialized tech companies.
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Biggest Source of Marketing: Organic Traffic across the globe.
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- Print-on-Demand Merchandise Designer
- Description: Designing custom merchandise such as T-shirts, mugs, and phone cases for clients.
- Earnings: Potential to make $500 – $5,000 per month, depending on sales.
- How to Start: Create accounts on print-on-demand platforms like Printful or Printify and showcase your designs.
- Investment: Minimal to none; most platforms are free to join.
- Skillset: Graphic design, understanding of print-on-demand technology.
- Learning: Online tutorials, courses, and experimentation.
- Success Rate: Moderate to high, depending on design quality and marketing efforts.
- Pros and Cons: Low initial investment, passive income; competition can be fierce.
- Social Media Content Creator
- Description: Crafting visually engaging content for social media platforms.
- Earnings: $500 – $2,000 per month, varying with client needs.
- How to Start: Build a strong portfolio, promote on social media, and network.
- Investment: Minimal; a good camera and design software.
- Skillset: Graphic design, social media marketing.
- Learning: Online courses, staying updated with social media trends.
- Success Rate: High with consistent content creation and effective marketing.
- Pros and Cons: Flexible hours, broad market; evolving algorithms and competition.
- Infographic Specialist
- Description: Creating informative and visually appealing infographics.
- Earnings: $300 – $1,500 per infographic, depending on complexity.
- How to Start: Build a portfolio, offer services on freelance platforms.
- Investment: Minimal; graphic design software.
- Skillset: Graphic design, data visualization.
- Learning: Online courses, studying successful infographics.
- Success Rate: Moderate; demand is high for quality infographics.
- Pros and Cons: Niche market, high demand; requires strong data interpretation skills.
- Brand Identity Consultant
- Description: Helping businesses establish a strong visual identity.
- Earnings: $1,000 – $5,000 per project.
- How to Start: Develop a strong portfolio, network with small businesses.
- Investment: Minimal; branding and marketing materials.
- Skillset: Graphic design, branding strategy.
- Learning: Courses on branding, case studies of successful brands.
- Success Rate: High with effective branding and marketing.
- Pros and Cons: High-value projects, long-term relationships; requires strong client communication.
- Ebook Cover Designer
- Description: Designing captivating covers for digital books.
- Earnings: $100 – $500 per cover.
- How to Start: Create a portfolio, offer services on freelance platforms.
- Investment: Minimal; design software and stock images.
- Skillset: Graphic design, understanding of book genres.
- Learning: Online courses, studying successful book covers.
- Success Rate: Moderate; demand fluctuates with indie author trends.
- Pros and Cons: Quick projects, diverse clientele; market can be competitive.
- UI/UX Design for Mobile Apps
- Description: Crafting user-friendly interfaces for mobile applications.
- Earnings: $1,000 – $8,000 per project.
- How to Start: Build a strong portfolio, network with app developers.
- Investment: Moderate; software, devices for testing.
- Skillset: Graphic design, user experience (UX) design.
- Learning: UI/UX design courses, studying successful mobile apps.
- Success Rate: High with quality work and positive user feedback.
- Pros and Cons: High-value projects, growing demand; may require collaboration with developers.
- Custom Illustration Services
- Description: Providing personalized illustrations for various purposes.
- Earnings: $300 – $2,000 per illustration.
- How to Start: Create a portfolio, market on social media and art platforms.
- Investment: Minimal; illustration tools and marketing materials.
- Skillset: Graphic design, illustration.
- Learning: Online illustration courses, studying different styles.
- Success Rate: Moderate to high; depends on the uniqueness of your style.
- Pros and Cons: Artistic freedom, diverse projects; competition in the illustration market.
- Freelance Presentation Designer
- Description: Crafting visually stunning presentations for businesses.
- Earnings: $500 – $3,000 per project.
- How to Start: Develop a portfolio, offer services on freelancing platforms.
- Investment: Minimal; design software and templates.
- Skillset: Graphic design, understanding of business presentations.
- Learning: Online courses, analyzing effective presentations.
- Success Rate: High with a professional portfolio and positive client feedback.
- Pros and Cons: Steady demand, diverse clientele; may require quick turnaround times.
- Web Banner Ad Designer
- Description: Creating eye-catching banners for online advertising.
- Earnings: $100 – $500 per banner set.
- How to Start: Build a portfolio, market on freelancing platforms.
- Investment: Minimal; design software.
- Skillset: Graphic design, understanding of online advertising.
- Learning: Online courses, studying effective banner ad campaigns.
- Success Rate: Moderate; demand fluctuates with advertising trends.
- Pros and Cons: Quick projects, potential for repeat business; competition in online advertising.
- Freelance Podcast Cover Art Designer
- Description: Designing visually appealing cover art for podcasts.
- Earnings: $100 – $500 per podcast cover.
- How to Start: Create a portfolio, network with podcasters.
- Investment: Minimal; design software and podcast knowledge.
- Skillset: Graphic design, understanding of podcast themes.
- Learning: Online courses, studying successful podcast cover designs.
- Success Rate: Moderate to high; demand increases with the popularity of podcasts.
- Pros and Cons: Niche market, potential for recurring clients; competition among podcasters.
As a freelance graphic designer, exploring these diverse side hustles can not only enhance your skills but also provide new avenues for income. Tailor your approach based on your interests, skills, and market demand, and remember that success often comes from a combination of creativity, dedication, and strategic networking.
