Side Business
- Started
- Last post
- 15 Responses
- vitamins
Who here has a side business as a extra source of income aside from freelancing? This is a serious question, so try refraining on the ridiculing.
- baseline_shift0
I know a girl who freelances (her dad owns a printing press, so she gets tons of work sent her way... lucky bitch.) and works as a waitress.
She does pretty well.
- scarabin0
i think a ton of designers do apparel like tees and such.
i'm working on an accessory line at the moment
- showpony0
i run a second business. it's a ton of work. what would you like to know? hehe.
- blaw0
- GeorgesII0
I sell apparel,
making computer bags now- Linky? I'm looking for a 17"er bag...fyoucher1
- there's badfabric.com but thats the 2007 collection, so far I only done 10" netbook bags,GeorgesII
- do you work with leather?scarabin
- Fuzziest0
I work full time for a large technology company, and run http://www.fuzzy-ink.com as a side business.
In additional to other freelance.
- hiatus0
i'm on the same boat, need a side business.
was thinking of screen prints but don't think it would sell....then I thought a car decal biz.
I would like to do the Tshirt prints but there adime a dozen.
- vitamins0
For those running apparel sites, how are you finding customers/traffic? How much income are you generating from it? I know, it's too personal but i'm too curious.
- mistermik0
cant you just do more work?
- showpony0
sorry to be cryptic here, but i'm very close to a big launch, so i kind of need to play it close to the chest for the time being ;)
that being said, i have a few thoughts. not to say that apparel/sticker/prints couldn't work, but my gut is that they're a little too done. what i realized is that graphic design is usually a means to someone else's end. we, as designers, can use our understanding of design, branding, positioning, culture etc., to develop almost anything, not just graphic design related goods (not that there's anything wrong with that).
i see so many companies who are good companies, but refuse to take proper business and design advice, and as a result, they struggle. i think there are a lot of possibilities around this thinking... i have a few projects in mind around this mindset.
for what it's worth, i work between 45-65 as an art director, and then about 10-20 on this side business. once i'm past this initial phase, i'm thinking that it's going to be about a 10 hour/week endevour, but we'll see.
vitamins, did you have anything specific in mind?
- dyspl0
I have a side business (co own a speed flying brand).
As showpony said, "graphic design is usually a means to someone else's end".
I'm very happy to be a part of proper brand, it involves a lot of freedoom (responsibilities/decisions/way of working) + it's far from the design industry and I find that point particulary refreshing.
Hopefully this will be my full time job next year or maybe the year after.
- Amicus0
I'm thinking about a retail tech business selling new and recently superseded tech. I may have access to some very cheap top name brand gear including Apple, Sony, HTC, Canon etc.... computers, phones and cameras mainly. I'm still checking the viability of the source but it is looking extremely good at this stage.
If anyone is interested (esp. Australians) give me a call.
- ukit0
^ showpony, you stated perfectly what I've been thinking lately. How many times have we all had a client who might have a decent idea and some cash, but who fails because they don't understand framing or marketing their product correctly?
So why not ditch the client and just build something yourself? The tools are there now for anyone who wants to learn.
- palmer_0
I've been thinking about starting a toy company and for a long time talking with friends about a restaurant that just sells meatballs.
- Toys you can actually have fun with... ( not vinyl figures )palmer_
- Not sex toys. Like yo-yos and wooden planes...palmer_
- ahahah dildos and meatballs!! great mix!!!dyspl
- Go on...duckofrubber