Are you a creative person looking for design business ideas to venture into? Then, you have come to the right place.
A designer is someone who is skillful and knowledgeable in creating a product. He creates tangible and intangible objects, products, processes, graphics, services, etc.
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There are many design business ideas unique to different industries. Starting from the books we read to the garments we wear, creativity can be seen.
Design business is an innovative business area which can be an improvement of a previously designed concept or an entirely new concept. Design jobs can be done remotely or from a physical office. To excel in this business area, your design business idea must not only be in demand but very unique.
In this article, I have highlighted some design business ideas that you can start today as you begin your entrepreneurial journey.
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Design Business Ideas In Nigeria
Graphics Design
Graphics design is the most common of design business ideas that anyone can start in Nigeria. It is the use of visual compositions to communicate ideas and solve problems. It is usually done with typography, colour, symbols, form, imagery, and sketch which form messages. The visual element can be created to inspire, transform, persuade, inform, and other objectives that humans can easily comprehend.
Graphics design involves a high level of creativity and can thrive in as many industries as possible. Graphics designers can create a corporate design (logos and branding), editorial design (magazines, books, newspapers), signage, product packaging, and work in other areas that employ design for visual communication.
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Website Design
Since the advent of the internet, the demand for web designers has remained on the high side. More so, now that building an online presence has become a necessary tool to drive customers’ engagement and increase brand awareness. Therefore, the need for having a website in business cannot be overemphasized.
Website designers design the layout and workflow of the web page. They use their creativity and technical skill to build a functional, aesthetically appealing, and easy to use websites. Most web designers have graphic design skills.
Venturing into a website design business is a good option because it’s a rapidly growing industry with job prospects, future growth, and unending opportunities.
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Video Editing
This is also one of the design business ideas that you can start in Nigeria. Video editing is the process of rearranging video frames to create a new result. It involves the presentation of audio-visual information for film, television shows, adverts, etc. It can also include adding special effects, text, narration, sound in the post-production process.
There are tools and software that can be used for video editing, for example, Lightworks, Avid Media Composer, Hitfilm Express, DaVinci Resolve. To be a professional video editor, you need to learn the skill and be a creative person.
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Jewelry Design
Jewelry design business ideas center on creating jewelry from start to finish. It involves working with beads, metals, gemstones, and diamonds to create wearable pieces of art.
Jewelry designers are usually motivated to share their creativity and style with others. They offer a wide range of products and accessories. Some even specialize in a particular field like wedding bands, brooches, rings, handbags, earrings, necklaces, etc.
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Interior Design
This is one of the thriving design business ideas that require beautifying the interior of homes and offices. It involves coordinating items within a space and making it aesthetically pleasing.
Interior designers can also be called decorators. They can specialize in a particular type of design like kitchen design, lightning solution, living room beautification, event décor, etc. Some interior designers augment their income by selling decorative items e.g flowers, rugs, chairs, mirror, e.t.c.
Unlike other design businesses, interior design business requires stepping out of the home to the client’s location to perform the magic.
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Fashion Design
Fashion design is a common design business idea. It is an art of applying creative designs to clothing and accessories. It involves bringing customer’s descriptions to live taking into consideration size, gender, age, status, etc.
Fashion or clothing designers create designs that can be used by manufacturers to produce items of clothing. First, they conduct research on fashion trends and interpret them on fabrics in a way that will be accepted by the target market.
Fashion designers can design women’s wear, men’s and children’s wear, sportswear, underwear, formal wear, maternity wear, etc.
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Architectural Design
Architectural design business ideas focus on template creation on how a physical building should be structured. It is one of the high in-demand businesses in the world and very profitable. These days, people are willing to hire professionals to design their buildings.
Architecture is a highly skilled field that requires a degree, certification, and experience in the industry. So, if you have the knowledge or interest in it, first, channel your strength to learning the basics or going through the educational route.
Other forms of design businesses you can explore:
- Automotive design
- Industrial design
- Instructional design
- Software design
- Strategic design
- User interface design
- Costume design
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Step By Step Plan On How To Start Design Business In Nigeria
So, you have some of the design business ideas you can start. Going forward, you will learn the step by step guide on how to structure and run your business.
Step 1: Organise Your Ideas
Starting any business will require you to organise your thoughts and structure your idea. This can involve doing thorough research on the market to know the trends and how to fit in.
For instance, it is expected that you determine your area of expertise and figure out how to stand out. Know the industry and find out who your competitors are. Find out the target audience and possible ways to attract them to your business. Asking these questions will give you clarity and keep you grounded.
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Step 2: Develop A Business Plan
A business plan is vital to the success of a business. It is like a road map that outlines where you want to go, and how to get there. It usually states the vision, mission, pricing, product, marketing strategy, financial information, competition, organizational structure, etc. Once you put the plan in place, you can easily recognize your goal and discover if you are deviating from the initial plans.
Having a traditional business plan is a must if you are seeking financial support from banks and investors.
We have a step by step guide that will help you write a business plan yourself. Alternatively, we are your plug if you need a business plan that’s tailored to your environment and the funds you have available.
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Step 3: Plan For Finance
Some of the design business ideas do not require huge capital investment while some do. So, start by listing all you need to start the business. Some of the things you need may include office space, computer, printer, internet access, employee salary, licences, registration, website, marketing, etc.
Next, you have to consider how to fund your business. You can bootstrap or seek funding from family and friends, banks, investors, etc. You can also crowdfund your business or apply for available grants.
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Step 4: Register The Business
For a design business, you can operate as a sole proprietor or a limited liability company (LLC). You can register by visiting the Corporate Affairs Commission website.
Alternatively, if you do not understand how to register on CAC website, outsource the business registration process to firms like ReDahlia. ReDahlia offers business registration services, consulting services and co-working spaces.
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Step 5: Choose Location and Set Up
Your location need will vary depending on the design business you venture into. For a fashion business, you will need a shop where your clients can walk in. Some design businesses can be started from home or from a co-working space. If you decide to work from home, you will need a professional office address for your website and business card. For that, you can subscribe to a virtual office address package with ReDahlia Workspaces.
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Step 6: Brand The Business
Regardless of the design business idea, the competition is stiff. So, to distinguish yourself, you will need to brand your business and position your business for what you want to be known for.
Branding requires visually conveying the message of your company and what you do to the general public. It involves creating a logo and text that will be used alongside all your company message either online or offline.
Your logo, letterheads, business cards, website design, and copy should make a statement. Simply, branding is communicating your company’s value.
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Step 7: Get A Team
Except you are planning to do freelancing where you can single-handedly take on tasks, you need to hire employees and work as a team. In case you do not have the financial strength to hire full-team employees, you can rely on freelancers.
Most importantly, make sure your team understands how the process works and have the full knowledge of the vision and goal of the organisation.
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Step 8: Promote The Business
To grow a business, you need strong marketing and advertising strategy. To make it easy, here are some of the basic steps for business promotion.
Firstly, build a website. Building a website and a presence on social media platforms is one of the must-do in every business. The website should communicate your value proposition clearly. Also, optimise your website for search engines so, when people search for your industry related keywords, your website can come up.
Secondly, build meaningful business relationships and networks. One of the best ways to do this is by joining local business networking groups and attending industry-focused events.
Finally, focus on delivering top-notch service. When you deliver good service, your customers will tell their friends and family about your service. Word of mouth is a very powerful means of advertising. Also, ask for referrals. You can develop a referral package where people get a commission for any successful referral.
Follow the steps listed above and you will be on the path to creating a sustainable and profitable design business.
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