Become an independent graphic designer

A job as a communicator

To be a graphic designer is to do a job of communication.

You must first to convey a message, throughvisual elements, graphics.

All Media are possible: print (paper), object or web (internet).

Any type of visual shapes you may be asked: logo, book model, drawing (animated or not, motion design), graphic identity of a website (web design), writing font, graphic charter, packaging of a brand, etc.

The job is very multidisciplinary. You can be a model designer, graphic designer, motion designer, artistic director (DA), etc.

Your creation may serve a commercial or non-commercial purpose, an advertising campaign, an associative action, a festival, the visual identity of a company, a chain of shops, a baker's craftsman or a luxury brand, etc.

Artist-author: a special status

The professional graphic designer has a particular legal status, that of artist-author.

You are affiliated with the social security for artists and authors.

For all question on your steps, you can contact the contact person below:

Copyright

To be a graphic designer is to create an original work. No one but you can claim responsibility for your achievements.

The fruit of your work is sheltered by the intellectual property code.

This is called copyright on your achievements.

You can to defend that right in front of justice if it is threatened.

Plus, you charge these copyrights to your customers so they can use your creations.

To go further on the intellectual property and copyright, you can view documents and the Inpi website.

What is an independent?

Be a graphic designer self-employed means that you are not linked to a company or person by an employment contract.

We are also talking about self-employed person (TNS).

Test your ability to work independently

You must have consciousness of characteristics specific to self-employment.

Some of these include:

• Autonomy. You have no hierarchical relationship with a boss, you are your "own master", you choose your sponsors, you can refuse certain works. So you have to be organized and responsible.
• Freedom. You decide on your schedules, you choose your place of work and the colleagues with whom you may want to share an office (coworking). So you have to be disciplined and regular.
• Loneliness. Even if you use an accountant for your financial management, even if you work in coworking, you will often be the only one to take the important decisions (work, quotes, contracts, choice of partners and customers, business development and evolution, etc.).

They will be seen as advantages for some, as disadvantages for others.

You must to think upstream whatever suits you or not.

Of testing prepared by CCI: titleContent France can help you define your character traits and skills in relation to an independent business activity.

Chamber of Commerce and Industry's entrepreneurial test "Character traits"

Chamber of Commerce and Industry Entrepreneurial Test "Resources and Skills"

EPA Code

As its name suggests, the APE code designates your "main activity exercised".

It is the Insee who awards it automatically following your declaration of activity.

You receive it directly on your personal space of the site of Company Formalities Window as soon as your declaration is accepted.

In case of cumulative activities, you will have the EPA code of the most remunerative activity, i.e. the one that, per year, brings you the turnover the more important.

The graphic designer's APE code is usually this: 7410 Z. This is the one for design activities.

Siren Number

Only one Siren is given by natural person.

Insee is the one who's doing itautomatically assigns following your activity declaration.

You receive it directly on your personal space of the site of Company Formalities Window as soon as your declaration is accepted.

Siret Number

You'll have as many Siret numbers as you havedeclared business addresses.

As soon as you completed your declaration of activity, you receive automatically your Siret.

You receive it directly on your personal space of the site of Company Formalities Window as soon as your declaration is accepted.

When you carry out different but declared activities at the same address, you will have only 1 Siret.

Cumulation of activities and cumulation of status

In practice, a graphic designer is often brought to accumulate several types of activities.

Who says cumulation of activities, says often cumulation of status, legal forms.

For example, you can combine the following 3 statuses:

• the status of artist-author,
• micro(self)-entrepreneur,
• and sometimes as an employee.

Concerning the cumulation the status of artist-author with that of the micro-company, we invite you to consult our detailed content on the subject.

Who can help you?

At any time you will need ask your questions to someone who is expert in your professional status.

The experts of the social security for artists and authors are there to help you in your steps :

What is an ancillary activity?

The expression ancillary activities is used specifically for certain activities of the artist-authors.

The term applies to activities very close to the main activity from the artist.

So they're supposed to be secondary, whatever it is in terms of remuneration only from time spent.

Examples of such activities include:

• Public meetings and debates related to the artist-author's work
• Workshops, course, lessons learned given in the artist-author's studio or workshop (maximum 5 per year)
• Participation in the design of a work by another artist (maximum 4 per year)

Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement

Avoid working for free

Be careful face customers who do not approach the financing of your services. Avoid them as much as possible.

You can't afford to lose your energy. It must be devoted to the search for real customers who can pay you up to your work and your merit.

Don't be afraid to talk about money. You will appear all the more serious and professional.

All orders must be accompanied by a signed quotation by the customer and yourself, front to start any work.

This quote must include the tariff of your performance.

Your first customers: Bet on word of mouth

You need to pay special attention to your first customers and heal your first orders.

The trust you gain from them will bring you other customers.

Word of mouth inside professional networks remains the best way to create a reputation solid and enduring.

Create your own website or blog

You have to give back your work visible on the internet.

The aim is to highlight the following aspects:

• Your portfolio, your previous achievements in agreement with your customers,
• Your personality graphic
• Your impact in the press and on social networks
• Your projects, your aspirations, your networks

Your content on the internet should inspire confidence conveying a positive image; and professional.

The creation of the site is not enough, it must be properly referenced.

Optimize your SEO

SEO

The natural referencing or SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is about improving aspects techniques (charging speed, mobile phone accounting) and editorial (presence of keywords) of your website.

A good SEO allows you to appear in the first search results of Internet users and thus increase the traffic on your web pages.

Videos

If you have the opportunity to film or film your creations to enhance them, you feed even better the traffic on your pages web.

Know that to tell a story story for show your work, is very popular among Internet users and entrepreneurs, it is called the storystelling.

Communicate on social media

This communication has become indispensable.

She'll ask you to spend some time there.

You need to plan content feeds in such a way weekly, ideally 3 times a week.

You can consult our tips for organize your digital communication.

Creative Fees

It is a question of determining the price of your services, i.e. the cost of your work.

This cost varies depending on 3 main criteria:

• Your experience : graphic designer beginner to confirmed
• The locality : small, medium or large city
• Your status or your company : artist-author, entrepreneur, sole or associate, small or large business

It's a good idea to set your hourly cost or a daily fee.

The prices vary a lot. You'll find tips from other experienced graphic designers.

For a beginner, the hourly cost is between €60 and €90 of the hour.

Assignment of rights of use and exploitation

The goal is for the customer to use your creation.

So you have to give them a right of use, which is called the transfer of exploitation rights.

The exploitation of your work generally consists in its reproduction and distribution for commercial purposes.

You must define the ways you allow this reproduction and this diffusion.

Invoicing copyright to a customer means actually charging the customer the right to use your work.

The use of your work must be defined precisely according to 3 parameters:

• Format : web or print, how many copies if it is a print format, how many variations are envisaged (business card, booklet, banners), how many establishments concerned if it is a commercial brand, etc.
• Duration : for example 1 to 3 months for an advertising campaign, 10 years for the logo of a craftsman
• Territory : local, national or international broadcasting

You must group these elements and formalize them in a assignment of rights contract.

In summary, the contract for the assignment of exploitation rights must mention the following points:

• who owns the rights (you)

• who go use your work
• how
• how many time
• and where.

The contract must be written in a clear and precise.

In the event of a problem (legal action), inaccuracies such as the reference "etc" which would be used for define the rights you are assigningwill be penalizing.

Quote

Before To prepare a quote, you must have defined your fees beforehand, i.e. your hourly cost or your daily package.

At the quote writing, on more important is to set the time that you will take to realize the control. This assessment is done in conjunction with with your customer.

It's about being fair, clear, precise, and agreement with your client.

The quote is the contract that records the working relationship between you and your customer. It's an element of dialog.

Don't be afraid to talk money.

To be valid, the quote must be signed by the 2 parties (you and the customer).

You must not start your creation work before this signed agreement.

Even if it is not an obligation, it is advisable to make a quote.

Mandatory information on your quotes, invoices, contracts, etc.

Plus of the items described in the previous paragraphs (who, how, where, how long, what rate, etc.), you should consider including the following additional items:

• Identification numbers: Siret, and in a useful but optional way your APE code (or NAF code)
• Intra-Community VAT Number or the words: "VAT not applicable, Article 293b of the General Tax Code" if you are exempt from VAT.
• Intellectual property : transfer of exploitation rights clause (you delimit the transferred rights). Give references to the intellectual property code, for example: “Articles L111-1 et seq. defining copyright” and “Article L. 131-3 specifying the indications to be indicated in the exploitation contracts”
  Please also specify whether the assignment is exclusive or notand if so for how long.

• Terms of sale and mention of the Commercial Code: "Articles L 441-3 and L 443-6 of the Commercial Code" with for example the payment period, the penalty in case of late payment, etc.

Do you have a right to social protection?

You are affiliated with the Social security for artists and authors.

A specific branch of the Urssaf handles your case.

You benefit from the same rights employees.

Declare and pay your social security contributions

To be eligible for social protection, you have to declare and pay social security contributions.

For this you must create your personal space on the websiteUrssaf of the artist-author.

Urssaf of the artist-authors

Only income declared and taxed in non-commercial profits (NBC) must be declared to the Urssaf of the author artists. If you have anyother income (commercial or liberals for example), you must to declare to the body concerned (e.g. the Urssaf of the self-employed).

You can contact them if necessary:

Keeping you informed

Graphic designer is a highly evolutionary profession, especially due to the digital technologies that are created, change and improve very quickly.

You must keep informed the following aspects:

• Creative software
• Business changes (e.g. explosion of written communication on phone and social media)
• Graphics Modes

Take continuing education

In a very changing societal and technological context, you must follow continuing training to continually develop skills.

Thanks to the payment of your social security contributions, you are entitled to this training.

So you need to make sure you are up to date with the payment of the contribution to vocational training (MFF).

As a graphic designer, you benefit from training for artists, via a insurance funds, theAfdas: titleContent.

The regional advisers from Afdas you accompany in your efforts:

Afdas explains what the earnings requirements for training. Exceptional aid plans have been put in place following the COVID health crisis.

Hire your first employee

If your business grows, you may one day hire your 1^er employee.

We'll explain in detail how proceed with your first hire.

You will find all the formalities according to the contract type and employees (alternance, temporary, minor, foreigner, etc.).

Change status: Associate yourself

As you grow your business, you may have the opportunity or desire to partner with other graphic designers.

To do this you can create a business.

We'll introduce you to the different types of businesses.

You can also consult our company management case, depending on changes in your professional life.