what you need to DO is just that.. DO..

i was working a dead-end call centre job after relocating to the East Coast from the Cape in 2000.. this after i was doing BTL work for Saatchi & Saatchi, JWT and the big O.. so i decided to JUST DO IT.. i spoke to a few people and they spoke to a few people and i make sure i do with busines cards what young black men do with condoms..

next thing a supervisor at the call centre left to start a training consultancy.. BAM.. client #1... a resource planner at the call centre's wife started an events company.. client #2.. a serious money-making, technicon-trained graphic designer friend can't design websites.. client #3..

and now i have a string of SME clients that net me between R30 000 & R40 000 per month...

i'm employing a receptionist/admin person and my first member of creative staff next month..

not sure where u find yourself, but I'm in Durban and that's how I did it..

What has race got to do with all this? Can't South Africans address issues without adding race in the picture....SHAME ON US!

I gave 10 good years to one of S.A's bigger production companies and I realised that what I was doing for them I could do for myself, and on my own terms. I found a like minded partner who had fantastic business acumen, 'cos believe you me, you need to know HOW to run a business. You don't want to end up down that terrible SAR's road many upstarts find themselves travelling on. In terms of finding clients, just talk to people, you'll be amazed how many of them are not as tied to their agencies as you think, or you'll find people willing to give their smaller project to a smaller company. If your current clients think highly of you, they will refer you.In the 3 years we've been operating our company, we've found that word of mouth does you the world of good and don't be afraid to diversify. Don't think you HAVE TO stick to one thing, being flexible has made a great difference to our bottom line. Oh and one more thing...you need to have the stomach for going it alone, not everyone is cut out to captain a ship and if you are, then you'll have to be brave.Good luck.

YIP, LISTEN TO THE NIKE PRO...

I've worked for some of the bigger ad agencies in South Africa and a few web companies as well, worked in London, Saudi Arabia and Cairo too. Just finally took the plunge a few months ago and though I'm surviving now I'm still struggling alot 3 months into my solo Act.

I find the biggest issue is now showing my credibility as an independent. Most of the bigger money spenders prefer working with companies and don't trust independents.

Any advice?

Me and my friend took a huge plunge by entering the Vuka's 2006 and did a kool job for POWA.I was doing some work while my Director friend was doing his 3RD year in TV Studies.We managed to conceptualize,write the script,shoot and edit a 30 Sec Ad that won us two awards for best editing and original soundtrack in the newcomers category.(Check vukamultichoice.co.za for a PSA called "The Champ" 2006 winners.Now we run a boutique creative agency that has a productions arm.

Like i said this was all done by having the guts to go and just do it.Its not all rosy,we are still pushing hard for some stuff to happen.

Hope u r inspired.And if u r looking 4 a creative young team for some work,ring us.

I left my job at the beginning of this year and after a few months flipping between ideas and options, I decided to just go out on my own and start a design and illustration business.
I still have a long way to go, but 7 months in, I'm spending more time with my family, going to the gym, enjoying a more active social life, and earning more than I ever did before. And I'm doing things on my terms, to my standards and ethics.
To echo what others have said, word of mouth is the single best marketing tool you can have. Clients have tried me out with small projects and landed up giving me bigger ones - just give them great work and great service.

Good luck! If you have enough passion to succeed, a good business brain (or one that knows to get good advice), you can be successful.

This thread caugth my eye as I fall into this category as of a week ago. My, my, it's a different world but at least one has a degree of control over one's stress. I now know the difference between positive and negative stress.

All in all the posts i have read so far are by and large positive and encouraging. There's difficulties to be had in any situation/environment which are not unique to this industry.

Don't loose heart If you were good enough to be hired by corporates full time, why not now? and yes, we will have doors closed in our faces, but there are many more that will open - all in good time.

... when you break free from being someone's employee, you are no longer a designer / writer / whatever - you become a business owner. You have to handle finance, sales, marketing, admin, possibly HR, etc. etc. - not just the specific skills you were doing before. It's not for sissies. A great book is Michael Gerber's 'The E-Myth Revisited' - I'd encourage all wannabe entrepreneurs to read it before taking the plunge. Then if you still want to go for it, pay attention to all the wise words above. It's tough, but persistence, hard work and networking/collaboration really pay off and the rewards (not just financial!) can be incredible. Good luck!

I'm 30 and have 11 yrs experience in the Optical industry. I started studying branding and marketing last year and have just opened my own business doing branding, marketing and advertising for the Optical Industry. I have just started, have no clients yet, but have faith in myself that no one will or can do this job better than I can. To all new business owners on this page, good luck and just have faith.

I worked as a designer for a broadcasting company for over 3 years but one day decided to take a plunge of freedom when it occured to me that I was still a contract worker despite my good and hard work. I left in March last year to start my own thing but although I'm still the only full-time employee, I work on bigger accounts, more flexibly and with less boundaries. But although it just happened that I got myself big clients through word of mouth and being a 'nice' girl, it's pretty much the diligent long hours, INTEGRITY, credibility and creativity that has won me most of the clients that I have. So my advice: it will just happen as long as you are creative and don't lie to your start-up clients about your broken car, blaming Eskom for late deliveries etc. MEET DEADLINES. You only need to disappoint a client once and that's it, you might even get used to being a tongue-twister.

1st are you creative & do you have the funds? can you design a logo? if yes you need to register your company and start marketing it especailly with small companies then you will grow like that, I mean doing jobs like, company logos, Business Cards, Letterheads & stuff.

I'm quite encouraged at the positive feelings of the above comments though. I currently contract at some of the major advertising agencies, but 6 months ago decided to focus on building my own business and clients. I've jumped into the not so deep, but not too shallow end, keeping my day job and working after hours and weekends.

As Jo (earlier comment) says, you become a business owner and your quality of work and meeting deadlines is of paramount importance. Frustratingly it IS word of mouth that will work for you in the beginning, along with business cards and emailing your contacts address book! To get and stay inspired, I also really recommend reading "How to get Rich" by Felix Dennis who started his own publishing company a few years ago. Good luck!

I was a Sales Manager for an I.T company, and just decided that I was working for someone else's kingdom, and that i was also not happy because i wasn't forfilling my life's dream and purpose...
And so here i am in my second year of graphic design degree, and am absolutely loving it. I have also registered my business and do some work part time. It has all been word of mouth and through people i know.
So I know and believe that anything is possible if you put your heart and soul into it.
And for all the new starters out there, you are not alone.