Small Business Ideas for Designers 2024

Creative professionals who are thinking about starting a small business in 2024 have seemingly endless options. In this article, we'll take a look at 15 potential entrepreneurial ideas relevant to designers in 2024 that can help you turn your skills into a profitable business.

1.Social Media Branding for Influencers

Position your small business as a guide that influencers can turn to when they need to establish a brand identity. Provide a consistent and eye-catching design that bloggers can use in their thumbnails, stories, posts, and ads. 

Difficulty:⭐⭐
Income: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Entry Threshold: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

2.Graphic Design for Small Businesses

Become a B2B service that helps other business owners create a visual identity — from website design to custom illustrations — and translate their mission and values into powerful visuals. 

Difficulty:⭐⭐⭐
Income: ⭐⭐⭐
Entry Threshold: ⭐⭐⭐

3.Social Media Graphics 

Work with your favorite brand, company, or platform to create graphics for their ad campaigns, news and blog posts, mailings, business presentations, and even meetings.

Difficulty:⭐⭐⭐
Income: ⭐⭐⭐
Entry Threshold: ⭐⭐⭐

4.Online Art Gallery 

If you have a rich collection of finished works that you think should see the light of day, create a digital gallery to showcase and sell your art, take commissions, promote your brand, and receive donations. 

Difficulty:⭐⭐⭐
Income: ⭐⭐
Entry Threshold: ⭐⭐

For example check this:

5.Website and Logo Design

If you can easily capture the essence of a company's identity and establish its online presence, start a B2B service that creates visually appealing and functional websites for small businesses. 

Difficulty:⭐⭐⭐⭐
Income: ⭐⭐⭐
Entry Threshold: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

6.Product Packaging Design

Become a small business that specializes in creating custom packaging for products: from electronics, furniture and clothing to food and beverages, every product needs a relevant and trendy cover that reflects its essence and benefits.

Difficulty:⭐⭐⭐
Income: ⭐⭐⭐
Entry Threshold: ⭐⭐⭐

7.Product Label Design

Work with large corporations and small manufacturers to create labels for their merchandise, special editions, apparel, and other branded products. Your design can be the one that effectively communicates product information and appeals to the target audience.

Difficulty:⭐⭐⭐
Income: ⭐⭐⭐
Entry Threshold: ⭐⭐⭐

8.Board Game Design

Work with creative board game makers if you're dedicated to creating character prototypes and coming up with designs for boards, instructions, and even markers for the games. 

Difficulty:⭐⭐⭐⭐
Income: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Entry Threshold: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

9.Visual Novels

If you're a designer with a passion about storytelling, your small business can specialize in the "visual" part of creating visual novels.

Difficulty:⭐⭐⭐⭐
Income: ⭐⭐⭐
Entry Threshold: ⭐⭐⭐

10.Menu Design 

Offer your services to restaurants, coffee shops and cafes to create visually appealing menus and promotional flyers. Accurate and thoughtful menu design made by your company will not only present food and beverages to customers, but also reflect the ambiance of the establishment.

Difficulty:⭐⭐⭐
Income: ⭐⭐⭐
Entry Threshold: ⭐⭐

11.Book Cover Design for Authors

Provide writers and publishers with original, striking book cover designs that stand out on bookstore shelves and online platforms. You can offer your services to create custom designs for any published material such as magazines, journals, maps, or newspapers.

Difficulty:⭐⭐⭐⭐
Income: ⭐⭐⭐
Entry Threshold: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

12. Stationery for Productivity 

The stationery niche for productivity and well-being needs a fresh vision in 2024. Your small business can design planners, notebooks, journals, to-do lists, and themed stationery and desk pads.

Difficulty:⭐⭐⭐
Income: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Entry Threshold: ⭐⭐⭐

13. Coloring Books 

Another niche your startup can take is creating themed coloring books for relaxation and mindfulness. It's up to you whether the product is for adults or children, digital or printed, minimalist or rich in detail.

Difficulty:⭐⭐⭐
Income: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Entry Threshold: ⭐⭐⭐

14. Motion Design

Online course entrepreneurs, animators, and YouTube bloggers can turn to your small business for quality motion animation that fits their style, target audience, and overall content. 

Difficulty:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Income: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Entry Threshold: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

15. Product Catalogs 

Retailers rely on concise, aesthetically pleasing catalogs to guide shoppers through their inventory. Design physical or digital catalogs and marketplace product cards that are accurate and enticing.

Difficulty:⭐⭐⭐
Income: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Entry Threshold: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

16. Poster Design

Create memorable and professional posters, advertisements, flyers or branded merchandise for events. Work with local organizations and make a lasting impression on their prospects.

Difficulty:⭐⭐
Income: ⭐⭐⭐
Entry Threshold: ⭐⭐⭐

By staying on top of current trends, honing your skills, and staying true to your unique creative vision, you can build a thriving small business that makes a lasting impact on the design world. We hope these 15 small business ideas for designers will inspire you to make your creative dreams come true in 2024.