One of the most lucrative and exciting careers today is that of a web designer. In most cases you don’t even need a college degree. If you like to design graphical interfaces for the web and make those design elements come to life to create stunning websites, a web designer might be the perfect career for you. In terms of job security, statistics say that the career of web designer is one of the most stable and recession proof. Best of all, you can usually work with clients all around the world. With remote access you can be in China and help design a website for someone as faraway as Iceland. But how do your turn your passion for web design into a profitable business?

For one, in today’s day and age starting your own web business is a little bit like starting a band. You need different people to do different jobs. Or if you want to make your company really dynamic you’ll get four or five stellar jack-of-all-trade types who can do everything from design to programming. By starting your own company with multiple designers and programmers, you can take on more clients at once and increase revenue.

If you want to go solo, but don’t know the ropes you can always take a class or two until you are well versed enough to start designing and programming websites. Most of the time you need the necessary programming knowledge so that you can complete all of your client’s needs. Moreover, it important to be knowledgeable in all the new platforms and scripts so that you can design a clean, user-friendly, and intuitive interface that potential clients will love. It might also be wise to learn how to make websites accessible via smartphones and tablets, or learn how to program applications.

Next, you need your own portfolio website. If you have a number of websites you have design and completed under your belt, take screenshots and feature these sites in your portfolio. Then make sure you have a well written ‘about’ section and your contact information so that people can contact you in the case that they might want your company to design their website. If you want to build your portfolio you can always complete a few websites pro-bono – this is also a great way to increase recommendations and get exposure for your talents.

Lastly, you need marketing material like a logo and business cards. One of the best ways to get new clients is to simply attend parties or networking events and hand out your business card. One of the best places to get your marketing materials created is FireBubble.co.uk, because they have a great design sense and fast turnaround. Chances are high that someone out there needs their website redesigned or created. The more people you hand your business card too, the higher your chances of securing a clients – maybe not from them, but perhaps someone they know and can send your way. This step usually takes the most persistence, but you’ll get the hang of it soon enough.