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Once you’ve decided to start your own home-based desktop publishing business, it is essential that you decide exactly which services you will provide and identify what your particular niche is going to be. You will no doubt have some competition. How will your services differ? What can you offer that the competition can’t? Why is your business better? These are all things you have to think about before you can really get your business off the ground. You also need to have a general idea of the prices of services offered in your area. You will then use this information to select what services you will offer and identify market niches where your own unique expertise will stand out. Here are a few focus areas that you may want to consider:
Fast service: Since you are a new service and probably have more time than clients right now, providing speedy turnaround may be the best way for you to enter a crowded market. You will have to advertise and market this facet of your business, and most important, you will have to deliver. If you can't, you will quickly acquire a bad reputation that may sooner than later shut your business down.
Graphic design: If your area is saturated with competent desktop publishers who don’t have great design skills, or with great graphic designers who aren’t up to speed on the latest desktop publishing technology, you might find that your niche is a combination of graphic design with skilled desktop publishing.
Internet-related business: If you understand what works on the web and how to create attractive, effective sites, you might want to consider offering yourself as a website design specialist. By doing that, you can offer your services to the entire world. Another benefit of this particular niche is that revising and updating the websites you designed can be ongoing services you offer to clients.
Large-project specialist: If you handle large and complex projects with skill and grace under pressure, offer your services to companies who have trouble handling anything above their normal workflow. While you might be left high and dry when the project is complete, you might also find yourself busy with one large project after another rather than juggling many smaller projects.
Low rates: You want to avoid getting a reputation as a bargain basement service, as this will stick with you for a long time and be very hard to shake. However, consider offering low rates to other DTP services, ad agencies, graphic designers, and other professionals, while maintaining your normal rates for the general public. This allows you to get experience at a professional level, and as your business grows, you can raise those low rates, or phase those clients out completely.
Technical experience: Do you have a thorough understanding of the latest DTP technology? If you are very adept at working with color, scanning complex graphics, incorporating photos, and preparing multimedia presentations, you may wish to offer yourself as an expert to other DTP services as well as to the general public.
Typography and layout: If you have a great eye for the details of type and overall page layout, as well as super grammar, spelling, and proofreading skills, you should definitely consider this your perfect niche. It’s possible that you might even be able to subcontract work from other DTP services or graphic designers who skills are less than yours.
Of course, you aren’t limited to just one of these services. Offer whatever services best fills the need in your area. You can always expand your services as your business grows.
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