Desktop Publishing

Key
$  Earnings  Average $45 per hour
.This is an ideal business opportunity for anyone with a good eye for design and you MUST be honest with yourself about this. Almost everyone you meet will think they can design a good looking advert or letter heading, but most wouldn't come up with anything even half decent. That's why the services of a good desktop publisher can be so much in demand.

There are multiple niches. The bread and butter of this business is creation of 'identity materials'  such as business cards, brochures, letterhead and forms. Anybody that needs printed pieces can be your client. Think restaurant menus, tourism brochures,and political tracts.

Despite the fact that many big companies have in-house design teams, smaller companies don't have that luxury. In fact many of them make do with the secretary, who whilst probably excellent at writing letters and taking minutes, probably has no idea how to set out a professional flyer.

Even though all good desktop publishing packages will have templates for almost every conceivable situation, customers will come to you because you can make something different. This is why you will need to allow plenty of time to become familiar with your chosen desktop publishing package.

Setting up costs

The following is a list of equipment that you shouldn't try and scrimp on. The better quality equipment, the better quality work you can carry out.

Qualifications

You won't need any qualifications as such, but a course on using a dtp program would be very useful.

Follow-up


Bibliography:

Becoming a Desktop Publisher: Creating a New Career that Works for You (or, Second Lives Desktop Publishing)
by Bill Harris, Charles L. Sodikoff

Pricing Guide for Desktop Services
by Robert C. Brenner http://brennerbooks.com

Webliography:
http://desktoppub.about.com/cs/startabusiness/

© BizShop/Steve Veltkamp, 2008
Please let us know at bizshop@bizshop.com if you find any errors, or have any suggestions or comments.

Your level of success in attaining the results in our materials depends on the time you devote to the program, ideas and techniques mentioned, your finances, knowledge, market conditions and various skills. Since these factors differ according to individuals, we cannot guarantee your success or income level. nor are we responsible for any of your actions. Any and all forward looking statements here or on any of our material are intended to express our opinion of earnings potential. Many factors will be important in determining your actual results and no guarantees are made that you will achieve results similar to ours or anybody elses, in fact no guarantees are made that you will achieve any results from our ideas and techniques in our material.

The author and publisher disclaim any warranties (express or implied), merchantability, or fitness for any particular purpose. The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct, indirect, punitive, special, incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material, which is provided "as is", and without warranties.

As always, the advice of a competent legal, tax, accounting or other professional should be sought.

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Low startup
Computer based
High Power Computer Power Computer Needed
High earning
Degree, license or certification required		 Moonlighting or part time suitable
Home base OK
Fun to run
Passive - make money while aslee Passive - make money asleep
Steady earners
 Bright future (taking advantage of trends)
High creative requirement
High physical requirement
High skill requirement
BizShop Manual on CD available