Freelance desktop publisher

Small businesses, non-profits, schools, real estate agents, authors and local organizations that need polished documents but have no in-house designer.

Fixed price per project or an hourly rate, with extra charges for revisions, file formatting and rush jobs. Repeat clients with regular newsletters or reports give steadier income.

• Layout software such as InDesign, Affinity Publisher or Canva
• Good eye for typography and spacing
• Careful proofreading and attention to detail
• Clear communication and quoting

• Check with your municipality whether you need a home-based business licence
• Register as a sole proprietor with your province and check when you must register for GST/HST
• Software subscriptions and fonts have licence terms, so check you can use them commercially
• Check you have the rights to any images and fonts you use for clients
• Use a written quote that limits the number of revision rounds
• Consider professional liability insurance in case of costly printing errors

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $500 to $3,000, depending on your computer, software subscriptions and fonts. Check the licence terms of your software and fonts to make sure you can use them commercially for clients.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $500 to $4,000, depending on your clients, pricing and workload. The estimates assume at least about 8 hours a week. Use a written quote that limits revision rounds to protect your time.

Check with your municipality about a home-based business licence, and how to register as a sole proprietor in your province. Check when to register for GST/HST, that you have rights to images and fonts used for clients, and consider professional liability insurance.