Key principles for starting a graphic design business

[Koiyuki]

I've been thinking for a good while about starting a small business selling some of my graphic design products, and right now I'm in a class teaching the basics of business so I can cover myself on the operations end of things. I've always wondered what steps should be taken before putting a design out. Is it better to design your own lettering, use public domain/less copyright restricted fonts or just buy fonts straight out? What about some of the other issues involved, like taking designs from the computer to physical media?  

[Minthalas]

I would strongly recommend you take some graphic communications courses. In the professional world, you'll want to refer to 'fonts' as typefaces. And the best designers will really only need to use two typefaces: Helvetica and Arial. Nothing is stopping you from using other typefaces, it's just important for you to remember legibility.  

[godoftherain]

Unfortunately, if you can't and don't know these answers already, you are not ready to call yourself a graphic designer, nor are you ready "sell your own products."

There are many levels to graphic communication, including textual, cultural, semantic/semiotic, visual composition, marketing, sales, human factors, typography, production and prepress.

before you consider selling your wares, you might want to know a bit about the field you're competing in. And it's very, very competitive.