Case Study: How I Scaled a Solo Design Business to $150k a Year

This case study walks through the practical decisions that helped me scale a solo design business from $30k to $150k annual revenue. I cover positioning, pricing experiments, productizing services, and the first two hires that multiplied my capacity without destroying margins.

Starting point and challenges

Year one was a grind: low rates, inconsistent clients, and long hours. My goals were clear: increase average project value, reduce time-on-task for repeatable work, and build recurring revenue.

Step 1: Niching and positioning

I narrowed from generalist UI/visual design to conversion-focused landing pages for SaaS startups. This shift made proposals laser-focused and helped me target clients who valued measurable KPIs (conversion lift, trial sign-ups).

Step 2: Productize the offering

Instead of quoting hours, I created three packages: Audit & Quick Fix, Conversion Landing (design + copy), and Growth Retainer. Each package had clear deliverables, timelines, and outcomes. Product pricing simplified sales conversations and made the value easier to justify.

Step 3: Improve delivery efficiency

I documented workflows, built reusable component libraries in Figma, and created a template-based design system for speedy iteration. These efficiencies cut delivery time by ~30% without reducing quality.

Step 4: Raise prices and test

After three months of delivering the new packages, I increased prices by 25% for inbound leads and tracked conversion. Some clients said no, but the quality of engagements improved and the average project size grew. I used the lost deals to refine targeting.

Step 5: Move clients to retainers

I designed a retainer offering for iterative optimization (A/B tests, design tweaks). Retainers stabilized cash flow and allowed long-term metrics tracking. Aim for at least 30% of revenue from retainers for predictability.

Step 6: Hire carefully

First hire: a project manager (part-time) to handle client communication and scheduling. This freed me for high-impact work. Second hire: a junior designer to execute visual iterations. Both hires improved throughput and allowed me to focus on strategy and business development.

Key metrics and outcomes

• Average project value increased from $1,100 to $4,200.
• Billable hours per week stabilized at 28 hours; non-billable time reduced sharply.
• Retainers accounted for 35% of revenue.
• Total annual revenue: $150k within 18 months.

Lessons learned

• Specialization pays — being a conversion-focused designer made sales easier.
• Systematize delivery — templates and standard processes scale without quality loss.
• Value signals matter — case studies with clear metrics justify higher prices.
• Outsource non-core work — project management and execution are great first hires.

“Scaling solo is about multiplying your leverage, not just your time.”

Actionable plan you can copy

1. Choose a niche and identify three measurable outcomes your service delivers.
2. Build three productized packages and test pricing on five clients.
3. Create a retainer product and aim for 25–35% of revenue from recurring fees.
4. Hire for one task that takes the most time but doesn’t require your unique skillset.

Final thoughts

Scaling is about consistent small changes: better positioning, defensible pricing, productized offers, and smart hiring. If you follow a systematic approach and focus on measurable client outcomes, reaching $150k as a small team is achievable without burning out.