if you can still keep your job then go for it but, if you want to quit your job to pursue your Business then DON’T DO IT. you could lose your home and your credit would be ruined and you might not be able to find a new job.

Baristo,

There are a a lot of challenges associated with the starting a small web design shop - (especially targeting small business!) My experience with design work for small business is that they expect a lot for their money, and they don’t always understand that the time it takes for you to explain something to them and help them understand the web is time that you need to be making money.

The nonprofit industry on the other hand can be quite lively and it is not unusual for large nonprofits to need design work regularly. Doing work for an established nonprofit that has a marketing budget is a completely different story. Of course, to get that kind of work requires a lot of work because you have to prove to them that you can deliver. We respond to RFPs from nonprofits all the time and sometimes it takes 10 - 12 hours just to complete the proposal.

The answer to your question is really yes, there is plenty of need for design despite people using self publishing and templates.

But more importantly, the business can be very tough and you need to be well networked and have processes that work. (Including your business development process!)

For the networking you might want to start at NTEN, the Nonprofit Technology Community

With regard to the processes I would highly highly recommend reading the E-Myth Revisited