Tell us a little about your business.
I am a writer and desktop publisher specializing in business communications

Why did you decide to start your own business?
As a single parent I had to find a way to support my family (two highly active children). My first priority was the needs of my children. I wanted to be home with them and to be available to nurture and give them the mothering they needed while they were growing up. At the same time I wanted my life work to be something that I could be passionate about. So I found a way to use my particular talents and skills in writing, public speaking/teaching and music to develop a business that would allow me to do both.

How did you get started?
The start of my career was something that emerged over the years. I kept taking on jobs and educating myself in areas that would further my progress toward my goals and with each new project I found myself closer to my ideal balance of home and career.

What makes your company unique?
I predicate my work on the premise that I promise what I know I can deliver and then deliver even more than promised.

Were any special skills/training required? Where did you get this training/experience?
My business is one that demands constant improvement of skills -- pushing the envelope -- stepping out of my comfort zone and finding ways to improve and grow. I've learned to see opportunities and to devote all my energies to achieving personal goals. The vast majority of my development has been the result of "on the job" and "pre-prep" self training.

What were the approximate start-up costs?
I can't say. I went into my own business on a shoestring and so the startup costs were spread out over a number of years, adding to my resources as I could afford to. Always a percentage of my earnings were turned back into further advancement and development of my career/business.

Did it require any special purchases (equipment, inventory)?
Yes. My biggest investment has been my computer, software and office equipment...and there are, of course, the on-going investments in education (books, seminars, classes, etc.) and in raw materials

What difficulties did you encounter starting out?
Finding the money to keep up with technology and with my need to constantly improve my skills and expertise has always been a problem because I never had a cushion to fall back on and these financial demands always had to be balanced against my first priority to provide a decent living for my children.

How many hours do you work in a typical week?
Never less than 80 hours a week...and frequently much more.

What are some ways you market your business? What method has worked best for you?
Word of mouth and networking have been my most productive marketing tools. But I've also been successful with media exposure and with activities that were designed to contribute to the community (things like organizing a writer's networking group in my neighborhood). I've learned that visibility is the key to developing my career.

What has been most rewarding about working for yourself?
I can set my own priorities and can stretch my limits because I'm not competing with others or wasting my time in politics and unnecessary game playing. At the end of each day I can look at what I've done and say, "Yes, I did accomplish what I set out to do...I am reaching my goals."

What has been most frustrating?
There are never enough hours in a day.

How do you separate work from home?
I think this is a mistake. For me, success is directly related to how well I integrate my work with my family and home, my spiritual and education.

How do you handle working at home with children?
I have worked with my babies in my lap and with children playing in my "office". Sometimes, I've had to juggle activities so that I could attend to their needs when needed and do more intensive work when they were napping or after they went to bed at night. Other times, I've had to teach them to respect my need to attend to business first...insisting that they learn to be quiet when I'm on the phone and even requiring them to wait until I finished working with a client before I could take them to the park, for example. I always tried to draw them into my work as partners. When I got paid, they were also rewarded for their contribution to my success.

What advice do you have for others starting their own business?
Just do it!! If you want to make a career for yourself that will allow you to earn a living and enjoy your family as well, you can do it. It will be tough at times. And, you may have to learn to postpone immediate gratification. But you can achieve anything you set out to do. The trick is to realize that there are many paths you can take on your way to success. If something you set out to do doesn't quite work out the way you'd hoped, stop and evaluate why, then decide what you can or want to do about it.

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Joan-Marie Moss
mailto:joanmari@inil.com
http://www.inil.com/users/joanmari/jmhome.htm
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