Work from Home Stories & Tips

  At the request and suggestion of two former co-workers, who had started their own consulting firm, I established an editorial service.  Our last jobs had been with the same firm where I had been in charge of publication production.  They were familiar with my business writing, editing and printing work, and suggested that I could provide those same services to them as an independent contractor.

In 1982, I started this activity with a typewriter, but quickly was asked to perform much of the work on their IBM PC.  This was my first introduction to computers, and over the next several months, I investigated getting my own computer.  Back then, IBM PCs were really expensive.  Home computers had been introduced the year before, and I finally invested in a Texas Instruments TI-99/4A.  See http://www.ardenwebsales.com/general_store/TI-99_4A/Texas-Instruments-TI-99_4A.html for a photo and description of that computer.  This required a major investment because even home computers were expensive back then.  As a side note, I sold this computer, still in working order, in 2006.

TIP: The lesson I learned from this enterprise was that when you start your own business, make it something you already know how to do well.  I had been writing and producing business manuals, brochures, how-to booklets, and other similar printed materials for many years for previous employers.  In some cases it was an adjunct to my job, and in others it was my primary job.  I enjoyed doing that work, too.  So do what you know how to do, whether it is from experience in a previous employment position, or you can even turn a hobby into a business.

In future installments I will discuss how each of these three enterprises worked out for me, and more tips and lessons learned from each.