Dec 15 2008
As the Times Change
From inception in 1981 to a second incarnation in 1987 my business remained fairly constant, and was basically the same as the duties I had previously performed as an employee. I wrote or edited, designed and coordinated the production of printed business materials. However, as the 1990s progressed there was a major change taking place in how businesses communicated with their customers and clients.
By 1996 I was using the Internet, and realized that I did not have to be content with serving clients only in the local area. I could, and did, advertise on a freelance Web site, and I created my own Web site. This paid off almost immediately, and I contracted with a medical doctor who had produced a medical software program. He had offices in Los Angeles, California, and in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I am located in Northwest Pennsylvania. Although I never met the doctor, I wrote and edited many “virtual” projects for him, and through the Internet and telephone communicated with him wherever he happened to be.
I had renamed my business Arden Services, which remains its name today, and over the ensuing years have served other clients and associated with vendors around the country. My editorial services had evolved from producing printed materials to hosting and designing Web sites. It is an evolution of my writing projects, but now entails writing, designing and hosting Web sites instead of producing printed materials.
TIP: Do not get stuck in an inflexible business model. If your business falls behind the times keep up with changes by evolving your business. If your competitors change with the times, but you do not, you will find yourself out of business.
