PROFILE: Jon Reed is Mr. Virtual Business

If ever I could conjure up an image of the virtual company business owner as maverick, it's Jon Reed. We met long ago on May 7, 2002 at the very first meeting I staged for Hidden-Tech, the organization I founded for virtual companies in Western Massachusetts and beyond.

Jon sought me out and impressed me with his quiet determination. If 1,500 people enjoy Hidden-Tech's network today it's because Jon, for all his anti-establishment ways, is one of the kindest, most decent guys around. He's also a Hampshire College graduate, which says it all if you know the place.

He describes his entrepreneurial career as "up and down and up again" since the early 1990s. He currently runs his own publishing and consulting company and says he is "sick enough to consider writing books a "hobby." Free from Corporate America is Jon's third book.

His second book, Resumes from Hell, has its own web site which includes sample chapters. Jon's first book, The SAP Consultant Handbook, is a career manual for SAP software professionals. By the way, Jon is currently the Vice President of SAPtips (SAPtips is a subscription-based publication for companies that have implemented SAP software).

Jon is still on the board of Hidden-Tech becuase he has "a passion for helping people to develop a more entrepreneurial approach to their careers." He believes that the "corporate contract" has been broken, and that it's time for people to regain economic control of their lives. Free from Corporate America shares some of Jon's favorite tactics and business philosophies. Those who want to delve even deeper into Jon's obsessions (and read a bit of no-b.s. music journalism) are invited to check out jonreed.net, Jon Reed's "essays, rants, and more" web site.

Jon used to have very short hair. Then he had very long hair and now has short hair again, which may be a commentary on his career. He notes that "this is very important to some people and not very important to others."

He that what matters in business (and in life) "is not how you look, but whether you are truly committed to excellence. Those who don't like how Jon looks don't do business with me. "

Jon continues to prosper, though sometimes it feels more like perseverance than prosperity.