Let's Begin at the Beginning . . .

. . . Afterall, for me starting my own business from a home office, was a journey . . .

It started in the summer of 1986 when I was unhappily employed at a newspaper then undergoing a grueling buyout. I was in my early 30s and already had a decade or more of work experience under my belt.

I knew I had lots of untapped skills, or transferable skills . . . I could gather, sort, write and edit information at high speeds and with a high-level of accuracy. And I could assist in making a product every day; sometimes more than once a day. Plus, I knew how to drive my work and create a pipeline to keep information flowing and I could network at will. No one survives the news world without being able to pick up a phone and call anyone at any time.

But sitting in a newsroom at 7 a.m. with auditors hovering over my desk while I rewrote the morning paper wasn't what I considered fulfilling, let alone for OK pay. Then there was the issue of advancement. In the corporate world you advance because someone has a use for you, or you're lucky to be recognized. I was doing fine on the job, but I knew this wasn't a place that woudl stretch me. There had to be a better way.

So I quit. I had a book to promote, my first book, and wanted to shoot the moon. Nothing was going to get in the way of finding out how far I could take my dreams. In those days I called myself a freelancer because I lived from project to project to support my "book habit." But, in time, I saw the intrigue of developing a small business where I could build long-term relationships with customers or clients, develop a revenue stream and even hire some subcontractors to help me out.

So, sometime around 1991, with the back up of a PC and fax machine, I became a virtual company entrepreneur and I've been on my own ever since. I think the thing I love the most about working on my own is not dreading Mondays. Not every day is exciting and there have been huge ups and downs over the last 16 years, but I'm rarely bored. I no longer have to sit at my desk "looking busy," or suffer endless meetings. On good days I feel like the world is my oyster to explore and there are no limits except my own energy.

So, I've shared some thoughts with you. Tell me about why you made the leap to the world of virtual work.