It was twenty years ago last summer when I settled in the family house in Southwest Idaho and began producing books for people. I’d like to tell the world (although the world is not listening) that it’s possible to make a good living doing what I do: writing, editing, web content, some design. The secrets to my success in sticking it out since 1988 are also open to the world and are as follows:
- Love it. The more you love your work the easier it is to stick to it and do a good job.
- Do it. It takes a lot of effort to build clientele, to sell services, to set prices and schedules. It’s hard to deal with cranky people or people who learned English in India. Just do it.
- Go steady. One business that can give you enough income for 25 or 30 percent of your living expenses is a big boost. Try to fill up your client base so you don’t receive more than 30% from one client because it’s too much like being an employee except that you can lose your job a lot easier.
- Lean on people. I couldn’t have done what I’ve done without great printers, a wonderful designer (my niece) who has been working with me for about 25 years or so. Luckily, she doesn’t depend on me for a huge chunk of her total income. Clients who give me repeat business (90% of my volume), community supporters who let me participate with them, relatives who invite me over, people at church who share fellowship. It’s okay to lean on people!
- Plan to roll with the punches. Don’t set ironclad “rules” for how you will do business. Study trends. Pay attention to what’s going on. Listen, read, watch, learn. Change your way of working as you identify new ways that work better or pay off sooner.
- Keep learning. Study, read, and collect all the knowledge you can about topics that interest you. Attend meetings, take classes, subscribe to magazines. When you stop loving the process of learning you might as well strap yourself to a wheelchair and vegetate.
That’s all there is, folks! Do your best. If you stumble, offer to make it right. Never pretend you know it all. Smile a lot. And stick to it.
JG
