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A Little Credibility: Home-Based Businesses I Have Run

Since I’m going to give you a lot of advice regarding business, it’s only fair that you know my credentials, so I’ll lay them out for you right here in the beginning.

I currently work for myself, from my home, doing real work. My home-based business is a professional writing and small-business consulting service. Companies from all over the world hire me to do all kinds of writing and marketing projects for them: brochures, sales proposals, websites, press releases, etc. I developed this business from the ground up. Last year, from my basement office, I earned in the low six figures.

I’d like to stress that I have no special training or college degree — I’m simply someone who writes well. The difference between me and many other people who write well is that I know how to turn my skill into a business.

Before my writing business, I ran another successful computer-based business from my home — freelance programming. I also successfully sold a product from my home, and in the 1990s, I ran two advertising/direct mail businesses where I serviced the local area. These two advertising businesses I eventually failed in, which is important in the big scheme of things.

So I’ve had experience in almost all aspects of a home-based business — I’ve run a business where I was based at home, but serviced the local area; I’ve made a product in my home and sold it; and I currently work from home on my computer, servicing the entire world via the Internet. I started with nothing, and have experienced both failure and success.

Here are more detailed descriptions of my entrepreneurial experiences (for those who are interested).

1992–1994: Intriguing Ideas

My first home-based business was an advertising/marketing business that I started when I was in my early 20s. It was named Intriguing Ideas. I quit a good job and dove in full time. Mainly I created and sold my own direct mail coupons door-to-door to local businesses (essentially, I competed with Money Mailer™ and Valpak™). I also did some advertising/marketing consulting work for local businesses (many that were home based). I was pretty good at this part — I made a lot of other businesses money. I’ve always been good at that. Too bad I made some big mistakes in my own business. I eventually went broke and had to get a job again (and again, and again — I tend to get fired a lot). Throughout this book, I talk about this first business often, and tell you about the mistakes I made so you don’t repeat them. If I knew then what I know now, that business would have made it.

1995–1996: Night Owl Marketing

A bit later, I sold ads and built websites for local businesses for a very young World Wide Web, and I also did computer repair work. I made a few more mistakes, and the Internet was still too young to make a real living selling ads on it. While I was a little more successful here than my first time around, I still could not quite make a living, and had to go back to a job (and we know how that ended).

2001–2004: Night Owl e-Ventures

After being fired again (gee, there’s a surprise), I used my computer skills and started a home-computer programming business utilizing a specific type of software I was proficient in. Finally, I had learned the right things to do, and this home-based business turned out to be a success. For a few years, I made a nice living working out of my house (about $40k to $60k per year). However, there was a small flaw — the specific software that I was proficient in was being phased out by the company that made it — which would make me obsolete. I knew I had to do something else.

2004: Favorite Clubs (Under Night Owl e-Ventures)

Branching out from computer-related work, I then decided to try my hand at selling a product. I made golf clubs in my garage and sold them online. I did well, but my garage was really too small for this type of operation — inventory became a real problem. I pulled the plug rather than address that issue, but I have no doubt I could have made a decent living doing this, as I had become very proficient at marketing a business both online and off.

2004–Present: Night Owl e-Ventures Inc. (“Inc.” Added in 2004)

So in the wake of not wanting to make golf clubs in my small garage, I finally followed my heart and decided to start a writing business. I love to write and had been told I was a good writer all my life. In addition, in every job I ever had, this skill was recognized and I was asked to write. I’d write marketing literature, newsletters, sales pieces, press releases — you name it. So I figured since I’d been unofficially doing business writing for years, I might as well try to get paid for it. Writing turned out to be right for me, and so business has succeeded. Now I write full time, and I couldn’t be happier.

In addition to these businesses, I have provided consulting services to small and home-based businesses for years. I’ve also sold advertising to small and home-based businesses, helped them grow by devising marketing strategies, and generally been involved in making all kinds of businesses succeed for the past 20 years.

I never set out to be Donald Trump (I have better hair). Nor do I want to make tens of millions of dollars or run a huge company. All I want is to make a nice, quiet, anonymous living from the comfort of my home. I want to do work that pleases me, and I want to be paid well for it. I also want the time and freedom to enjoy my life.

I’m doing what millions of people dream of doing — working for myself at home and making a nice full-time living.

I’m doing that right now, and I can help you do it too.