Everyone has a passion for something. And there are those among
you who, when reading a letter, a book, an advertisement, or a
website, can find spelling and grammatical errors without even
thinking twice. You were born with a gift, and believe it or
not, this gift/passion can be used to earn cash. If you’ve spent
any time on the Internet, you know more and more Web pages come
online everyday. And you’ve seen that those pages hold a great
number of errors that practically scream for a proofreader’s
attention. Bruce Noeske decided to make use of his talent for
proofing and editing websites, and figured out a way to make
money as a result. I was able to ask Bruce how he got started
and if this was a business others could start. Wait till you
hear what he had to say!
Liz: How will a person know if they’d be good at editing and
proofing websites?
Bruce: Anybody who spots errors in writing everywhere they look
would be a good match for this career. People who are known as
the official or unofficial proofreader of others’ writing at
work, school, or home would enjoy editing and proofreading
websites. Those who search the newspaper for typos are a natural
for this position. And I’m sure many people have come across
websites that just hurt their eyes, and wondered if anything
could be done about it. For some people, editing and
proofreading come naturally. For others it’s a challenge. But if
you get a real kick out of finding the errors that others miss,
you’ll love being a website editor!
Liz: Do you need an English degree, or any certifications for
that matter, to start this business?
Bruce: Absolutely not! You need a good grasp of the English
language, but that can be learned without a degree. For many,
it’s a gift. My own degree is in Human Resources Management,
quite a far cry from English or Journalism. In my eBook, I
suggest a few ways to obtain proofreading and editing experience
and to get some kind of certification. It’s nice to be able to
present some credentials to prospective clients, but not an
absolute necessity. The only certification that’s really
required is a “certification of motivation.”
Liz: How much does it cost to get a business like this started?
Can it be started for under $100?
Bruce: One could easily launch their own home-based website
editing and proofreading business for under $100, as long as we
make a few assumptions. The first and most obvious needs would
be a computer with an Internet connection. As long as you can
surf the Web, you can edit the Web. If we start calculating at
that point, then yes, startup costs can be below $100.
A few good reference books such as a dictionary and style manual
are required. Besides those, you’ll need a box of red pens,
highlighters, and plenty of paper if you choose to print and
mark up errors on paper. Of course, those last items are not
necessary if you decide to do all the editing in your word
processor. Both capabilities are discussed in the eBook.
Setting up your own Web page is a good idea, and that’s where
you might start running up some costs (not necessarily though,
and the eBook talks about that topic too). But bottom line? When
I started my business, I already had a computer, Internet
connection, and some dictionaries. So my cash outlay was in the
neighborhood of, well, zero dollars.
Liz: Is it possible to make a full-time income from this
business? If so, wo uld it be something that could happen
overnight?
Bruce: Full-time income? Yes. Overnight? No. A good editor can
make a very good income. To turn this job into a real
moneymaker, you need to do a LOT of marketing and that takes
time, some studying, a bit of trial-and-error, and a lot of
motivation. But with millions of error-laden websites out there
in cyberspace, there are plenty of opportunities for the serious
website editor to find business.
Liz: How did you decide this was a good business to make money
at?
Bruce: Since I first began exploring the Internet in the
mid-1990s, I’ve watched in astonishment as more and more
businesses established their Web presence without regard to the
less-than-professional image they were presenting to the world.
I believe that’s because many small- to medium-sized businesses
see the Internet as a way to advertise, but they don ’t have the
expertise to do their own editing. I saw the opportunity to
offer them my services as a freelance editor, and my business
took off from there. The Internet is still growing at a
phenomenal rate, and I just can’t keep up with all the potential
business out there. I’m only half-kidding because realistically,
there just aren’t that many website editors, so I don ’t have
much competition. Until people pick up my eBook and start their
own businesses, that is… But there’s plenty of room for all of
us in this market!
Liz: What’s the biggest challenge in running this business?
Bruce: Establishing a niche! Liz, you always emphasize finding
your niche, and I’m in complete agreement! If a home-business
owner really wants to succeed, they have to define their own
niche; really focus it down. When I first started out, I
targeted any and all websites. No niche there; it was way too
broad. Not surprisingly, I didn’t get very much business either.
I tightened my target market down slightly and did a little
better, but I was still too unfocused. It wasn’t until I found a
way to market my talents to a very specific group of website
owners that I became recognized as somewhat of an expert and my
business became successful. In my eBook in the chapter titled
“My Most Effective Marketing Technique,” I describe ways the
prospective website editor can go about defining their niche to
really get the business going.
The best thing about operating within a niche is that all it
takes is one satisfied customer to get the ball rolling. One
success will lead to another, and so on until it really begins
to snowball. You’ve heard the expression, “Success breeds
success.” Well, it’s really true. My own business is now at the
point where I have as much work as I can handle, and can get
more anytime I want just by continuing down my list of targeted
websites!
Liz: Any last words?
Bruce: I want to remind everyone that Bizymoms.com offers a
Proofreading chat every Monday evening at 7pm EST. All are
welcome to come in and discuss this fascinating business. We
talk about both website and regular, manuscript-based,
proofreading and editing. We also welcome questions and comments
on the Freelance Proofreading message board under Biz Ideas on
Bizymoms.
For more information on how you can make money proofing websites
you can purchase Bruce’s ebook, “Bizy’s Guide To Website Editing
and Proofreading” at: http://www.bizymoms.com/main/?10000!0106
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