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Business license
Business checking account
Business email
Business cards
Business phone or a professional message on your personal phone The equipment and software you should have includes: Computer (preferably a laptop)
Access to the needed reference materials (e.g., style manuals, dictionaries, usage guides), either in book format or on-line
Microsoft Word or Open Office Writer
PDF reader and/or editor
Colored pencils for marking hard copy and a good pencil sharpener
Simple accounting program to create and track invoices Finally, and most importantly, you should ask yourself some questions and answer honestly. Some of these questions include: Do you enjoy paying attention to the small details?
Do you like to work independently?
Can you stay focused for hours, with only occasional breaks and very little interaction with others?
Do you have an aptitude for catching errors in punctuation, spelling, grammar, etc.? (This can be learned, but a prior aptitude is helpful.)
Do you enjoy reading? (Although proofreading differs greatly from reading for pleasure, not many people who don't like reading will like proofreading.)
Are you willing to take a course to learn how to be a professional proofreader?
Are you willing to volunteer to proofread some projects for free, to get experience and for networking purposes?
Are you willing to market and promote your proofreading service? (Some people hate the idea of marketing.)
Can you ride out the ups and downs of income that's to be expected with any type of freelance work? If you've answered yes to the questions above and you're ready to approach freelance proofreading as a real business, you most likely have what it takes to successfully start freelance proofreading. Now it's time to get started.Amber Olson works as a freelance proofreader, specializing in health and medical subjects. To learn how to start freelance proofreading yourself, please visit [http://startproofreading.com/]http://startproofreading.com/. There's lot of free information in my blog, a free e-course that reveals the key to getting proofreading jobs, a member's area, and a freelance proofreading company leads list. Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Freelance-Proofreading---How-to-Start-a-Proofreadin...] Freelance Proofreading - How to Start a Proofreading Business
Freelance Proofreading - How to Start a Proofreading Business
Are you interested in doing freelance proofreading? If so, there are some things you need to know. Freelance proofreading can be a great source of extra part-time income, or it can be built into a full-time business. However, it's not as easy to get started as most of the information on the Web makes it sound. Many of the articles on the subject imply all it takes is a knack for catching errors, a love of reading, and maybe a Web site. Then, it's just a matter of waiting for the jobs to start coming in. Unfortunately, that's not so. But if you're serious about starting a freelance proofreading business (either part-time or full-time), the good news is it can be done. And the benefits are many...such as the freedom to set your own hours and to work from your own home office. In fact, you aren't limited to your home office. All you need is a laptop, and you can work from anywhere. To start a freelance proofreading business, the same planning and persistence should be applied as you would to start any real business. (However, one area where freelance proofreading differs from many small businesses is the low start-up and overhead costs.) Some of the business-related things you should have to start freelance proofreading include: Business planBusiness license
Business checking account
Business email
Business cards
Business phone or a professional message on your personal phone The equipment and software you should have includes: Computer (preferably a laptop)
Access to the needed reference materials (e.g., style manuals, dictionaries, usage guides), either in book format or on-line
Microsoft Word or Open Office Writer
PDF reader and/or editor
Colored pencils for marking hard copy and a good pencil sharpener
Simple accounting program to create and track invoices Finally, and most importantly, you should ask yourself some questions and answer honestly. Some of these questions include: Do you enjoy paying attention to the small details?
Do you like to work independently?
Can you stay focused for hours, with only occasional breaks and very little interaction with others?
Do you have an aptitude for catching errors in punctuation, spelling, grammar, etc.? (This can be learned, but a prior aptitude is helpful.)
Do you enjoy reading? (Although proofreading differs greatly from reading for pleasure, not many people who don't like reading will like proofreading.)
Are you willing to take a course to learn how to be a professional proofreader?
Are you willing to volunteer to proofread some projects for free, to get experience and for networking purposes?
Are you willing to market and promote your proofreading service? (Some people hate the idea of marketing.)
Can you ride out the ups and downs of income that's to be expected with any type of freelance work? If you've answered yes to the questions above and you're ready to approach freelance proofreading as a real business, you most likely have what it takes to successfully start freelance proofreading. Now it's time to get started.Amber Olson works as a freelance proofreader, specializing in health and medical subjects. To learn how to start freelance proofreading yourself, please visit [http://startproofreading.com/]http://startproofreading.com/. There's lot of free information in my blog, a free e-course that reveals the key to getting proofreading jobs, a member's area, and a freelance proofreading company leads list. Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Freelance-Proofreading---How-to-Start-a-Proofreadin...] Freelance Proofreading - How to Start a Proofreading Business
