Would you like to work for yourself?
This page is for those of you who may be considering working for yourself from home, opening your own business, or marketing your skills. I thought you may be interested in reading a few articles written by other people about themselves who have made working from home a success.
The first article I have was written by my Dad's wife, Alyson Pryce. -
"I have worked from home for 25 years. I was a professional musician in London, but having three kids forced me to give that up as the hours were rather anti-social! I apprenticed myself to a violin maker and after a year or two, opened a stringed instrument repair shop, restoring and selling violins and other instruments. 20 years later, the kids had grown up and I turned to computers. I did a Microsoft course - Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, so that I could work in the IT industry. However, my main love and skills were still in music, and I do music engraving (or music copying). I get sent manuscripts from composers by fax, put them onto a music notation computer program, so that their music can be printed and performed, and send the files back by email. I also get sent CDs from people, who can't read or write music, and I listen to the music and transcribe it onto paper. My advice to people who want to work from home - do something that you love to do. It can be lonely sitting at a computer or desk all day by yourself, but if you enjoy it, that counts for a lot. It is also easier to be successful if you use previous skills and training, even if those skills were learned years before. My 'work-from-home' resulted in being employed by a composer in the United States, and a Green Card!
- Alison Pryce http://www.music4musicians.com
