Today I had the pleasure of interviewing Chandra K. Clarke, founder of Scribendi.com, a website devoted to providing professional proofreading services at affordable prices. While I type this, I sit hear praying that everything is grammatically correct . Chandra provides some valuable insight into what it takes to start your own business, as well as emphasizes how support from others has made it possible for her to do what she does. Like many mompreneurs, Chandra is a multitasker. In addition to running Scribendi.com, Chandra writes a syndicated humor column and some of the humor shines through when she references her “crackberry” below. Read on to learn more….

Chandra K. Clarke holds a BA in English and an MSc in space exploration studies. Her lifelong devotion to the written word started when she joined The Chatham Daily News as a regional stringer. She then worked as a reporter/photographer for a large chain of weeklies before becoming the managing editor of an independent paper, a post she held for two years before striking out on her own. She writes a syndicated weekly humor column, and has authored two books, as well as dozens of short stories, and newspaper and magazine articles. She is an enthusiastic supporter of space exploration and scientific research.

I worked for a number of newspapers and weeklies prior to launching my own company, and while I enjoyed the work, I never really felt that my suggestions for improvements were taken to heart. Now that I own my own business, I have the ability to institute change and can appreciate when my employees provide me with feedback.

That to do it right, you need to have a plan, even if your goals and objectives are only modest at first. Figure out where you want to be in a month’s time, in six month’s time, in a year’s time, etc. This will help you do business better… and will help you to better organize your time.

My husband is a major factor here. In addition to being an equal business partner, he also takes 50% of the workload at home. I know I can always count on him.

I also try to be very, very organized. The less time you spend looking for things, or managing appointments, or wondering where your ‘to do’ list is, the more time you have for getting things done at work and then getting home to your kids and spouse.

That very much depends on the individual and her needs. If you’re working for someone else, then you only have to worry about doing your job to the best of your ability. Generally speaking, when you’re done the day’s work, you’re done for the day.

If you’re running your own business, especially before you get big enough to be able to afford help, you’re responsible for *every* aspect of the business—order fulfillment, invoicing, collections, returns, filing, bill paying, and so on. In a sense, you really should think of a start-up business as another dependent child!

Both approaches to earning a living have their pros and cons. As an employee, you’re subject to the rules and requirements of the job, and your income will be limited to what the position pays. As an employer (even if the only person you employ is yourself), your income is limited only by your creativity, but it comes with a lot more responsibility. What you choose to do will be dictated by your personality and your abilities, as well as where you are in the motherhood timeline.

I would have to say my laptop, but my Blackberry, or “Crackberry,” comes in a very close second!

I funded Scribendi.com entirely out of profits until just a few months ago, when we decided to get extra funding to expand faster. The company has always been profitable.

By starting my own business, I effectively overcame it simply by ignoring it!

I try, but this has been a struggle, mostly because we’ve chosen to have our children closer together; we have three boys, ages 5, 3, and nearly 1, and just looking after their physical needs alone takes up an enormous amount of time. So certain aspects of self-care can slide if you’re not careful. My husband and I try to counter this by looking after each other, which seems to work.

I don’t think so, no. We apply that same ethic to our relationships.

I decided to launch Scribendi.com, an online editing and proofreading agency, after spending a few years as a freelance journalist. During this period, not a day would go by when I didn’t encounter an error-laden press release. I decided to try and make the most of the situation by launching a service that would help writers professionally polish their ideas quickly and affordably. For me, the key was taking the business online and making the whole world my marketplace. It wasn’t long before submissions started pouring in; today, we are providing editing and proofreading services to a wide clientele, including authors, academics, English as a second language students, web site designers, and multimillion dollar corporations.

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