Your Name: Patricia McArver
Name of Business:
pmwriting.com
Type of business: Speechwriter, ghostwriter specializing in tributes and
toasts
What does your business do? I write speeches, toasts, tributes and
profiles. I specialize in written documents or presentations that honor special
people on special occasions.
Why did you start the biz and when did your business open? I have been in
start-up mode since I registered my LLC in March 2007. I figure I will work long
past 65 and want to work on my own terms, not somebody else's. I've worked long
enough to know what I'm good at and what I enjoy -- coming up with the right
words to make people feel appreciated.
How many people in your company? I'm a solo entrepreneur.
What's your office location like? We moved into a new house several months ago and I took the small upstairs corner bedroom as my office. The afternoon sunlight is almost blinding and it can be become quite hot but the view of the tops of crepe myrtles and our quiet street is peaceful. I don't care for the fire-truck-red shag carpet but it will have to do for the time being. Two bookshelves filled with literature, history, grammar and quote books line one wall. In addition to pictures of my daughter and husband, I have my father's 1940s photograph of a big snowfall at his western N.C. homeplace on my wall.
What's the toughest part of running your biz? It's tough to get past the fears and take the plunge. Writing is a subjective product and writers always wonder if what they do will be good enough for others. Also, I'm a big-picture person and not detail-oriented and as they say, the devil is in the details.
What's the most fun part? The most fun part is the preparation to write: reading, doing research and jotting down ideas. Then dealing with people after the piece is finished and they are pleased.
Anything you would have done differently? I wish I had started this ten years ago so that my business would be better established by the time I retire.
Explain what's next on the horizon for you and your business? I'm working on an ebook of toasts and tributes. I plan to use my vacation this year to finish it up. Also, I'm trying to get enough material to start an ezine but it's tough when I have to devote so much time and energy to my day job.
What advice do you have for others? In terms of being an
entrepreneur, I need to get advice from others. I don't have enough of a track
record in that area to tell anybody anything. In terms of working and jobs, my
advice is to take every job as an opportunity to learn something new whether it
is providing support for a real estate office, filing library cards or editing a
newspaper. I've done them all and
the lessons from those first jobs have served me well as my career developed.
How do you use OnlineBizU.com to help with your biz or sanity? I
joined OnlineBizU because I had read Donna's ezine for three or four years and
every single issue contained something worthwhile. Her ezine was so substantive
that I knew the material offered by OnlineBizU would be helpful, not hype.
Personal Info:
School
B.A. and M.A. from UNC-Chapel Hill.
Prior jobs or business?
Library assistant, camp counselor, reporter, newspaper editor, small business marketer, college communications and teaching.
Favorite food? It's gotta be pizza because it's tasty, easy to
fix and easy to clean-up.
What are your pets' names?
Ike and Daisy, two mixed-breed rather large dogs.
Do any of these pets help with your biz? Just in providing moral support when I'm in a slump.
What person or event in your life led you to go into business for yourself?
A younger co-worker and friend who became a stay-at-home mom and started a children's photography business. I had been thinking about starting my own business for years since people are always asking me to write something for them. After her hard work and success, I asked myself, "What am I waiting for?"
Website URL:
I have two sites:
www.SpecialSpeeches.com and
www.PMWriting.com
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