example, specifically state that a home office is not deductible if it has a bed in it (so there’s no tax advantage to the popular guest bedroom/den combination).
There are other reasons why you should strive to make your home office as dedicated and private as possible. For example, if your office doubles as the rec room, what if you’re working late and your kids have scheduled a ping-pong game? Or a pajama party? If your desk is in your bedroom, what if your spouse is taking a nap just when you want to get some work done?
Of course, if you already have a room in your home designated as the home office, you have an advantage. If you don’t, and no room in your home is available to be used exclusively as an office, then you’ll have to get a little creative. I know someone who converted an oversized closet into a very comfortable (but admittedly small) office. You might have a similar nook in your home that you can adapt.
Shop around for specialty desks that cater to home office workers with space challenges. I’ve seen several that look like decorative wall units or corner hutches. With a few pulls and tugs these units morph into highly efficient office centers with plenty of desk space and space for a computer and phone. When your work is finished, you simply close them up again. Because of their design and complexity, however, the prices for these units tend to be high.
Of course, you might consider renting office space outside your home. This can be very costly, and I wouldn’t recommend it — at least not until your copywriting business is firmly established and generating a consistent monthly income.
If you decide to rent office space, monitor the classified section of your newspaper. Sometimes leasors of large office suites will sublet one of their private offices to a self-employed professional — often to offset their own costs. In fact, you may know a business owner with a spare office who might be willing to do just that.
The small-business office co-op is another alternative. These are office suites that are home to several small businesses that share common expenses such as meeting rooms, phone lines, Internet servers, and sometimes even a receptionist. In tight markets, they often have waiting lists. Check out the classifieds under “Office/Commercial Space” for co-op office ads.
You Must Have a Computer
You won’t get far as a freelance copywriter without a computer. In fact, you won’t get anywhere. No client I know of accepts typewritten copy anymore.
If you don’t currently own a computer, your first decision will be “laptop or desktop?” A laptop computer takes up less space than a desktop does and is, of course, portable. But a good desktop model is more comfortable to work on.
The good news about purchasing a computer is that the technology is maturing, and prices are constantly tumbling. In this morning’s newspaper, I noticed a flyer from my computer manufacturer offering a model with virtually the same features I have now — at half the lease price. And I leased my computer from this company just a year ago!
You’ll find, when spending hours at a computer, that little enhancements make a big difference. When I leased my computer, I paid extra for an ergonomically shaped keyboard. It looks odd, but is tremendously more comfortable and a lot easier on my hands and wrists than a conventional keyboard. When my conventional mouse broke, I purchased a cordless mouse as a replacement. Now, instead of fighting with a cord, I easily and effortlessly move the cordless mouse and can place it anywhere on my desk. I also invested extra money in a 19-inch monitor that is great for clarity and easy on my eyes, and enables me to view two pages at once, which is handy.
Mac or pc? I choose a pc because that’s what I started with. Virtually all advertising agencies use Macs, but can convert pc files with little problem. And most of my corporate clients use pcs. If you already own a Mac, stay with it. Your ad agency accounts will love you. And, with products like Adobe Acrobat and other software innovations, I find that the problems of sharing files across different platforms is becoming a thing of the past.
You Must Have Internet Access and an E-Mail Account
E-mail will be the most important communication tool you’ll use in your copywriting business. It’s as indispensable as the telephone. Virtually all the copy I write is submitted to my clients by e-mail. In fact, I don’t remember the last time I mailed, couriered, or faxed a hard copy to a client. I believe those days are gone.
Fortunately, Internet access and e-mail are relatively inexpensive to set up. I’ve seen plans advertised for as little at $4.95 per month for dial-up access. And e-mail accounts are free at such online services as Gmail and Hotmail.
I strongly suggest that you get the highest speed Internet access you can. Preferably broadband or cable. Why? Clients are increasingly sending background materials to copywriters as e-mail file attachments … and some of these files can be quite large. I once had a client send me a 3mb PowerPoint presentation by e-mail while I was on the phone! He expected me to receive it, open it, and discuss it with him at that moment. If I had slow dial-up access, the e-mail would have taken several minutes to receive. Fortunately, with my trusty high-speed connection, I had the presentation received, opened, and ready to discuss in seconds.
What Happens When the Phone Rings?
Many home-based professionals use their personal phone line for their business, but I don’t recommend it. It creates too many problems, and there is always the risk of a potential client catching you in the act of being unprofessional. For example, what if your teenage daughter gets on the phone just when an important client is trying to reach you? Worse, what if your three-year-old (like my three-year-old) is in the habit of answering the phone when it rings? Some of your clients might think it’s cute. Others won’t. Why take the risk?
I suggest you invest in a second phone line — for business use only. That way, when the phone rings, everyone in your household will know it’s a business call, and will react accordingly.
A separate phone line for your business also allows you to record a more business-appropriate message for your voice mail or answering machine. Clients will have a tough time taking you seriously if your voice mail message is, “This is the Robertson family and Janice Robertson, copywriter. No one is home right now …”
I’m amazed that so many home-based professionals pay so little attention to their recorded voice mail message. For prospective clients, it could very well be the first time they hear your voice.
Here’s the voice mail message I recorded today:
“Hi, you’ve reached the office of Steve Slaunwhite for Monday, May 30th. Sorry I missed your call. I’m in the office all day today so I’m likely on the phone or away from my desk at the moment. Please leave a message at the sound of the tone, and I promise I’ll return your call at the first opportunity. And thanks for calling.”
Start-Up Finances
How much money will you need to get started? Before I made the move to full-time self-employment, I read many books on the subject. The general consensus is that you should have the equivalent of six months’ salary and three months’ anticipated business expenses in the bank before you make the leap. I recommend you have 9 to 12 months’ savings. The more cash you have in reserve, the less desperate you are going to feel.
Why do you need a healthy bank account before you start your business? Chances are, it’s going to take some months before you realize a consistent personal income from your freelancing efforts. It takes time to find and establish clients, send invoices, and receive checks from clients. In the interim, you have rent or mortgage payments, bills, and business expenses.
When I was ready to quit my day job and run my copywriting business on a full-time basis, I was fortunate to have set aside six months in personal and business expenses. But, in addition to this, I also had the beginnings of a strong client base from my part-time efforts, a fully equipped office, marketing materials, and business cards. If I was starting from