Career FAQs - Work From Home PDF

Work from Home
Work from
realjobs realpeople realexperiences

C. Buckis
With the Internet bringing the rest of the world into your home, you
can now say goodbye to traffic chaos, rigid hours and office politics.
e
Over 850 000 Australian businesses are run from home and this trend
m
is set to continue as technology develops.
ho
It is now possible to follow your career passion in diverse industries
such as accounting, photography, childcare, jewellery design, fashion
and publishing. For some careers, a laptop, Internet connection,
mobile phone and access to email are all you need for a successful
working life.
Career FAQs Work from Home has interviews with people who are
doing just this. Get tips about how to set up an office, the process
of deciding the right hours to work, finding the right business style,
dealing with procrastination and other issues that will help you
Finding freedom in your spare room
thrive at home.
Foreword by Leanne Preston

CEO and Founder, Wild Child (WA) Pty Ltd
Leanne started her company, Wild Child, from her
Work from Home

Also available: home in Western Australia in 1997. The company has
established distribution with pharmaceutical retailers
Accounting Careers worldwide and has won many awards, including the
Australian Export Small to Micro Business Award.
Be Your Own Boss
Wild Child now employs a team of scientists who are
Design Professionals dedicated to the investigation of natural medicine.
Leanne is the author of an inspirational biography
Information Technology entitled Leanne Preston and the Wild Child Story. Wild Child is a major sponsor
of asthma research in Australia and also supports orphanages in Cambodia
Journalism
and Vietnam.
Marketing Australians tell their
Working from home allows a new small business owner to start
Public Relations trading with very little capital or investment. It allows you to home-office
test the viability of your business without having to pay out
Publishing
large sums of money in renting premises and associated costs.
It also has the added convenience of being accessible out of
success stories
and many more …
business hours and the flexibility to continue working until
www.careerfaqs.com.au your business is proven to be viable.
Amber Rowe – Co-founder of Trash Bags, a home-based business supporting
community and livelihood projects in the Asia–Pacific region
Expand your horizons
CLAIRE
BUCKIS
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Want more quality career resources from Career FAQs for FREE? Click here
Work from Home

Finding freedom in your spare room
By Claire Buckis
Australia
Published by Career FAQs Pty Ltd
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© Copyright Career FAQs Pty Ltd, 2007
This book is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study,
research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part of this
publication may be reproduced by any process or by any means, electronic, photocopied,
recorded or otherwise without prior written permission of the copyright owner. Inquiries for
reproduction should be addressed to the publisher, Career FAQs Pty Ltd.
Published by
Career FAQs Pty Ltd
Suite 76, The Hub
89–97 Jones Street
Ultimo NSW 2007
+61 2 9282 9383
www.careerfaqs.com.au
National Library of Australia

Cataloguing-in-Publication entry:
Buckis, Claire.
Work from Home: Finding freedom in your spare room.
ISBN 9781921106569
1. Home-based businesses – Vocational guidance – Australia. 2. Self-employed – Vocational

guidance – Australia.
I. Title. (Series : Career FAQs)
658.0412023
Publisher: Sue Stevens

Author: Claire Buckis
Production editor: Amanda Evans
Editor: Rachael Bond
Publishing coordinator: Jane Dickinson
Production assistants: Stephanie Liew, Helen Isbister and Morris Byrant
Cover design: Claudine Barker
Internal design: Terri Marzullo, H2M Creative Services
Illustrations: Jane Dickinson
Desktop publisher: Claudine Barker
Proofreading: John Sims, Sims Editing & Proofreading
Printed by Globaprint www.globaprint.com
Advertising sales: Will Santow
Career FAQs acknowledges the following copyright owners for permission to reproduce
their work.
ABS data used with permission from the Australian Bureau of Statistics ww.abs.gov.au
Sensis®
Every effort has been made to contact copyright owners and obtain permission. However,
should an infringement have occurred, Career FAQs apologises for the omission and
requests that the copyright owner contact them.
Disclaimer
The opinions and statements made by people who contributed to this book are not those of
Career FAQs. The publishers do not claim to represent the entire extent of the professions
included and extreme career choices. The aim has always been to provide a broad overview
of the possibilities available.
As such Career FAQs Work from Home does not purport to be a true and accurate record of
the different industries mentioned in the book, relying on the voices of those who tell their
stories. Inaccuracies may arise as a result of the nature of this book. Users should follow the
links to actual websites of organisations for latest accurate information.
An imprint of Career FAQs
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Foreword
Wild Child began for me as a compromise between parenting and
the need to gain an income. When my youngest daughter had
head lice, I was horrified to find that not a single natural treatment
was available. After extensive research into botanical oils, I found
that there was extensive scientific proof of their effectiveness against
head lice. I began by mixing batches of essential flower and plant oils
in my kitchen and came up with a prototype of Quit Nits and, from
there, Wild Child was born.
Leanne Preston
To some, the idea of a home-based business sounds idyllic but CEO and Founder
the practicalities of maintaining a balance between home life and Wild Child (WA) Pty Ltd
work requires discipline and careful planning. Most clients don’t Leanne started Wild Child in
Western Australia in 1997.
think about the difference between a home business and a small to The company has established
distribution with pharmaceutical
medium company and their expectations of service will be the same. retailers worldwide and has
won many awards, including the
Almost invariably early experience shows that the customer is the Australian Export Small to Micro
Business Award. Wild Child now
toughest boss you’ll ever have. It soon becomes apparent that home employs a team of scientists who
are dedicated to the investigation
businesses are almost always under resourced – prudent outsourcing of natural medicine.
and time management can make the difference between success Leanne is the author of an
inspirational biography entitled
and failure. Leanne Preston and the Wild
Child Story. Wild Child is a
major sponsor of asthma
It is often quoted that it takes 10 years to be an overnight success research in Australia and
also supports orphanages in
and, to a certain degree, this has been the Wild Child story. Cambodia and Vietnam.
Creativity blended with practicality has been a good format
for success. From its humble beginnings Wild Child has grown into
an international business with product distribution in 14 countries.
Throughout this growth Wild Child, like all companies, suffered
growing pains caused by funding or resource constraints.
Gathering a team of talented and dedicated professionals
takes time and persistence but, ultimately, plays a crucial role in
managed growth.
At some point in time the company takes on a persona that is a

reflection of its management style and, to this end, I have always
remained faithful to the following principles with which we began.
■ The determination to be guided by ethics, to act with integrity

and to hold suppliers and business partners accountable to
those same principles.
>>
iii
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Work from Home
■ The understanding that intuition, as well as information, has an

important role to play in shaping business decisions.
■ The knowledge that true fulfilment is to be found in making

a difference.
I believe that we should all exist as part of nature. Our hopes for
the world and our responsibilities to its children underpin all of Wild
Child’s activities and this is the motivation for our growth.
Leanne Preston
CEO and Founder
Wild Child (WA) Pty Ltd
iv
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Contents
About Career FAQs ix
How to use this book xi
The big picture 1
Why work from home? 1

What do people working at home do? 2
What does it take to work from home? 3
What’s happening right now? 4
Are there many home-based businesses? 5
What are some home work opportunities? 6
Self-employment 6
As an employee 7
How much can I earn? 8
Who can help me? 9
Government 9
Australian Bureau of Statistics 10
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission 10
Australian Taxation Office 11
AusIndustry 11
Business Entry Point 11
Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources 11
National Innovation Council 11
New Enterprise Incentive Scheme 11
Small Business Field Officers 12
State government departments 12
Non-government 13
Australian Businesswomen’s Network 13
Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry 13
Australian Electronic Business Network 13
Business Enterprise Centres 14
Business startup competitions 15
Council of Small Business Organisations of Australia 15
Enterprise Network for Young Australians 15
Flying Solo 15
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Work from Home
Youth Achievement Australia 16

Youth 2 Youth 16
Australian Innovation Festival 17
Accounting 19
Irene Giorgianni – Accountant 20
Agribusiness 23
James Lindsay – National Sales Director, Farmgate Foods 24
Aromatherapy and acting 29
Sally Bruce – Aromatherapist and Actor 30
Books and antiques dealing 37
Graham Golding – Books and Antiques Dealer 38
Desktop publishing 41
Helene Carroll – Desktop Publisher 42
Electrical contracting 47
Marty Beaton – Electrician 48
Events coordinating 53
Carly Jabs – Events Coordinator 54
Family day care 61
Rory Fagan and Phanthira Chuamkaew – King & I Childcare 62
Fashion 69
Susan Conterno – Fashion Stylist and Wardrobe Consultant 70
Graphic design 77
Michael Efford – Graphic Designer 78
Inventing 83
Chris Thomas – Inventor and Owner, Complete Sleep Systems 84
Jewellery design 91
Alice Whish – Contemporary Jeweller/Artist 92
vi
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Journalism 97
Louisa Deasey – Journalist 98
Magazine publishing 105
Di Watson – Magazine Publisher, Brisbane Circle 106
Marketing 113
Stuart Ayling – Director, Marketing Nous Pty Ltd 114
Mortgage broking 119
Jennifer Schelbert – Mortgage Broker 120
Photography 127
Peter Solness – Photographer 128
Software development 135
Mary Neech – Software Developer 136
Speech pathology 141
Judy Armstrong – Speech Pathologist 142
Website design 149
Caine Barlow – Website Developer and Designer 150
Ready, set, go for it! 155
Do I need qualifications? 155

University courses 155
TAFE courses 156
Private colleges 156
Starting a home-based business 157
From idea to business plan 157
Keeping it legal! 159
Get noticed 160
Word of mouth 161
Repeat business 161
Sales pitch 161
PR 161
Advertising 161
vii
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Work from Home
Get online 162

Launch your website 162
Manage your website 163
What else? 163
Show me the money 164
Some pitfalls to watch out for 166
Taxing issues 166
Super saving 166
Insuring yourself 167
Scams 167
Get the gig 168
What do I need? 168
The résumé 168
Tips: The résumé 170
The cover letter 170
Tips: The cover letter 172
Your portfolio 172
How do I stand out at the interview? 173
Preparation 173
Presentation 174
Performance 175
Tips: The interview 175
What can I do right now? 176
Buzz words 177
Appendix 1 178
Sample business plan 178
Appendix 2 181
Sample tax invoice 181
Appendix 3 182
Sample résumé 182
Appendix 4 186
Sample cover letter 186
Photo credits 187

viii
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About Career FAQs
Whether you are just starting out, changing jobs, moving up the
ladder or returning to work after a break, Career FAQs books give the
inside story on just about any job you can imagine.
Don’t end up in someone else’s life.

A career choice is really a life choice.
Will Santow – Managing Director, Career FAQs
What makes our books different?

In each book, employees, employers,
Career FAQs is recruiters and industry experts tell their
Australia’s leading stories – so you can really tell if this is the
careers publisher, right career for you. You’ll find out what is
with a dynamic happening right now in your chosen area,
new approach to get the inside info on the qualifications
making career you need and where to get them, and find
choices. out what current employees really love
about their jobs.
You also find out how to stand out from the crowd and get that dream
job, with our industry-specific résumé, cover letter and interview tips
and examples.
Career FAQs is Australia’s leading careers publisher, with a dynamic

new approach to making career choices.
I started Career FAQs because of my own difficulties in finding

empowering, high-quality, up-to-date career information to help
me make career decisions.
I wanted to change careers in my 30s, but trying to research a

new direction led to a dead end – there was no interesting and
reliable information on the qualifications I needed for different
jobs, the opportunities available, likelihood of succeeding, or,
most importantly, what the work would be like once I got there.
I know that our books can make such choices easier by giving
our readers the information they need to find a career that
meets their dreams and aspirations. >>
ix
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Work from Home
Our range covers the usual career areas, as well as moving well
beyond ordinary categories into careers you may never have
thought of. There’s a great job out there waiting for you and we
can show you what it is and how to get it.
A big thanks goes out to the many people who have taken
the time to talk to us and shared their experiences with our
readers, as well as to the many eminent Australians who have
written forewords to our books, sharing the insight and wisdom
that has helped take them to the top.
For a list of current titles, please visit our website,

www.careerfaqs.com.au.
With Career FAQs you have all the tools to find your dream job.
Good luck!
Will Santow
Managing Director
Career FAQs
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How to use this book
The book is divided into three main parts.
The big picture gives you an overview of the current state of play for
home-based careers. It explores the different ways you can work from
home and gives information on organisations who can provide you
with assistance.
Work from home jobs are profiled in depth in industry-specific

chapters – such as accounting, marketing, desktop publishing and
jewellery design. Reading the stories of people who work from home
gives an insight into what it’s like and the challenges involved.
Ready, set, go for it! You’ve read the stories, you know how they got
there – now it’s your turn. Where to start? This section gives you the
lowdown on how to go about working from home. Find out how to
start a business, what qualifications might be useful, how to write a fyi
résumé, and more.
Many words, phrases,
To help you navigate through the text and also find information abbreviations and acronyms
are defined in buzz words at
beyond this book, the following icons are used throughout. the back of this book.
cv is a snapshot of each interviewee’s career

pathway – it shows some of the stepping
stones along the career path that led to their
current position
directs you to another Career FAQs title that might

detour
interest you
find out tells you where to find out more about a

more particular topic or organisation
provides interesting additional information, which

fyi
might come in handy!
provides a brief definition of a word, term or

glossary
acronym that appears in bold in the text
xi
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Work from Home
in sums up a specific job, including salary,

brief qualifications, number of hours worked, life–work
balance and flexibility, as told by our interviewee
MYTH explodes a popular myth about the industry

or profession
fact
xii
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The big picture
Why work from home?
You get up at the crack of dawn, battle your way through traffic, only
to arrive at work to deal with a lunatic boss, impossible workload and
freeze-dried coffee. No wonder so many people are giving up the rat
race to work from the comfort of their own home.
Now picture this: it’s a beautiful sunny day, and you’re sitting in the
garden with your laptop working on the latest project for a client. After
a good morning’s work you finish the job, close your laptop and head
to the beach for the rest of the afternoon. Well, maybe on a good day …
In reality, working from home takes a lot of hard work and dedication,
especially if you’re running your own business. While most people
interviewed for this book are doing just this, managers are also
realising the advantages of employees working either part time or
full time from home. For parents particularly, a day or two working
from home provides flexibility to pick up the kids from school or help
at the tuckshop.
We’re constantly being told that today’s technology gives us the

opportunity to work anywhere in the world so why not from home?
Want more quality career resources

1
from Career FAQs for FREE? Click here
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Work from Home
The following graph shows some reasons for why Australians decide
to start their own businesses.
Reasons for going into business %

Wanted to work for myself/be own boss 29
To make money 18
Saw an opportunity 17
For lifestyle reasons 11
Saw opportunity while working in other business 9
To get a job/employment 9
Business grew out of a hobby/interest 6
Had a good idea for a business 5
Worked in family business 4
Retrenched/lost job 4
For a challenge 4
Inherited business 3
Business was needed 3
Independence/flexibility 3
Source: Sensis® Business Index, Sweeney Research, May 2007, www.about.sensis.com.au
What do people working at

home do?
Working at home you may not have to deal with office politics, but
you will have difficult clients. You may be able to work on projects you
love, but sometimes have to take work that doesn’t thrill you just to
pay the bills. You can be your own boss, but you may also have to be
your own administrator, bookkeeper, marketer and motivator. You may
have almost unlimited earning potential, but generating business can
sometimes be hard and you will have to learn to budget carefully.
But then, here’s the pay off – freedom. When you work from home
you’re free to work the hours you want (depending on how much
income you want to generate), work on projects you adore and have
the freedom to be your own boss.
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The big picture
This book is a guide to working from home for people who run a
business, but also includes plenty of great information for those who
work from home as employees of a company. It contains:
■ information on starting out
■ examples of income
■ myths and facts
■ interviews with real people who work from home glossary

■ information on tax, GST, legal issues, business plans and GST means:
financial planning. – Goods and Services Tax.
Deciding to start a business from home is one of the biggest leaps of

faith you can ever make, but nothing beats the freedom of being your
own boss.
What does it take to work

from home?
Working from home suits many people and professions. But there are
some qualities you will need to be more successful.
■ Self-motivation – able to get up in the morning and go to work with

no one to push you.
■ Independent – ability to work alone.
■ Good head for money – when you’re starting out you may need
to live a long time on a sporadic income. You also have to deal
with your own income flow, tax, superannuation and GST.
However, if you can’t manage money well you can always get
a good bookkeeper and/or accountant.
■ Able to plan – you need to be able to plan what’s next for

your business.
■ Passionate about your work – otherwise your clients will sense

your gloom and run a mile.
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Work from Home
What’s happening right now?

Once upon a time working from home had a reputation for being
the sole domain of scammers and telemarketers. But now we live in
a digital age and with the availability of email, mobile phones, and
wireless Internet, home may just be the office of the future.
There are over 1.3 million micro-businesses in Australia, and a growing

number of these are people who run a small business from home.
A huge range of experienced professionals now work from home –

advertisers, architects, graphic designers, journalists, accountants,
bookkeepers, financial advisers, psychologists, nutritionists, IT
professionals, and many, many more. Many of these professionals are
running specialised, skilled businesses that rival – and in many cases
outclass – other office-based businesses.
This is not to say all home-based businesses are destined to succeed:

many don’t. Home-based businesses require all the same skills as any
other businesses – professionalism, dedication and hard work.
But as computers make work more mobile than ever, there is no

reason why many professionals need to rent office space to make
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The big picture
their businesses viable. For many professionals, a laptop, Internet

connection, mobile phone and access to email are all they need for a
working life.
Are there many home-based businesses?

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Characteristics
of Small Business Report 2004, there are 856 000 home-based
businesses in Australia, and this makes up 67.5 per cent of all small
businesses in Australia. The largest demographic (58.4 per cent)
is owners aged between 30 and 50 years old with 70.7 per cent
of home-based business operators being male. The majority of
home-based businesses (68.8 per cent) are non-employing
businesses (Australian Bureau of Statistics, Characteristics of
Small Business Report 2004, Catalogue number 8127.0).
The following diagram illustrates the employment structures of

home-based businesses in Australia.
Total home-based
businesses
856 000
Non-employing 1–4 employees 5–19 employees

590 000 240 000 26 000
Breakdown of employment structure of home-based businesses in Australia

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Characteristics of Small Business Report 2004,
Catalogue number 8127.0.
According to Sensis’ Small Business, Big Opportunity (2006), some of

the global businesses that started from home include:
■ Apple
■ Hewlett-Packard
■ Virgin
■ Lonely Planet
■ Billabong.
Given the size of companies like Apple today, don’t underestimate the
potential of your business.
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Work from Home
What are some home work

opportunities?
You can work from home in two ways – you can work for yourself
running your own business from home, or work as an employee for a
larger company.
Self-employment
You can run your own business from home, either working as a sole
trader, a partnership or by creating a company. You can work in a
range of professions from home.
Running a business from home is really no different from running

any other business, except that instead of buying or renting separate
office space, you set up your office or work space in your home.
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The big picture
You don’t necessarily need any special skills to work from home;
although qualifications, experience and contacts will certainly help
you run a business. But it is possible to build a successful business
from scratch with hard work and a bit of nous.
find out
Starting up a freelance service is one way in which experience will more
work in your favour. By using the knowledge, contact and skills See ‘Ready, set, go for it!’ for
more information on running
accrued from a prior job, making the move from office to home can be a business.
a challenging, relaxing but ultimately, rewarding career move.
As an employee
If you are an employee, it means a company employs you, pays you a
set wage according to your hours, contributes to your superannuation
fund and pays your tax for you. Some companies allow employees to
fyi
work at home for any number of reasons – they don’t have the office Employees who work from
space, to retain an employee when they move interstate, or to allow home can potentially save
their employer money due to
an employee to work around their family. reduced office space. It also
reduces costs of childcare for
The benefits of being an employee working from home are that you’ll some employees.
have a fixed income, you don’t have to worry about paying your super
or tax and your work hours should be defined. The downside is you
may not be able to choose your own hours, and sometimes you can
feel out of the loop working from home. You also may not be able
to claim the same number of tax deductions as someone running a
business from home.
If you are an employee working from home, it’s important to negotiate

some rules with your employer. Make sure you:
MYTH
■ negotiate what hours you are expected to work people who work
from home are
■ decide how your work will be tracked by the employer unprofessional
■ negotiate your office materials – your employer should provide you People who work from
with a computer, Internet access and a phone home are just like all
other workers – many are
professional people like
■ decide how often you need to come into the employer’s office
architects, marketers,
for meetings graphic designers and
fact
journalists who simply

■ discuss any special arrangements, for example, that you will be choose to run their
business from home.
picking up your kids from school at 3.30 pm every day.
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Work from Home
How much can I earn?

How much you earn will depend on the industry you work in, your
experience, and how good you are at generating income.
If you run your own business, the good news is that there is no
limit on how much you can earn – if you are good at what you do
you can earn a six-figure salary. There are many success stories of
people who have taken a small business run from their garage into
multimillion-dollar companies.
The bad news is that there is also no lower limit to how much you
earn either – small business owners are not protected by minimum
wage limits. When you are starting out, you may not generate any
income for a few months, so you need to have enough money to live
on for this time. Your income may also be erratic.
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The big picture
One month I received $8000, another I received nothing.

It swings up and down so you need to ensure you have enough
backup because people mostly take longer time to pay rather
than shorter!
Louisa Deasey – Journalist
Most people working from home earn between $30 000 and $50 000
in the first year of their business. Working from home can be whatever
you want it to be, from $30 000 a year for a couple of days freelance
jobs to $95 000+ for full-time work.
Despite big dreams and good intentions, many micro-businesses in

Australia also fail due to lack of income – too much debt or simply
not enough work. Before you start out in business you should try to
get some idea of how much you can realistically expect to earn.
You could do this by talking to other people in your industry,
researching statistics for your industry, doing market research and
creating a realistic financial plan as part of your business plan.
To understand your income, you absolutely need to write a detailed,

realistic business plan. See the sections in ‘Ready, set, go for it!’ for
more information.
Who can help me?

If you’re still in the baby steps of your new business and need help or
advice on workplace, business, administrative or legal issues, there
are many non-governmental and governmental organisations that can
help you get started before you feel confident enough to stand on
your own two feet.
Government
With resources that extend across governmental boundaries of
state and federal, and a vested interest in the future prosperity
of the Australian economy, it should be no surprise to find that
many government departments offer support to people who work
from home.
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Work from Home
Australian Bureau of Statistics

One of the most important aspects of running a business is knowing
who your target market is, what they want, and where they are.
This is where the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) can come in
very handy – even before you start thinking about your business plan.
The ABS can give you statistical market research on a range of
economic and social matters free of charge. There are additional
facts and figures that you can purchase for a small fee or look up at
a library that has all the ABS data (such as the Ultimo TAFE if you live
in Sydney). The people at the ABS are very friendly and can advise you
which libraries to go to.
The ABS also runs consultancy services that provide specific types
of ABS data relevant to a particular business and also runs training
sessions on various topics, including statistical analysis and collection.
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) offers
information about consumer rights, business rights and obligations
and legal administration for businesses and promotes competition
and fair trade through the administration of the Commonwealth
Trade Practices Act 1974.
10
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The big picture
Australian Taxation Office

As a home-business owner, you will need to become familiar with the
many aspects of taxation: what you will need to pay, how and when.
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) website has essential information

about owning a business such as getting an Australian Business
Number (ABN), lodging activity statements and questions and
answers about various tax topics.
AusIndustry
Here is yet another federal government department that is keen to
help Australians establish profitable businesses. You can find out how
to grow your small business by going to their website and checking
out the details.
Also don’t miss the ‘success stories’ which may inspire and give you
some ideas about how to make your business a great success.
Business Entry Point

The federal government’s business entry point is an online resource to
all things business, particularly of the small variety. The easy-access
website offers a wealth of resources, guides, templates and
government information for business owners, new and existing.
Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources

The Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources (DITR) runs
business.gov.au, a handy database specialising in information
relevant to small businesses such as business name registration,
types of insurance and occupational health and safety obligations.
National Innovation Council

The National Innovation Council was founded as part of the federal
government’s package, Backing Australia’s Ability. Its role is to
promote innovation and entrepreneurship in Australia, as well as
provide guidance, support and a reference point for all Australians.
New Enterprise Incentive Scheme

The federal government’s New Enterprise Incentive Scheme (NEIS)
helps unemployed people establish and run a viable small business,
providing training in small business management, skills and plan
development as well as mentor support and financial assistance for
eligible applicants.
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Work from Home
NEIS comes under the umbrella of the Department of Workplace

Relations and is coordinated around Australia through
NEIS providers.
Small Business Field Officers

Small Business Field Officers, previously the Small Business Answers
Program, provide practical support and information to small business
owners across Australia about all things business including taxation,
preparing for export, e-commerce, and finance. Field officers deliver
the information in a number of ways, including face-to-face contact,
phone or email, newsletters, seminars, expos and field days.
State government departments

Whichever state you live in, the state or territory government will have
some department that has stacks of information about setting up and
running a small business. For example, Victoria has the Department of
Innovation, Industry and Regional Development. Queensland has the
Department of State Development, South Australia has the Office of
Small Business in the Department of Trade and Economic Development
and so on.
Whether you go to the New South Wales Department of Regional

and State Development’s website or the corresponding department
in one of the other states, you will find valuable information that
can only help you to succeed in business. As well as providing
advice and assistance to businesses wishing to establish or expand
themselves through investment, mentoring, regional development
services, you can often find guidance about exporting your product or
find out service and, if you are a regional business affected by drought, what
more assistance is available.
Here are some of the
The NSW Office of Fair Trading is another department that can
websites mentioned.
help you. Responsible for administering consumer laws and advising
www.abs.gov.au
businesses and traders on fair and ethical practices, the office also
www.ato.gov.au
registers business names and obtains licences and certificates for
www.ausindustry.gov.au
small businesses.
www.business.nsw.gov.au
www.innovation.gov.au
In each state you will find a WorkCover authority that administers and
enforces the compliance of employee issues such as occupational health
www.service.sa.gov.au
and safety (OHS), injury management and workers’ compensation.
www.worksafe.vic.gov.au
The website provides links to WorkCover publications, work legislation
www.workplace.gov.au
and information for employers and their workers.
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The big picture
Non-government
There are many organisations and networks that you can join –
and you can get the support any way you want it: online, through
workshops and even via mentoring opportunities.
Australian Businesswomen’s Network

The Australian Businesswomen’s Network (ABN) provides business
education for women across Australia and facilitates opportunities
for them to network, learn and be inspired by role models and by
each other.
Their goal is to cater to the needs of businesswomen by raising their

profiles, contributing to the achievement of their goals, providing
exposure to a diverse range of business success models and offering
personal and business development and networking opportunities.
Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry

The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) is a lobby
group that looks after business interests in Australia and puts
pressure on various levels of Australian governments to protect
business interests. It also is active to make sure Australian businesses
are considered at the international level of industry.
Their membership has over 350 000 businesses which, according

to their website, makes them the largest nationwide network of
industry associations.
One way that the ACCI can help people when setting up their business
is their literature including newsletters and survey results that are
available on their website and which can help business owners to
make decisions about the future of their business.
Australian Electronic Business Network

The Australian Electronic Business Network (AUSe.NET) is a national,
not-for-profit organisation that encourages small and medium
enterprises (SMEs) to adopt electronic solutions to doing business.
Their aim is to espouse the relevance of doing business electronically

via the Internet, and to assist small business to get online.
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Work from Home
With funding from the Commonwealth Department of

Communications, Information Technology and the Arts (DCITA)
and with support from state and territory governments, AUSe.NET
was established with a Board of Directors led by an independent
Chairman, Robert Gottliebsen. Assistance provided includes
the running of workshops throughout Australia and producing
publications that show the benefits of doing e-business.
Business Enterprise Centres

Business Enterprise Centres (BEC) provide an environment to
help people who are setting up their business and also provide
support to improve already-established businesses through private
consultations and information seminars. It is part of a not-for-profit
business assistance network organisation that aims to help new small
businesses including home-based businesses.
Deputy Chair of BEC Australia David Baumgarten says that ‘basically

anyone can sit down with a facilitator – we act as a sounding board
and help people with business planning. We provide pathways for
growth at the different stages of their businesses’.
Assistance is free of charge, with BEC’s range of services including

workshops on topics like networking, search engine optimisation,
hiring staff, business planning and financial growth. BEC also
conducts seminar programs such as the Women in Business
mentor program (run by the NSW Department of State and
Regional Development) or the Accelerate Your Business Growth
planning workshop, aimed at service businesses looking to
expand their clientele.
The length of time that people spend in BEC varies for each individual.
In addition to his responsibilities as Deputy Chair of BEC Australia,
David Baumgarten is also CEO of two BECs in the eastern suburbs of
Sydney and is very familiar with the home-based business sector.
One of the most common problems of small businesses starting

out is that they’re not very sure on how to position themselves
in the marketplace using technology. Programs such as our
two-hour business seminar ‘Business Thursday’ (which covers
topics from e-marketing to search engine optimisation and
googling) aims to skill-up business owners through education
and strategisation.
David Baumgarten – Deputy Chair of BEC Australia and CEO of Business Enterprise
Centres in Sydney
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The big picture
There are 31 BECs in New South Wales, 18 in Victoria, 11 in Tasmania,

eight in South Australia, nine in Western Australia, three in
Queensland, and one in the Northern Territory and the ACT.
Business startup competitions

There are many competitions out there that could help top up
your great idea business bank account. The most well known
(and lucrative) of them is Nescafé Big Break, a competition that
doles out prize money each year to young Australian and New Zealand
business people aged between 16 and 24.
If you’re not quite ready to start operating your business, but you
do want to define your business plan and maybe even get some
dollars to put away for that happy day, you may want to think about
entering a Business Planning competition, such as the John Heine
Entrepreneurial Challenge, Yellow Pages Business Idea Grant,
or University of Queensland’s Enterprise competition. In these
competitions, your task is to create a concise, workable business
plan for a commercial enterprise.
Council of Small Business Organisations

of Australia
There are 1.3 million small businesses in Australia according to the
Council of Small Business Organisations of Australia (COSBOA) website.
COSBOA is the lobby group that makes sure that small businesses get
a fair go. The organisation helps facilitate cooperation between the
many sectors of small business and the government to ensure that
small business interests are taken into consideration.
Enterprise Network for Young Australians

The Enterprise Network for Young Australians (ENYA) is a not-for-profit MYTH
organisation run by young Australians to help other young Aussies you have to be an
achieve their social, commercial and environmental entrepreneurial expert with money,
aspirations. They are in no way related to the Irish musician of the tax and GST to work
same name! from home
It helps to have a good
Flying Solo understanding of money
and your financial
This online magazine publishes weekly articles on issues relevant to position when you own
your own business, but
solo business owners, with tips ranging from managing procrastination you can always hire a
fact
to networking at a cocktail function. The e-mag also distributes email certified accountant
newsletters, runs a blog and is a helpful, down-to-earth resource for to do the complicated
financial work for you.
those interested or involved in solo businesses.
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Work from Home
Youth Achievement Australia

The Youth Achievement Australia (YAA) is a nationwide
organisation designed to assist young Australians in achieving
find out
more their business aspirations. YAA offers a range of business
mentoring and training programs to young Australians.
www.abn.org.au
www.beca.org.au
Youth 2 Youth
www.enya.org.au
www.flyingsolo.com.au Youth 2 Youth works with schools, universities, youth organisations
www.nescafebigbreak.com.au and corporations Australia-wide, providing a range of youth-led
www.yaa.org.au training workshops, business coaching, and business resources for
www.youth2youth.com.au young people aged bw15 and 35 so they can make their ideas a reality.
They specialise in encouraging and training young entrepreneurs.
16
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The big picture
Australian Innovation Festival

What is it?
The Australian Innovation Festival is Australia’s largest industry
festival comprising hundreds of events nationwide over a
two-week period. There are industry workshops, open days,
networking breakfasts, forums, exhibitions and seminars.
Events are held in every state and territory capital city and
regional locations such as Alice Springs and Cairns.
The festival was first launched in 2002 to provide an opportunity

for Australian businesses, communities and individuals to
showcase their innovation activities and entrepreneurship on a
national platform. In 2007 the festival’s theme was Innovation
Clusters, with a focus on the four Cs: Creativity, Connections,
Collaboration and Commercialisation.
The festival is now recognised as the major platform to celebrate,

promote and enhance the value of Australia’s innovative and
entrepreneurial endeavours.
Could I take part?

No worries – the festival is for everyone from students
to CEOs. In 2005, nearly half a million people Australia-wide
were in attendance.
Just about every Australian industry is represented including

fashion and design, agriculture, biotechnology, food and wine,
manufacturing, finance and commerce, education, tourism
and IT.
When should I get excited?

The festival is generally held in the first two weeks of May
each year. There is a national launch – the 2007 national launch
find out
was in Sydney – followed by state launches and the official
start of the festival.
more
www.ausinnovation.org
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WfH_Book_000607.indd 18 24/8/07 4:42:29 PM
Accounting
If numbers push your buttons and tax is a turn-on, consider a career in
fyi
accounting (or spend the rest of your life worshipping your self-built
Kochie shrine while singing ABBA’s ‘Money, Money, Money’). For all you ABC viewers,
David Koch is a presenter on
Unlike lawyers and forensic scientists, accountants don’t get the same Channel 7’s Sunrise program.
exposure to become the superheroes of television. While defending

criminals and performing triple bypasses have the kudos to become
the latest heart-throb, Hollywood is yet to recognise the star potential
of those in the number-crunching accountancy game.
Accounting is hardly risqué and there is little danger involved,

however, it is universal and can be practised anywhere in the
world – including from your home. It’s a profession suitably geared
to a home-based office. And whether working from home or in a
traditional office (or a bit of both), the evidence is clear come financial
year, everyone – from hotshot TV producers to B-grade actors – will
need someone with dollars (and sense) to do their tax return.

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Work from Home
cv waitress >> deli Irene Giorgianni – Accountant

assistant >> accountant
Irene, 29, graduated with a Bachelor of
Business with majors in Accounting and
Finance in 2000. Starting off working in
a traditional PAYE job, Irene now
combines working in an office with
working from home. She works from
home two days a week and works in two
different offices on the other three days.
Working for two quite different

companies – a book publisher and a
Catholic club – Irene loves the different challenges that her working
week brings. She says that she has found the right work balance to
suit her energetic lifestyle.
glossary q&a
PAYE means:
What do you do as an accountant?
– Pay As You Earn, a payroll
procedure in which tax is I basically provide information to help the managers make sound
deducted from a person’s business decisions.
income when paid
I prepare monthly financial reports which include the balance sheet,
by the employer.
income statement, cash-flow statements, and account reconciliations.
FBT means: I also liaise with the tax accountants who prepare our FBT and tax returns.
– Fringe Benefits Tax. I look after worker’s compensation, GST and also oversee accounts
payable and receivable, the asset register, payroll and so on.
What made you decide on an accounting career?

I was always good at Maths at school. My older brother was an
accountant before me and he’d get me to help with the family
business’ books during my school years.
When I went to uni, I did a general business degree majoring in
the ‘numbers’ subjects like accounting and finance. It was then that
I really decided that I would be an accountant.
How did you start working from home?

Two years ago my best friend asked whether I would be willing to help
the business she works for with the accounts and I accepted the job
because, at the time, I was only working part time.
Is working from home different from working in the office?

They both have their perks. Working from home gives you that
flexibility that you don’t always have when you work in an office.
On the other hand, working at the club gives me exposure to
other people.
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Accounting
How do you find clients or do they find you?

Word-of-mouth worked for me as I found my first client through my
best friend. I am happy with my workload, so I’m not looking for any
more clients at the moment.
How would you describe your work–life balance?

The flexibility of working from home has improved my social
life, and because I’m more relaxed I have more energy to do
extracurricular activities. For example, I do dancing after work quite
often, catch up with friends, go to the movies and love shopping.
I also love that I can stay in my pyjamas if I want.
ce 2)
Friday (Offi
po nd to emails
• R es
ffice 1) ym ent day
Tuesday (O • Suppl ie r pa s)
ce sh eet su pp lier cheque
• Balan (send out d
ions for petty ca sh an
reconciliat • Refloat
en d ts
mon th s other floa
any querie and accoun
ts
• Address af f, tax • B an ki ng
r st
from othe paya bl e
, suppliers
accountant
(Home)
(Home) Saturday dule
Wednesday et e FBT sche
terminatio
n • Compl ta nt
la te co un
• Calcu st st aff for tax ac le
pays and ad ju s receivab
s • Account S
set-up file and • Compl et e B A
statement
• Cashflow nd re ports d Sun/Mon
other mon
th -e Evenings an
payroll tax weekend
• Calculate asses
• Dance cl yfriend
(Office 2) me with bo
Thursday • Spe nd ti
lly
as sets into are usua
• Enter (Sun/Mon
gi ster
asset re ‘o ur ’ da ys )
relax
ou nt s payable bysitting,
• A cc
b club sche
dules • Shop, ba ou t to dinner
e su go
• Updat du ties at home,
and admin
• Banking
How do you keep up with the changes in

accounting legislation? glossary
I’m a member of the CPA and I’m just about finished all the CPA means:
requirements to become a Certified Practising Accountant. It’s a – Certified Practising
requirement of CPA Australia membership that I do professional Accountant.
development each year and they send email updates about all matters
relating to accounting including legislative changes.
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Work from Home
If there is a specific tax issue with the ATO, I go directly to the

detour organisation and find out what I need to know. Keeping in touch with
Accountants are in demand colleagues is also a great way to keep up with things generally, plus
right now and can earn there’s the Internet and the CPA library – there are plenty of places to
big money. Read more get the info I need.
accountants’ stories in Career
FAQs Accounting Careers. How regular is your income?
www.careerfaqs.com.au I pay myself monthly and treat it exactly like a salary, except that
instead of the employer taking tax out, I take it out myself and put it
aside so that, at the end of the financial year, I can pay the tax man.
Do you ever feel lonely not having work colleagues around?

Sometimes, but most of the time I’m so busy I don’t have time to sit
around doing nothing. I love music so I play my music as I’m working.
If I’m a bit restless, I go for a quick walk in the park. It usually gives me
a burst of energy to get me back into the swing of things.
What qualifications do you have?

I have a Bachelor of Business (Majors in Accounting and Finance) from
the University of Technology, Sydney. I’m almost CPA qualified.
What advice would you give to someone who is about to start

working from home?
You have to be motivated, organised and disciplined. It’s great
working from home because of the flexibility but you have to be a
self-starter and to be able to push yourself rather than having
someone pushing you. It’s very easy at home to get blasé and think
‘I’ll just go sit down and do it tomorrow’. You have to be extremely
in
brief organised right from the beginning and set aside a place in your house
just for your work.
Accountant
What’s next for you?
$$$ 60K
I like the balance of working at a ‘normal’ job in the office and working
quals B Business
from home, so I’d like to keep doing what I’m doing – whether it’s with
hrs/wk 40
work–life best of both worlds
different companies or the ones I am with now. I have the best of both
worlds really!
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Agribusiness
Agribusiness, like any other industry, needs to market and sell
products to remain viable.
Under-promise and over-deliver – that is, or should be, the motto of

every good salesperson. So promise delivery on Friday and actually
deliver on Thursday.
There are no secrets to being successful in sales: it’s about selling

and delivering. A good sales person is someone who knows their
product, believes in their product, and who can build trust and a
lasting relationship with clients. And while there are no secrets to
being a good sales person, manager or director, there are some things
that can help. Like being a good listener – having the ability to listen
to your clients and delivering for them. A director in sales can also be
responsible for setting the agenda for the sales team, setting goals,
identifying initiatives for sales growth and improving the bottom line
for the business.
So how can such an integral person in a business work from home –

that’s easy with modern technology, which allows fast, efficient
and effective communication to and from anywhere in the world.
Sales can also be about slogans. Let’s see, what’s a good slogan for
getting into sales? What about, ‘Just do it!’?
3
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Work from Home
cv paper boy >> bank James Lindsay – National Sales Director,

clerk >> coles trolley boy Farmgate Foods
>> retail store management
James works as the national sales
>> rep for Freshcut
director for a small but rapidly growing
company to Woolworths
fresh produce company, Farmgate Food.
>> account manager >>
He works from his residence in Bacchus
national sales director Marsh, Victoria, where he lives with his
wife Sue and daughter Eloise.
Farmgate Foods specialise in

‘Freshcuts’, which are packaged
processed retail fresh salads
and vegetables. The company caters
their products to time-poor Generations X and Y customers and has
a key focus on convenience.
James is looking to get involved in the growing side of the industry

and is in the process of purchasing a farm for the purpose of growing
hydroponic lettuce and vegetables.
q&a
What do you in your job each day?
Some of my tasks include organising promotional programs,
completing invoices and market order summaries, placing
grower orders, generating sales reports and reviewing sales for
future opportunities. I also implement packaging strategies,
negotiate prices with suppliers, visit stores, and liaise with
customers, market staff and produce growers.

I was involved with a new company while all of their administrative
tasks were being moved interstate. The company previously ran out
of a four-person office in Victoria, but the new partner in the business
had an office to utilise in South Australia. During the relocation
process we decided that an office for one person would be a waste
of time. Our company office is now in South Australia, however this
location is irrelevant as I am able to work from home.
When you first started, what surprised you most about

working from home?
That I was absolutely isolated – I had always been used to feeding
off others, and working through ideas and issues with other
work colleagues. You can still do this over the phone, but you can
never be sure you have someone’s complete attention on the other
24
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Agribusiness
end of the line. I also realised that I needed to be disciplined, so I’ve

set rules to limit the amount of distraction and interruption from the
other people at home.
How do people react when you tell them what you do?
The perception is that I don’t actually work for a living. People think
I’m lucky to have such a cruisey way to work. The reality is that I rarely
stop working.

It is very difficult to balance the elements of my home and work life.
I probably spend more time thinking of work than when I was in
an office environment because my work is always around me. I am
starting to set more boundaries on when I am ‘at work’ and when
I am ‘at home’. This stops me from being drawn back to work which
is always just down the hallway.
How do you work around the other people you live with?
It can be distracting at times as there are some things that, no matter
how hard you try, you can never block out. My two-year-old daughter
Eloise is too young to understand the difference between work space
and home space and is quite keen to be involved in anything! On the
other hand, my wife is of great assistance as she makes sure all three
of us keep in line with our daily focus.
What is the single most important thing you do for

your business?
I totally believe in it – people can feel it if you don’t.
How do you stay motivated? Do you ever find

yourself procrastinating?
Procrastinating? Let me think about that for a while … no not really.
‘People think I’m

lucky to have such
a cruisey way to
work. The reality
is that I rarely
stop working.’
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Work from Home
How do you deal with loneliness?

I try to organise meetings offsite as much as possible so I can be in
different environments with other people. I also try to ensure I have
time to talk with close friends about issues.
How is your work area and office organised?

I am currently working out of our front spare bedroom. This is not
an ideal location but it is still functional for the time being. My tip
on office organisation is to marry someone who can’t stand
disorganisation, as they can’t help themselves and will ensure
things are always in place.
Thursday
al flyers for
Monday •P repare promotion
rket following we ek
• Work in the ma
rkets
• Pr ep ar e inv oic es • Supply some ma
e ma rket
• Fax promotions custo me r pr
market orders in afternoons
• Collate evening
market orders
• Collate evening
Tuesday
sales reports
• Collate weekly Friday
r and on-road • Prepare invoices
• Analyse custome
stomers
sta ff fe ed ba ck • Contact key cu
afternoon les re ports
• Work in market • Fin ali se sa
rket orders
en ing ma rket orders ev en ing ma
• Collate ev • Collate
Wednesday Saturday
the morning
• Visit stores • Work market in
s rd en ing
• Attend meeting • Do some ga
market orders • Spend time wit
h family in
• Collate evening
the afternoon
Sunday
ball
• Go to the foot
tc h up wit h fr iends
• Ca

their own business at home?
Set yourself up in an area of the house that is only for business and
have clear rules that separate ‘work time’ from ‘home time’. It is also
a good idea to have set times for tea and meal breaks.
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Agribusiness
What would be a typical income for someone in your line

of work?
If I was working for someone else in the same position I would
suggest around $80 000 to $100 000, but when you work in your own
business you pay yourself what is best for the business.
Who are your main clients?

I have four levels of customers – major independent chains, their
individual stores, their consumers and the wholesale produce
market suppliers. We supply between 500 and 800 stores, depending
on the time of the year.
I have ensured our company is a preferred supplier for the major
independent retail chains that insures their support to stores and in
turn their interest in our product. I have also reached agreements with
multiple store owners who are the trendsetters so that other stores
follow their lead.
Within the produce market I make sure I am seen often and meet as
many people as possible. Time and good service will give you word of
mouth sales in the market as they aren’t keen on pushy sales – they
come and get you when they want you.
How do you deal with having an irregular income?

My income has been regularly lean for some time and it is important
that if you have a family everyone understands why this is the case
and what we are striving for together. If we all have faith in the
ultimate goal and share progress information together it doesn’t hurt
in
so much.
Have you ever had a client who wouldn’t pay up? How did you
brief
National Sales Director
manage this?
$$$ 80–100K
You must be regular with your contact to ensure outstanding debtors quals self-taught from
never get out of hand. If you do have a problem you will probably experience
find they are stretching out everyone they deal with. We have always hrs/wk 50+
gone by the saying ‘a squeaky door gets oiled first’ and have found work–life d
ifficult – lots of
responsibility limits
most people will pay eventually if you persist with agreed deadlines my ability to delegate
and follow-ups.
27
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WfH_Book_000607.indd 28 24/8/07 4:43:38 PM
Aromatherapy
and acting
Work stressing you out? Having difficulty sleeping? Mum/girlfriend/
boyfriend/sister-in-law/maths teacher starting to freak you out?
Wake up and smell the oils! Or, perhaps get involved in a play to get
your creative juices flowing. Your life could be better for it, and you
could even make a career out of calming down the people around you.
Aromatherapy is, well, therapy with aroma. Aromatherapists blend

essential oils, extracted from herbs, flowers, resin, woods and roots,
to have different effects on your body and mind.
Natural therapies are becoming all the rage these days as people
look for alternatives to traditional medicine. There are growing
opportunities for qualified aromatherapists, in private practice, in
research and the manufacturing of essential oils, as well as sales
representatives for essential oil suppliers.
But what do acting and aromatherapy have in common? Well, they

both can be extremely therapeutic, mind-altering and they both
start with the letter ‘a’. Acting is a career almost as old as time;
aromatherapy is too!
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Work from Home
cv theatre restaurant Sally Bruce – Aromatherapist and Actor

waitress/performer >>
Sally works as an actor in plays, short
functions supervisor >>
films and TV commercials and used to
academic tutor >> live-in run an aromatherapy business, Aroma
boarding house supervisor Botanica, from her Perth home.
>> switchboard operator
Juggling several different careers at once
>> public relations officer
can be difficult at times, but Sally finds
>> administration assistant
her work deeply satisfying because it
>> receptionist >> public allows her to explore all the different
library officer >> small parts of who she is.
business director >>
Since completing this interview Sally
aromatherapist and actor
decided to close her Aroma Botanica business to focus on her
acting career. �
q&a
What do you do each day for each of your jobs?
I have several jobs. I’m currently balancing my career between two
of my passions – aromatherapy and acting.
I am the director, owner and sole trader of my aromatherapy business,
Aroma Botanica. The business has three main areas – products,
treatments and education. Products are the range of natural ‘body
and soul care’ products that I make myself using plant-based natural
ingredients and essential oils. I create, bottle and label the products
which are ordered and sold mainly through my website.
On the treatments side, I have clients who come to my home
for aromatherapy. This includes full-body massages, facials, and hand
or foot treatment. In a typical day I might also update my website,
mix up a bulk batch of hand cream, order jars and containers, and put
together workshop presentations.
As an actor, my passion is theatre, but I am starting to move into
TV and film roles too. My agent sends me to auditions for TV
commercials, short films, plays, role plays and even opera.
I occasionally take on unpaid roles if I’m working on a script
I am passionate about.
Do you do any other type of work?

As well as these two jobs, I occasionally take on some temporary
administrative work, which gives me the opportunity to see how other
businesses run as well as filling in the money gaps in between waiting
for payment to come through for acting work – which often seems to
coincide with a slow time in the business!
30
WfH_Book_000607.indd 30 24/8/07 4:43:52 PM

Aromatherapy
and acting
What hours do you currently work?

detour
It varies from week to week. Normally I try to keep pretty standard
business hours because my husband works in a ‘normal’ job and it’s Does the world of
good to have the same free time as he does. However, the nature of entertainment appeal to
my work is not ‘normal’! you? Read about the many
job opportunities in Career
When performing in a play I usually have shows in the evenings. FAQs Entertainment.
During these few months of production I may have to rehearse
some weeknights and weekends. With Aroma Botanica I can easily
work nights and weekends running workshops, doing treatments
or attending networking events, even catching up on admin if I feel
like it. I try to balance it out by having afternoon naps during the
season of a play, and if I work on the weekend I try to have time off
during the week. I’m not strict about keeping to specific work hours
because of the varied hours my jobs require.

I set up an office and treatment room and just did it! I already had
my massage table and equipment, and used our home computer.
It always seemed more logical to me to work from home when I was
starting out so as to not have the added pressure of having to pay
rent on a commercial premises.

working from home?
Unsolicited telephone calls and doorknockers! I have been amazed at
the amount of interruptions these bring to my day.
How did you fund your business initially?

Even though I started out slowly, putting all income back into the
business to buy more stock, I have relied heavily on our personal
credit card – which still gets used sometimes, I’m ashamed to say.
How has your business developed?

When I first qualified in aromatherapy, I thought I would only be
doing treatments (massages). But I started to make products as gifts
for people and they were so well received that I moved into making
products as well. The education side of things came about because
I find there is a lot of misinformation out there about aromatherapy.
Most people have a vague idea that it’s stuff that smells nice but not
actually what it is and how it works – so I feel a responsibility to share
the knowledge that I have. I also love writing and talking to people so
it was kind of a natural progression I guess.
What do you love most about working from home?

I am able to open the French doors that lead from my office into
the backyard and have the sun streaming in and hear the birds while
I’m working at my computer. I can also take my dog for a walk at 11 am
or have a princess nap at 3.30 pm if I feel like it. Another pleasure of
working from home is that I can occasionally meet a friend for lunch,
but I make sure it is on a day when I can schedule a break in without
affecting other work commitments.
31
WfH_Book_000607.indd 31 24/8/07 4:43:57 PM

Work from Home
What do you find most difficult?

It’s hard to switch off sometimes, especially since I can’t shut the door
to my office – it’s the main thoroughfare into the backyard, and the
treatment room is a sunroom off the lounge room, so the business can
be a bit ‘in my face’ at times. It can be hard to relax at home when it
is also your place of work. When I finish a play I need some relaxation
time, so I often try to go away and give myself a holiday. I find that if
I stay at home I try not to work but end up checking emails, answering
the business phone. It’s quite easy to work a whole day when I’m meant
to be on holidays!
Some people’s attitudes towards home-based businesses can be
surprisingly condescending or trivial. This used to annoy me when
I first started out – the fact that people thought I wasn’t really working
and would be available all the time. I try to gently establish with these
people that I have work to do and am not free to socialise every day.
the
imée Sanderson at
N e ls on Cl e mente and A
with clients y
Sally Bruce ica website launch part
B ot a n
Aroma

Boundaries are really important when you work from home. I think it’s
easy to go too far either way – either you end up working all the time
with no break or you get too easily distracted with other things in the
house that you don’t end up doing as much work as you would like.
One of the things I try to do is treat myself kindly, the way I would
expect to be treated if someone else was my boss. I wouldn’t like to
3
WfH_Book_000607.indd 32 24/8/07 4:44:00 PM

Aromatherapy
and acting
be expected to work for eight hours at a desk with no meal break,

for example, yet sometimes in the early days I would catch myself
swallowing down lunch at my desk without really tasting it. So I find
that stopping to make, eat and enjoy a healthy lunch – which I often
eat outside – is a welcome break in my day and I work and concentrate
better in the afternoon for it.
How do you stay motivated? Do you ever find yourself

procrastinating?
I often go through phases of terrible procrastination! I know
that I am someone who works well to deadlines, so if something
doesn’t have a real deadline then I find it hard to complete it.
Sometimes procrastination occurs when you’ve been working too
hard and it’s your subconscious telling you that you need a break.
I find that I work well with rewards and will tell myself things like,
‘When I finish this task, I will call a friend or go for a walk’.
Do you ever feel lonely working from home? How do you

deal with this?
Although I work well by myself, I am a social person and do feel
lonely sometimes. To cope with this I have joined some networking
groups that focus on women in business. I often attend their functions
because they are great business and social activities, and they have
enabled me to expand some business opportunities.
I also occasionally try to meet friends for lunch or do other fun
things during weekdays to make up for time I have worked nights
and weekends.
What is one of the best things you’ve done since you started
working from home?
Getting my website up and running and organising a successful
launch party for it the week before a play I was in opened – a crazy
but exhilarating time.
How have you managed a difficult situation in your

home business?
I once signed a contract for a three-month advertisement in a
publication that my target market didn’t read. I knew it wasn’t
working out and when my final ad was due and I found myself under
real financial pressure. However, since I had signed a contract, to not
run the ad would have cost me the same as running the ad, which in
the end I did and was able to work out a payment arrangement with
the company.
What have you learnt from this experience?

I am now a lot more wary of people cold-calling me to advertise in
their publication and on their websites. I do my research to ensure
that it is something I am happy to be affiliated with and that my
clients will read.
33
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Work from Home
What’s something you had to learn the hard way?

Having a gorgeous website doesn’t automatically generate web sales
if you don’t promote it, and everything in business happens at a
slower pace than you want!
How are your work area and office organised?

I like to have beautiful things around me so my desk is surrounded
by – some would say ‘cluttered with’ – inspiring quotes, crystals,
pictures, cards from friends, anything that makes me smile. I use
beautiful notebooks and coloured pens and bright folders for my
admin which makes it seem less ‘boring’ to me. And of course,
I always have essential oils burning in my electric oil vaporiser which
is always on in my office.
How do you promote your business?

I have a free monthly email newsletter, attend networking events,
advertise, say thank you to my current clients and organise giveaways.
I also hold market stalls at charity events where a percentage of the
takings go to charity. I’m still learning what ways of promoting my
business work best for me.

I sometimes do administration work through a temping agency and
also make use of my credit card. Thankfully my husband, who has a
regular income, is very supportive.
manage this?
Twice in my early days of business I had problems with clients
not paying. In both cases it was due to my not being clear on the
terms and conditions of the sale. I tried to chase both up a couple of
times but being someone who avoids conflict I felt very uncomfortable
with it. So in the end I wrote both of them off as learning lessons
and have tried to be open with clients about costings and payment
expectations since then – so far it’s worked!
Do you have any tips on how to best manage accounting,

glossary income and tax?
MYOB stands for: Buy MYOB and do a course on how to use it. Get a good accountant
– Mind
��
Your Own
��
Business, for tax. Don’t be scared of doing your BAS – if you keep accurate
a popular brand of business records it’s no big deal. Price your product so that you are getting
management and a good return.
accounting software�.
Do you generate much business through networking?
I am a member of a couple of women-in-business networking groups,
which has generated a bit of business. However ‘networking’ for me is
more about socialising with people who understand my work situation
and supporting and learning from others in the group.
34
WfH_Book_000607.indd 34 24/8/07 4:44:06 PM

Aromatherapy
and acting
Where do you see yourself going in the future?

I’d like to one day employ someone else to make, bottle, label
and post out products, leaving me with more time for treatments,
education and acting work. I’d love to have an office and treatment
room which is separate to the rest of the house so I still have the
advantages of working from home without some of the other issues
I’ve mentioned. I’d like to get more professional acting work and tour
in new Australian works around Australia and overseas and expand
my experience in film.

in
Everyone has an opinion of what you should be doing and how you
should be doing it, so listen gracefully to people’s opinions but don’t
brief
Aromatherapist and Actor
take everything everyone says on board or else you’ll go crazy and try
quals BA in Theatre (Hons),
to do too much. Act instead on your intuition, what sits right with you, Dip Aromatherapy
because in the long run it’s only yourself that you have to answer to. hrs/wk 50–60
If you are doing something you are passionate about then believe in work–life fair
yourself, listen to your heart, and stick with it.
Monday –
•A ttend film shoot
for
corporate video • Order bottles and
•P ay bills jars
for products
•B alance books • Go grocery shoppi
•C ng
lean up intray • Play performance
•A in evening
ttend to mail
•G
o to movies with Friday –
friend
after work • Attend networki
ng group breakfast
• Come home and sle
Tuesday – ep
• Fill and post clie
nt orders
•G ive client an aroma • Update website
therapy
massage in morning • Book into profes
sional
•D raft monthly new development course
sletter
•M ake batch of sho • Play performance
wer gel in evening
•P repare for auditio
n
•P lay performance Saturday –
in evening
• Sleep in and lazy
Wednesday – breakfast
at home
•A ttend audition for • Take dog to beach
TV commercial • Meet friends for
• Sleep in the aftern coffee
oon • Play performance
• Prepare and post in evening
order of
products to client Sunday –
• Bottle and label • Sleep in
shower gel
• Play performance • Read paper in sun
in evening
• Go for bike ride
Thursday – • Look at script for
• Write first draft next job
of newsletter • Cook dinner
• Plan new workshop • Spend time with
husband and dog
and watch a DVD
35
WfH_Book_000607.indd 35 24/8/07 4:44:14 PM

WfH_Book_000607.indd 36 24/8/07 4:44:14 PM
Books and
antiques dealing
Does the thought of well-bound, leather books send shivers up
your spine? Do cheap paperbacks maketh ye cometh out in hives?
Does the thrill, the excitement and out-of-body experience of viewing
an episode of the Antiques Roadshow far surpass World Cup fever?
If you have shrieked ‘Ye are righteth!’ to the above questions,

why not surround yourself in the glorious world of antique books
and furniture? Turn your passion into a business; turn mahogany
into money! But you will need to know your stuff to wheel and deal
in the furniture trade and, if you are doing it from your home, a spare
room to exhibit your wares.
Put all ideas of second-hand, pre-loved and just plain shabby out of
your mind. The word antique, as opposed to plain old ‘old’, conjures
up images of lasting quality and distinguished rarity. This is a business
for those who appreciate a good tallboy of the Edwardian era, sturdy
George II four-poster bed and books which were published long before
Harry Potter was a glint in JK Rowling’s eye.
37
WfH_Book_000607.indd 37 24/8/07 4:44:25 PM

Work from Home
cv electrical motor Graham Golding – Books and

rewinder >> bookseller Antiques Dealer
at markets >> books and
antiques dealer Graham and his partner Martha run a
second-hand book and antique shop
called Universal Books and Old Wares.
The shop is attached to their home in
Taralga, New South Wales, attracting
tourists on their way to Wombeyan caves
as well as Bathurst and Oberon.
Graham says it’s hard to describe his

average customer, with his client base
ranging from antique dealers, book
lovers, collectors and browsers. Graham and Martha’s business
thrives from selling collectable, rustic home wares like tin baths,
watering cans, kitchen utensils, luggage, and tools as well as
second-hand books.
q&a
What do you do in your job each day?
I do different things each day – some days I’m on the road buying
stock while other days I’m in the shop serving customers and repairing
and readying stock for the shop.

The shop hours are Thursday to Sunday, from 9.30 am to 4 pm,
however I often open the shop on additional days or for longer hours if
I think it’ll be worth it or I’m at home and feel like it. On days the shop
isn’t open, I go on stock-buying trips and after hours I repair, unpack,
clean and ready stock for sale.
How long have you been working from home?

We didn’t do a lot of market research into things like tourist figures
before opening up shop in January 2002. However, living in Taralga,
we realised that there was a niche for a business like ours as there
were no other old wares or bookshops in town. We saw that there was
a reasonable traffic of tourists going to Bathurst, Goulburn and nearby
tourist attractions like Wombeyan Caves so we figured these tourists
would enjoy stopping and browsing in a books and old wares shop.

I had been selling books at monthly markets at Riverwood,
Bankstown, Neutral Bay and Burwood as well as wholesale to
bookshops in Canberra. While doing this, I considered the possibility
38
WfH_Book_000607.indd 38 24/8/07 4:44:27 PM

Books and
antiques dealing
of selling them from home in a shop situation, as I have always been

interested in old wares and books. My family has always collected this
sort of stuff and has also run various retail businesses over the years.

working from home?
After years working for someone else in a job I didn’t enjoy, I was
surprised at being able to make a job out of something I do for
pleasure – collecting books and old wares.

Universal Books and Old Wares has grown slowly from a shop in a
garage to a shop on the main street. In our time as business owners,
we’ve tried not to incur any major debts along the way and the fact
that we own the shop and its attached residence means that we don’t
have to worry about rent each week. When a shop and residence
came up for sale in our town at the right price, we decided to buy
it, realising that the balance between work and family could be
sustained through having a shop attached to the residence.
At the moment we don’t have any plans for relocation as we enjoy living
in town and have a great position on the main street. However, we are
considering expanding our business into Internet selling.

I enjoy the freedom of working for myself and being my own boss.
It’s also easy being able to access the business from my residence
after hours. My partner and I can both work in the shop at different
times during the weekend and when it isn’t busy, we can do things in
the house.
shop
ding to his
Graham ten
39
WfH_Book_000607.indd 39 24/8/07 4:44:37 PM

Work from Home

The second-hand book and old wares business is not a hugely
profitable business and because we’re located in a quiet rural village,
we need to attract as many tourists to our shop as possible as local
clientele is not enough. We try to attract tourists with attractive
outside displays of old wares and signage.
Also my partner and I manage the shop without any paid staff, which
unfortunately means that the family doesn’t get a chance to go on a
lot of weekend outings together.
How do you find working around the people you live with?
Owning my own business is often difficult on my family because I work
weekends, although I’m able to reschedule my weekly work in order
to attend school functions. As the shop is attached to our house and
adjacent to the backyard, when it’s quiet I can play sport with the children
during business hours or they come into the shop to read or play.

in
brief income or tax?
Receipts, receipts, receipts.
Books and Antiques Dealer
$$$ approx 20K What is the single most important thing you ever did for
quals a love of books your business?
and old wares
Moving to a residence with a shop attached on the main street of town.
and a good eye
for interesting This enabled us to attract more customers and appear more business-like.
pieces or books
What would you never do again?
hrs/wk Thurs–Sun
work–life there’s not a sharp Advertise in a daily paper. We didn’t get enough of a return to make
demarcation it worthwhile.
between my work
and home life We have concentrated on providing our brochure to the regional tourist
offices and other businesses in town. We have also sponsored local events.
My diary
Monday–Wednesday:
• Buying trips
• Prepare stock
• Do accounts
• Day off
Thursday–Sunday:
• Open shop
• Serve customers
• Prepare stock
40
WfH_Book_000607.indd 40 24/8/07 4:44:41 PM

Desktop publishing
It isn’t just what you say, but how you lay it out. So when it comes to
the aesthetic-driven world of today, colour and hip design can be the
ticket for getting your books, magazines, brochures or web designs
to catch the consumer’s eye.
Desktop publishers are the practitioners of page layouts, the gurus of

colour coordination, as they negotiate the minefields of white space.
They bring together the different elements of text, graphics, photos
and other visual elements to make a coherent, beautiful whole.
It’s a job that is easily adaptable to working from home, as all that is
needed (apart from the necessary skills) is a desk, high-end computer,
scanner, the right software and some clients to work for. And with
plenty of freelance work floating around, get out of that corporate
office, get home, and get going!
plenty of desk space to spread things out. Plenty of power points and
don’t let the spaghetti get the better of you.

41
WfH_Book_000607.indd 41 24/8/07 4:44:52 PM

Work from Home
cv clerk typist >> Helene Carroll – Desktop Publisher

administration officer >>
Helene is a Queensland-based desktop
desktop publisher
publisher, which means she takes
text for books and gets them ready
for publishing.
After her daughter was born, Helene

took leave from her administrative
role in a government department.
After resigning, she was hired by her
ex-employer on a freelance basis and
has since used these contacts to help
her develop her client base as a desktop publisher.
Since making the move from office to home office, Helene says she is
more relaxed and enjoys the freedom of being able to work around her
daughter’s schedule.
q&a
What do you do in your job each day?
I take unformatted text from a manuscript, which is supplied by the
client, and place it into a predetermined template. This involves
setting styles, inserting graphics in appropriate places, and making
sure pages look balanced and evenly spaced.
Where did you get your skills from for this job?
Having worked in my previous government job as a desktop publisher
for 18 years, most of my skills have been self-taught and have
come from this experience. These skills include attention to detail
and creativity on programs such as PageMaker, Microsoft Word,
Photoshop and InDesign. I also gained knowledge from private
training I received through my previous job.
What sort of stuff do you work on?

As most of my contacts are clients from my previous job, I mostly
work on educational-based material. This ranges from publications
such as an eight-page colour newsletter for the Queensland College
of Teachers to more theoretical material such as statistical reports,
distance education materials or a professional development suite
developed for teachers, which I did recently. All of the work I do comes
from locally-based projects. Things like colour newsletters allow for
more room for creativity such as working with different layouts and
styles, which I’ve found since working from home.
42
WfH_Book_000607.indd 42 24/8/07 4:44:54 PM

Desktop publishing
How did you first get into desktop publishing?

detour
It’s just something I just fell into and quite enjoyed. I enjoy arranging
things, and it’s challenging trying to fit things on a page. Does the world of publishing
appeal to you? Check out
What hours to you currently work? more job opportunities in
I average four to five hours per day, usually from about 9.30 am or Career FAQs Publishing.
10 am to 2.30 pm or 3 pm. Some days I can do up to eight hours if the www.careerfaqs.com.au
timeline requires it while other days can be very quiet when I’m in
between jobs and don’t work at all.
How has working from home changed your work/family life?

Since starting my own business, I’ve found more time to myself and
my family and I’ve generally felt more relaxed. I have more flexibility
and save time from not having to travel.

I worked full-time for 20 years in a government department. When my
daughter was born, I took 12 months’ leave after which I resigned.
My ex-employer then hired me to do freelance work, which I still do
on a casual basis.
‘I think a good
filing system is
handy and good
organisation is
essential.’
What do you like most about working from home?

It offers great flexibility. I can schedule my day around my daughter –
I’m able to attend all her school activities and do the drop-off and
pick-up duties.
It is also possible to do two days’ work in one because there are no
interruptions like telephones ringing, meetings and office chitchat.

Getting motivated is hard, especially when you can easily put off
working and do something else either socially or around the house.
But once I get started I find it hard to stop – I find myself saying ‘just
one more page, just one more section’ – and before I know it, I’ve
finished and realise that the task wasn’t that hard after all.
43
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Work from Home
How do you work around the people you live with?

Ninety-nine per cent of the time I work when no-one is home or after
everyone is in bed. The other 1 per cent is rush-job time when projects
have tight deadlines. My daughter is pretty good with that, she knows
that I’m working and not to interrupt me too much. I try to do only
an hour at a time when she is home. If weekend work is involved, my
husband is home to spend time with her.
People always say how lucky I am, and I am very, very lucky – however
I do miss the social interaction and ‘adult’ conversation that comes
with an office environment.
ing at her home office

Helene work
Do you ever find yourself procrastinating?

I’m very good at procrastinating. I often put off the hard aspects of a
job until I really have to do it, and then I find everything usually falls
into place anyway.
What is your income range, or what do you estimate would be

a typical income for someone in your line of work?
Approximately $10 000 to $15 000.
What are some strategies you have adopted which have been
helpful to you as someone working from home?
I don’t take on too much work and as a result, it’s not too difficult
juggling different projects I’m working on. I think a good filing system
is handy and good organisation is essential.
44
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Desktop publishing
How do you find clients, or how do they find you?

I didn’t intend to make this a full-time business, nor do I want it to be.
So I don’t advertise, I get work by word of mouth.
in
Do you have future plans for developing/merging your skills
into another occupation? brief
Desktop Publisher
I’d like to expand the current skills I have, but I’m generally quite
happy with the role I have at the moment. $$$ 10–15K
quals knowledge from
How do you deal with having an irregular income? How do short courses and
hands-on experience
you manage the lean times?
hrs/wk 4–5 hours per day
My husband is the main income provider so we try not to rely too work–life excellent
heavily on my income – and of course, payday is a good day!
5 am –
7
• Get am
u
• Mak p and get hu
e coff sband
• Che ee off to
ck ema work
• Do ils
work
7 am –
10 am
• Get
b
• Mak reakfast rea
e dy
• Org lunches
an
• Dro ise daughter
p off d for sch
• Go a
to the ughter at sc ool
shops h
10 am and ru ool
– 2.45 n erran
• Do pm ds
wo
• Tid rk
yt
• Hav he house an
e lunch d do th
• Do e wash
more w ing
ork
2.45 p
m
• Pick – 3 pm
daught
er up f
3.30 p rom sc
m – 4.3 hool
• Finis 0 pm
h any b
• Bac its and
k-up w pieces
ork on for wo
4.30 p CD rk
m
• Nor
mal fa
mily ac
tivities
45
WfH_Book_000607.indd 45 24/8/07 4:45:15 PM

WfH_Book_000607.indd 46 24/8/07 4:45:23 PM
Electrical
contracting
When Michael Faraday sat down and invented an electricity generator
in 1831, he probably didn’t realise that he would start the longest
running series of jokes of all time. ‘How many electricians does it take
to screw in a light globe?’ You can look that one up yourself because
this is not a joke book, but a careers guide, and as we know careers
are serious business.
All jokes aside, if you feel like you are fumbling around in the dark
glossary
trying to plan your career, maybe you should try lighting up your way
Sparkies are:
with this career. Sparkies are needed everywhere and with a growing
– the familiar term used for
awareness that the electrical trade is facing a skills shortage, there
electricians.
is plenty of work to be had and money to be made. It’s also an ideal
business to run from home – so why not ditch the office, get out and
about, and put a spark into your career?
47
WfH_Book_000607.indd 47 24/8/07 4:45:35 PM

Work from Home
cv gardener >> Marty Beaton – Electrician

plumber’s trade assistant
Marty is a Sydney-based electrician.
>> ��
apprentice electrician
He began his career as an apprentice,
>> electrician
working with a qualified electrician,
while studying at TAFE. Through this
work he gained hands-on experience
and learnt about persistence,
patience, customer service and good
old hard work.
In 1999 he felt he was ready for a new

challenge and decided to set up his
own home-based electrical business. While he spends much of his
time at houses and businesses fixing electrical problems, he runs the
administration of his business from home.
q&a
How did you become an apprentice electrician?
It took a long time to get a job, and I spent a lot of time making phone
calls and sending letters. I eventually rang a guy who had a one-man
business and he decided to give me a go.
The apprenticeship was a four-year course, and I attended TAFE one day
a week for three of those years to get an Electrical Trade Certificate.
The rest of my time was working on the job with a qualified electrician.

I made the decision at the end of my apprenticeship in 1999 to start
my own business rather than work for someone else. I thought that
with my own business I could earn more money, choose my hours, and
I found that I had a lot more motivation to work if I did my own work.
So I registered my business and set up my first office in my bedroom!
I bought a second-hand computer and learnt basic office skills from
family members and friends. Today, I have my own office attached to
my home and my wife helps out with the paperwork and day-to-day
running of the business side of our company.
How did you initially fund your business?

When undertaking electrical contracting work, the main funding issue
is to pay for electrical materials. To get started, I only accepted small
jobs that didn’t require a large outlay of materials, and slowly built up
my business from here.
48
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Electrical
contracting
What tasks do you do each day?

I try to set aside one day a week to do my paperwork, such as quotes
and invoices. The other four days I am onsite doing hands-on
electrical work.
What type of jobs do you do?

I mostly work in the commercial field where I install and maintain
lights, power, phone data cabling and audiovisual equipment.
My clients include shops, offices, cafés and restaurants. In the office
I do anything from filing to quoting to payroll and organising.
‘I make it a policy
to switch off the
computer and walk
out of my office
by 5 pm.’
What is the most interesting job you have worked on?

I was asked to design and construct a sign which had 1000 light
globes on it for a live album recording. It took days for three guys
to wire it up and you needed sunglasses to look at it.
Have you had any unusual or challenging jobs or clients?

A lot of jobs are challenging, but as long as you are positive,
persistent, honest and have a good attitude – even when you aren’t
making money – your hard work will always pay off. Clients always
notice good character.

It’s flexible.

Distractions such as family and friends. You need to lock
yourself away.

I make it a policy to switch off the computer and walk out of my office,
or be home from a job, by 5 pm – unless there is an emergency call.
This is very important to me, as I want to be able to invest quality time
into my family. I also believe that work is not the be all and end all in
this life – faith and family is. Working from home allows me to allocate
my time to pursuits outside of work such as these.
49
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Work from Home
How do you work around people you live with?

detour
It can be difficult to concentrate on my work – especially with a baby
Find out how to get an who is teething – but I make it a policy to go into my office and shut
apprenticeship in the door behind me when I have work to do. I find it very important to
Career FAQs Building & have a separate office space as it allows me to focus solely on the job
Construction.
at hand. I would never be able to have an office space in a lounge or
www.careerfaqs.com.au family room as there would be too many distractions.
My family also do their best not to interrupt me when I am working in
the office. As a family, we made the decision to have a home office,
so we make it a family effort to respect work areas and family areas.
When I shut my office door at 5 pm, I become ‘husband’ and ‘father’
and it is easy to separate the two because of our separate office.
What is the single most important thing you ever did for
your business?
When we bought our home, we chose a property that had an office
and storage facilities for my work materials. This meant a huge saving
in rent for office space or storage sheds.
ls’
workin g ‘on the too
Marty loves
How do you stay motivated? Do you ever find yourself

procrastinating?
I love what I do for a living. I love the freedom of running my
own business and the convenience of running it from home,
50
WfH_Book_000607.indd 50 24/8/07 4:45:53 PM

Electrical
contracting
but I procrastinate when doing paperwork. It’s not my forte! I’d much
glossary
rather be out on the tools. To compensate for this, I try to set aside a
full day in the office where I can quote, invoice, make payments, plan On the tools means:
and organise my business. When I walk into my office and shut the – working with your hands
door, I am there to work. on the job.�.
Do you ever feel lonely working from home?

Not at all. I have my family around me when I want a break, and being
an electrical contractor means I work with clients every day. Most of
my day is either interacting with apprentices, clients, other tradesmen
or talking on the phone to suppliers and clients. I also keep in contact
with other contractors at trade nights, conferences, and on the road.

In the early days I would be on jobs paying by the hour, and some
clients didn’t believe the job was worth the amount of the final bill.
Now I’ve learnt to always do quotes beforehand so the client knows
what they are up for. Another strategy I use is to regularly collect
progress payments for work so I don’t have outstanding amounts
from creditors.

I don’t spend a great deal of money on advertising because I haven’t
needed to. I have worked very hard on the ‘service’ aspect of my
business, and I have found that if you and your business have a good
reputation, the work follows. My clients are very loyal and I have been
blessed to have received most of my business through word of mouth.

I only have a small listing in the Yellow Pages and a local business
directory. If you do your best with each job and are prepared to go the
extra mile when needed, you will self-promote in a positive way.

In my line of work, you can be waiting on a large number of people
to pay you, so it’s a good idea to have a credit card. I also rely on
having accounts with suppliers and a bank overdraft for emergencies.
One of the most time-consuming parts of my job can be chasing up
outstanding payments.
My family does not live outside our means but we know that
the reward for putting in the effort to have our own business far
in
outweighs the salary we would be getting if I was
employed elsewhere.
brief
Electrician
Do you have any tips on how to best manage accounting, $$$ 60K+
income and tax? quals Electrical Trade
Certificate, TAFE
Find a good accountant and bookkeeper, and if you have weaknesses,
hrs/wk about 40
make sure you have people around you who are strong in those areas.
work–life great
Also, chase debtors persistently – you are not a financial institution.
51
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WfH_Book_000607.indd 52 24/8/07 4:45:56 PM
Events
coordinating
What do the FAI Awards, Big Day Out, Earth Watch, the Sydney
Olympics, the BHP Annual General Meeting and the launch of a new
product all have in common? They all had an events manager or 10
(or 100) working to make sure that the reality of the event matched
the expectations.
For those people who are born organisers – who look at a sports field
and imagine a carnival with jumping castles, jazz bands and fairy
floss stands (not that there’s anything wrong with that!) – the life of
an event organiser or manager includes coming up with the concept,
developing the theme, finding the right venue, booking the talent and
caterers, and making sure the whole thing goes off with a bang and
not a fizz.
A career in events management will also allow you to legitimately

gatecrash the annual accountants’ conference and it doesn’t get much
better than that. And you can do it all from home in your pyjamas –
only frocking up to look fabulous for the grand finale – the partay!
Now that’s a career to be celebrated.
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Work from Home
cv picking up eggs, Carly Jabs – Events Coordinator

hen farm >> gym creche
>> video store attendant Carly runs an events and marketing
>> account manager, company, Minefield Events & Marketing,
radio industry >> radio from her home in Western Australia.
promotions and events
As Managing Director, Carly’s job involves
coordinating and promoting special
>> magazine advertising
events, festivals and corporate functions.
sales >> seminar and
events coordinator >>
events and conferencing
>> promotions and
publicity manager >>
events coordinator
q&a
What do you do in your job?
My business involves the management and coordination of
significant events and also supplies promotional products and staff
for events and functions. My role involves the securing of funding,
implementation and coordination of events, and event marketing.

I started working from home in July 2005 after I left my job in radio
promotions and publicity and set up my own home office. My husband
had been running his own home-operated business for two years prior
to that so I saw first-hand how easy it could be to achieve.

working from home?
I was surprised at how much I craved human interaction and how my
relationship would change with my husband, who was also working
from home in a separate office. With no one to regularly correspond
with in an office environment my husband soon became my rock,
my punching bag and work colleague all at once. It was not only
overwhelming but difficult to differentiate between work life and
personal life as we couldn’t physically leave our work life at the office
due to the fact that we were living in the office.

I used holiday pay I had saved from my previous employer. It wasn’t
a great deal of money, but enough to buy furniture and home
office equipment. I was lucky as I had some pre-existing client
relationships and I secured some large events contracts straight off
the bat. I have used this money to continue building on what I initially
started with.
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Events
coordinating

I started out specialising in events management, but I now run an
online events and entertainment guide, where any business or
organisation can list an event regardless of whether my business
is involved or not. My business can now supply staff for events and
promotions and can even secure promotional products and signage
for clients or events.

I love the flexibility of time management and having time off
when needed. I can have lunch with the girls, play golf or head
away early on a Friday afternoon for a long weekend.

I find the lack of security most difficult to deal with. I have no holiday
pay, commitment to pay superannuation, weekly wage, salary, sick
leave, commission or maternity leave.
When I started out it was difficult to pre-empt the financial highs
and lows of the business, and I was unsure of how to prepare for the
lean times. I have now developed my marketing client base around
my scheduled events so that I have a fall-back position in the slower
winter months.
What do you think is one of the biggest myths about working

from home, and what is the reality?
Everyone thinks that the events industry is glamorous as people
associate it with endless parties, celebrities, weddings and a really
sociable environment – but the truth is very different. In reality my
job is 99 per cent administration and 1 per cent implementation.
The majority of my work is usually done in my trackies at home, and
during the event itself I am unable to relax as I need to be constantly
on the ball. The glamorous part of my job is that first red wine I get to
have at home after the event is over before I have to start writing the
success report.

It has taken a while to get my balance right. I now commit to working
between 8 am and 5 pm weekdays, though this schedule can change
depending on work demands.
I find that because I spend most of my time at home it’s the last place
I want to be when I’m relaxing so I like to pursue other interests and
hobbies like dancing, netball, the gym and golf. I have to challenge
myself physically and mentally outside the house to keep me
motivated while at work.
I am in the process of building an external dwelling for my business
so that I can make the work–home line easier to distinguish.
55
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Work from Home
How do you work around the other people you live with?
I live alone with my husband and I have found it extremely difficult
to adjust. It’s difficult to find things to talk about other than work as
both of us live and work within 20 feet of each other. This is why I have
pursued hobbies outside of the house with friends of mine.

My office is very small with very little storage. I have a couch and chair
for clients to sit on, a filing cabinet, an old restored jarrah desk and
bookshelf, which leaves very little room for anything else.
My husband and I share some resources such as wireless Internet and
a colour laser printer, but I have my own personal access to fax, phone
and radio.
Colour motivates me and represents the excitement of the industry
in which I work, so I have used a colour scheme of blue and red to
make the room vibrant. I think you need to surround yourself with
things you love and that inspire you. I also have a corkboard full of
promotional news stories written about the events or my business,
photographs and inspiring quotes that mean a lot to me.
How do you stay motivated?

I stay motivated by staying active. I will force myself to go to the
gym before work or take the dog for a walk if I am feeling bored
or unmotivated.
Put inspirational quotes on your wall: ‘Don’t start living tomorrow –

tomorrow never arrives; start working on your dreams and
ambitions today.’
Do you ever feel lonely working from home? How do you deal
with this?
I am naturally a very sociable person and I’ve found it hard to adjust to
the isolation of my working environment. I deal with this by catching
up with friends or clients for lunch and playing netball. It requires a
great deal of effort to stay in touch with people. I am also a member
of the Bunbury Chamber of Commerce and I take advantage of the
business networking opportunities that this presents.
working from home?
I am particularly proud to be the official representative and coordinator
of the Bunbury Carnaval. It is an 8-day calendar of events surrounding
56
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Events
coordinating
the Bunbury Cup horse race in March each year. It is the largest racing
event in regional Western Australia and attracts approximately 20 000
people, and this injects $11 million into the local economy. When I
coordinated the Bunbury Cup in 2006 and 2007 it broke the on-course
takings record by over $200 000 and saw an increase in numbers by
30 per cent.
What other events you have coordinated?

At the same time of year as the Bunbury Carnaval and the Carnaval
Grand Opening Concert, I organise the Bunbury Cup and the Harvey
Harvest Festival – an Italian festival attracting approximately
10 000 visitors. I am also currently organising the Old Broadwater
Farm Charity Concert in January and several corporate events.
, 2006
aval launch
Bunbury Carn

The biggest lesson was finance-related. There were times of feast
and famine in my first year of operation and I now know I should
have prepared better financially for the hard times. In my second
year of business I developed strategic ways of improving my income
across the winter months so finance is more consistent. I now also
get advice from my accountant and financial adviser constantly
throughout the year.
57
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Work from Home
Don’t consider the possibility of failure – ‘The greatest mistake you make
in life is to continually fear you will make one’.
What is the typical income for someone in your line of work?

Realistically you could aim to make between $80 000 and $120 000
as an independent events manager, although in my first year I made
approximately $50 000. When I come across opportunities to expand
my business I always weigh up whether or not I will be compromising
my quality of life and service to existing clients by taking on too much
too soon.
Do you have any qualifications or have you completed any

business courses?
I have completed an Australian Institute of Management course in
management and leadership and am currently undertaking my
Bachelor of Business at Edith Cowan University in Western Australia.
Events coordination is something I have learnt through my work history,
where I have organised radio and hotel events. Being organised is
something I have always been – you either are or you’re not.
www.minefieldevents.com.au
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Events
coordinating

Most clients have come through word of mouth, although I have
advertised in the newspaper and using Yellow Pages online. I sponsor
the events that I organise so I am able to build a profile and reputation
based on my achievements. Additionally, I have a great website and
online presence that helps attract new business.
How do you manage your financial relationship with clients?

I initially outline the payment conditions to each client during the
negotiation process and on most occasions ask for a 50 per cent up
front payment. Once this payment has been received I will officially
commence the project.
I don’t set up accounts for clients, and have a strict 30-day payment
terms from the time of invoice.
Unfortunately there is the odd client who has let the accounts run
into the 60- to 90-day period, which is unacceptable. In this situation
I remove all emotion from the issue and almost act as if an independent
accounts person is following up the account on behalf of the business.
Clients can easily take an email regarding their lack of payment as a
personal attack on their professionalism so I don’t make it personal.

income and tax?
I use MYOB accounting and my accountant has taught me the
basics of tracking my income and expenditure so that at the end of
the financial year he can work out my tax. I pay my GST quarterly
and do my own BAS statements using the reporting process in MYOB.
My advice is to find a tax accountant and financial planner who you
trust as they can explain processes that you may not understand.

You firstly should undertake some research to discover whether
there is a need and want for your product or service, and then create
a business plan. You should then secure a decent financial base in
which to implement a good brand and marketing plan.
Would you ever take an office job again?

It’s great to have job security in an office environment, although I prefer
the satisfaction and freedom of operating my own business.
Do you have any plans to start a family?

We don’t have children and won’t until our businesses are sustainable
enough for one of us to have a year off to become the sole carer.
The lack of maternity leave is just another security issue that we can’t
afford due to running two businesses from home.
59
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Work from Home
in
brief
I believe my business has the potential to firmly secure its roots
Events Coordinator in Western Australia’s South West in the next two to five years.
$$$ 50–70K I look forward to building the business and I would like to be able
quals undertaking B to purchase office space in the next 18 months so that I can employ
Business
staff and take on more projects. It would be great to launch an
hrs/wk 8 am – 5 pm
additional Queensland branch in five to 10 years and take the
work–life fair
company nation-wide.
licensing,
ment, liquor
Monday – risk manage
ur e ap pr ov als for events nagement
• Sec s and traffic
ma
road closure quittal of event funding ting
• Report and
ac
an d MYOB accoun up configuration
nistration set- nel
• Office admi event site and map out d key person
providers an
• Drive out to t-up details to service
se
• Distribute
vice
ideas and ad
Tuesday uss marketing
tin g wi th client to disc blicity
• Mee d pu
marketing an
• Coordinate rtainment for an event
ce settings
• Source ente ing invites and table pla
• Design wedd eaker for a conference
sp
• Book guest
t
s for an even
Wednesday sorship funding and prize
x
• Source spon dia to secure media mi rs and business owners
me unity leade
• Liaise with
ions with comm n
• Public relat s and delegate informatiog event
nu
• Create me CI after hours networkin
• Att en d a BC
tion
Thursday grant applica
government progress
• Complete a di sc uss project luding management of ke
y
en t to
• Visit cli mo rrow’s event s
inc
up fo r to er
• Set d service pr
ovid
unting
personnel an tration and MYOB acco
nis
• Office admi ry map launch
ne
• Attend a wi
Friday ent
large scale ev
• Coordinate nage key personnel
ma oviders
• Brief an d d service pr and confirm details
volunteers an k
• Coordinate d groom to wish them luc
• Call bride an
for even t
t
• Pack up even
y personnel
Sa tu rd ay d manage ke
a wedding an rvice providers
• Coordinate se
guests and ents
• Coordinate t schedule and run of ev
• Create even t
• Pack up even
Sunday leads
• Day off t for ideas or
stival or even
• Attend a fe
60
WfH_Book_000607.indd 60 24/8/07 4:46:32 PM

Family day care
If the thought of spending hours squeezed into a cane chair designed
for toddlers or sipping pretend tea from cups the size of your pinky
doesn’t make you head for the hills, then running a family day care
centre could be for you.
Before you start ‘practising’ for the role by watching endless

episodes of Winnie the Pooh and singing Big Red Car till the cows
come home, looking after small children is a job that involves
tremendous responsibility and care – it’s not all dress-ups and
dancing with saucepans. But if you love the idea of sharing your
not-so-pristine sanctuary with a bunch of children, then starting a
family day care might be for you.
With more and more parents working to ‘bring home the bacon’, and
the traditional hours of nine-to-five becoming continually blurred,
there is an increase and need for more childcare facilities in Australia.
Many parents like the personalised care that family day carers
can offer. Supported by a structured organisation, but allowing
owners the autonomy of running their own businesses, this is the
ultimate home business – your first prerequisite is to have a home!
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Work from Home
cv Rory: Rory Fagan and Phanthira Chuamkaew –

strategy consultant (China) King & I Childcare
>> completed MBA >>
Rory and Phanthira run a family day care
business development
business from their home in Waverley in
(Sydney) >> account
New South Wales. They both moved from
manager (London) >>
the UK to Australia four years ago and
childcare consultant
decided to start their own day care
business after Phanthira completed her
cv Phanthira:
teaching course from Randwick TAFE.
drama teacher (Thailand) Phanthira is originally from Thailand and

>> nanny (London and has eight years experience in teaching.
Sydney) >> carer Known as ‘Dew’ by her kids, she works
as a carer in the business and each day she looks after five children
aged between one and a half and three.
Rory works from home several days of the week in another job, but
helps runs the administration aspects of the business.
After opening their home to clients in February, King & I Childcare

has experienced phenomenal success. Within their first two weeks
of operation they had achieved their full capacity of children.
q&a
Why did you decide to become a teacher?
Phanthira: Every time that I am with children it makes me happy.
I love to see their reactions and understand how they feel.
Sometimes they’ll give me a smile, and I know that it is truly from
their heart. I’m happy to know that I’m helping them learn the right
way to behave.
Why did you move to Australia?

Rory: We came to Australia from the UK in 2003. We had won tickets
to come over and watch the Rugby World Cup and thought there was
no point in going just for a week and that we may as well come for
a few years. So we applied for working visas and then I did an MBA
degree in Australia and Phanthira started doing nanny work.
glossary Why did you create your family day care business?
PEAT means: Phanthira: I completed a PEAT course for eight months, which is
– Professional English a course to help overseas-qualified teachers become qualified to
Assessment for Teachers. teach in Australia. My teaching qualifications were accredited but
completing the language portion of the course and waiting to be
allocated to a school would have taken 12 months, so we began to
look at other options.
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Family day care
Rory: We did some research about the opportunities for setting up a

childcare business. We discovered that operating a childcare centre
is very difficult from your own home, so our other option was to do
family day care. It is the easiest and quickest way to get started.
We contacted Waverley Family Day Care who were very supportive and
provided us with information about basic requirements for working
with children. They came around to our home to show us which areas
of our home were most suitable for kids and helped us to comply
with regulations. They recommended things to change in our home,
such as the addition of fire blankets, first aid kits, safety glass under
a certain height, removal of trip hazards, installation of safety corners
on tables, and the laying of Astroturf in the backyard. Without this
guidance, it would have been a lot more difficult in the beginning.
What regulations are there for people working with children?

Rory: Some requirements include a police check, you must either own
your own home or get permission from a landlord for rented premises,
and also you need family day care insurance which covers property
and liability insurance.
How many children can you look after each day?

Rory: For family day care you are allowed up to five kids per day.
You can never have any more, even if you have other people to
help you. There are different requirements for childcare centres as
they have ratios that depend on the size of the property, the age of
the children and the number of carers.
Why did you choose to operate your business in Waverley?

Rory: We were already in the area and wanted to be in the Eastern
suburbs, as we love the beaches and also wanted to be near the city.
Also, we knew there was a demand for childcare in that area.
Are there childcare shortages throughout Sydney?

Rory: Everyone talks about shortages, so we did some market
research by calling up some of the family day carers to
investigate prices.
Did you have many initial start-up costs?

Rory: Most of our costs were related to making sure the house was
safe and buying toys for the kids to play with. Additionally, there
were costs for things such as training courses to gain
necessary qualifications.
What is the concept behind your business name?

Rory: My mother was a teacher and her favourite movie was
The King and I. The movie promotes the idea of multicultural study
environments and follows the story of an English lady teaching
Thai children. It is quite a nice idea that in a multicultural city like
Sydney we’re doing the opposite, as my wife is a teacher from
Thailand teaching Australian kids. We use the fact that we’re from
different cultures as part of the education of the children.
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Work from Home
Phanthira: Sometimes we sing the song from the movie, ‘Getting to

know you, getting to know all about you’. It’s fun to use the songs
from the musical, and we can sing and dance.
What is the average salary for a day care business?

Rory: Waverley Council does not set childcare prices for family
day care businesses. We are self-employed so we are free to set
our prices. If you provide a good service parents will pay more.
Charges tend to range from $60 to $100 per child per day.
harges
her young c
ith some of
Phanthira w
What teaching experience do you have?

Phanthira: I have a Bachelor of Education degree from Thailand.
I worked at a bilingual school for eight years where I was a drama
teacher for students aged between four and 12 years old.
Is it very different working with children in Australia

compared to Thailand?
Phanthira: If you work in a different country to your home country, you
need to watch and observe the people. You have to get to know the
people and the country. Australian children are friendly and will hug
you and say goodbye. This contact is different to Thailand where the
children are too shy to hug.
I was previously a teacher of Thai dance and ballet in Thailand. I now
use ballet movements as an exercise for my students here as they can
understand the rhythm and learn about the idea of counting.
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WfH_Book_000607.indd 64 24/8/07 4:46:56 PM

Family day care
What qualifications are necessary to work as a carer

in Australia?
Phanthira: As part of the preparation for childcare I have completed
training such as first aid for childcare workers, safe food handling,
glossary
preparing nutritionally balanced food in a hygienic manner, OHS OHS means:
training and child protection training. – Occupational Health
and Safety.
What hours do you work each day?
Rory: Our day care is open from 7.30 am to 5.30 pm, but the length
of time that children are with us varies as it depends on each parent.
Some children are with us all day because their parents work in the
city, while some drop their kids off for a shorter amount of time.
Is there much stress in your job?

Phanthira: To be honest, there is stress occasionally. It is frustrating
when children can’t do something that you want them to do. So it’s
necessary to understand the children and accept that they can’t
do everything. People must have emotions – you can feel angry, or
upset – but I am always happy with them.
What do you love most about working with children?

Phanthira: I love that they are very innocent. I love to have fun
with them. We dance, sing, do lots of things – it is good fun for all
of us. You can’t do this when you work with adults. The children are
not too shy to be themselves.
What activities do you do with the children?

Phanthira: Sometimes we make play dough together, learn to use
colours and pens, or do painting activities. We use puzzles, puppets,
blocks and musical instruments and I teach them about sharing
through these activities.
Rory: Twice a month there is an opportunity for the children to have
a play session at the Waverley Day Care Centre with other groups
of kids. This is a good chance for them to play with other children
and be in a new environment.
Do you have a structured program?

Rory: The children have a daily routine to give them stability. It’s very
important for young kids to have stability and know exactly what’s
going to happen all the time. It makes them feel much calmer in a
structured situation. It’s often difficult for them to settle when it’s the
first time they’ve been out of their home.
Also, each month has a theme to focus on, such as animals, fruits and
vegetables, Australia, and the environment.
How do you organise meal times?

Rory: We choose to provide food, and to do that we’ve had to
complete courses in food preparation and food serving. It makes life a
bit more difficult, but we believe that good nutrition is very important
to keep a child happy and healthy.
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Work from Home
Phanthira: The children can choose what they want to eat each day.
detour We teach them about food and nutrition. I also prepare food from
Find out about jobs that different countries.
inspire the next generation in
Career FAQs Education. What do you hope that the children take away from spending
time with you?
Phanthira: I hope that they are well behaved, learn to listen to their
parents and also help out in their family home. I teach them about
life skills such as what to do when they finish eating at the table.
Manners and hygiene can be taught very easily to this age group.
How is your home organised?

Rory: Our house is a three-bedroom semi. The sunroom and master
bedroom are kept separate and the children aren’t allowed in there.
The children-accessible areas are the hallway, the main living room, a
toy and art room, and a dining area, which is part of the kitchen. In the
afternoon, the children play in the back garden.
What are some of your greatest achievements so far?

Rory: Phanthira
��
was granted a ‘Citizenship Award’ last month
from Randwick TAFE as a thankyou for her work in helping build a
successful community of students. It’s quite amusing because we’re
going to apply for our citizenship in October, and we joke about how
we’ve got citizenship already with this award. However, we’re looking
forward to becoming official Australian citizens.
How is your work–life balance?

Rory: We have weekends and evenings completely to ourselves,
however, being self-employed means that we don’t have scheduled
holidays, which was a bit of an issue at the beginning. It is possible
to have flexibility and take time off if we want, but the downside is
that we won’t get paid. We haven’t taken time off yet as we’re trying
to build a relationship with the children. However, we do get to visit
many areas of Sydney because we spend a lot of time driving around
to pick up toys we’ve bought on eBay.
Phanthira: It’s difficult for me as I have to keep my eye on the
children all the time and I don’t have any breaks, even when
I have lunch. Even in their nap times I have to be alert. If one
child cries, all the others get up and I have to calm them
down again.
In my free time I love shopping! But even when I am shopping
I am thinking about the children. I see toys and books at the shops
that I know they would love. I don’t have time to pursue my Thai
dancing after work anymore, as I have to buy food and prepare
for the next week. I find that I am always thinking about what I need
to do for the children.
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Family day care
Do you have any tips for someone considering starting their

own childcare business?
Rory: Waverley Council is always telling us that Phanthira does a
very good job with the parents and the children, and I think the
reason for the success of the business is her passion for caring for
the kids. You don’t get into this job unless you really love working
with children. When you’re running your own business, you do it
because you really love it. Waverley Family Day Care have been
very supportive.
Phanthira: Have a good heart, be a warm, kind person, and be
honest with the children. Your passion for your work should
come from the heart – children are innocent and know when you
are sincere.
‘In the near future

we would like to
be registered as
a carbon-neutral
business.’
What are your plans for the future?

Phanthira: When we first came here we weren’t planning to stay
long term, but now we want to stay forever. Hopefully we would
like to grow our business and do more with the children.
Rory: We’re planning to stay in Australia indefinitely and are looking
to expand to become a childcare centre because the business has
been so successful, and Phanthira has been so popular as a carer.
In the near future we would also like to be registered as a
carbon-neutral business because we’ve realised that only two
sets of parents out of eight drive to get here each day. We will
encourage parents to drop off their kids by public transport or
by walking. This is a good way to teach the children about exercise,
keeping fit and their impact on the environment.
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Work from Home
in How do you think becoming carbon-neutral will affect

brief your business?
King & I Childcare Rory: It’s more of a statement about what kind of a business we want
$$$ 50–80K to be, rather than a strategy to attract more clients. Water is a huge
quals hanthira
P issue in Sydney and it doesn’t seem sensible for people not to recycle
– B Education water or use rainwater. So if we register as a carbon-neutral business,
(Thailand)
when parents are looking at childcare facilities they can see that
ory
R
our childcare centre is environmentally sustainable. This could be
– MBA, Australian
Graduate School achieved through things like a water tank and solar panels on the roof.
of Management We plan to do as much as we possibly can to reduce our impact on
hrs/wk 50 the environment. Childcare businesses are all about the children, and
work–life medium we hope to do our bit to help the children’s environment in the future.
flexibility up to the individual It seems to be a logical thing to do.
carer to discuss
with parents
and greet
7.30 am Meet
Supervised play
9 am Morning tea yme,
guage, action, rh
9.3 0 am Group time – lan
music, rhythm
e
10.15 am Outside play tim
Pack aw ay
11 am
11.15 am Lunch
noon Sleep
oon tea
2.30 pm Aftern and crafts/ small
Ou ts ide play time or arts
3.3 0 pm
pend ing on the weather and
motor skills (de
class plan)
ack
4.30 pm Late sn llected
until they are co
Quiet activities
by parents
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Fashion
So you think you have style? Friends come to you before first dates?
Watched the stars stroll down the red carpet and thought you could
outfit them better for the Oscars?
Well, there’s a little more to being a fashion stylist than making

superstars and A-listers with enviable waistlines and disposable
dollars look good. Can you recognise a pear shape from an apple and
bring out the beauty in everyone? Should someone cover up or show
a little skin? What colours can a redhead wear? Brunette? Blonde?
Fashion stylists don’t just saunter through the shops and

browse boutiques. There’s more to it than setting someone up
with the stilettos of the season, which then settle to gather dust
at the bottom of their wardrobe. It’s selecting the dress, the coat
and the accessories that somehow shine when worn together.
Sure it involves reading fashion magazines, knowing the designer

collections and following seasonal trends. It is also about originality
and individuality because not everyone is going to look good in that
size 6 see-through leopard print that strutted down the catwalk.

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Work from Home
cv waitress >> child Susan Conterno – Fashion Stylist and

birthday parties >> drama Wardrobe Consultant
teacher/coach >> actress
Susan is a Melbourne-based fashion
>> theatre director >>
stylist and wardrobe consultant.
choreographer >> writer >>
She helps style video clips and fashion
set and costume designer
shoots, writes articles in magazines,
>> fashion stylist and
assists individual clients style their
wardrobe consultant
wardrobe and maintains her website.
q&a
What do you do in your job?
I have a lot of different elements to my work. I style video clips, write
articles for local newspapers and free magazines, give fashion talks
and workshops, answer readers’ questions about style and fashion for
the weekly national gossip magazine Famous and operate my website.
I also work on special occasion outfits where I style people for special
events such as the Logies, Mediterranean cruises, weddings, job
interviews and conferences. When I style people I need to generate
the right look and arrange appointments with milliners, dress makers,
designers and research and source accessories.
My time is spent with clients in their homes, shopping and
researching, and also at home writing recommendations, creating
new ‘looks’, answering new enquiries and preparing for talks
and workshops.
What process do you go through when you are

advising clients?
When I work with private clients on their personal style I firstly assess
their wardrobes by going through their clothing and accessories.
I then supply them with written recommendations on what items
I think they need to discard or replace. Often these items are dated
and tired, or do not suit their body shape, so I suggest purchases
to fill gaps in their wardrobe or help them reach their style aims.
Sometimes I go shopping with people for ‘shopping support’ to buy
the items I have recommended. Many people don’t know how to wear
clothes they have bought, so I suggest ways they can wear certain
items and make recommendations about what cuts and styles suit
their individual body shape.
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Fashion

I usually try to work at home from 8.30 am to 4.30 pm on written
recommendations and administration. Occasionally I will have to
give a talk or visit a client in the evening, but I try to never work
past 8.30 pm with a private client. If I am shopping or assessing a
wardrobe and have a client booked in for a full day, my hours are
10 am to 5 pm.

I was originally working in theatre, doing everything from designing
costumes and sets to directing, writing and acting. I then moved
from dressing actors and dancers for the stage to dressing people for
special occasions and everyday life. I found myself jotting down notes
for people on where to shop, what to wear with what, and people
wanted to pay me for my time! At the beginning it was unofficial work
with family and friends, but then it grew to include friends of friends
and their family, and I gained new clients through word of mouth.
I loved what I was doing and decided to set it up as a business, so
I made decisions about what services I would offer and what fees
I would charge. I then had some business cards made and created my
first basic website with the help of a web programmer and designer.
All of a sudden I was working from home.

working from home?
I was surprised by how strong I had to be to get anything done –
I really had to make sure I stayed on task and didn’t get distracted.
Whenever my husband came home early from work it was all over
and I wouldn’t do any more work for the day.

I used personal savings and drew funds from my husband’s company.
I didn’t have a huge outlay to set up my business as I only needed a
PC, phone and car.

My business was initially focused on private clients – their wardrobes,
shopping and special occasions – but I have now diversified my
activities, so I write articles, give talks and provide people with advice
for special styling experiences.
My client base has also grown steadily through word of mouth as
people regularly recommend me to their family and friends, and I feel
the website aspect of my business is starting to build momentum.
I would like to develop my business online and create a new site that
is not just information about my services but also exists as a site to
visit each day for new fashion tips and trends.
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What skills or knowledge have you gained from your previous

detour
jobs that have helped in the operation of your business?
Love clothes but not sure I learnt a lot about customer service and meeting new people from my
how to turn your passion into
first ever job of working in a café. I now use these skills when I meet
a career? Check out
Career FAQs Fashion. new clients, both private and commercial, as friendly and professional
first impressions are so important. My phone skills and timetabling
of work have really benefited from the time I spent working as a
drama/dance teacher in a performing arts school for children. I have
benefited from the time I spent designing costumes, because this
experience gave me a great understanding of body shape, what style
suits certain people and how to bring in a level of impact – dramatic
statement – for special occasion styling.

I love the ease of not having to drive anywhere. This allows more time
to get work done, and if I feel like working at 1 am I can – although my
husband thinks I’m crazy. There is also great flexibility in regards to
housework and a social life.

All the things I love about working at home are also the things I find
the most difficult. The ease of not having to travel means that I never
really feel like I’ve left work, and it’s hard to switch off as I have
trouble identifying when I’ve done enough for the day.
There are also many distractions with interruptions from family and
friends who think that because I work from home my work is more
relaxed or less important. Often friends might call in and stay far too
long during work hours.

from home?
Some people think that working from home is like a hobby. My work
is my passion, but it’s also how I make a living. It is not less important
because I work from home rather than in an office.
How is working from home different to being in an office?

Things don’t just automatically run perfectly smoothly all the time
because you work from home rather than in an office. All jobs are
stressful in different ways and just because I work from home doesn’t
mean I don’t have the stress of meeting deadlines – I have to get
wardrobe recommendations finished on time, organise finances, book
fittings and plan shopping sessions. There’s often stress when I have
to overcome technical problems on my own, such as when the fax or
Internet isn’t working.
How do you manage your work–life balance?

I haven’t found a good balance yet as I think about work all the
time – I always have to send just one more email or finish one more
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Fashion
outfit suggestion before dinner. It is also hard to escape from work

on the weekend as I often have commitments with clients. On my
days off I try to get into a different routine by going to the market, or
out for breakfast, so that I don’t automatically switch on the computer
and work.

Good communication is important to make a home environment
successful for work. I am really open with my husband, and in return
he is incredibly supportive. We talk about my business all the time so
he knows if I have deadlines and understands how important things
are to me. He also knows when to stay out of my way or when to come
in and encourage me to leave something until tomorrow.
What is the single most important thing you’ve done for

your business?
So far I think the development of my website has been an important
asset as it generates more awareness of my business.
www.fashionstylist.com.au
How else do you promote your business?

My website works as my primary source of promotion, but my
fashion advice column in Famous generates additional business.
My business is occasionally featured in local papers and magazines
when I am approached for comments regarding new season fashion
and accessories – I usually get at least two articles per year which
correspond with the two major fashion seasons. Sometimes I donate
gift vouchers of my styling services to charity balls and functions as
part of auctions or raffle prices.
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Work from Home
How do you deal with clients who don’t pay?

It’s best to have a policy or procedure in place for these situations by
setting a standard time period for invoices to be paid in and reminder
notices to be sent. You need to be consistent and not make exceptions
for different situations and people.
working from home?
I travelled to Milan in July 2006 for a three-week fashion course, and
it was an amazing experience. I had an attachment with Luca Boccelli
and Marianne Leslie at the Istituto Marangoni, Milano. During this
time I got to preview autumn/winter 2007 collections of many of the
large fashion houses. I also attended fashion shows and gala dinners.
Many of the techniques I had been using in my stying were reinforced
and refined. I learnt about the importance of my individual clients.
Personal shopping and individual styling are very popular in Milan.
In Milan they talk about how the needs of a client have to be ‘covered’
in every sense – a stylist should be able to offer their clients contacts
for hair stylists, tailors, beauticians, dry cleaners, cafes, restaurants,
art dealers, interior designers, dog walkers and the list continues!
It was wonderful to see how it is done on the other side of the world!
I had the most wonderful time.
dinner in Milan, 2006

Susan at a
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Fashion
Have you been involved in any interesting projects or

photo shoots?
I have just completed a day of filming with Jennifer Hawkins for
The Great Outdoors. I have also been involved in a separate project
for Channel 9 – its working title is Winter Secrets and it’s due to air
July 2007. It’s about things to do in Melbourne in winter in the city
and one of the things to do is to be styled and shop with me!
I am also very proud of the photo shoot I styled for photographer
John Sones. He approached me with the view of creating some fashion
shots to add to his current travel and theatre body of work. I then
took on the project, pitched options to him and it all happened
from there! For the shoot I arranged the models, hair and make up
stylists, I sourced and put together all of the outfits, sourced the
locations and developed a ‘feel’ or ‘atmosphere’ I want to express in
glossary
each shot. I arranged a PA for myself on the day to handle catering PA means:
and transport. It was a long, long day – we did it all in one day! – Personal Assistant.
Do you have any qualifications?
I have a Bachelor of Arts in Drama Studies. I also did a Costume
Design attachment with Luca Boccelli and Marianne Leslie at Istituto
Marangoni, Milano.
What do you think are essential characteristics for someone

working at home?
You need to be conscientious, efficient, and personable with clients.
Working hard and not giving up is also incredibly important when you
operate your own business.

Procrastination is a problem and at times I find myself doing the
dishes or the washing instead of working. To overcome this I use a
weekly schedule to outline things that need to be done and a daily
set of tasks help me meet these aims.
I find great motivation comes from crossing off tasks when they have
been completed. Enthusiasm also comes from success when I receive
a phone call, card or email gushing thanks and praise from a client or
being referred for a certain job. Seeing the results of your hard work
also helps you to move forward because you have the satisfaction of
knowing that your work is paying off.
with this?
find out
I often feel lonely working from home and I call friends and family
more often than I would if I was working in an office. I find it is a
more
Check out Susan’s website to
good idea to get out of the house, see people, buy the paper and
see the results of her photo
have interaction with others after a long day on my own. I try to have shoot with John Sones.
lunch once a month with a friend who runs her own business from
www.fashionstylist.com.au/
home, and we use this catch up to discuss new ideas about motivation photos.htm
and organisation.
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Work from Home
What are some of the difficulties you’ve had while working

at home?
Renovating our house and trying to still work from home was tough,
as I felt like I got nothing done for three months. I ended up working
till all hours of the night to meet deadlines because there were so
many interruptions during the day from noise or power cuts. I think
if this was to happen again I would need to be more assertive with
tradesmen or take my laptop and work in a temporary environment.

Staying on task to meet deadlines – there have been too many very,
very late nights to get work done when I wasn’t strict enough on
myself during the day.

When I first started to work from home I didn’t have a room of my
own and was working at my computer in the corner of the living area.
I would be trying to work while my husband would be watching TV.
Now I know that I should always have my own space.
How are your work area and office organised?

I have a small room with a large open desk with essentials such as
a computer, printer, phone and fax. I have a traditional office swivel
chair and a fit ball that I interchange sitting on. I like to have fresh
flowers in my workspace, an oil burner and usually a pot of tea sitting
somewhere near by.
What advice would you give to someone who would like to

start their own business at home?
You must be organised and create your own space to separate work
from everyday life. It is also important to not fall into the trap of taking
long lunch breaks and days off when your friends are free. One way to
manage this is to ask yourself whether you would consider taking a
day off if you had to ask your boss.
People who work in offices often have Friday night drinks, morning
teas or dinners together to celebrate, bond and keep motivation and
a positive work outlook. So you should remember to give yourself
similar rewards when it’s appropriate.
in
brief Where do you see yourself going in the future?
I see myself moving away from private clients and towards magazine
Fashion Stylist and Wardrobe
writing and styling along with more workshops and talks. I am also
Consultant
going to have a greater focus on my website, and will either redevelop
$$$ 40K+
it or create an additional fashion-based site.
quals BA Drama Studies,
Costume Design Finally, I would love to have a home studio that is still connected
hrs/wk approx 40 to my home but has a separate entrance where clients can come to
work–life variable visit me. My dream is to have an amazing, beautiful, stylish fashion
studio complete with cappuccino machine!
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Graphic design
Have you ever imagined the world without design? Try it. Picture a
world of white, rectangles of paper filled with black Size 12 Times New
Roman font on a white background. We would be trapped within a
word document with no colour, no pictures, no page layouts to attract
and keep our attention.
Graphic designers implement a creative process that combines art

and technology to communicate ideas visually. Taught the principles
and concepts behind visual communication – light, colour, semantics,
typography, layout, white space, grids, form, function, contrast and
tone – they also need to know about printing techniques, inks, paper
stocks, writing and photography. Knowledge of technical aspects
of computer programming and mark-up design is also important as
graphic designers are inevitably asked to build their creations.
But there’s tough competition in this game, so if you’re considering

working from home, you’ll need to get all your creative juices flowing
and get some paying clients too!
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Work from Home
cv 3D animation work, Michael Efford – Graphic Designer

freelance >> lecturer and
Michael is a Melbourne-based graphic
tutor in web design >> designer and has been working from
web designer and graphic home on and off for the past seven years.
designer, freelance >>
After completing a Bachelor of Arts in
flash animator >> senior
Multimedia Design at Curtin University
designer >> web designer
Michael began his freelance career
and developer, freelance
doing a 3D animation. From there he
>> graphic designer progressed through various full-time and
freelance work as a lecturer, tutor, flash
animator and senior designer.
Michael currently works from home two days a week doing freelance
work for Papercut Media. He also works three days a week part time
as a web designer and developer for Oxfam Australia. He maintains
his freelance business through his website.
q&a
What do you do as a graphic designer?
glossary I spend most of the day in front of a computer designing artwork for
print design or interfaces for websites. Some days I design logos, or
HTML means: flyers and posters for an event, while other days I write HTML and CSS
– Hypertext Markup for a non-profit organisation.
Language, it is the software
What process do you go through when you design a product
language used to create
web pages. for a client?
CSS means: A lot of the work I do goes into analysing the client’s target audience
and creating artwork that’s suitable, based on that research.
– Cascading Style Sheets, it
specifies the appearance of
Once the design research has been done it’s then a matter of creating
text and other elements on a visually-appealing graphics based on the principles of design.
web page. This process usually involves the development of multiple concepts
that then get refined. Once a concept is to a semi-finished state
I show it to the client for feedback and discussion. From there the
final direction is agreed and the resulting graphics completed. This is
an iterative process that can go through many cycles.
What hours do you work from home?

I only work from home two days a week, but I occasionally work
during the nights on the other days and on the weekend depending on
my workload.
Why did you decide to pursue freelance work?

I liked the idea of freelance work because I could be my own boss and
I was able to have flexible working hours. When I was in my second
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Graphic design
year of university people were asking me to design websites for

them, or teach them how to design them, and I decided that I would
make some money whilst still learning. It wasn’t too hard to set the
business up as I already had the computer and software I needed.
I became a tutor in the course I was studying, offered private tutoring
and also completed occasional freelance design projects. I slowly
developed a few clients, as well as doing contract work for other
design companies.
How do you find clients, or do they find you?

Most clients find me via my own website, websites I’ve designed or
referrals from existing clients. I don’t do any advertising and the 500
business cards I printed way back in 2001 are mostly still in their box
from the printers!
www.michaelefford.com.au

My business hasn’t developed a lot over the years as I’m still just one
person, providing a service, but there’s no doubt that the quality of my
work has increased as my experience has grown. I look back at some
of my earlier work and ask myself ‘What was I thinking?’. On the other
hand, it was probably more ‘creative’ when I was younger because I
had not yet learned from so many mistakes. As they say – one has to
learn the rules in order to know how to break them.
Do you have any qualifications?

I have a Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia Design from Curtin University
and a Bachelor of Arts in Design Honours from Curtin University.
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Work from Home
What experience do you have in graphic design?

I’ve been a graphic and web designer for seven to eight years.
During this time I’ve built upon my design education through hands-on
practice and through my work in various companies I’ve picked up hints
about how to run a business. I’ve gained insight into how to deal with
clients, organise cash flow and manage projects. A lot of this has also
led to a good understanding of what not to do in business!

Working from home allows for a very comfortable work environment
and it’s nice not having anyone constantly looking over my shoulder.
It’s great knowing that the success of my business revolves solely
around what I do.
Thursday
home all day
• Work from for an
Monday ig n a fly er or poster
ee • Des
• Have a coff lo go , or a we bsite
event, a
• Ride to work L
y writing HTM
• Work all da Friday
S fo r a no n-profit
and CS • Ride to work L
organisation y writing HTM
• Work all da
around 6 pm a no n-profit
• Ride home or and CS S fo r
an y outstanding
• Work on wo rk organisation
urgent freela
nc e around 6 pm
• Ride home or
Tuesday an y outstanding
• Work on
home all day nc e wo rk
• Work from an urgent freela
or poster for
• Design flyer website
a lo go , or a Saturday
event, kes my fancy
• Whatever ta
Wednesday
• Ride to work Sunday
y writing HTM
L ftover work
• Work all da • Complete le d
a non- pr ofi t fo r the week ahea
and CSS for • Prepare
organisation
around 6 pm
• Ride home or
on an y outstanding
• Work wo rk
la nc e
urgent free
MYTH
working from home
can reduce the
number of hours
you work
The lack of human contact can be difficult at times, and loneliness can
The lines between
lead to motivational issues. Pets help, as does getting out and about
working and home life
get very blurred so that to meetings and lunches occasionally.
people an often work
late into the nights
What are the disadvantages of freelance work?
fact
to accommodate the One of the main disadvantages of freelance work is the lack of
distractions that occur having anybody around to bounce ideas off. This can lead to stale,
during the day.
one-minded designs.
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Graphic design
How do you work around the people you live with?

The two housemates I live with also partly work from home and are
both in the same industry as I am, so we all work well together and
value each other’s working schedules.

My work area is my bedroom and almost everything I need is
within arm’s reach, including the printer, scanner and any paperwork.
It’s important to keep things tidy and file properly, as come tax time
it’s a lot easier to account for everything.
What is your income range?

The income from my freelance work varies greatly from year to year
and is always supplemented by part-time, full-time, or contract work.
In previous years I’ve earned anywhere from $10 000 to $30 000 from
freelance activities.

My income is supplemented by a part-time job, which pays for all
my living expenses, so the at-home work is not essential money for
my survival. When times are tough I adapt, just like anybody else.
How do you manage clients who won’t pay?

If I’ve done the work and someone isn’t willing to pay me for it then
I simply don’t work for them anymore and spread the word that they’re
a bad-paying client.
Do you have any tips on how to best manage accounting, find out
income and tax? more
I use a program called iBiz to track all invoicing, client details, jobs Info on iBiz
and quotes. Everything else is left to my accountant at the end of the www.iggsoft.com
financial year. An accountant is extremely important, and it also helps Check out one of Michael’s
if you can find one who specialises in the area you work in. award-winning sites
www.artsedge.dca.wa.gov.au
Do you have any other passions you would like to pursue in
Read about the WA
the future? Web Awards
I’m getting more into photography every day. I’ve recently bought www.wawebawards.com.au
some pro-quality equipment and have started selling prints of my
work at a website called Redbubble. Although I do like making money
from photography, I generally just do it for the love of it. The money
I make from stock photography is minimal – around $200 a year – but
if pursued properly could be a viable income source.
My other creative passion is life drawing – nude figure drawing –
which I’ve been doing on and off for a few years now. It’s similar to my
photography interest in that I do if for the love of it, but wouldn’t mind
getting paid for it either! I’m planning on having an exhibition of my
work relatively soon, but it’s hard finding the courage to get out there
and promote my own art.
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Work from Home
Have you won any awards for your work?

As a student, my SODA website won the Curtin University Executive
find out
more Dean’s Award for Humanities in 2001. Unfortunately it’s no longer
online. I also won several graduating exhibition prizes in web design
Redbubble and animation. These helped get my foot in the door to my first job
www.redbubble.com/people/ with Pretzel Logic as they sponsored and judged the prize.
mike/portfolio In 2005 a site I designed for ArtsEdge won the ‘Most Outstanding’ and
‘Best Government Website’ in the WA Web Awards. At the time I was a
senior designer for the company that built the site.
in
brief
Graphic Designer
ions
$$$ 0–30K from
one of Mic hael’s pass
freelancing
Lif e drawing is
quals BA Multimedia
Design, BA
Design Honours
hrs/wk days per week The world is my oyster. I’d like to eventually create a small business
work–life good where I employ a few people. Failing that I’d be happy to travel the
world and work from my laptop as I go.
8
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Inventing
What do Alexander Fleming, John Logie Baird, Alexander Graham

Bell and John Pemberton have in common? They may not all be
household names but these men are the masterminds behind some
of the greatest innovations in history – antibiotic penicillin, television,
telephones and Coca-Cola. Without them, many more people would be
sick, bored, unable to contact long distance friends, or have a serious
sugar deficiency.
But you don’t have to sweat the big stuff. There is plenty of glory
inventing the little things that make life easier. Post-it notes were
invented almost by accident in 1974 and today are one of the most
popular office products available – and the inventors have won
numerous awards within the international engineering community.
Australians are renowned for their inventions. Aborigines kick-started

the invention boom with their amazing boomerangs and woomeras.
Look no further than the Hills hoist (it’s a clothes line) or the
Victa mower. Even the black boxes in aeroplanes that tell us why the
plane crashed – another Australian invention.
So what are you waiting for? Stop dreaming of that perfect new thing,
get out to the backyard shed and get inventing.
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Work from Home
cv barman >>
Chris Thomas – Inventor and Owner,
cartographer (map maker) Complete Sleep Systems
>> mapmaker, Lonely
Chris has been working from his home in
Planet >> marketer >> golf Melbourne since he launched his online
and club software company business, Complete Sleep Systems, six
>> inventor and owner years ago. He invented a sleeping mask
that blocks out sound and light called
the Hibermate, and sells this product
through his online company.
Like many budding inventors, Chris

has always been a man of ideas, and
Hibermate is the first invention that he
has taken to a commercial level.
Currently managing a search engine marketing company that helps

improve the Internet rankings of big businesses, Chris devotes
approximately 10 hours per week to his online company, using the
skills he has learnt from the latter in his present role.
q&a
While I was doing night shifts a few years ago I invented a sleep mask
that uses acoustic foam – foam which blocks sound – to block out light
and noise. I knew from experience that the night-shift worker market
was huge and always had in the back of my mind that there was a
good business opportunity in the making.
It wasn’t until I went on a holiday that I realised the potential of my
product for travellers so I completed a three-month small business
course at TAFE and drew up a business plan, which helped me to
explore the potential of the idea and pave a way forward.
A seamstress helped me refine the prototypes and began to
manufacture the masks and I created a website and started selling
my product online in 2001.
glossary
What do you do each day in your business?
Google AdWords is I get up at 7 am and fulfil Internet orders that have come in overnight,
– Google’s advertising answer customer emails and take orders to the Australia Post
product, offering business depot, usually finishing by 9.30 am. Free to look after my
pay-per-click (PPC) and six-month-old daughter, I spend the remainder of the day doing
site-targeted advertising
contract work for another company, building and optimising websites
to companies who wish to
advertise on the Internet. and also setting up and maintaining Google AdWords accounts for
various organisations.
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Inventing

I actually sold my home! It was very risky and, in hindsight,
a mistake. Looking back, I put it down to naivety, over-excitement
and inexperience.

The business grew very quickly after I achieved top rankings on
search engines. This meant that sales were strong and I profited
from selling in US dollars at a time when the Australian dollar was
very weak. At the same time I was also starting to get hit by other
external factors; the dollar began to rise sharply against the US dollar
and profits began to tighten, with serious competitors appearing and
beginning to take market share.
When Google decided to re-adjust its ranking system my
Complete Sleep Systems website went from number 1 to 90th.
To stay afloat I decided to cut costs by using cheaper suppliers
and reduced postage costs. When I regained favour with
Google, I increased my product reach and used affiliates to
promote my product online.
www.hibermate.com
Today, business is terrific. During the last few years, Complete Sleep
Systems has ranked in the top three globally and with curbed costs
and a healthy turnover, profits are rising each year.
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Work from Home
Have you started any other businesses online?

In 2002, feeling a little invincible, I made the mistake of starting
another online e-commerce business based on the success of an
Internet company some of my friends owned which sold quirky baby
outfits – these included outfits like Baby Elvis, Baby Frog and Baby Cop.
I rushed into it without researching beforehand, and although
business went well for about a month, it flopped shortly after.
Ultimately it cost me about $20 000 and I’ve learnt more lessons
from that failure than from any success since!
What is important to know about selling a product online?

Selling online simply boils down to three essentials. Firstly, you
must have a great product or service. Secondly, it is crucial that you
attract targeted traffic from search engines and affiliates. Finally, you
need to create a website designed to convert visitors to customers.
It’s that simple.

working from home?
The biggest surprise was not having a boss or anyone else to answer
to apart from myself. To increase web traffic and sales, I bought the
e-book Make Your Site Sell from a Canadian online entrepreneur,
which helped me understand that e-commerce wasn’t as hard as
I first imagined.

I love being able to look after my daughter and run a business. I also
enjoy the flexibility of being able to have a coffee with a friend during
the day or go shopping, with work fitting in around me and not the
other way round.

Being a ‘house husband’ is challenging as deadlines for contract work
don’t always fit in with my daughter’s schedule. There’s certainly room
for distraction and minor frustration when I’m right in the middle of a
project and the little one wakes up from an afternoon nap! As a result,
I often spend time in the evenings catching up on work I was unable to
complete during the day.
People react favourably when they find out what I do. They’re curious
as to how it all came about and are usually quick to tell you their own
ideas about starting their own business.
What is one of the biggest myths about working from home?

Most people think that it’s an easy life where you can work at
your own pace and earn lots of money in the process – just look
at the ‘home-based opportunity’ advertisements at the back of
any newspaper! The reality is that most people don’t work well
without structure and routine. As much as people often complain
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Inventing
about their day jobs, there is usually a sense of security and social
interaction that is not a common feature of a home-based business.
Another important reality is what I’d call the ‘initial excitement factor’.
When you first cook up an idea for a business, it’s an incredibly
exciting time from its conception to launch. I compare it to falling
in love – there’s the initial first rush of excitement, followed by a
period of consolidation. In your own business, you have to make a
commitment to seeing it through.
How regularly do you interact with other businesses?

I network with other small business owners and often help out with
their online marketing efforts. I am currently exploring a new business
idea to help businesses manage their Google AdWords campaigns.

Procrastination is always an issue, particularly in areas of business
I’m not too fond of like bookkeeping and answering tricky emails.

Luckily I’ve got my kid and a telephone!
sk
Hiberma te sleep ma
g or ders for his
Chris packin
How has your business coped with legal issues?

Last year I was threatened with legal action by a US competitor for
an alleged breach of patent. This presented a serious threat to my
business with a potential $US500 000 lawsuit. I hired a costly lawyer
in the US who helped resolve the matter and I was careful never to
raise the issue on the website or to let it become known publicly.
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Work from Home
What have you learnt from this experience?

Given the structure of my business as a sole trader my assets were
wide open and I could have potentially lost everything. I’m now in
the process of changing the structure of the business to a company
and I hope this threat has now faded.

Something I’ve learnt the hard way is to keep up to date with the
bookkeeping and to always set aside money for the taxman. A few
years back I received a tax bill that took me quite some time to pay
back and put quite a dent in the cash flow.

Start a new business without a business plan.

My income can vary from $40 000 to $75 000 per year, however,
I’ve always had subcontract work or full-time work to supplement
my income.
How do you manage clients who won’t pay?

When a client doesn’t pay, they don’t receive a product. The occasional
‘non-payment’ issue is due to online fraud when a stolen credit card
is used. This happens very rarely but I usually end up with a ‘charge
back’ of about $30 initiated by the bank. Merchants wear all the risk
when it comes to online transactions, so beware ...

glossary income or tax?
BAS means: It’s a good idea to submit quarterly BAS statements as this forces you
– Business Activity to stay on top of your books! A good bookkeeper or accountant can
Statement. also help you set up your ‘chart of accounts’. In a reporting sense, this
helps you understand how your money comes into the business and
where your money is going out.
In small business, cash usually comes in from one or two sources and
then flows out through scores of other sources! But by looking at how
the cash comes in and where the money goes, you can understand
your business better and make informed decisions about its health
and future.
Are qualifications necessary in your line of work?

One of my old bosses once asked me why I was going to university
and I told him I wanted to get a degree so I’d have something to fall
back on. He told me how he left school at 14 and built his business
from virtually nothing. The comment that really stuck in my head was,
‘I’ve never had a degree, I’ve never had anywhere to fall back to, I’ve
never had any other option but to make my business succeed.’
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Inventing
So the answer is ‘no, not really’ – just a desire to succeed. Every business
takes a ‘hit’ from time to time, and there are some days where you have
to draw on some real determination to keep it going.
Are business courses worthwhile?

Completing a small business course is a vital first step for anyone
starting out for the first time. I had no idea how involved business
could be until I completed a Small Business Certificate. You need to
consider GST, quarterly BAS, bookkeeping, stock levels, creditors and
debtors, cash flow, marketing and more, which are covered in a Small
Business Course.
The other great thing about doing an SBC is the people you’re sharing
the course with. It’s a very positive time for all classmates as they
push through with their dream to run their own business.
in
What advice would you give to people starting their own brief
business from home? Inventor and Owner
It’s handy to keep all your accounts separate so that you’re not $$$ 40–70K
tempted to draw cash from your business account. You should pay quals B Applied Science,
Cartography, Small
yourself a wage if the business allows it, however it’s often difficult to Business Certificate
do this when you are first starting out. hrs/wk approx 10
Lastly, make sure you really, really enjoy the business you’re in – if work–life exceptional
you’re in it just for the money, beware!
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Jewellery design
You covered your little sister in beads; you know that turquoise goes
only with silver and just can’t help but accessorise …
If you dream of the endless possibilities of jewellery, and just

can’t seem to find the piece you picture in your mind – why not
make it? Imagine the possibilities when you sit in front of thousands
of precious metals, stones, and chains, and you’re the one in charge!
Jewellery designers follow an idea from design to product, and usually

do all their own construction. Designers also liaise with galleries,
distributors and consumers to sell their works and keep in the know
of new trends. They usually work by themselves, but may have
part-time employees to help with construction or marketing.
But it isn’t all just silver and gold – jewellery designers must
have a firm commercial awareness and relate well with their clients.
As well as mastering the creative and practical skills needed, they
often produce items to specific designs of clients and distributors.
So if you have an artistic flair and know a brooch from a bangle, then
shine on you crazy diamond!
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Work from Home
cv waitress >> bar Alice Whish – Contemporary Jeweller/Artist

attendant >> office
Alice is a Sydney-based artist in
assistant >> jeweller
contemporary jewellery. She has been
>> self employed artist working as an artist for over 20 years,
practice/jewellery designer but also works as a jeweller selling her
and maker >> university creations online.
lecturer >> art and design
Some of her work has been displayed
education consultant >>
in the National Gallery of Australia in
community art project Canberra, the Queen Victoria Museum
manager >> contemporary and Art Gallery in Launceston, and the
jeweller/artist Powerhouse Museum in Sydney.
Definite Style is a new business that Alice manages with her partner.
Through an online retail site they sell contemporary Australian
jewellery from 35 artists.
For the past few years Alice has been involved in projects with
Aboriginal artists in Arnhem Land. She is currently working on
Baz Luhrmann’s film Australia which stars Nicole Kidman and
Hugh Jackman.
q&a
What work do you do on a daily basis?
I have a young child at school so I work part time during the week.
I alternate my time between making jewellery in the studio, organising
exhibitions and working on my business, Definite Style. I also
spend some days visiting suppliers and maintaining equipment and
consumables in the studio.

I started working from home in 1987 designing and making contemporary
jewellery for sale in craft retail outlets and exhibition work. A jeweller
doesn’t need a lot of space and it’s cheaper to rent a combined studio
and apartment, so I’ve always had a studio attached to my home.
My first home studio was a shared house with another jeweller, and we
both lived in the house and shared the shop front as a studio space.

I decided that if I wanted to make jewellery and artwork to support
myself, then everything I did had to relate to it. I used my income
from small art projects to buy equipment and other necessities for
my business, and supplemented this by teaching community adult
education classes and university.
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Jeweller y design

My business and profile as an artist have grown through my exhibition
work and involvement in community projects, initiated by myself as
well as other groups. This work has included working with women
in remote communities in Arnhem Land, exhibiting at the National
Gallery, giving guest lectures at universities, and volunteering to
mentor younger artists through media-based groups such as the
Jewellers and Metalsmiths Group of Australia.
tion’
ky Way Constella
Alice’s ‘Mil
What work do you do in Arnhem Land?

I met two Aboriginal women who are jewellery and necklace makers –
Rose Mamuniny through a colleague and Mavis Ganambarr at
an exhibition seven years ago. Since then we’ve had constant
involvement in art together. We meet up when I go to Arnhem Land
each year, and work on workshops. Since 2004 we’ve had an Australia
Council grant to work together. The outcome, a major exhibition project,
will open in November at Object Gallery in Sydney. Object promote
contemporary craft and design nationally and internationally, and to
exhibit there is pretty good, and it’s also a great opportunity to increase
the profile of female Aboriginal artists and their work.
I am also currently working on Baz Luhrmann’s film Australia which
stars Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman.
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Work from Home
Do you find that these additional activities contribute to your

profile as an artist?
I don’t think that they help my profile dramatically, but they are things
that I am interested in and certainly it contributes to the quality of
my work. If anything, the Aboriginal women benefit from being
profiled with me. And people are interested in me working with
Aboriginal people because a lot of people would like to pursue this
type of work but don’t know how to get involved. Some people can’t
understand why I would bother but for me it’s important to know
about Aboriginal culture and work with Aboriginal people as they have
a lot to contribute.
How is your artwork influenced by Aboriginal culture?

My recent artwork has been about my experiences working with
the artists in Arnhem Land. I’ve been shown how to make and use
different natural materials, so this crosses over with my background
with European-based metalwork and I can combine these two styles.
I use shell, earth, and also feather components, some of which are
made by these women and given to me. In the end some of my works
are made by two or three people, and this is much more collaborative
and I am able to incorporate a number of different components.
How do you find a balance between working as an artist and

creating jewellery to support yourself financially?
fyi I dedicate different parts of the year to the two aspects of my work.
For example, in the beginning of this year I focused on retailing, while
www.object.com.au the second half of the year is dedicated to the exhibition at Object
www.alicewhish.com Gallery and selling other people’s work on the website, as I only work
two full days a week, because the rest of the time I’m a mum. I also do
guest lectures, teaching and workshops.
The jewellery that is sold on the Definite Style website is another
income stream. I get a 50 per cent commission from these sales.
My retail pieces result from groups of artwork I have exhibited – in any
exhibition of work there will always be a few artworks that are good
retail sellers.
Do you complete all of your work at home?

I have a small jeweller’s studio and make most of the jewellery at
home, however, I occasionally need to use industry for things such
as laser cutting.
How often do you invest in new equipment?

I invest in new hand tools and every now and then I have to upgrade
things such as extraction systems to make sure that the air is clean.
The equipment is expensive, but as long as you maintain and look
after it all you can get years of value out of them.
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Jeweller y design
Who are your main clients?

The website is aimed at over-30s clientele. We have some corporate
orders from organisations that are looking for gifts for international
visitors or Christmas gifts. Other than that we sell a lot of rings
to individuals. Often someone will see a piece that they like on the
website and they ask the artist to make it using different materials
such as white gold, or with diamonds.
www.definitestyle.com
How do you find clients?

I make use of promotional opportunities at exhibitions and craft
retail outlets. My website and magazine articles also generate some
additional business.
How do you manage clients who won’t pay up?

In the past I would walk away and cut my losses, and never make
anything for them again or sell through their gallery. These days I take
a 50 per cent deposit before I start work.
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Work from Home

It gives me great flexibility as I can combine running a house with
working from home.

A lack of a regular and predictable income is difficult to manage.
How do you juggle being a mother and a working woman

at home?
I try to maintain my own space where I can work. To achieve this
in I limit myself to three parts of the house, but spend most of my time
brief between the office and the studio. For my role as a mum, I make use of
Contemporary Jeweller/Artist before- and after-school care and don’t work when my daughter comes
home from school. We try to do one activity every weekend as a family.
$$$ 20–45K
quals LLB, B Commerce How do you stay motivated?
(Banking and
Finance)
The single most motivating thing for my practice is a deadline and
hrs/wk approx 24
some money at the end of it. Exhibition deadlines and public viewings
work–life good are the single most motivating aspect of my practice. These days
I don’t have time to procrastinate – it’s either done or not done.
Monday
Thursday
•O ffice day til 3 pm
• Check email and pos • Office day til 3 pm
t • Organise projects
• Photo shoot and papers
•D evelop Definite St • Collect materials
yle content for work in
and marketing mater the studio
ials • Additional work fro
•S ort packaging for m 8.30 pm
post in to 10.30 pm
the morning
•P ick up daughter fro Friday
m school
• Clean the house aft
er 4 pm
• Office and studio
day til 2.30 pm
Tuesday • Visit gallery
• Catch up on what
has not been
•S tudio day till 5 pm done earlier in the
• Pick up daughter week
from Saturday
after-school care
•G rocery shopping 8 • Home day
pm to 9 pm
Wednesday • Work from 10 am
to 4 pm in the
studio if there is an
• Drop off daughter exhibition
to Sunday
before-school care
• Studio day 8 am to • Clean the studio
5 pm
• Pick up daughter • Sort packaging for
from
after-school care Monday’s post
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Journalism
Journalists are in the front row when history is made. Interviewing rock
stars, politicians, movie stars and (if he’s got important something
to say) the average Joe Blow in the street. They keep the public
informed about current affairs and act as a watchdog for the big guys.
The world is your oyster when it comes to journalism. It’s hard work,
but if you can score a gig writing for a newspaper or magazine, or
in television or radio, you often have a back-stage pass to what’s
going on in the world. In fact, you might be the first to hear what’s
happening, and the one accredited with breaking the news when you
let the secret out to your audience!
This is a position for people with a keen eye for the newsworthy, an
inquisitive nature and those not afraid to give the hard questions.
But then, that’s only the hard news side of journalism – you could be
writing music, travel, sports, beauty, or home and garden journalism.
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Work from Home
cv shop assistant >> Louisa Deasey – Journalist

babysitter >> dishwasher
Louisa is a Melbourne-based
>> telemarketer >>
freelance journalist. She writes for
TV extra, waitress >>
publications including the Sunday
bartender >> editor >>
Telegraph, the Sydney Morning Herald,
receptionist >> editorial Sunday Life, The Australian and Madison.
assistant >> dog walker
One of Louisa’s biggest achievements
>> writer >> recruitment
was finally having her work published
consultant >> English tutor
after persistently pitching to and being
>> Legacy volunteer >>
rejected by a particular editor. She says
journalist
that although most commissions are
thrilling, this particular job is one that stands out for her, making her
proud of the fact that she didn’t give up.
q&a
What do you do each day?
I scan online and print media, bounce ideas off friends and family,
watch current affairs programs, conduct interviews, brainstorm
ideas, transcribe tapes, conduct research and write stories. I keep a
log of how much time I spend on each so I can meet deadlines and
plan ahead. My job is basically reading, writing and talking!

They vary as sometimes I may not start work until midday and then
write late into the night, while other days I will start at 8 am and scoot
off to interviews. Some Saturday nights see me holed up in my flat
writing – this is what I love – then I may go out on a Tuesday.
fyi How do you get your work published?
Freelance journalists ‘pitch’ I am constantly pitching ideas to magazines and newspapers.
ideas to editors by sending Occasionally an editor who knows my work will email me a commission
them a rough outline of
out of the blue, which is always an unexpected treat. Mostly I am
a story or issue pertinent
to the publication. This constantly scanning newspapers and magazines to see which articles
activity, although not always are being written by freelancers and pitching in those areas.
necessary, is the main arm
through which freelance
journalists get published. I learnt how freelancers work while I was at the Herald Sun and
different magazine jobs in Sydney. I quit the Herald Sun to try working
as a freelancer and in my first week, I had three stories commissioned.
I then landed a staff job a couple of months after that – so I chopped
and changed between positions for a while.
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Journalism
Eventually I decided I needed to give freelancing a proper go, so

I saved up some money and cut back my waitressing hours to see
how I went with one year of trying to freelance. Waitressing was
perfect in the beginning because I could do it at night and source my
interviews and stories during the day. It also kept my cash flow up in
the beginning.

working from home?
That it was possible! I have always been a really extroverted
person so I thought I would suffer a lot more from the lack of
contact with others. But I have been really delighted to find that
working from home, I can just see people I want to see and not have
to make chitchat at the water fountain with someone I otherwise have
nothing in common with. Also, when I socialise now, I have much
more energy because I haven’t used it all up on work social stuff.
So that has been the most surprising thing: that I didn’t need to be
around people as much as I thought I did, in fact it has freed up a lot
of energy.
I also think I have more original ideas working from home. I can listen
to the radio and get an idea that isn’t from a station the general
population listens to, read a magazine nobody else reads and stay
away from soap operas and peak hour traffic – I keep my mind from
being ‘infected’ with mainstream ideas.

I saved $5000 to get me started and tide me over until I started to get
paid by commissions. Some magazines take up to six months after
I’ve sent a proposal before they pay.

When I started in January 2005, I initially sent out proposals every
week to new magazines, as well as ‘packs’ with colour copies of
everything I’d had published up until then. From that, I picked up
a few commissions in the first three months, but it wasn’t until my
sixth month that I saw my first cheque: for $600. By the end of nine
months, the business was supporting itself and I didn’t need to
waitress any more.

I love that I work better when I am feeling comfortable in my own
space; I’m never ‘myself’ on the phone with 50 invisible ears around
me, à la conventional office cubicles. I find I do better interviews, write
closer to my own natural style and am generally more productive in a
natural, free flowing way, with nobody looking at me and questioning
the way I do it. I love sleeping in and being able to work night, day,
weekends and mornings, depending on what I have due and when
I want some time off. I think better when I’m left to my own devices.
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Work from Home
I’ve never been a ‘corporate’ person and could never cc 10 people on

detour my email and check everything three times before I make a decision.
Newspapers, magazines, I prefer to move quicker (and take more risks), which I can do better
radio, television, online – all on my own!
places that you could work I also love working for magazines. It is thrilling to have an idea pop
as a journalist. And all in
into my head at midnight and then have an editor commission a
Career FAQs Journalism.
2000 word story out of it the week after.
I find it difficult knowing when to stop, and how much work is
actually enough. One thing I’ve learnt, though, through doing the
odd week or month ‘on staff’ at a magazine or agency, is that two
to three hours of solid work on my own is the equivalent to around
a day’s work in an office. Without distractions, breaks, commuting,
noises and interruptions when you don’t need them, you get things
done so much quicker than in the conventional office set-up. It’s hard
to turn my computer off though!
Let your people skills do the work! Being a friendly person is the best
networking skill you can have.
Many people say ‘oh you’re so lucky’, which aggravates me. It’s not
luck, it’s something I chose to do and worked hard to be able to do.
Also they think when they hear the word rate is around 50c to 70c
per word that that’s a lot of money! The funny thing is, I may be paid
$1000 for a feature story but half the work is landing the story, not
just writing it.

I think the biggest misconception about it is that it’s hard and
not possible. Most people aren’t willing to risk the financial side but
if you can handle the establishment time of setting yourself up, it
brings so much more satisfaction than working for someone else.
Also, you learn about how to motivate yourself, how you work best,
what time you work best, how to talk to people, how to get great
assignments, when you don’t have someone dictating it to you.
Just through having the pluck to try – you can creatively work
towards anything.
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Journalism

On most days I try to go for a run and extra walks when possible.
When I am getting obsessive about checking emails I’ll try to go for a
walk and often I’ll spend the day in the city or at libraries, going out
for coffee or wandering through shops and galleries if I need some
time out.
Working from home I find it so much easier to balance my work and
my life because I love reading and writing anyway. When I worked
for other people I’d always need time to disconnect from work,
commuting and all the other peripheral parts of work before I could
enjoy my hobbies and interests.
I think it’s easier to establish balance working from home as you
don’t need to travel to and from work, you have so much more time to
purely focus on work and you don’t waste time on all the other things.
I don’t need to ‘detox’ from office politics when I get home because
there aren’t any!
working from home?
fyi
Most commissions thrill me, but working for Sunday Life was a Sunday Life is the lifestyle
particular thrill because they tried to dissuade me so many times magazine of the Sun Herald
and Sunday Age.
and I know it was just my persistence and constant pitching that
wore them down. After I’d pitched a number of features and sent
them a colour-copied pack of work along with three more proposals,
I received an email from the editor saying she admired my persistence
but couldn’t see them using me, however they’d keep me in mind.
The next day the lifestyles editor called to say she had been given my
number and needed someone to write a monthly column. I guess I was
proud of the fact that I didn’t take no as no, I took it as ‘maybe’, which
it was!
How have you managed a difficult situation in your

home business?
Learning about how to chase up accounts professionally was tricky.
One particular magazine never paid me and I had to re-send invoices and
call and have numerous conversations with the commissioning editor.
After working for various other magazines for the same amount of
time I realised how shabby they were being, and refused to write for
them anymore. I wish I’d done it sooner and been more assertive from
the beginning about the unpaid accounts, but I wasn’t sure what the
usual treatment was, in the beginning. I find now, I generally know
straight away if someone is going to be a poor payer or not, which
I probably wouldn’t have known if I hadn’t had a few dodgy payers
in the past.
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Work from Home

The main reason most freelance businesses fail is through lack
of capital. Starting out part time – while you are still working
somewhere else – means that you can get a realistic view of just
how much money you need. Also, if you are going to make the leap
and freelance full time, you need at least six months worth of living
expenses to start you off.

Last financial year I earned roughly 48K. One month I received $8000,
another I received nothing. Income swings up and down so you need
to ensure you have enough backup because people mostly take longer
to pay than shorter!

income and tax?
fyi
I have only just got my head around the basics. In the beginning
Small Business Victoria I visited the Small Business Victoria website where there were some
www.business.vic.gov.au tips and I also read a few books about GST. At the moment, I am
looking for a good accountant. It’s important to keep records of every
paid and unpaid invoice and also keep every receipt – you can claim
for more than you think you can!

Basically I ensure that I have enough backup income and knowing
what to expect is the main thing. When I started out I had no idea a
magazine could take up to six months to pay contributors and I took
it really personally having to chase up unpaid invoices. Now I see it as
part of the freedom of being my own boss and I know what to expect.
Although my phone costs are quite high, I have a lower living expense
than when I was working as I cook my own food most of the time, walk
and ride most places and can write my articles in my pyjamas and
not spend a cent for a few days without noticing. As long as I have a
working computer it doesn’t really cost me anything to work – I use
libraries and my phone and I don’t need to pay any production costs
for an article. So it’s something I can do no matter how much money
I have in the bank, as long as the ‘office’ is all operating smoothly.
manage this?
Too many times! I was too nice in the beginning, mostly because
I couldn’t connect the fact that I was getting paid to doing what
I love. But after a few lean times when I realised I’d have to go back
to waitressing to pay the rent, I realised if that if a client doesn’t pay
me on time, I don’t physically have the time to do the job well. I now
send polite but firm follow-up emails, call the accounts department
and keep records of everything.
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Journalism
A few times I’ve had to send extremely threatening emails, and once
I had to threaten to take someone to court. However, once I applied
for a Department of Fair Trade hearing, they paid up. It’s yucky, but
I figure demanding people pay me is the only way I can continue to
do what I love.

I completed a Bachelor of Arts at La Trobe University, with a double
major in Literature and Cinema, followed by a Diploma in Professional
Writing and Editing at RMIT. I also did a short copywriting course
through Melbourne University.
Do you generate much business through networking?

My whole job is ‘networking’ – with each article I interview so many
people and I take networking to mean ‘building relationships’ and
in
I just try to keep good relationship karma. I find editors prefer a
well-written pitch than a slimy lunch date under the pretence of
brief
Journalist
something else. If I interview someone I try to ensure they get a
copy of the article and I keep in contact with them. I find interview $$$ 48K
quals BA, Diploma in
sources anywhere and everywhere, as well as story ideas. I’ve also
Professional Writing
been offered writing work through people I’ve interviewed for stories, and Editing
without them seeing my work. Just merely knowing a big magazine hrs/wk 30–40
has hired me to write something seems to be enough for them to have work–life great
confidence in me.
103
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Know
where you
are going.
The Bachelor of Business (Entrepreneurship)
gives you the know-how to develop a business
from the germ of an idea.
You receive mentoring from industry leaders,

learn how to identify opportunities and can
establish your own business while studying.
As a budding entrepreneur, you can also

enter RMIT’s annual Business Plan competition
for a chance to win from a prize pool of
$80,000.
Two entrepreneurship students won the

competition in 2006 with their keg home-
delivery service “Kegs on Legs”, taking home
$25,000.
For more information about RMIT study

options including TAFE qualifications and
university degrees call (03) 9925 2260 or
visit www.rmit.edu.au
RMIT084
WfH_Book_000607.indd 104 24/8/07 4:49:19 PM

Magazine
publishing
So there’s a gap in the market, or an audience that you know
is missing out on a beautifully presented glossy magazine?
Magazine publishing doesn’t have to be as unrealistic as it
might seem. Whether a small print run for a club, organisation
or region, or on a wider circulation, there are many people taking
projects from idea to publication and churning out magazines
from their living rooms.
Compiling a book, magazine or website, a publisher sees through

the entire process of the production. Typically, they have been in the
industry in a number of different roles and have the knowledge and
experience to take on the full publication process single-handedly or
with a small team.
They might jump under the writer’s hat for a feature article, design the
magazine cover in Photoshop, and then lay out the whole magazine
themselves. The ability to multitask can be a valuable advantage!
Although, many of the duties required by a publisher are also

frequently outsourced to others working from home – writers,
designers and illustrators, indexers, proofreaders and
desktop publishers.
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Work from Home
cv office junior >>

Di Watson – Magazine Publisher,
home-based office Brisbane Circle
manager, husband’s
As the editor of Brisbane Circle, a glossy
business >> finished HSC
magazine about the arts and culture
>> arts degree >> medical
scene in Brisbane, Di is responsible for
receptionist >> office
the entire production of the magazine.
manager >> secretary >>
Di began publishing her own magazine
PA >> university-based
in 1991 after going through a series
magazine, part time >>
of unsatisfying office jobs. She came
marketing/writing magazine
to the realisation that her skills lay in
articles, art gallery >>
the writing, publishing and advertising
magazine publisher
world, and she was not using any of
these by working as an office assistant.
Brisbane Circle is a free monthly magazine, and is paid for by advertising.

It is aimed at people who frequent theatres, cinemas, coffee shops
and wine bars.
q&a
Why did you choose to start publishing a magazine?
The magazine really found me more than I found it. Brisbane Circle
had already been established for about one and a half years, and
because of the work load the owner needed an editor. As I was writing
art articles for Queensland Homes and working on Social Alternatives
Magazine, the previous owner thought I would make a good editor.
After working as an editor for a month I knew absolutely that I wanted
to own the magazine. She sold it to me two months later.
I immediately upped the circulation and made it monthly instead
of bimonthly and then proceeded to learn all the skills to run a
magazine solo.
Who is your target audience? What type of articles do

you publish?
Brisbane Circle is an entirely independent networking magazine.
Its target market is over 30s intelligent readers who frequent theatres,
cinemas, coffee shops and wine bars. Readers attend networking
events, juggle work and family and participate in the many attractions
that Brisbane has to offer. The magazine is published monthly and
has a female focus with a male inclusive attitude. The huge following,
gained over 16 years of publishing, ensures a unique niche in the
Brisbane market for readers and advertisers.
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Magazine
publishing
Why did you choose to focus on this particular market?

The word ‘networking’ was relatively new in Brisbane but I saw
its potential to be an integral part of business in the future. A free
magazine exists courtesy of its advertisers. To combine business and
arts was a way to be an interesting magazine and not full of just ‘ads’.
Who else writes for the magazine?

My partner writes an environmental column and helps with distribution.
I also have lawyers, financial planners, naturopaths and book
reviewers as regular ‘advertorial’ writers.
How do you communicate with contributors?

I meet many of my clients at networking or art events, but most
business is done via email. Sometimes I only see my regular
contributors once a year.
Why did you choose to make the magazine free?

I investigated selling Brisbane Circle in newsagents, but I found that
the 40 per cent taken by newsagents and distributors would not make
a magazine of this type feasible.
How do you make a living when your magazine is free?

I generate income through advertising and subscription. I have
established a database for my business, so that every time
I attend a networking event I can record the contacts of
prospective clients. I then use this database each month to
contact clients. Because Brisbane Circle has been around for over
17 years I have a vast number of contacts and this makes it easier.
Sometimes if I really want an ad I’ll go ahead and design it, email it to
the prospective client and say ‘How about this?’.
What process do you go through each month to get Brisbane

Circle published?
I do all the graphic design, acquiring advertising, photography, some
of the writing and photos for the ‘Free Lunch’ column.
I encourage my advertisers to write columns to advertise
their businesses. They send me photos and text via email, then
I design their column and email it back. This way I get different
writers, interesting advertorial and advertising all in the one package.
Advertisers find that this is a more effective way of advertising too.
How do you manage all these tasks by yourself?

Occasionally I have help but this amounts to only a few hours
each month. I try to divide the tasks into a priority list. I set an amount
of money that has to be reached for the magazine to be profitable.
The magazine is only ever 16 pages so I have the layout in place, and
many of my advertisers are repeats, which is a distinct advantage.
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Work from Home
So in the early part of each month I concentrate on securing

advertising, catching up on bookwork and making appointments.
The week before deadline I complete all production work and do a
last minute ring and email for advertising.

working from home?
When I left the world of paid employment all sorts of things
opened up to me. I discovered abilities in disciplines that I didn’t know
I had. Deadlines and panic are often catalysts for huge growth spurts
and it is truly amazing what you can accomplish when resources
and physical help are limited. For example, early on I became
quite proficient at graphic design, layout, computer programs and
advertising sales. My confidence then grew with the success of
the magazine.
y Quentin
e n s la n d , H er Excellenc inner
Qu e ht d
w it h t h e Governor of agues at a Searchlig
Di Watson rom right), and colle
f
Bryce (2nd

I used the money from my severance package and worked freelance in
two other jobs for extra income. Brisbane Circle is my main source of
income but I do a small amount of books and newsletters for clients.
The magazine has always made a monthly profit and I have never
borrowed money to support it.
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Magazine
publishing

My mantra is to make each production better than the last. I look at
what I produce each month and say ‘I can do better’ and work out
ways to achieve this. About three years ago I increased the circulation
to 10 000 which gave me approximately 40 000 readers. The increased
number of readers meant advertisers were keener to advertise.
Many of the theatres in Brisbane began to express interest in cover
advertising for their productions, and I found myself selling covers
one year in advance.

The freedom – the exhilarating joy of not having to answer to anyone
but yourself. It’s wonderful to sit down at your desk at 8 am dressed
in your polka-dot pyjamas and in a heartbeat it’s 3 pm – you’re still
dressed in pyjamas and nobody knows but you.

The magazine’s success each month depends solely on my
effort and, because it’s just me, it is tough to cope when I’m a bit
sick or have a family crisis. Also, getting knock-backs for ads can
get me down sometimes.

I try to close the office at about 6 pm when my partner comes home,
though I find that we often slip into talking ‘shop’ in the evenings.
We have developed a routine where, after the magazine is on the
streets we take off with a tiny tent to some remote place and spend
four days just ‘being’.
What is the most important thing you ever did for

your business?
Access to the Internet was the most important change in the
magazine’s production process. Ads can now be designed and
returned to a client within minutes. Photos and text for articles come
via email and proofs are sent to clients for instant approval. Before the
Internet faxes were used and everything took a lot longer.
Also the championing of the ‘local’ makes it very popular with
like-minded people. When I bought the magazine, circulation was
approximately 1500, but my current circulation is 10 000. This has
been great for the business as people take the magazine more
seriously when the circulation goes up.

Brisbane Circle is a high energy job and I need to keep fit and
healthy to deal with all the components. I practise yoga, go to
interesting meetings and functions for intellectual stimulation, ride
my bike and watch my diet. I believe we all fall victim to
procrastination and I have a couple of ways to deal with this.
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Work from Home
One is to listen to my body rhythm and have the day off to

regain enthusiasm. Another is music and then there is ‘the
bribe system’. ‘If you finish this ad or assignment then you can go
and have a coffee with someone’ or ‘You can have one jelly baby for
every 15 minutes you sit at this desk’.
What is the purpose of your website?

I believe I have a large following of people including some overseas
readers who follow the magazine each month on the Internet
and advertisers find that the website is an ‘extra’ to their
advertising possibilities. Also, potential advertisers are able to
go to the site and download advertising and information sheets.
People can also contact me from the website.
www.brisbanecircle.com.au

I felt a bit lost when I first worked from home as I missed the motivation,
continuity and buzz of the office. The switch from being given work to
do and having to organise my own work schedule was a big mind shift.
But after a while I coped with the change by developing a more
fulfilling and rewarding life based on my real needs. For example, it was
important to be there when my daughter had her first child and I would
have missed so much if I was restrained by a 9 am to 5 pm job. I was
able to spend the mornings with her, then make up time at night.
I work in a beautiful environment with an office that overlooks trees
and a park. I find this environment much more conducive to creativity
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Magazine
publishing
than a steel, glass and fluro-lit office. I am able to make choices

based solely on how I am feeling on a particular day. For example, if
I have had a late night I can sleep in until 11 am and then perhaps, if
warranted, work until midnight. I can shuffle work, family, housework,
cooking and meeting friends. It is a much more natural rhythm to
live like this.
working from home?
detour
Editing and publishing Brisbane Circle has brought me in touch with Book a career in publishing.
a multitude of people, many highly influential and these interactions But first, find out all you need
have led to some very interesting experiences – both personally to know in Career FAQs
Publishing.
and professionally. One such situation was when I was asked to
publish poems and prose from students attending a special school www.careerfaqs.com.au
for disadvantaged girls. It was a really emotional experience and I did
the work with tears splashing over my keyboard. The book was a great
success and has bound me to the school ever since.

My office is a large room overlooking a park and I keep it uncluttered
and as simple as possible. I share this space with my partner who
also has a home-based business but works outside the home. I have
now condensed my office into a wall and a half of glass desks, three
computers and two printers plus two sections of a tall bookcase.
Before my partner came into my life five years ago, I was much more
cluttered which caused chaos at deadline time.

Get the groundwork perfect before you start operating. Set aside
time to consult someone about databases, what computer programs
you need to run the business because these programs can give you
freedom to work on your core business. Finally, put down rules about
when you close the door in the evening so your life isn’t dominated
by work.

My motto is ‘Don’t spend what you don’t have’. Working from home
means you save on travel, makeup, clothes, lunches. With the
magazine covering arts you are given all the complimentary tickets
you could ever use.

income and tax?
The most important thing is to get a good accountant, find out which
program they recommend and set it up. Most finance programs run
the business for you once you understand how they work.
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Work from Home
Are qualifications necessary in your type of work?

in I acquired all the skills I needed to produce Brisbane Circle as the
brief business grew by either teaching myself or picking the brains of
others in the industry. I completed Year 12 as a mature age student
Magazine Publisher
then went on to university where I dabbled in many subjects in an
$$$ 35K
Arts Degree – this included journalism. I opted to leave uni as I found
quals Arts Degree
(not completed) it quite hard and rather pointless as I was doing all the things that I
hrs/wk 25
wanted to do without a degree. However, looking back I think it would
work–life good have been easier in the beginning if I had qualifications in graphic
design, accounting and marketing.
Monday
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• Open mai in ending ri ng editor
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• Fall into te r pi ck ed up in
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Marketing
According to marketers, having a phone that can take pictures is vital
to the continued existence of human kind. Comparing Coca-Cola and
Pepsi is like comparing chalk and cheese because one is obviously
the better beverage. And Apple versus PC is the 21st-century answer
to philosophical debate.
Launching a successful product isn’t just a matter of whacking it on

the shop shelves and watching it walk out the door. When a new
product hits the market, most people don’t realise that it has gone
through months, sometimes years, of market research, product and
packaging design, price setting, distribution arrangements and brand
development to ensure that you, the consumer, actually buys it.
Did you know that, in the United States, McDonald’s pays hip-hop
artists every time they mention a Big Mac in their lyrics? Marketing,
if you take the time to notice, is something that has just about taken
over our lives.
Marketing is a phenomenon of the human psyche. We stock up on

useless items just because they’re in a sale and buy a pair of shoes
just because of the elegantly shaped tick on the side. The industry
allows for a great deal of creativity and strategic thought.
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Work from Home
cv sales >> franchise Stuart Ayling – Director, Marketing

liaison >> marketing Nous Pty Ltd
management >> director
Stuart runs a marketing consultancy
business, Marketing Nous Pty Ltd, from
his home office in Queensland. He is the
director of his company and advises
other businesses on how to best market
themselves or their product.
During his early career Stuart

worked in a variety of sales and
semi-marketing roles while studying
part time at university. He then moved
into a field-based franchise liaison role and a number of traditional
marketing management positions before starting up his own business.
Throughout these experiences Stuart has maintained a practical,
customer-focused approach to marketing.
q&a
What do you do each day?
My job involves working with clients to help them identify, develop
and implement improved marketing tactics. This is done through
personal meetings but also involves regular telephone meetings
with clients. I prepare and present workshops and training events,
some of them being public programs offered on a regular basis
and others being in-house/corporate presentations that require
substantial customisation. I also spend time carrying out marketing
activities and administration tasks for the business every week – like
in any office job, there’s often quite a bit of desk work to be done.

My working hours vary according to the nature of the task and the
client’s requirements. Some projects may require work to be done on
weekends, such as when presenting at conferences.
How long have you been working from home?

Since 1999 when I left a corporate marketing management career to
work independently.
Why did you decide to start a marketing consultancy business?

I was looking for an alternative to the corporate marketing manager role.
It was really a lifestyle change rather than a career move.
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Marketing
Where did the name of your business come from?

detour
In colloquial English the word ‘nous’ means ‘practical intelligence’
or ‘common sense’. Either one describes my approach to managing Marketing is an exciting,
marketing issues. evolving industry and made
for people who love making
When you first started, what surprised you most about things happen. Read about
working from home? the great opportunities in
Career FAQs Marketing.
I was surprised at how easy it was to be left out of things I used to
take for granted in a large corporate setting, such as industry news
and general communications. It took real effort to get involved in
business activities and networks for the small business sector, as
most of my previous involvement had been at a corporate level.
One of the biggest hurdles was maintaining the self-confidence to
just get out and meet people and be clear about explaining what
I was offering. It’s a real change to go from the corporate world – where
there is no pressure or urgency to be understood – to running a small
business where you need to make the most of every opportunity.
How did you fund your business initially?

During the early stages, the business was funded from savings.
It takes a while to get a new service business moving, and during the
early stages funds kept flowing outwards more than they did inwards.
However, gradually clients came on board. Some were one-off projects
whereas others had ongoing requirements for my services.

Over the last five years Marketing Nous has developed as a known
resource within the service sector, attracting Australian as well as
international clients. I began my business without the luxury of
existing clients and had to start from scratch, using my existing
networks to identify business opportunities.
I have found that some people who leave their full-time role to begin
their own business take their previous clients with them or become an
outsourced supplier to their previous employer. This is great for them
as they provide an immediate customer base and cash flow.

The two best things about working from home are: the flexibility to do
work without having to waste time travelling to and from an office and
being around family more.

The difficulty is that there are no limits imposed by anyone else – it’s
the flip side of the benefit of flexibility, you need to be master of
your own time. It’s important to stay tuned to the industry and up to
date with professional standards and expectations – in other words,
just because my office is at my home doesn’t mean I can relax the
standard of my work.
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Work from Home
As a marketer I know that in the past, ‘working from home’ has had
a bad connotation. However it is a lot more acceptable now than it
was five to ten years ago. The reality is that many successful business
people now operate from home – I know many owners of larger
businesses who have office premises yet still conduct much work from
their home office.

My work–life balance is often out of balance. It’s a constant struggle
to get it right – especially when you have to put in the effort to build
up future business opportunities. Things won’t happen unless you
make them happen and, in many ways, it’s no different to having time
demands and being in a larger business.

Having a separate office space is essential. My office can be closed
off from the rest of the house so interruptions are minimal.
What is the most important thing you ever did for

your business?
The most important thing I ever did was to specialise in a particular
type of business – the service sector. This decision was based on
my current skills as well as market demands and it’s helped me to
develop a meaningful marketing message and attract more clients.

I suppose I’m fortunate in that I love the work that I do and there are
always new challenges and exciting opportunities. As a member of
a weekly business club, I get the opportunity to form great business
contacts and personal connections with like-minded business owners.
It’s a motivating experience and often opens my eyes up to different
ways of doing things.
with this?
I’ve never felt lonely, but I do need to make an effort to stay plugged
in to important networks and circles of colleagues. In the early days,
it did seem like I was on my own as all my contacts from my previous
full-time job seemed a world away, but as time progressed I learned
to develop regular networks within my industry and local area. I also
started using new online business networks that easily connect you
with people around the country and across the globe.
find out
more Do you have any tips for office organisation?
The best thing to do with your office is treat it like one. You need
www.ecademy.com to have dedicated space and invest in suitable equipment that
www.linkedin.com will help you deliver professional results. Although the majority of
www.xing.com communication happens via email, there’s still lots of paper to manage,
so don’t scrimp on getting quality filing systems and cabinets.
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Marketing
Make sure all digital communication and client information is stored

properly – creating client-specific folders in your email account and on
the computer means you won’t waste time searching for that lost file.
Also, never, ever forget to back up computer data!

of work?
In this type of business, depending upon your skill level, you can
generate revenue in the six-digit range. However, different people may
have different financial objectives.
You also need to take into account your costs to ensure adequate
profit is left over. For an equivalent full-time senior marketing
management role, the salary would be anywhere over $80 000.

I attract clients through my website, seminars, word of mouth
and referrals. The first point of contact by potential clients is most often
the website, although some telephone directly with their enquiry.
www.marketingnous.com.au
fyi
Online business networks are
a low cost (sometimes free)
method of generating new
contacts through the networks
of other people you know.
The business networks are
very much based on having
trusted relationships and are
quite different from the online
social networks.
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Work from Home

Financial planning is a key component of a successful business.
You must be able to plan ahead and anticipate income and expenses.
manage this?
On one occasion I had a client who didn’t pay their final account.
Initially the client seemed unorganised and problematic, but despite
this, I persevered as I thought I could overcome that. The lesson here
is to go with your sensible gut feeling if you find it uncomfortable.

I hold a Bachelor of Business with a major in Marketing, and have
completed a postgraduate qualification with a specialisation in
international business. I have also completed many other sales and
business management training courses over the years.
All of these courses were beneficial in that I learned new
approaches and saw that there was usually more than one way
find out to accomplish things. University level training taught me how to think
more and critically assess situations – it’s not always just about learning
facts – often learning the process of learning is very helpful.
www.businessswap.com.au
www.marketingnous.com.au
Do you belong to any organisations that have helped you?
I currently belong to Business Swap International, an organisation
that focuses on personal and professional development
through education, speakers and expert assistance from peers.
in
brief The word ‘swap’ originated as an acronym for Salesman With
A Purpose, but this international non-profit organisation has
Director
matured into a business education group, not just for sales people.
$$$ 80K
Would you ever take an office job again?
quals marketing degree
hrs/wk 40+
Now that I’ve been operating Marketing Nous for a number of years
work–life enjoyable I wouldn’t return to a standard office job. The freedom, flexibility and
challenges of running my own operation are too great.
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Mortgage broking
Before you all skip ahead to the next chapter without daring to enter
into the exciting world of mortgage broking picture this: Victorian
federation home, five spacious bedrooms, mahogany panelling,
sprawling yard that goes on for miles. Or maybe a swinging bachelor
pad in the heart of the CBD is more your thing.
Mortgage brokers are the people who make owning a property happen.
They research lenders to find the best rate for paying off that prestige
purchase, acting as the go-between between the buyer and the bank.
They determine clients’ borrowing needs and ability, select a loan
suited to their circumstances and manage the process through
to settlement.
And with the housing and property market not likely to stop growing
anytime soon, ‘broke’ is something you won’t be as a mortgage broker.
It can be very profitable and provide flexibility too – you can chose to
work in an office or work from that Victorian federation home that you
brokered for yourself.
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Work from Home
cv hospitality Jennifer Schelbert – Mortgage Broker

management >> owner,
Jennifer runs a mortgage broking
importing business >>
company, Mrs. Mortgage Pty Ltd, from
owner, marketing company
her home in Melbourne. Her business
>> office manager,
finds and negotiates the best available
roofing company >> bank loans for people.
junior finance consultant >>
Today Mrs. Mortgage is a growing firm
mortgage broker
that has more than one ‘Mrs. Mortgage’
working for it. As the company continues
to grow, it still holds true to its core
values of high ethics, while working for
the client in the best possible manner.
q&a
What work do you do on a typical day?
My job varies from day to day but the main priorities each day are
checking and tracking pending settlements and monitoring the
progress of new loans that have been submitted. Later in the day
I’ll have appointments with clients as well as work on new
submissions and current client servicing. In the afternoon I find time
to take my dog for a walk to the beach – one of the benefits of working
from a home office. My work day usually ends in early evening.
Who are your typical clients?

My client base is equally divided between first-home owners,
investors and refinancers. They are from all walks of life – it’s a nice
mix of professionals as well as blue-collar workers. For example, I have
one of Australia’s largest wheat farmers who turned his attention from
wheat to developing a property investment portfolio.
I particularly enjoy working with first-home owners. It’s an absolute
pleasure to be able to help and assist them own their first home which
is, after all, the ‘great Australian dream’.
How do you find clients?

My Yellow Pages advertisement has been very successful and I rely
heavily on word of mouth to attract new clients. I take opportunities
to write editorials in the local paper in order to establish my market
position and a small number of clients come from my contacts in the
industry such as real estate agents, conveyancers and accountants.
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Mor tgage broking

I have a Certificate III in Mortgage Broking from TAFE, a Certificate IV
in Mortgage Broking from Financial Services Institute of Australasia
(FINSIA), a Diploma of Financial Services (Finance/Mortgage Broking
Management) from TAFE and am currently studying for a Diploma in
Lending from FINSIA Melbourne.
It’s important to realise that anyone can change their career path at
whatever age. I am 58 and have completed my studies in mortgage
broking over the past three years and am still on the study path
having just begun a Diploma in Lending. I was brought up to believe
that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. I defy that saying and say
to the non-believers, ‘Woof Woof’.

I was working for a traditional office mortgage broker and when he
sold his business I decided that the time was ripe for me to work
for myself. I didn’t have time to find funding for offices or anything like
that so I started to operate my business from home. I decided that my
core business would be working families from the suburbs, so it made
sense to operate from an unimposing office where I could work at any
hour of the day, seven days a week, without difficulty.

I had some funds saved, along with a small amount of equity in a
property, which I was able to invest into the business. One of the
most important points of starting out in a home office is that the
significantly lower overheads allow one to put the funds into more
productive items. My initial funds were spent on office essentials,
such as a computer and copier, rather than expensive rents and
promotional activities.

working from home?
I was at a point in my life where I thought it would be nice to work
solo and only have to consider myself and my own decisions, however,
I discovered that isolation can be tough.

I love not being answerable to anyone and not having to be concerned
about shutting up a shop front.
My husband is a five-and-a-half star chef and has unusual hours, so
when he is at home during the day I am able to spend some time
with him. Sometimes he even assists with my business – he is a
director of Mrs. Mortgage.
Working from home also means that I can spend an hour taking my
dog for a walk on the beach every day and I enjoy having the time to
give something back to my spotty mate who has always been a good
and loyal mate to our family.
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Work from Home

Loneliness can make me very introverted as I work by myself most of
the time. The majority of my work is done by phone or email, and
I often miss contact with other people. I have overcome this by
catching up with friends on a routine basis so we can talk about
business or any other matters. I also make sure that I leave the house
at least once a day with my dog, so that I can have a change of scenery
and look at something other than the computer screen.
a crowd
eaking in front of
Jennifer sp
How do you keep up to date with changes in the

financial world?
Mrs. Mortgage is a licensee of Choice Aggregation Services, one of
glossary the largest mortgage aggregators in Australia. Through my licence
I am able to tap into state-of-the-art mortgage management tools and
COSL means: a team of top-line mortgage experts. Mrs. Mortgage is also a
– Credit �mbudsman full member of the Mortgage Finance Association of Australia.
Service Limited. This MFAA members must adhere to the Industry Code of Practice and the
organisation has established
MFAA requires all its members to have completed Certificate IV in
an external dispute resolution
scheme which provides Mortgage Broking as a minimum, and also be a member of COSL.
consumers and members I also have three very close friends who are personal and business
with an alternative to legal development coaches and when I’m in doubt or need some guidance,
proceedings for resolving
their disputes.
any one of them will take my call at any given time and give me a
helping hand.
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Mor tgage broking

from home?
The biggest myth is that working from home isn’t as professional
as working from an office, but this is not the case. I make initial
contact with most of my clients by phone and when I speak to them
for the first time they’re not usually aware that I work from home.
If they need to come and see me in person, I find that they’re often
more relaxed in my home. Having done the same job working for
someone else from an expensive office, I am certain that it is easier
working with a client from home.

The nature of my work means that I work long hours. This is not
unusual for someone who owns their own business. However, I am
able to spend normal working hours on family and other matters, and
get the work done later. As clients have their own work commitments
during the day they often need to have appointments at night, so
again this gives me some flexibility.
Do you ever find yourself procrastinating?

If this happens I pick up the phone and call one of my friends, either
for advice on a matter or for a chat, as this helps to keep me focused.
I can also pull out my business plan if I am unsure of the direction I am
going, and this reminder enables me to get things back on track.
How have you dealt with difficult situations in your

home business?
There was one time when an institution that I used was not providing
the level of service that I expected. I had three separate loans
being processed at the same time by an institution and they all
returned declined. On the insistence of one of the clients I resubmitted
their loan at a different bank, where it was approved immediately.
I hastily called the other two clients, however they had already gone
to another broker. Thus, I lost two clients from what I later discovered
was a bad credit judgment from the institution.
What would you do differently next time?

I have learnt from this experience to double-check everything that the
institutions and I do. We are human and make mistakes. I have also
learnt that a ‘no’ can sometimes be handled and if I give up when
I think I am right, I am not doing the right thing by the client or myself.
How do you organise your office space at home?

I have converted two small bedrooms into offices and I keep all my
business within this space. The only time I take work on to the dining
room table is if a client comes to visit me.
All of my files are under lock and key and I have a separate hard drive
to back up all my data just in case. I have seen small business owners
lose all their sensitive information because they have failed to ensure
the business data is protected.
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Work from Home
What methods do you use to organise your time?

On Sunday evenings I plan the week in advance and organise my
activities into time blocks. My diary keeps me focused and moving
forward and stops me from getting distracted. In the front of my diary
I always have an updated copy of my business plan, for times that
I need to re-focus on why I am a mortgage broker and the reason I am
in business.
www.mrsmortgage.com.au
How do you manage the complexities of operating a

business online?
As I am not an IT guru, I set up my business online with a provider that
offered assistance seven days per week and after hours. Whilst they
charge double the hourly rate of others, their IT people arrive and get
the job done in no time, at the end of the day this is a cheaper option.
How did you set up your website?

I am onto the second version of my website. Both versions were set
up by professional web designers but I had major input into colours
and layout. My first website was based on the knowledge I had at that
point in time, but as my own knowledge and education has evolved
I have made some radical changes such as calculators and links to
mortgage-related websites. This ensures that current and/or potential
clients can empower themselves by gaining their own knowledge.

My business is set up so that overheads can be cut right back and
I can operate on a shoestring. Also having a husband who works
a separate job means that household bills will always be paid and
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Mor tgage broking
on time. To be honest, in recent times this has not come up for this
business, although it was a factor in the beginning.
detour
Do you have any tips on how to best manage accounting, Like the idea of managing
other people’s money?
income and tax? Find out how in Career
Get a good accountant and be prepared to pay them correctly. I have a FAQs Banking.
bookkeeper who comes in on a regular basis to keep the books up to www.careerfaqs.com.au
date and those couple of hours a week are crucial to keep me abreast
of where the finances are up to.
I have worked out a budget, I know what my business costs to
operate and I know what brings business in the door, hence each
month I set aside a percentage of my gross income and put it into a
reserves account. This way when it comes time to repeat my Yellow
Pages ad, for instance, I have the funds to do it.
Pay all your tax on time by setting the needed funds aside, so that when
the tax bill comes in you have the funds to pay it – never spend more
than you make.

Plan it out carefully, work out a budget, get a very good accountant,
in
take a deep breath and soar at being your own boss and achieving
results for yourself and your own clients.
brief
Mortgage Broker
Having a good business plan is vital – I do not think I would be
$$$ 70–80K
where I am today without one. I have run businesses before, very quals Dip in Financial
successfully, but without a clear plan I can see that these businesses Services, Cert III in
were not built to last. Mortgage Broking,
Cert IV in Mortgage
Where do you see yourself in the future? Broking, Dip in
Lending (current)
I intend to establish my business in Melbourne, and within a couple hrs/wk 45+
of years, I plan to open a similar office in Sydney. Once this is work–life fair
established, I will continue the pattern in Queensland.
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WfH_Book_000607.indd 126 24/8/07 4:50:24 PM
Photography
Professional photographers can work in war zones or at weddings,
on sports fields or red carpets. But whatever the environment, a
successful photographer is much like a good photograph – focused
and well composed.
You might enjoy taking happy snaps on your camera phone, but
this will not make you a professional photographer. Professional
freelancers invest a lot of money in the very best equipment. They also
need to keep busy to ensure that work – and money – keeps flowing in.
It isn’t enough to take the occasional brilliant shot – photographers
must be good business operators too and that means knowing how
to promote the business and control finances. Capturing important
moments is all in a day’s work for professional photographers, but
many work freelance and run the business side of things from home.
As a freelance photographer why not set up your home as your studio

and office combined. It’s easy as long as you can stay focused.
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Work from Home
cv courier driver Peter Solness – Photographer

>> insurance clerk >>
Peter is a Darwin-based photographer
mining research assistant
and is commissioned by magazines,
>> staff photographer, newspapers and publishers for
Sydney Morning Herald photo shoots. He has been working
>> photography course from home since 1988.
>> freelance work >>
Having been an assignment
photographer
photographer for more than 20 years,
Peter has enjoyed working both in
Australia and internationally, with
clients ranging from the Bulletin
Magazine and the Sydney Morning Herald to Northern Territory
Tourism and Qantas Airlines.
q&a
What do you do each day as a photographer?
No day is the same. When I’m at home I sit in front of the computer
doing a lot of correspondence via email. This correspondence
includes being briefed by clients about upcoming shoots or it can be
about me making proposals for story ideas. I have a lot dialogue with
colleagues too to keep in touch with what’s happening in the industry.
I also do a lot of web surfing to research ideas for stories and
photographic projects.
On the technical side I can spend several hours editing and processing
digital images from shoots and burning DVDs and completing all the
digital requirements for each photographic job. Due to my isolation
I often transmit images via email as this is a primary component of
my work delivery to clients. I probably spend up to two hours on the
phone each day too.
When I’m out shooting I could be anywhere and doing anything
with anybody. Then there is the day-to-day administration which is
still time draining even when working from home as you need to
ensure you have enough supplies of everything to get through
busy periods.

It’s based on my energy and work demands. As a lot of my work is
self-generated the working hours can vary depending on my mood
and energy levels. As a rule I’ll work every day and keep Sunday as
an ‘underachieving day’ where I don’t measure the day by what tasks
I do, but rather I just do things which I like.
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Photography

I decided to leave my full-time staff photographer position with
the Sydney Morning Herald and go out as a freelancer. I never
had intended to be a commercial photographer so I never sought
to work from a studio. As a photojournalist I am committed to
travel and location photography which means it’s important to
keep the overheads low as the income is not as generous as
commercial photography.
Is freelancing a common career path for photographers?

When I first left full-time work in 1988 very few people were full-time
freelancers as it was still a developing industry, but in the last 20
years there have been a lot more freelance photographers around.
How does commercial studio work and photojournalism

compare in terms of income and competition with
other photographers?
There is a lot more work in the commercial field as it is driven
by business. The volume of work commissioned is huge compared
to photojournalism which is fundamentally an art/communication
discipline that only partially crosses over into the commercial sphere.
There are a lot of people who want to be photojournalists but it is a
hard discipline to make a business out of – you’re working in a very
tight marketplace.

I had many contacts from my press work, so I had work virtually from
day one. I was at the beginning of a wave of photographers who
eventually left full-time press jobs and took up freelance careers, so
there was plenty of work around back then.

It has really stayed the same in so far that I am still the only one
employed in it and I still work from home. My business is based on
a one-to-one relationship. That is what I like about it. The business
over the years has produced a lot of product though. About 12 books,
countless magazine pages of photography, many exhibition works,
articles, and so on.
One aspect of my business that has evolved is the development
of a reputation over time. Goodwill is vital in keeping good work
coming that is particular to the style of photography that I have
chosen to produce. It takes years to develop that reputation.
What books have you produced and have they helped raise
your profile as a photographer?
The books were all colour coffee table style books, often in association
with documentary film productions in various parts of the world.
One book I authored, Tree Stories, raised my profile for a while and
is a helpful reference when I wish to pursue art style projects.
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Work from Home
This book is something that I could never have afforded to do

if I had had the overheads and time demands of a studio or
other workplace. Working from home means I can afford to take on
more personal projects compared to working under a commercial
business structure with lots of overheads. In terms of getting paid
work from people it really is not a great benefit. I have probably only
received about $4000 in commissioned work directly in response to
Tree Stories, but I do this work because I want to. Books help to raise
your profile for a while but people move on quickly so you can’t just
say ‘Oh I did a book in 1999’ and sit back and wait for clients to call.
You have to keep getting out there and showing what you can do now
and how it will be of interest today
d
orked in Arnhem Lan
Peter has w
What is the most important thing you’ve done for

your business?
Kept my name as my product. Business names come and go but
my name always goes with me. In my field clients are interested in
the individual rather than a company relationship. People want a
‘Peter Solness’ photograph which suits me as I want to take ‘Peter
Solness’ photographs.
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Photography
How has technology changed the way you work as

a photographer?
Digital technology has totally revolutionised my business and to go
into detail about how much is almost a book in itself. But there are a
few key things that have changed. Firstly, clients used to personally
visit my home to view my work and discuss ideas over a coffee but
noweverything is done via email including all submissions of work
and communications.
I used to shoot jobs on film and would meet many colleagues at the
film labs whilst waiting for the film to process.
Now I come back to an empty room and sit at the computer and do
all the processing myself. All my communication with colleagues is
also via email with occasional phone calls.
Secondly, the need to upgrade camera and computer equipment
now is relentless and adds a lot more downward pressure on my
profit margins. There is a need to keep re-skilling and operating
complex computer hardware and software configurations without any
technical support as you are working in isolation. A lot of business
decisions, about when to buy new products or upgrade software, have
to be made based on limited knowledge and understanding of
the technology.
Finally, technology has brought more competitors into the
marketplace buoyed by the promises of technology.

Being able to respond to how I feel. My work is creative so it feeds
on spontaneity to an extent. If I have an idea or a curiosity about
something, I like to be able to explore that when I want with the
equipment around me that I need. Working from home allows me
to work in that spontaneous way. Also my work and lifestyle are
intertwined so working from home feels natural.

Being constantly isolated. There are no water cooler discussions in the
morning. I’m not able to hook into the energy of others which leads to
a lack of momentum.
Also, the temperamental nature of increasingly complex technology
has been the most difficult part of operating my home business.
I work on Mac computers in a relatively isolated part of the
country – Darwin – and I’m not instinctively comfortable with
computer technology. So when I have operational problems it really
sucks the time and energy from me. Technology has been liberating for
my work as I can work anywhere in the country and deliver professional
images to clients, but it is definitely an impediment too.
Most people idealise my work, though more for the fact that I’m a
photographer rather than the fact that I work from home.
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Work from Home

The biggest myth is probably that people just think you have more
time to sit around in the morning drinking coffee. The reality – to
sustain and keep a workplace operational – requires a huge input
of time and planning that effectively neutralises the benefit of
not commuting.

I use the second bedroom in a three-bedroom apartment. It has a nice
private view over palm trees and is quiet.

I use my website a lot. I don’t advertise. If not enough work is coming
in I start to make my own through planning projects.
www.solness.com.au

I send out a monthly email postcard of life in Darwin to all my clients,
with a link back to my website. I also try to get published regularly so
that my work is ‘out there’.

I’ve learnt not to evaluate my income on a week-to-week basis – that
is too depressing and stressful. I don’t even look at it from month to
month anymore. Instead I look at the quarters and see how I’m going.
It generally pans out OK over longer periods of time as my work comes
in either a flood or a drought.
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Photography
How do you manage clients who won’t pay up?

I expend whatever energy the amount is worth fighting for, but
sometimes I have to put it down to operational costs.

It is a tricky balance, but I manage to do all my work while keeping the
kitchen clean and getting the clothes washed.

I read magazines and see art and watch films and meet with
interesting people. I procrastinate quite a lot when it doesn’t matter
and never when it does matter.
What strategies can you suggest to help people working at

home to stay motivated?
in
My advice for others is to develop channels of communication
and keep outward looking. It is a lot easier now with the Internet,
brief
Photographer
but you have to avoid sitting on the computer all day and getting
hooked into online chatting – it is easy to do if you are not getting a $$$ 50K
quals Photography
lot of bookings or requests from clients. The danger is that you can Certificate
start to take yourself too seriously as every decision you take you hrs/wk variable
become responsible for, which can be tiring and make you less work–life sometimes tricky
easygoing especially when work is not going particularly well –
which is inevitable at times.

Not to let self-doubt take a hold of my motivation.

Go into business with friends.
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WfH_Book_000607.indd 134 24/8/07 4:50:47 PM
Software
development
Do computers come to mind when you hear the word Office? If not,
it’s likely that you have been accidentally sent back in time. Just so
you know.
Welcome to the information age, a high-tech epoch of running our

lives and businesses through computers, where the thought of a
power outage chills us to the very core. Databases, Microsoft Office,
spreadsheets, networks! It’s enough to make the computer novices
among us try to figure out how that time machine works so we can
go back to the good old days of ink quills and abacuses.
But, alas, the information age waits for no Microsoft-illiterate

office dweller. Businesses are going to have to keep up to speed
with fast-moving technology, where a new iPod comes out
approximately every 4.2 milliseconds, if they are going to make
a buck.
Thank goodness for software developers who have the end user in
mind when developing a computer program.
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Work from Home
cv dental nurse >> Mary Neech – Software Developer

receptionist >> tour
Mary lives in Adelaide at a beachside
operations manager >>
suburb, and has worked for a large
barperson >> waitress >> construction company, John Holland
ski lodge manager >> uni Group, as a programmer for six years.
student >> motel owner/ She began with the company working at
manager >> software their head office in Melbourne, then,
developer >> café owner after deciding to move back to Adelaide,
>> software developer the company kept her on as a consultant
while she finished her existing projects.
This meant working remotely from an
office at her home.
The long-distance arrangement worked so well that new projects were

sent her way. She continued as a consultant freelancer for the company
and recently she moved from consultant back to full-time employee.
Most of her team work out of the head office, but the users of the
system work all over Australia. For this reason, working remotely is not
a problem for her or the company’s ability to keep the wheels turning.
In many ways, Mary’s employment arrangement is a successful

working model for businesses that want to use digital technology to
provide greater flexibility for their employees and therefore, retain
good people who need to work offsite.
q&a
I left my job at a large construction company in Melbourne because
I wanted to move back to Adelaide to be with my family. I was still
working on several projects when I made the move, and it was
suggested that I work from home in Adelaide until they were completed.
New projects kept popping up and so I continued to do the work, as
glossary everyone was happy with the arrangement.
What work do you do as a software developer?

Delphi is:
I have a couple of computers that are connected to the company
– a software development
network and I spend my days fixing bugs, creating changes, adding
package used for creating
Windows software new functionality and giving technical help to our user support team.
applications. I undertake computer programming with Delphi, database
Oracle is: administration and development using Oracle, application
maintenance and implementation, and user support. The application
– a Relational Database
Management System. I work on is an enterprise-wide, custom-built project cost reporting
system or accounting system.
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Software
development
How do you keep in contact with the head office?

detour
I contact team members by telephone quite regularly throughout
the day. This team consists of around 10 people, and I share my Like the idea of HTML
workload with a fellow software developer. These team members are language? Find out about
more IT jobs in Career FAQs
based primarily in Melbourne and the users of the system are situated
Information Technology.
throughout Australia.
How do you manage working from home?
A routine is very important. Before I go to the gym at 6 am every
morning, I check a couple of things that run overnight to make sure all
went well, and, if not, I have time to fix and re-run them before all the
users throughout Australia arrive at work. I take my mobile phone to
the gym, which I check a couple of times while working out and
I occasionally start taking calls for problems while I am still out.
By the time I am home, showered and ready to go, it’s 8.30 am.
Unless there is a major drama unfolding, I always take an hour off fyi
at lunchtime to walk my dog, Margie. We live near the beach and it
makes for a great break from the desk. I then work until 5.30 pm. Home work arrangements
can help companies retain
If required, I work evenings or weekends. This is fairly rare, probably
talented employees. It is
three or four times a month, but often night time is the only time that much easier to negotiate
I can work on some things, when all the users are at home. I volunteer flexible work practices than
to do the night and weekend work as it’s no hardship for me at all, not to replace staff.
like having to drag yourself into the office.
How did you cope with not working in an office?

I adapted well to working alone at home as I had already developed
independent work habits and self-discipline when I completed a
computing degree via correspondence with Deakin University.

For my work, I need to be able to focus on what I am doing and so
the silence and lack of interruptions are wonderful. I also enjoy
the flexibility. When I am running late starting work in the morning,
it’s not a stressful problem as I can make up the time by working a
little later in the afternoon or doing a few hours on the weekend.
Have a morning routine before you start work – don’t be tempted to stay in
your dressing gown because the phone has already started ringing. Let it
go to voicemail while you get ready for the working day.

I miss the social side of working with colleagues, having a quick lunch
together or a drink after work. Sometimes when you have a problem
that you are stuck on, it is nice to talk it over with a colleague – it’s not
quite the same doing this over the phone.
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Work from Home
How do people react when you tell them that you work
from home?
Initially they are very envious. People believe I have a lovely lifestyle
that has little to do with work, but after a few minutes’ discussion they
admit that they couldn’t cope with the lack of discipline.

Not being married or having children means my home life is pretty relaxed.
I do need to do something each day, such as walk the dog, in order to
mentally click over from work mode to home mode.
e beach
o walk her dog along th
nchbreaks t
Mary uses lu
What do you do in your spare time?

I enjoy keeping fit through lunchtime dog walks and morning gym
sessions using my new road bike. I am also an avid snow skier and
each year I try and get some skiing in, both in Australia and also
fyi overseas in Canada. Outside of work hours I tend to stay clear of
computers altogether, preferring to read books, watch movies, dine in
According to the 005
Federal Government report, or out with friends and catch live music.
Telework for Australian
Employees and Businesses,
the minimum productivity I think procrastination is an issue for all workers, whether they work
increase for companies with at home or not. The best way to stay motivated is to be as busy as
home-based employees is possible at all times, and I volunteer for any extra work to keep myself
0 per cent, and for some
constantly busy. You need to find that fine line between being stressed
companies it can reach as
high as 70 per cent. by the pressure of too much work and sliding into procrastination
when there isn’t quite enough.
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Software
development
Discipline is the most important thing for someone working at home,

otherwise you get behind with work. I do a few chores at lunchtime, but
only within my lunch period, but other than that I try not to do any at all.

I personally like to work in total silence with no distractions, so
working from home allows me to become absorbed in what I am doing –
this leaves little time to feel lonely. I have plenty of phone calls with my
colleagues during the day and my dog comes in and checks up on me
in
at regular intervals – if it’s time for her walk she literally will knock my
hand off the mouse until I give in!
brief
Software Developer
What’s something you had to learn the hard way? $$$ 65–95K
It’s worth paying all the money in the world for a decent chair. quals B Computing
(Computer Science
Do you have any tips on office organisation? and Software
Development)
I have my back to the window, and I swivel and take a look outside hrs/wk 40+
every now and then to give my eyes a break. Keeping a good work–life good
temperature is also important – not too hot, not too cold.
5.45 am Check
overnight proc
esses
Fix any problem 1.30 pm Analy
s that may se and solve te
have occurred chnical
problems for th
6.15 am Gym wo e user
rkout support team
8 am Eat breakfast 2.30 pm Work
on an ongoing
Get ready for work in progre
work ss of
8.30 am Revie
w emails new functiona
Work call regis lity
ter 4.30 pm Create
9 am and install a ne
Phone meeting w
with executable fo
colleagues to es r testing
tablish any 5 pm Complete work
deadlines for that may
the day make the appli
9.30 am Bug fix cation
ing new work fo unstable or un
r an able to
upcoming natio be compiled
nal release
noon Create a new ex
ecutable Save all files on
of the softwa to a backup
re application database in he
Publish it with ad office
in our 5.30 pm Turn
the light off,
testing environ close
ment the door and wa
12.30 pm Walk lk the dog
the dog while 6.30 pm Take
taking a phone call to
calls on the mo help a
bile team member
Make and eat with
lunch a problem
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WfH_Book_000607.indd 140 24/8/07 4:51:10 PM
Speech
pathology
Did you know that Winston Churchill and Marilyn Monroe both had
a stutter? You wouldn’t think so given that their careers relied on
speaking or performing in front of an audience. Speech impediments
don’t have to stand in the way of success. Churchill memorised
his speeches backwards and forwards and hummed to get his
vocal chords working. Monroe’s breathy speech is thought to have
controlled her stutter. This is the area where speech pathologists
come in.
There’s more to speech pathology than teaching tongue twisters

and rhymes. Speech pathologists need a university degree
covering not only speech, but all aspects of communication
including writing, reading, signs, symbols and gestures. Armed with
this knowledge they help various patients – from children who
stutter to the adults left speechless by surgery or disease – to
develop their communication skills.
This is a career where working from home can come into its own.
Operating a home-based clinic can lead to a closer relationship with
patients and is more conducive to getting a good end result.
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Work from Home
cv girls brigade leader Judy Armstrong – Speech Pathologist

>> sales assistant >>
As a speech pathologist, Judy helps
university student >>
people – mostly children – overcome
speech pathologist problems with speaking, vocabulary
and literacy. She runs two companies
from home.
Waydoor Pty Ltd is Judy’s speech

pathology private practice and
has been in operation for 28 years.
Judy works with an assistant, Kate, who
is a classroom teacher. They share the
fyi client workload between them.
The Doorway Into Practical Judy’s Doorway Into Practical Literacy (DIPL) program began nine
Literacy program is also years ago, and is now used by over 100 schools around Australia.
known as Doorway to
Learning Pty Ltd. The program incorporates methods, games and unique spelling rules
based on the work Judy uses in her private clinic.
q&a
glossary I was working in the hospital system and needed a new challenge, so
I left my job and started a private clinic in rooms associated with an
ENT specialist means: ENT specialist. When I became pregnant, it became necessary for me
– Ear, Nose and to move my clinic to my home.
Throat specialist.
Who are your typical clients at the private clinic?
I work with mostly school-aged children who are experiencing
difficulties in learning to read and spell, expressing their ideas in
writing, listening, remembering, and following instructions, as well as
preschool children who are not developing clear speech or the ability
to express themselves in coherent language.
What would a typical assessment involve?

Firstly, I diagnose what kind of issues are involved and if there are any
other underlying skills or problems that may, or may not, be evident.
I then work with parents or carers to overcome the client’s difficulties
by developing necessary skills.
A speech pathologist may be involved with a number of different
conditions and difficulties. Currently, my caseload contains a
majority of children with learning difficulties. I also work with
preschool children who are experiencing difficulties in developing
communication skills.
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Speech pathology
a client
ting exe rcises with
Judy comple
What is the DIPL program?

It is a literacy program that I have developed, written, published, printed,
distributed and marketed into the school community. It began as a
classroom spelling program based on the methods used in my clinic.
However, it now encompasses most areas of literacy contained in the
school curriculum. The approach to spelling is unique and this is why it
is achieving such exciting results in the schools using it.
What work do you do for your DIPL program?

In my spare time, between clients from the clinic and after hours, I
work on the program. This can include contact with clients, answering
emails, planning exhibits and presentations at conferences, along
with the accounting for the business. I also have to visit schools to
show teachers the program and train teachers in its use.
In addition, I am responsible for the ordering of the printing,
packaging and delivery of all programs ordered by schools. I am
always establishing new contacts and taking every opportunity for
networking with fellow professionals. Working closely with our
advertising/marketing manager is another area of the business that
consumes time throughout the week.

I have a Bachelor of Speech Therapy from Queensland University. As a
university student, we did blocks of 10 weeks working in a variety of
clinics under the supervision of the therapists running those clinics.
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Work from Home
What experience did you gain in the hospital system?

detour
During my studies I worked in the Schonell Special Education Unit
You’d be amazed how many and completed training in Audiology. After graduating, I worked at
allied health professions there Royal Newcastle Hospital. At first, I worked as a speech pathologist
are. You can find out in
for half the week, and as an audiologist for the other half. Then I
Career FAQs Allied Health.
began working as a speech pathologist, working with adults in a
rehabilitation centre. These were people who had suffered from a
stroke or head injury in a car accident. I worked in the hospital system
for eight to nine years before starting my own practice.
How did you initially fund your businesses?

I worked my own practice for 13 years before a teacher (Sue) joined
me as my assistant. I used my personal savings to fund the initial
setting up for the clinic. Sue worked with me then for eight more years
before she assisted me in developing DIPL.
In both situations I was careful to keep initial set-up costs within a
budget so that it was not necessary to borrow money to get started.
Having a husband in full-time employment definitely helped during
this initial phase.
How have your businesses developed?

My clinic grew slowly in the beginning, and this suited my family
life at the time. I had decided to not take on any additional clients
when I had children, but as they grew older I found more time to
work with new clients while my husband looked after the children.
When it became physically impossible to see all of the clients I had
accrued, I took on a teacher as my assistant.
Business has grown slowly for the DIPL program. As each part of
the program was developed, a number of schools trialled it in the
classroom so we were able to see how it was working, and then make
any necessary changes.
Now that a substantial number of schools are using DIPL, word of the
good results is spreading quickly and business is starting to develop
more rapidly.
How do you find clients, or do they find you?

I have never actively advertised for the clinic. New clients are
referred to me by satisfied clients, friends, relatives and other
professionals – especially teachers – who have witnessed the
results that I have achieved.
There has recently been a considerable increase in the number
of schools using the DIPL program, and this has predominantly
been due to word of mouth. We actively promote DIPL by
visiting schools on request, attending conferences to exhibit our
product, and publishing booklets and pamphlets to give information.
Additionally, we have developed a character and his picture is on
everything that is associated with the program, so people are able to
easily recognise our product.
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Speech pathology
What is the purpose of your DIPL website?

It provides additional information for those enquiring about DIPL
and also attracts additional clients. We have sold some programs to
interstate schools – such as Darwin and Northern Queensland – after
they found our website on the Internet.
www.dipl.com.au

Face-to-face contact with clients at the private clinic is about 30 hours
a week from Wednesday to Friday. We open at 8 am to accommodate
clients who cannot attend at any other time. Mondays and Tuesdays,
along with weekends, are devoted to family issues and work for
both businesses.
Additionally, I spend about five hours a week completing work for
the DIPL program. Most nights, I attend to enquiries, plan trips away
to conferences, liaise with other professionals around Australia, and
plan training sessions and presentations. This is in addition to the
necessary bookkeeping and paperwork needed to run the business.
How is your work–life balance?

Since my assistant Sue’s death, I have had to work very long hours
and pay others to help me. Now that I am alone in the business I have
to spend more time devoted to keeping it going. However, the genuine
friends who we have made through DIPL have been a great source
of comfort.
I now have a young teacher, Kate, who has joined me in the clinic.
She is like a breath of fresh air and we are establishing a new and fun
working relationship.
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Work from Home

It is very convenient as I can have constant contact with my family.
For example, when the children were ill, I could still work the same
hours as I was nearby at all times.
My clinic also has a fun, friendly atmosphere and this has been a
deliberate choice on my part so that the children are not scared when
going into a clinic. We have a homely atmosphere, which is conducive
to improved relationships with my clients.

Sometimes my family members have felt that their privacy has
been invaded. However, now that they are older, they admit that
running my business at home has been a good system.
Also, it is often very difficult to ‘tune out’ and not think about family
when it is business time, and the reverse. The phone always ringing
is an intrusion on family time.
Most people think I am very lucky to have been able to operate my
business successfully in this manner for so many years.
Do you receive much support from your family?

As my business has grown my husband and children have become
more involved in certain aspects of the businesses and they give a
helping hand when needed.
How do you deal with difficult situations with clients?

Occasionally there will be someone who gets upset if we are running
too late, and sometimes we inadvertently double-book clients.
Fortunately, most people are understanding, and many will offer to
come at another time. If a client is upset, I might offer to see them for
no cost for that visit.

Every once in a while, you cannot please a person, no matter how
much you go out of your way for them.

Kate and I each have our own office and we have a waiting room
decorated with prizes that the students are able to earn. The office
area is completely separate from the family area, however, clients
often see my children and chat to them which I find is conducive to the
friendly nature of the clinic.

It is important to budget and be aware of expenses and when
they occur. The clinic does not open in school holidays and the
DIPL program sells more goods at certain times of the school
year, so I have to apportion finances appropriately.
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Speech pathology
How do you deal with clients who won’t pay?

If the debt is hundreds of dollars, I write to them several times, with
increasing intent. If they still don’t pay, I inform them that they have
a certain time before legal action will take place. If necessary, a debt
collector would be employed, but I have not had to do this so far. If it
is a smaller amount of money, it often gets written off as a bad debt.

income or tax?
Organise your receipts under certain headings, such as petty cash,
bank account, credit card and so on. Then set aside a day on a regular
basis to update all the records on your computer. It takes longer if you
do it in little bits.

I would like to continue my practice, but maybe decrease the number
of hours I work each week as I get older.
in
For DIPL, my aim is to continually expand the business throughout
Australia, and maybe even export the program overseas.
brief
Speech Pathologist
What advice would you give to someone who is about to start quals B Sp Thy
their own business at home? hrs/wk 30–40
Be patient for your business to grow, and treat clients as you would work–life good
like to be treated.
• Complete Monday
DIPL work
interstate (often • Clinic 8 am
visits to sc – 6 pm
presentati hool
ons and tr Saturday
sessions) aining
• Spend ti • Complete
me with fa DIPL work
mily • Spend ti
Tuesday me with fa
• Socialise mily
• Complete with friend
DIPL work s
interstate (often Sunday
visits • Complete
to school DIPL work
presentati • Spend ti
and traini ons me with fa
ng sessions • Often tr mily
• Spend ti ) avel
me with fa
mily for DIPL se interstate
Wednesday ssions for
Monday an
• Clinic 8 am d Tuesday
– 6 pm
Thursday
• Clinic 8 am
– 6 pm
• Complete
DIP
three-hour L work during
break
• Spend ti
me with fa
mily
Friday
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WfH_Book_000607.indd 148 24/8/07 4:51:46 PM
Website design
Websites are the new pen and paper, and the World Wide Web has
become big business. From the 10-year-old down the street searching
for answers to their homework, to 80-year-olds doing their banking
online, the Internet is the way of the future. This high demand means
that website designers won’t be going out of fashion any time soon.
Website designers are a special breed of graphic designers, combining

aesthetics with information design principles such as navigation,
usability and content structure. It’s a technical job, so HTML and CAS
needs to mean more to you than just another acronym.
Advances in technology mean that you can be connected to the

Internet from anywhere – even while sipping a cappuccino in your
favourite café. So working from home as a website designer can be as
easy as starting up the computer, logging online and getting lost
in hypertext.
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Work from Home
cv uni student >> part- Caine Barlow – Website Developer

time book store manager and Designer
>> weather observer
Caine creates websites for businesses
>> magazine editor >>
and individuals from his home in
IT manager >> website
Tasmania through his own website.
maintenance >> website
Having won a study scholarship four
developer and designer
years ago, Caine quit his part-time
job as manager of the Dover Online
Access Centre to commence study
and work maintaining a friend’s
website from home.
Although working from home has proved

to be challenging at times, Caine is grateful for the extra time he gets
to spend with his family and sees himself specialising in or managing
projects more in the future.
q&a
What does your job involve?
My job is to design and develop websites. This involves talking to
clients, drawing mock-ups of sites, writing documentation, creating
graphic design and programming the site.
What sort of hours do you work?

I make a habit of working 9 am to 5 pm, but some aspects of the
job require me to work outside these hours. If one of the sites
I’m administering has a problem, I have to fix it ASAP whether it’s
1 pm or 5 am – but because this is what I love doing, it doesn’t
matter so much.

I fell into it through doing favours for people. I was the manager of the
Dover Online Access Centre. Being an IT facility, people would ask for
assistance with computer repairs, or ask me to design their pamphlet
or brochure, or design their website for them. It wasn’t a part of the
job, so I did it in my spare time and as demand grew, I found myself
with a second income.
Four years ago a friend offered me the job of maintaining the content
on his website. I had recently received a small scholarship to further
my education, so I decided to take a punt and quit my job. I started
working from home and this meant I could study at the same time.
Within a year I had become the webmaster of my friend’s site and was
working on my first ‘major’ website development job.
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Website design
I have been working from home full time as a website developer and
website designer for four years. Some of that time included study
through TAFE to get my Information Technology Certificate IV, but luckily
I was able to use the work I was doing to satisfy most of the syllabus.

working from home?
How much work I could get done without the interruption of
colleagues and clients that happens in a more formal work
environment.
I also find working from home to be far more creative than working
in an office. I have time to think about solutions to problems and not
be tied to the desk. I can sit in the garden and have a cup of tea, chop
wood, weed my garden, or go for a ride on my bike. These are all
things I couldn’t do if I was in an office.

Initially I funded my business out of my own pocket and by doing
computer repairs. It was when I got my first major development job
that my business started to fund itself enough to buy new equipment.
I found that purchasing new equipment was a bit of a balancing act
between whether something would pay for itself and if it was really
going to be useful. It might be nice to have an external hard drive, but
a USB key will be more useful.
How has your business developed over the years?

I started out doing general things like computer repairs, graphic
design, and website design. I eventually decided to concentrate on
website design as that was what I enjoyed doing the most, despite the
fyi
fact that I was getting more money from computer repairs.
If you spread yourself too thin it’s harder to give yourself long-term goals. Websites more or less fall
into one of two categories –
It was important for me to have a specialisation – anyone can do
‘dynamic’ or ‘static’.
computer repairs, but not everyone can convert a 14 000 page static While static pages send
website into a dynamic one. exactly the same response
to every request, dynamic
What do you love most about working from home? pages can customise the
I love that I can spend time with my family when I want to. If I was response on the server,
working inside an office, I’d only get to spend time with my children offering personalisation
on weekends. Working at home means I get to play a much bigger part and information it gets
from the visitor.
in their lives. Also, when I need a break, I can just go for a walk or ride
a bike without having to justify what I’m doing.

Trying to keep to a daily timetable. Working at home means that I have
a lot of distractions – such as my children, my partner and visitors.
While sometimes these are nice distractions, it can be difficult when
I’m on a deadline.
I also can’t just phone in sick and take the day off – sometimes I just
have to soldier on.
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Work from Home

One of the greatest myths is the idea of being able to set your own
hours and working when you want. While this is true to some
degree, when you have a contract to do a job, you are obliged to
finish it on time.
‘Choosing to work
from home is
a lifestyle.’
How do you balance work and home life?

I love my work. Sometimes it’s easy and sometimes it’s difficult to
balance because it is such a large part of my life and because I find it
so enjoyable. It depends on the type of job – if it’s easy then keeping
to the routine is fine. If it’s a more complex and challenging job, I tend
to get absorbed in my work.
How does working around your family and children affect

your work?
Generally it is fine. There are times when having my children around
affects my work and it’s times like these that it becomes challenging
to balance work and family together. I know that locking myself in my
office would enable a clean separation between the two but I don’t
want to have to do that as part of the reason I work from home is to
spend more time with my family.

I stay motivated because I love what I do – there’s always a challenge
to be solved. While there can also be a lot of monotony – as in any
job – the problem solving always outweighs the boring stuff. I do find
myself procrastinating sometimes, but sometimes taking time out can
help clear the head and the solution just appears.

I don’t feel lonely as I always have my family and friends around me.
I also have a network of friends who have complementary abilities to mine
such as graphic design, photography, painting and multimedia work.
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Website design
Have you ever had to manage a difficult situation in your

detour
home business?
They happen occasionally. I had a family member suddenly fall very Does the world of web design
ill at a time when I had a lot of work. She needed a lot of help, and interest you? There’s plenty
more eMerging jobs in Career
I ended up falling behind on my work and had to hand back a half
FAQs Digital Media.
finished project. The client was quite annoyed and I never heard back
from them. Although I had a small dint in my reputation, helping www.careerfaqs.com.au
someone who really needed it was more important to me.
When you work from home with children and everyone comes down
with the flu, it is always difficult and can never be planned for.
My partner also works part time, so when the children have to stay
at home from school or day care with the flu, and there is lots of
work to be done, it always makes for difficult situations.
Overload myself with jobs – while sometimes you may need the
money, it’s much better to finish two jobs and turn away one than end
up with three lacklustre products. Forgiving clients will understand,
but all others will just say ‘thanks’ and in future go somewhere else.
What would you tell someone who is about to start their own
business at home?
Be patient. Clients aren’t going to start bashing down your door
straight away and initially you need to do a lot of work selling yourself.
Make sure you have the equipment you need and also make sure that
you have people who can step in and help you out on occasions if you
need it, even if only to give advice.

of work?
The average income for a website developer would be between $40 000
and $60 000, but I only earn about half that, so I have a way to go yet.
It’s OK for me earning what I do because it’s part of the trade off. It’s still
only early days for my business, so I anticipate my income to increase.
How do you deal with having an irregular income? How do

you manage the lean times?
It’s a matter of budgeting, of just being aware of the fact that that one
huge payment can’t just be spent on whatever, it needs to be eked
out slowly on necessities. It’s also important to work on the small
jobs because they are often the bread and butter. I also administer a
couple of websites which generates a monthly income.
Have you ever had a client who wouldn’t pay up?

When I was doing computer repairs I had this happen a couple of
times, but it was such a small amount it wasn’t worth dealing with.
Now, I require most clients to sign some form of contract and have an
agreed budget within which to work. For most clients I create a set of
sign-off stages so that both the client and I know that I am working to
what they want.
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Work from Home
find out What are the advantages of working from home?

more Choosing to work from home is a lifestyle, for me it is as much about
spending time with my family as it is about living where I live. I grew
www.onerobedesigns.com
up in the country and don’t like living in cities. I want my children to
be able to have the same upbringing and I don’t want to have to drive
an hour or two to be able to go for a walk or ride a bike.
For me the city is only an hour away, so it’s no biggie to go meet clients.
But as I’ve mentioned before, if I choose to take the afternoon off to
go fishing, or ride my bike, or go bushwalking, I can.

in Most probably specialising, maybe managing projects more.
brief The business of website design and development is becoming more
Website Developer sophisticated all the time and I would like to be able to contract other
and Designer freelancers to be able to assist in the supply of really good-looking,
$$$ 20K+ sophisticated products. I’m only just finding myself in a position
hrs/wk 9 am to 5 pm+ where I can afford to do that, so it would be a nice goal to be able to
work–life good manage the design of a website, focus on my area of specialisation
and pay a few people to help out.
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Ready, set,
go for it!
Do I need qualifications?
It depends on the industry you work in whether you need specific
qualifications for the job you choose. For example, an architect or a
nutritionist would need formal university qualifications to practise
in these fields, but if you are selling a product (such as hand-crafted
ceramics) or offering a skill as a service (such as drawing), you may
not need qualifications to be able to work from home.
Having qualifications can help you learn the ropes, make contacts,
and scope the nature of your industry. You’ll know what to expect,
gain a deeper knowledge of the profession and, subsequently,
determine whether you’ll realistically be able to make an income from
your business.
University courses
Depending on what sort of business you are planning to establish, an
undergraduate university course may be necessary before you start.
But keep in mind that degrees usually take about three years
to complete. Throughout Australia there is a whole range of business
degrees that either focus on entrepreneurship or offer it as an elective.

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Work from Home
Generally, the entry requirement will be completion of Year 12

and a university entrance score equal to or greater than the
course requirement. Usually, students of business degrees can
also major in one or two useful subjects such as accounting,
finance, management, marketing, human resources, law and
international business. In retrospect, taking a university course
may be an insightful and cost-effective investment for the business
you plan to establish later down the track.
TAFE courses
It can be beneficial for anyone in business to do a business course
at TAFE. Courses range from covering the basics – such as managing
cash flow and creating a business plan – to more advanced
information like marketing and business structures. Through the
selection of specific and relevant electives, TAFE courses give students
the practical skills and knowledge needed to run a business, such as
how to read a profit and loss sheet and the legal obligations you’ll
face as a business owner and employer.
Private colleges
The following institutions offer private business courses.
T he Australian Institute of Management (AIM) offers short courses and

qualification courses such as Certificate IV in Business (Marketing),
which can be put towards further qualifications (for example, Bachelor
of Business) at some universities.
L earn4Life, run by the University of New South Wales (UNSW),

offers basic short courses, such as Time Management or
Developing Successful Business Plans, and diplomas, such as
the Diploma of International Business and Diploma of Business
(Frontline Management).
T he Australian College of Business and Marketing runs a Certificate IV

in Business (Small Business Management) course that teaches students
key elements in opening and running a business.
T he Centre for Adult Education (CAE), based in Victoria, offers a range

of courses for adults and young people who are returning to study and
has a strong focus in arts, business and languages.
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Ready, set,
go for it!
Starting a home-based business

Whether you are a writer working on the next bestseller, or a journalist
interviewing the writer working on the next bestseller, deciding to
work from home can be the answer to your career dilemma.
Once you’ve found room for your office, what’s next? To take off, big
and small businesses need to convert that brilliant idea into a plan.
Then, before you put your plan into action, you’ll need to set up your
business so that it meets taxation and legal requirements.
From idea to business plan

Every business needs a business plan, but don’t be daunted!
Your business plan is a way of looking at your business on paper
and can help you work out what to expect. Working without one
can be like trying to find your way through a labyrinth in the dark!
You can find an example of what your business plan could look like in
Appendix 1.
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Work from Home
The necessary elements of a business plan can vary according to who

you listen to. There are some key elements, however.
n Executive summary – exactly as it sounds: summarise your

business and where it is going in just a few words. It can be
helpful to write a vision statement or something that inspires
and motivates you. Include a list of short-term goals to achieve
in the next year, and some long-term goals for the next five years.
They should be clear and realistic, but things that you must still
work hard for.
n Price of products/services – in some industries there may be set or

standard rates, but otherwise you should examine your expenses
and living costs and base the price of your products or services
on that. It may be difficult to estimate, but it is important to set
your prices before you begin dealing with clients.
n Market analysis – start surfing the web and leafing through

newspapers and magazines to find similar products. Slip into
shops and other home businesses and suss out the competition!
Look at current market trends, growths, and where the industry is
glossary likely to go in the future. Then, define your target market and ask
Target market means: a few questions. Who are they? What do they expect? How can you
– the demographic of people make them notice you?
you hope to sell your product
or service to. This might be n Resources – this is an overview of all the resources and skills you
quite specific according to
need to run your business. Are you going to need more equipment
gender, age, lifestyle,
income and geography. or do you need to hire any staff?
n Financial plan – you need to spend a little to make a lot!

Identify your establishment and ongoing costs, and how many
units or services you need to sell to get ahead. Be realistic about
your projected income – it’s better to underestimate than fall short.
If you don’t want to include a mission statement on the front page of

your business plan, choose something else that motivates and inspires
you – maybe something from your industry, a picture, a photo, a design
you love, or a quote. This proverb works:
‘If there is no wind, row.’
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Ready, set,
go for it!
There are many websites that have free samples of business plans find out
for different types of businesses. If you are using your business plan more
to approach a bank or lender about a loan, you will need to make sure Start researching your market!
your plan is professionally presented and has strong financial data www.abs.gov.au
that can be supported. If the plan is for your own benefit, it can be
www.ibisworld.com.au
less detailed, as the sample in Appendix 1 shows.
www.australia.gov.au
Google ‘businesss plan
Keeping it legal! Australia’ and ‘sample
business plans’ for ideas.
Before you strike out on your own in your business venture, you need
to conform to some basic government regulations.
The first thing you need to do before you take on your first client
is obtain an Australian Business Number (ABN). You can register
for an ABN on the Australian Taxation Office website. When visiting
this website, have a look at the great information they provide
about setting up your own business, and, in particular, their
‘home-based work essentials’ page. You will find answers to all
your ATO compliance requirements. Should you register for GST?
Will you have to complete a Business Activity Statement (BAS) every
three months? How do you pay tax? How much tax do you have to pay
and when? What can you claim as business expenses?
To register for an ABN you will need to state how you intend
to operate. These might be:
■ operating as a sole trader – a business run by an individual
person, with or without a business name
■ operating in partnership – a relationship between two or more
individuals or companies who pool their resources
■ setting up a proprietary limited company – a more complicated
business type, as a company is recognised as a separate legal
entity, costs money to establish, and the operations need to
comply with the Corporations Act 2001.
You may want to work under your own name as a sole trader – in
which case, you do not have to register a business name. If, however,
you have a clever business name you wish to operate under, you will
need to register it with the appropriate state government authority.
This does cost money, however, and you will need to make sure
that another company isn’t already using the name. The easiest and
cheapest business structure is as a sole trader and the majority of
people who work from home use this structure.
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So why would you create a proprietary limited company? If you are

find out expecting to make a motser from your home business, there may be
more tax benefits in setting up a company. If you’re unsure about which
Australian Business Register structure is best for you, talk to an accountant. You may also want to
www.abr.gov.au check with your local council to see if you need any special permits to
Australian Taxation Office run your business from home.
www.ato.gov.au
For a directory of state- and
territory-specific services,
such as registering a
business name, go to If you expect your business will have a yearly net income of $50 000 or
www.business.gov.au. over, you must register for Goods and Services Tax (GST). You can find
out about this from the ATO.
Get noticed
If you’re just starting out there is plenty you can do to get business
coming through the door. No matter what your business is, or how
great your product or service is, in the first year you will spend much
of your time chasing new business. Here are some ideas of how to
market yourself and your product or service.
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Ready, set,
go for it!
Word of mouth
The best form of advertising is personal recommendation, so don’t
underestimate your clients’ ability to generate solid new business
for you. Tell all your friends and contacts about your new venture
and spread those business cards around like confetti. Leave no
stone unturned.
Repeat business
They say it’s easier to keep a client than to get a new one so
make sure you deliver a quality, professional product or service
every time. Keep your clients informed of special deals and offers.
Keep in touch but make sure you don’t become a pest – it’s a fine
line but one worth treading.
Under-promise and over-deliver! If you say you can deliver on Friday,

delivering on Wednesday will really impress. The opposite will be the case
if you deliver on Monday!
Sales pitch
If you are a consultant or providing a service, pitching can be one
of the best ways to generate new business. Pitching could mean
anything from sending business proposals, quotes, or introductory
letters to meeting the client to do a face-to-face pitch. Less time
consuming is a simple well-written email with a brief pitch to the
right person and voila – a new client!
PR
Getting a story in the right newspaper or magazine can generate
interest and business. For example, if you are seeking clients in your
neighbourhood, you could contact a journalist at your local paper with
a story about how your product or service is unique to the area.
Advertising
This can be expensive so, if your budget is a little thin, you may not
want to go down this path. When you are in a position to advertise, it
is best to get professional help to make sure your message is effective
and reaches the right people.
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Get online
In today’s business market, there is one definitive way to get noticed
that is working for millions of small businesses around the world:
the Internet.
These days, many home businesses are run solely on the Internet,
and it is becoming a more and more realistic way for small operators
to do business. It’s a cheap, effective way of presenting products
or services, and does not always need constant monitoring as a
shopfront might. However, there are a few things to remember if you
want to really get the hits.
Launch your website

While the thought of establishing a website can be daunting, it
doesn’t have to be. You can approach a web designer to build the site
for you or, with some computer knowledge, you can do it yourself.
find out
more Firstly, you must register a domain name. This can be done through the
Australian domain name administrator and costs a small annual fee.
The Australian domain name Remember, it doesn’t have to be your business name, and you want
administrator
www.auda.org.au something that is short, recognisable, and easy to remember.
www.e-businessguide.gov.au
You don’t want to lose business because people can’t remember
your website address!
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Ready, set,
go for it!
Secondly, you need to find a web host, or Internet Service Provider (ISP).
This is a company that allows you to rent space on a computer that is
constantly on the Internet. Often ISPs offer a plan which will include
telephony, broadband access and email. Get a deal that suits you –
faster is better and more space on the server is better too.
For people to find your business, you might want to consider

registering with search engines such as google.com and yahoo.com
so that your business comes up when certain search words are
entered by the prospective client, but this does cost money. If you
are getting lots of hits on your website, your business will be elevated
up the list of websites listed on search engines automatically.
Manage your website

Even if you run most of your business offline, it is important to keep
your website up to date, and respond to all emails generated from
your site promptly – no one likes to wait in cyberspace.
To sell products or services online, you may need to purchase a

shopping cart system. If people are already browsing your business
page, they are more likely to follow through with a purchase if they
have the option of buying online.
Paid advertising on the Internet is a successful way to gain exposure

and business. Think of your target market again, and choose websites
that are regularly visited by people who are likely to be interested in
your business.
Linking to other websites, or forwarding your address to current

clients, is also a good way to kick-start your Internet presence.
What else? glossary

Think about maintaining a blog which can establish and maintain Blog is short for:
a dialogue with your prospective and established clients. – Web Log, which is an
online diary or commentary
Some businesses also put their names on ‘freelancing’ sites that
page updated by a blogger.
list many businesses in different industry categories. Here’s an idea!
You might want to start your own freelance website but don’t forget
to do that business plan first!
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Show me the money

Let’s get down to it – you need to make some money if you’re serious
about working from home. If you’re not making money, you’ve really
only got an expensive hobby!
One of the most important documents you’ll need is the tax invoice
that you send to clients at the end of a job. A tax invoice needs to
have some fixed elements such as:
n the words ‘tax invoice’
n your ABN
n your contact details
n the date
n the client’s name and address
n an itemised account of what product or service was purchased
n GST, if you are registered
n a due date for the invoice to be paid
n how to pay – this could be your bank account details for an

electronic funds transfer.
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Ready, set,
go for it!
It doesn’t have to be pretty! It is worthwhile considering a simple,

basic design that fits in with your corporate look and feel. Here is an
example of an invoice with all the right information.
ABN: 00 000 000 000

My business name
Street address
Suburb State Postcode
Tel:
Fax:
Mobile:
Date of invoice
TAX INVOIC E
Invoice to:
Contact person
Business name of customer
Street address
Date Ref No. Description of service Amount

10 August 07 N/a Five designs – greeting cards $2000.00
30 August N/a Poster design $500.00
GST
$250.00
Total due
$2750.00
Payment terms are 14 days from date of invoice
Please pay to:

Account name:
Account number:
Bank:
BSB:
A full-sized version of this invoice is in Appendix 2.
While it would be nice to think that invoices are paid on time without
fuss, the reality is that sometimes you will need to chase payments.
It is easiest to start with an email or telephone call as a gentle
reminder that the account is overdue. This usually does the trick
especially if it’s an honest mistake.
If a client is perpetually late and the hassle of getting the money is

always a problem, you might question whether you want to keep
working for them.
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Some pitfalls to watch out for

If you’re working from home, it is your responsibility to make sure that
all financial aspects of the business are covered. Make sure you keep
on top of the following issues.
Taxing issues
Now that you’re running your own show, tax is your responsibility.
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has great support services
available to small businesses both over the phone and on the Internet.
Speak to an accountant, and keep up to date with any changes in the
tax laws – ignorance won’t save you!
Super saving
If you work as a sole trader, you must make your own
superannuation payments. This can also be claimed as a tax
deduction up to $5000. Speak to a financial adviser so you can be
certain you’ll retire on a mountain of gold coins.
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Ready, set,
go for it!
Insuring yourself
Putting away a small amount of money each week can help you
cover emergency expenses like sickness. Not being able to work or
pay yourself can injure your business and your personal savings.
Income Protection Insurance is another way to cover the cost of your
income while you are away from work.
Scams
Working from home for over $1000 per week? Sounds too good
to be true? Unfortunately, you probably won’t be making yourself
rich, but somebody else.
Ads like these are commonly plastered on telegraph poles,

supermarkets, or arrive in your letterbox or email inbox.
Mostly, they are vague about what the actual job involves,
or suggest you will be doing something like ‘making
money transfers.’
Typically, scams are the ones that ask for money up front for
find out
a processing fee, introductory pack, or the materials to start more
the job. You either pay for a product that never comes, or the
www.scamwatch.gov.au
scammer just disappears. If you become seriously involved with
www.scambusters.org/
a scam, you may even be charged with fraud. work-at-home.html
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Get the gig

Whether you are setting up your own business or working for a
company from your own home, you should make sure that you have
fyi a résumé that you can send to prospective clients or employers.
More employers are allowing With more and more companies introducing flexible working
their staff to work from home.
arrangements to suit their employees, the trend to work from home
For example, 40 per cent of
IBM staff work from home as (at least some of the working week) may well become common practice.
well as in the office.
What do I need?
Whether you’re working for yourself or someone else, you need to
have an up-to-date résumé and know how to compose a killer
cover letter. Sometimes you may need to have a portfolio of your work:
design work is a good example of when a portfolio is essential.
Once your résumé, cover letter and portfolio are up to scratch, you
need to be impressive when you meet the person face to face.
The résumé
You should have a résumé ready at all times and it’s never too early
to start putting one together. The résumé is like a detailed brochure,
outlining who you are and what you offer. It’s therefore wise to do the
résumé first, as a way of organising your thinking.
You’ll make life easier for yourself by writing one now, and then
updating it regularly. That way, when a job that you’re interested in
comes up, you won’t have to spend hours putting it together.
A typical résumé puts the most recent experience first. If you

don’t have relevant work experience, put your educational
achievements first.
The big rule about résumés is – keep it simple. Good résumés are
always very easy to read in a well-designed format. You may want
to elaborate on your responsibilities and achievements of each
job to demonstrate your ability to get the job done. The important
thing is ‘relevant experience’. If you’ve had multiple waitressing or
bar jobs, don’t elaborate on them unless you are applying for a job
in hospitality.
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Ready, set,
go for it!
A good résumé is a snapshot of who you are and why you’re perfect
for the job.
Curriculum Vitae
Michael Efford
Name
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A full-sized version of this résumé is in Appendix 3.
Normally a résumé or curriculum vitae should be no more than

three pages. Because Michael has listed considerable skills, this
one is four pages and includes awards and education details on
the fourth page.
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Work from Home
Tips: The résumé

■ Spend time working on layout, grammar
and content. Make sure your final document is
clean and easy to read.
■ Be concise. The document should not be

longer than two pages if you’re a recent graduate,
and not more than three even if you’ve got plenty
of work experience.
■ Don’t exaggerate, lie or plagiarise.
■ Always start with your most recent job and

work backwards.
■ Explain anything that’s not obvious, such as what your

current employer’s company actually does.
■ Don’t list your age, marital status or number

of children. It’s unnecessary and may subliminally
prejudice people against you.
■ Always rewrite your résumé to fit the job

you’re applying for and keep copies of each
individualised résumé.
■ Keep the master résumé as an electronic file and

update it regularly.
■ Proofread one last time.
■ Don’t apply for jobs that you clearly do not have the
experience or skills for.
The cover letter

It’s crucial that you have a good cover letter that states your claim
to do the work you are bidding for as a contractor. It’s your foot in
the door. If your cover letter is poorly written or if it waffles on, the
employer probably won’t even consider you for the work. Treat the
cover letter as your business card – even if you have one that you’ll
attach to the letter.
It’s the cover letter as much as the résumé that opens the door
and creates interest. Make sure your letter is well written, concise,
direct and easy on the eye. Keep it to under one page and don’t
use creative fonts or colours.
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Ready, set,
go for it!
Here is an example of a well-written cover letter.
Alex Simmonds
2 Street Avenue Your name and
Smithsville 3054 NSW
Phone: 0421 XXX XXX contact details
Email: Alex.Simmonds@email.com
Date Today’s date
Elizabeth Publisher
Employer’s name Street address
and address Suburb state postcode
Dear Elizabeth
Position Re: Freelance writer
Please accept my application for the freelance

writer position as advertised recently in the
�pening Morning Herald. As someone with many years
experience in writing, I believe I would be an
Sydney
candidate for the job. I have a genuine passion ideal
paragraph do’ attitude to my work.
for writing and always bring an enthusiastic
‘can
While at university I was involved in a number

of internships programs where I was able to
my writing skills to a high level. I worked with hone
the Sydney Morning Herald’s lifestyle departmen
and Good Living, a niche home and food magazine. t
Your claim for
During my years as a writer, I’ve worked in the position
various roles that require me to follow a brief
to a tight deadline. I understand the importanc and stick
e of deadlines and clean copy, which I couple
with my dynamic writing style. I am a hardworkin
g, committed and vibrant employee who thinks
outside the square and will do any legwork
required to get a good story. I have always
from home and still managed to impress the worked
publishers I worked for; with the quality of my
and my punctuality when it came to finishing writing
the task. I have developed a good ability to
cool head when things get busy. keep a
Closing I am seeking a new writing challenge and I

believe that the skills and experience I can
position will greatly benefit your company. I bring to this
look forward to hearing more from you. Please
paragraph résumé attached. find my
Sincerely
Alex Simmonds
Your signature
A full-sized version of this cover letter is in Appendix 4.
Your cover letter is your chance to address the selection criteria and
mount an argument as to why you’re the perfect person for the work.
Be professional and formal in your approach, and stay away from
exclamation marks.
Before you begin writing your letter, ring whoever has placed
the advertisement, and try to find out more about the position.
This will help you structure your letter. Also try to find out the name of
the person who will be making the decision who gets the job, so you
can address it to them. People get very offended if you get their name
and title wrong, so make sure you get it right.
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Work from Home
Tips: The cover letter

■ Study hard and get good grades – your education is
the foundation stone for your career and potential
employers will look at your academic record first.
■ Tailor the letter to suit the employer and the job.
■ State the position you are applying for and any

reference numbers.
■ Explain why you are particularly interested in the job

and why you qualify.
■ Draw attention to your marks if you have done

well academically.
■ Make sure you have spelt the name of the employer

and firm correctly.
■ Have a friend proofread your letter.
Your portfolio
Your portfolio is a collection of some of your best work. Depending on
your area of interest it could contain photos of your jewellery, fashion
designs or inventions, or copies of your photographs, designs or articles.
Take your portfolio to interviews and whenever you are pitching
for work.
You can buy portfolio books from stationers, art supplies or bookstores.
A good portfolio book isn’t cheap – it can cost more than $100.
But it’s worth spending the money to buy the best portfolio you can.
You’ll be carrying it around a lot to show prospective employers, and
there’s nothing worse than having a battered book, or one where the
pages fall out too easily. Who wants to see all their beautiful designs
come crashing to the floor? No-one, that’s who.
17 Click here for more FREE industry-specific sample

resumes and cover letters from Career FAQs
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Ready, set,
go for it!
How do I stand out at the interview?

You’ve sent off your application or introductory letter, and now you’ve
been called in for an interview. This means you’ve got a good chance
of landing the position or securing the contract if you can shine.
It’s at this point that you’ll need the 3 Ps: Preparation, Presentation
and Performance.
Preparation Presentation
Research the company Be personable and dynamic
Focus on your strengths
Read or skim the annual report – you’ll be less nervous
and any other information
Develop a rapport with
the interviewer/s
Find out about the structure
of the organisation Dress appropriately and be
well groomed
Get to know the key Interview Speak clearly
positions and the names
of people in them 3 Ps Make eye contact
Smile, relax,
breathe!
Performance
Find out about interview techniques
Make sure you answer the question – don’t get sidetracked!
Be honest in your responses
Talking about mistakes isn’t a bad thing if you
show that you have learnt from them
Preparation
The first thing to do is find out as much as you can about the company
you’re applying to. Put the company’s name into Google and see what
you can find. Read their annual report. Look at what the newspapers
and any trade magazines say about them.
The more you know, the easier it will be to impress them with your
eagerness to work for them. This is especially important if the
company is a major one. They’ll think you’re a time-waster if you don’t
know things that are general industry knowledge.
It’s also a good idea to find out who will be interviewing you and do
some research on them as well. It will be less daunting if you know
something about the people you are going to meet.
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Work from Home
Finally, make sure you have read over your cover letter and résumé
and, if you are taking one, make sure you know exactly what’s in
your portfolio. This may sound obvious but it is likely that the
interview will be based on the material you provide so they won’t
be impressed if you don’t know this inside out.
Presentation
The way you look and act will make a big impact. Make sure you
look polished and business-like, with well-groomed hair and
shoes in good condition. If you want to wear watches and jewellery,
keep them discreet and don’t wear a strong perfume or aftershave.
Offer a firm, but not overpowering, handshake. Maintain eye contact
and smile. While recruiters want to see a bright personality, avoid
making jokes or digressing into chat, as you will come across as
flippant or unfocused.
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Ready, set,
go for it!
Performance
Before the big day, make a checklist of all the documents you will
need to produce at the interview and be sure you’ve written down
where, when and who you will be meeting. It’s easy to forget these
things when under stress.
Turn up on time and be polite to everyone involved, from the

receptionist to the recruiter. You never know when you will need that
person’s help again.
When describing your skills and abilities, always back up your

comments with examples of times you used these skills in previous
jobs or working on previous projects. When the interviewer asks if you
have any questions, use the opportunity to ask about the job or the
company to ascertain whether it is right for you.
Tips: The interview

■ Be prepared. Research the industry and
company thoroughly.
■ Be on time.
■ Turn your mobile off.
■ Be yourself. Be truthful and direct, but try to put

a positive spin to your answers.
■ Make sure you can substantiate your information.
■ Don’t tell the interviewer about any bad experiences

you may have had with other people or companies.
■ Ask questions. This shows you’re interested and that

you’ve done your homework.
■ Be polite and professional, and listen carefully to

the questions.
■ Don’t ask about the money at the first interview.
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Work from Home
What can I do right now?

Starting a home business requires a lot of planning and research.
Luckily, you are reading a Career FAQs book – so you’ve already
made the first step!
Next, it is important to know the nature of your industry, who the

major players are, and whether there is a gap that you can fill.
Coming into an industry with a new product or service, or a fresh
angle, is one of the best ways to get ahead. You must know your
product or service inside and out, and you must know the
competition just as well.
To get started:
n visit business websites for tips on getting started
n consider doing a business course
n do some market research: is there a demand for your product

or service? Who would be your clients, and how would you
reach them?
n talk to others working in the same style of business and attend

industry nights.
These are things you can begin to do while you are still working
full time. As your business grows, you can cut back your work hours,
or take the plunge and commit to your business fully.
176
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Buzz words
Buzz words
ABN Australian Business Number
ACCC Australian Competition and Consumer
Commission
AIM Australian Institute of Management
ATO Australian Taxation Office
BAS Business Activity Statement
blog short for Web Log, which is an online diary or
commentary page updated by a blogger
CAE Centre for Adult Education
CPA Certified Practising Accountant
COSL Credit Ombudsman Service Limited, this
organisation has established an external dispute
resolution scheme which provides consumers and
members with an alternative to legal proceedings
for resolving their dispute
CSS Cascading Style Sheets, it specifies the
appearance of text and other elements on a
web page
Delphi a software development package used for creating
Windows software applications
ENT specialist Ear, Nose and Throat specialist
FBT Fringe Benefits Tax
Google Adwords Google’s advertising product, offering pay-per-click
(PPC) and site-targeted advertising to companies
who wish to advertise on the Internet
GST Goods and Services Tax
HTML Hypertext Markup Language, it is the software
language used to create Internet web pages
MYOB Mind Your Own Business, a popular brand of
business management and accounting software
OHS Occupational Health and Safety
on the tools working with your hands on the job
Oracle a Relational Database Management System
PA Personal Assistant
PAYE Pay As You Earn – a payroll procedure in which tax
is deducted from a person’s income when paid by
the employer
PEAT Professional English Assessment for Teachers
PR Public Relations
sparkies the familiar term used for electricians
target market the demographic of people you hope to sell your
product or service to
177
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Work from Home
Appendix 1
Sample business plan
Design @ 589
Business Plan
1 July 2007
E x ecuti v e Summar y
Design @ 589 is a graphic design company aimed at working for small to medium
businesses producing print and website designs.
Vision statement – to be respected and sought after in the graphic design industry and
deliver consistent, quality service.
Goals for the next 12 months:
• have at least one national client
• make a profit of $40 000
• establish my reputation
• fulfil my tax obligations
• put $5000 into my superannuation.
Goals for the next five years:

• have at least five national client clients
• establish a niche in the industry
• make a profit of $100 000 per year
• win a prize for my work.
Ser v ices
The services of Design @ 589 will exceed in quality those of all other small, locally operated
businesses. Therefore, I will charge around 15 per cent more than these businesses, and
stress our commitment to quality and consistency to justify the higher charge.
Rates will be worked out per job depending on the amount of hours worked, length
of commitment to the project, and overall difficulty. As a rough guide, I will initially
charge $40 per hour, and will aim to raise this as my reputation and demand in the
industry increases.
Estimated prices of services:
• basic business website design – $40 x 20hrs = $800
• poster design – $40 x 10hrs = $400.
Design @ 589 Business Plan 1 July 2007 1
178
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Appendixes
Ma r k et A na lysi s
The target market is small to medium business and individuals wishing to establish a website
or print advertising. There are many businesses in the area that currently do not have
websites, or have outdated print designs. I can begin by approaching these companies and
offering my services.
Most of the major companies will not be targeting smaller businesses and individuals, so my
initial competition will be other sole trader designers and local design studios. The main
competitors of these are Burns and McRuvie and Bryze Design. There is enough work in the
area to not be too competitive initially, but I will strive to prove a higher quality of work than
these companies.
R e s our ces
The following resources are the essential items only to run a small design studio from home:
• Mac computer
• design programs
• high-resolution printer and scanner
• mobile phone
• email account and website
• membership of graphic design association.
F inanci a l P l an
The following sections provide the costings for setting up the business, the ongoing costs
and the weekly, monthly and annual estimates for income in the first financial year.
Establishment costs:
• computer $3500.00
• printer/scanner 1000.00
• office furniture 500.00
• professional licences 200.00
v fees and memberships 200.00
Total 5400.00
179
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Work from Home
Ongoing costs (per month):

• phone, Internet and website costs 100.00
• insurance 50.00
• loans 100.00
• mortgage – 10% of home mortgage 400.00
• electricity – 10% of home electricity costs $6.00
Total per month costings: $656.00
Minimum survival income breakdown per week:

v $500 living expenses +
v $150 business expenses +
v $150 tax + (not including GST)
v $100 superannuation
= $900 per week, $4116 per month or $49 400 per year.
One basic website design and one print design per week will cover this with some funds left
to spare.
Projected cashflow – July 2008 – June 2009
50000
45000
40000
35000
30000
25000
20000
15000
10000
5000
0
Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
Projected income Projected outgoings
180
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Appendixes
Appendix 2
Sample tax invoice
ABN: 00 000 000 000

My business name
Street address
Tel:
Fax:
Mobile:
Date of invoice
TAX INVOICE
Invoice to:
Contact person
Business name of customer
Street address
Date Ref No. Description of service Amount
10 August 07 N/a Five designs – greeting cards $2000.00

30 August N/a Poster design $500.00
GST $250.00
Total due $2750.00
Payment terms are 14 days from date of invoice
Please pay to:

Account name:
Account number:
Bank:
BSB:
181
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Work from Home
Appendix 3
Sample résumé
Curriculum Vitae
Michael Efford
Personal Details
Contact details go here
Website www.michaelefford.com.au
Overview
Ethos & Experience I am a multimedia and graphic designer who focuses

on simplicity, usability and accessibility. With
extensive experience in XHTML, CSS and
Actionscript as well as thorough knowledge of graphic
design, colour and typography, Iʼm capable of
creating technically, aesthetically and functionally
pleasing multimedia and print design.
A strong believer in the Bauhaus coined term of “form

follows function” I see most of my work as a usability
challenge as well as a graphical one. I hand code all
my web work, ensuring that things designed for
humans arenʼt left to the inherent rigidity of a
computer program.
Iʼve been a self-sufficient freelance and company based
designer for over seven years and have real world
experience in project management, client liaison,
content management. I can happily say I enjoy this
side of the business as much as the creative work.
I have over 14 years of general computing experience,
with skills ranging from hardware and programming
to computer assembly and operating system
installation. Many of my clients employ me as a
technical/network consultant as well as a designer.
18
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Appendixes
Current Employment
Papercut Media – Graphic Designer for web and print

(contract based).
Oxfam Australia – Web Designer (part time).
Employment History
May 2005 – Dec 2005 Papercut Media – Senior Designer (full time).
Roles included graphic design for print, and front end
design for websites.
Aug 2004 – May 2005 Cube 7 – Senior Designer (full time).

Roles included complete project management, graphic
design, front end design, content management and
liaison with programmers and production staff.
Jan 2004 – Jul 2004 Freelance work whilst travelling around Australia.
Feb 2003 – Nov 2003 Sessional Lecturer and Tutor in Advanced Internet
Design within the Faculty of Design at Curtin
University of Technology. I taught technologies such
as XHTML, CSS and Flash and gave theoretical
lectures relating to graphic design, typography, colour,
usability, multimedia design and development.
May 2002 – current Freelance and contract based graphic and multimedia
designer.
Apr 2002 – May 2002 Pretzel Logic – Contract Flash Animation and
Actionscripting for a CD-ROM based project.
Dec 2000 – Jan 2001 Pretzel Logic – Contract Flash Animation and
Actionscripting for an Internet based project.
Aug 2000 – current Solar Dwellings – Website development and

maintenance, print based graphic design and computer
consultancy.
Mar 2000 – Jun 2002 School of Design at Curtin University of

Technology – Tutoring Advanced Web design
(Coldfusion + Databases), and 3D Animation.
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Work from Home
Jan 2000 – Apr 2000 ADI Limited – 3D Animation.
Skills
Programming Languages Extensible Hyper Text Markup Language (XHTML) –

Expert
Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) – Expert
Coldfusion Markup Language (CFML) – Highly
Skilled
Actionscript (Flash) – Highly Skilled
Javascript (JS) – Skilled
Structured Query Language (SQL) – Skilled
Extensible Markup Language (XML) – Working
Knowledge
Perl – Working Knowledge
ASP – Working Knowledge
PHP – Working Knowledge
Software Adobe Photoshop – Expert
Adobe Illustrator – Highly Skilled
Adobe InDesign – Highly Skilled
Dreamweaver MX – Expert
Macromedia Flash – Highly Skilled
Macromedia Fireworks – Highly Skilled
Macromedia Freehand – Highly Skilled
Adobe Acrobat – Highly Skilled
3D Studio Max – Highly Skilled
Adobe After Effects – Highly Skilled
Adobe Premiere – Highly Skilled
Macromedia Director – Working Knowledge
Microsoft Access – Skilled
184
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Appendixes
Awards
Winner of the Executive Deanʼs Award for Humanities

2001 for my SODA project.
Winner of “Best of the Web” at the Curtin Multimedia

Design Graduate Exhibition 2000.
Honourable Mention for “Best 3D Animation” at the

Curtin Multimedia Design Graduate Exhibition 2000.
Honourable Mention for “Most Enjoyable Multimedia

Experience” at the Curtin Multimedia Design
Graduate Exhibition 2000.
Honourable Mention for “Most Outstanding Project”

at the Curtin Multimedia Design Graduate Exhibition
2000.
Education
2000–2001 Bachelor of Arts in Design (Honours) at Curtin

University of Technology.
1998–2000 Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia Design, Majoring in

3D Animation at Curtin University of Technology.
1997–1998 Advanced Certificate in Computer Systems

Engineering at AMTC, TAFE (1st year completed)
1996–1997 Bachelor of Science in Computer Science at Murdoch

University (1st year completed)
References
Referees upon request.
185
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Work from Home
Appendix 4
Sample cover letter
Alex Simmonds
2 Street Avenue
Smithsville 3054 NSW
Phone: 0421 XXX XXX
Email: Alex.Simmonds@email.com
Today’s date
Elizabeth Publisher
Street address
Suburb state postcode
Dear Elizabeth
Re: Freelance writer
Please accept my application for the freelance writer position as advertised recently in the Sydney
Morning Herald. As someone with many years experience in writing, I believe I would be an ideal
candidate for the job. I have a genuine passion for writing and always bring an enthusiastic ‘can
do’ attitude to my work.
While at university I was involved in a number of internships programs where I was able to hone
my writing skills to a high level. I worked with the Sydney Morning Herald’s lifestyle department
and Good Living, a niche home and food magazine.
During my years as a writer, I’ve worked in various roles that require me to follow a brief and stick
to a tight deadline. I understand the importance of deadlines and clean copy, which I couple
with my dynamic writing style. I am a hardworking, committed and vibrant employee who thinks
outside the square and will do any legwork required to get a good story. I have always worked
from home and still managed to impress the publishers I worked for; with the quality of my writing
and my punctuality when it came to finishing the task. I have developed a good ability to keep a
cool head when things get busy.
I am seeking a new writing challenge and I believe that the skills and experience I can bring to this
position will greatly benefit your company. I look forward to hearing more from you. Please find my
résumé attached.
Sincerely
Alex Simmonds
Click here for more FREE industry-specific sample

186
resumes and cover letters from Career FAQs
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Appendixes
Photo credits
A big thankyou to everyone who generously supplied photos for this
book, listed in order of appearance.
Front cover: Jeremy Doorten, stock.xchng; Darren Baker, Dreamstime;
Lisa F. Young, Dreamstime; EdwinP, stock.xchng
Foreword: Leanne Preston
The big picture: Chapter image: Erik Reis, Dreamstime
Accounting: Chapter image: Djayo, stock.xchng
Irene Giorgianni (2)
Agribusiness: Chapter image: Ana Batista, stock.xchng;
James Lindsay (image with James and daughter Eloise)
Aromatherapy and acting: Chapter image: Elnur, Dreamstime; Sally
Bruce (2)
Books and antiques dealing: Chapter image: Petr Gnuskin,
Dreamstime; Graham Golding (2)
Desktop publishing: Chapter image: Ron Chapple, Dreamstime;
Helene Caroll (2)
Electrical contracting: Chapter image: Geoffrey Kuchera,
Dreamstime; Marty Beaton (2)
Events coordinating: Chapter image: Mk74, Dreamstime;
Carly Jabs (2)
Family day care: Chapter image: Michael Mosall ii, Dreamstime;
Rory Fagan (2)
Fashion: Chapter image: Laurent Hamels, Dreamstime;
Susan Conterno (2)
Graphic design: Chapter image: Ruslan
��
Gilmanshin, Dreamstime;
Michael Efford (2)
Inventing: Chapter image: Luis
��
Fernando Curci Chavier, Dreamstime
Chris Thomas (2)
Jewellery design: Chapter image: Alice Whish;
Alice Whish (2) ‘Milky Way Constellation’
Journalism: Chapter image: Karen Roach, Dreamstime;
Louisa Deasey
Magazine publishing: Chapter image: Spydr, Dreamstime;
Di Watson (2) (image with Kelly Bucknall, Di Watson, Natasha Urbano,
the Governor of Queensland Her Excellency Quentin Bryce,
Jenny Medland) >>
187
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Work from Home
Marketing: Chapter image: Kmitu, Dreamstime;

Stuart Ayling
Mortgage broking: Chapter image: Karen Roach;
Jennifer Schelbert (2)
Photography: Chapter image: Peter Solness (‘Muskie Fergusson in
Darwin’); Peter Solness (2)
Software development: Chapter image: Jonas Staubfor,
Dreamstime; Mary Neech (2)
Speech pathology: Chapter image: Socrates, Dreamstime;
Judy Armstrong (2)
Website design: Chapter image: Jodi Baglien sparkes, Dreamstime;
Caine Barlow
Ready, set, go for it!: Chapter image: Danijel Micka, Dreamstime;
Buzz words: Chapter image: H.Berends, stock.xchng
Appendixes: Chapter image: Salomé, stock.xchng
188
WfH_Book_000607.indd 188 24/8/07 4:54:17 PM

Books for EVERY C A R E E R
you can imagine!
Available now at bookstores and on the Career FAQs website:

Accounting Careers Investment Banking
Accounting NSW/ACT Journalism Coming soon:
Accounting Victoria Landscaping & Horticulture Crime Fighters
Advertising Law NSW/ACT Digital Media
Allied Health Law Victoria Industrial Design
Be Your Own Boss Legal Careers Publishing
Building & Construction Marketing Property
careers@gov.au Medicine Transport & Logistics
Design Professionals Nursing
Education Nursing NSW/ACT
Engineering Nursing Victoria
Entertainment Psychology
Extreme Public Relations
Fashion Save the World
Financial Planning Teaching NSW/ACT
Going Global Teaching Victoria
Hospitality Travel & Tourism
Human Resources Weird & Wonderful
Information Technology Work from Home
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Work from Home

realjobs realpeople realexperiences

Foreword by Leanne Preston

Work from Home

Work from Home

Published by Career FAQs Pty Ltd

WfH_Book_000607.indd 1 24/8/07 4:41:21 PM

National Library of Australia

Work from Home: Finding freedom in your spare room.

1. Home-based businesses – Vocational guidance – Australia. 2. Self-employed – Vocational

I. Title. (Series : Career FAQs)

Publisher: Sue Stevens

An imprint of Career FAQs

WfH_Book_000607.indd 2 24/8/07 4:41:21 PM

At some point in time the company takes on a persona that is a

■ The determination to be guided by ethics, to act with integrity

WfH_Book_000607.indd 3 24/8/07 4:41:23 PM

■ The understanding that intuition, as well as information, has an

■ The knowledge that true fulfilment is to be found in making

WfH_Book_000607.indd 4 24/8/07 4:41:23 PM

The big picture 1

Why work from home? 1

WfH_Book_000607.indd 5 24/8/07 4:41:24 PM

Youth Achievement Australia 16

Irene Giorgianni – Accountant 20

James Lindsay – National Sales Director, Farmgate Foods 24

Aromatherapy and acting 29

Sally Bruce – Aromatherapist and Actor 30

Books and antiques dealing 37

Graham Golding – Books and Antiques Dealer 38

Helene Carroll – Desktop Publisher 42

Marty Beaton – Electrician 48

Carly Jabs – Events Coordinator 54

Family day care 61

Rory Fagan and Phanthira Chuamkaew – King & I Childcare 62

Susan Conterno – Fashion Stylist and Wardrobe Consultant 70

Michael Efford – Graphic Designer 78

Chris Thomas – Inventor and Owner, Complete Sleep Systems 84

Alice Whish – Contemporary Jeweller/Artist 92

WfH_Book_000607.indd 6 24/8/07 4:41:24 PM

Louisa Deasey – Journalist 98

Magazine publishing 105

Di Watson – Magazine Publisher, Brisbane Circle 106

Stuart Ayling – Director, Marketing Nous Pty Ltd 114

Mortgage broking 119

Jennifer Schelbert – Mortgage Broker 120

Peter Solness – Photographer 128

Software development 135

Mary Neech – Software Developer 136

Speech pathology 141

Judy Armstrong – Speech Pathologist 142

Website design 149

Caine Barlow – Website Developer and Designer 150

Ready, set, go for it! 155

Do I need qualifications? 155

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Get online 162

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Don’t end up in someone else’s life.

What makes our books different?

Career FAQs is Australia’s leading careers publisher, with a dynamic

I started Career FAQs because of my own difficulties in finding

I wanted to change careers in my 30s, but trying to research a

■ The determination to be guided by ethics, to act with integrity

■ The understanding that intuition, as well as information, has an

■ The knowledge that true fulfilment is to be found in making

■ Self-motivation – able to get up in the morning and go to work with

■ Able to plan – you need to be able to plan what’s next for

■ Passionate about your work – otherwise your clients will sense