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Archiver > APG > 2009-07 > 1247071930


From: Catherine Desmarais <>
Subject: Re: [APG] The Business of Genealogy
Date: Wed, 8 Jul 2009 12:52:10 -0400
References: <72f804b40907071842y1bc4e7c4teba3d5053481baa6@mail.gmail.com><17894474.167691247034082625.JavaMail.root@mbs7.homesteadmail.com><003801c9ffdd$3b0ef0e0$b12cd2a0$@com>
In-Reply-To: <003801c9ffdd$3b0ef0e0$b12cd2a0$@com>


There have been many excellent suggestions on this thread, and I thank all
the writers who have taken the time to share them.

In the original question, I understood that the writer was specifically
asking about how to make the transition when one did not have a partner to
supply income and benefits during the transition. Although I do live in a
two-income household, I am interested in that part of her question, since my
household does rely on my income to function. I am thinking that a logical
process might including shifting from a full-time salary to a part-time
salaried position while building one's genealogy business. Of course, part
time positions rarely have full health benefits, so that problem would have
to be solved first. Someone mentioned obtaining health insurance through the
local chamber of commerce. Has anyone made the transition to a full-time
genealogy business by first shifting from a full-time salary to a part-time
salary to full self-employment? I would love to hear advice from those who
have followed this path. How did you build a part time genealogy business
while still working in a full-time salaried position? It is a given that
this might require 60 hour weeks, but how did you get to repositories that
are only open 8-4 weekdays, attend conferences and Institutes, etc? There
seems to be a catch-22. It doesn't seem that one can really know how much
business you might get if you were fully self-employed, because you can't
really run a full-fledged marketing campaign, website, etc. while you are
still working in a full-time salaried position. You are not out at all the
conferences doing all the networking you can. You are not out in all the
repositories becoming known. You are not able to write and publish what you
could if you weren't working. In other words, you can't run to second base
with one foot still on first. But you can't take your foot off of first
base, when having that foot there means your family gets fed, clothed,
sheltered, and their medical needs met.

I'd love to hear the stories from those who have navigated this rocky road.

Cathi Desmarais

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