We’re launching a new site with a new look. Changes will be revealed very soon…we’re so excited!!!

Name: Chandra Clarke

Business Name: Scribendi

Type of Business: Professional Editing and Proofreading Services

Location: Chatham, Ontario, Canada

How Long In Business: 12

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Scribendi.com was founded in 1997 as one of the world’s first online editing and proofreading companies. Based in Ontario, Canada, the company’s primary goal was to provide clients with fast, informative, and affordable revision services.

Today, Scribendi.com operates as one of the world’s leading document preparation services. In a highly fragmented industry, Scribendi.com provides clients with stability, honesty, and integrity. From term papers to business plans, Scribendi.com can help you handle all of your document preparation needs.

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

OFM: What were you doing before you launched your business?

CC: Prior to launching Scribendi.com, I worked for a number of small newspapers and local publications as a stringer, editor and photographer.

OFM: Why did you decide to transition out of working for others?

CC: I decided to forge my own course early in my career, not because I had a problem with working for other people, but simply because I longed to be able to have the freedom to make my own decisions. While working for others, I found that I was given the responsibility of bringing change to a company, yet denied the authority to do so. By opening my own business, I was able to create a service that would help people, as well as build a company that would provide its employees with flexibility and freedom.

OFM: What was the first step you took in taking your idea to a reality?

CC: Since Scribendi.com is based entirely online, my first step was actually sitting down and designing the front end and back end of the web site. Once that was up and running, the next step was putting everything together.

OFM: Were you afraid to step out on your own?  If so, how did you overcome your fear?

CC: I was a bit nervous, but I had taken pains to make sure that I launched when I was in good financial shape personally. There’s an old phrase worth remembering when it comes to starting your own business: Never bet the rent money.

OFM: Once you left your job, what did you do first?

CC: Initially, when I left my job, I was just working on my own as a freelance editor. When I discovered there was more work available than I could ever possibly do on my own, that’s when the business began to take shape.

OFM: Who were your first customers/clients?

CC: Mostly aspiring authors, as that’s the market I pursued first. I later branched out to students and businesses.

OFM: What was your marketing strategy initially?  How has it changed?

CC: In the beginning, I spent a lot of my efforts on traditional print advertising. I would take out ads in student newspapers and writing publications and direct them to my URL. As the Internet began to grow, and more effective means of online advertising started developing, I shifted my focus to online advertising and networking. Having a strong online presence is absolutely vital in this day and age (whether you’re an online company like Scribendi.com, or a physical retail store). Clients and customers want to know that you’re connected and current; a strong web marketing strategy can help accomplish both.

OFM: What advice would you give to others who are interested in launching a business similar to yours?

CC: If you’re looking to launch your own web store, I would recommend spending a lot of time checking out the existing competition. You have to be very aware of what they’re doing, and then figure out how you can do it better.

OFM: What are the future goals for your business?

CC: That depends what your definition of “future” is. Currently, we’re working on a five year plan that will allow Scribendi.com to grow to be approximately four times it’s current size by 2013. After that, well, the sky’s the limit.

OFM: How do you juggle your business responsibilities with those of being a mother?

CC: I wouldn’t be able to do all the things I do if it weren’t for the help of my husband. Not only does he help me home school our three boys, but he’s also the vice-president at Scribendi.com, where he handles the technical and financial aspects of the business. In order to keep things balanced, Terence and I split the work week in half, so that on days that I’m in the office, he is able to stay home and take care of the boys.

OFM: What is an average day like for you?

CC: A blur. There’s always so much going on that sometimes it feels as though I just arrived at the office when it’s time to pack it in and head home!

OFM: How do you motivate yourself and stay motivated?

CC: I’ve always been pretty “driven” so I usually don’t find it too hard to stay motivated. But on dark or down days, and we all have them, the ideas I still want to implement keep me going.

OFM: If you had to start over from scratch, knowing what you know now, what would you differently?

CC: I think I would have been more aggressive in the hiring of support staff. When you start your own business, you get so used to wearing all of the company hats that you forget to consider the benefits of handing some of those responsibilities off.

OFM: What’s the most important business or financial discovery you’ve made in the past year?

CC: Don’t overbuy, in anything. Whether it’s something as simple as paper for the copier, or something as complex as a new software system, always, always do your research prior to signing on the dotted line. If you’re an online company like Scribendi.com, you don’t need to order 50 cases of printer paper. If you only accept orders via an online source, you don’t need software that allows you to track sales in a physical store space. Understand what it is you’re looking to purchase and stick to your guns. Don’t fall prey to the sales pitch, and always try and negotiate a better deal. The money and frustration you save is well worth the extra effort.

OFM: What do you do to promote your business, to beat the competition, and to dominate the market?

CC: We do very aggressive marketing and we work extra hard on customer service and customer retention.

OFM: What are the three threats to your business, your success, and how are you handling them?

CC: The clock, my idea board, and the coffee pot. The clock, because there are never enough hours in the day to accomplish all of the things I would like to do in regards to my business; my idea board, because it’s starting to get so heavy that it may fall down on top of me; and the coffee pot, because it’s always empty when I go to get a fresh cup.

OFM: What has been your biggest disappointment in your life – and what are you doing to prevent its reoccurrence?

CC: I can’t think of any one major thing… there’s been a number of small things I look back on and think “Well, that didn’t go as well as I’d have liked, I guess we’ll have to chalk that one up to experience.” But we do try to avoid big issues by planning ahead carefully.

OFM: What do you observe most people in your field doing badly that you think you do well?

CC: Not so much in my field, but in online commerce in general, customer service is usually incredibly bad. Nothing drives me around the bend faster than having to waste time trying to get past the canned responses and voice mail menus, especially when the issue in question can usually be resolved within about five minutes. We work hard to do better on that front.

With the ongoing and unfolding saga of Tiger Woods and with my own interest in what men often think about when it comes to women, I asked a friend of mine from high school (his name is Rob) to share his thoughts on women with me.

We began a discussion before the news of Tiger Woods broke; I wanted to ask him what types of women were more appealing to him. I also wanted to know what he was teaching his teenage daughters about men. I listened intently and realized this information should be shared with other women.

When Tiger Woods’ story dropped in the media, I thought I would pose a few more questions to him about fidelity…and, what the hell men think about sometimes. Why are they so willing to sacrifice what they have for a little excitement?

Now, let me give you a little background on Rob. He is a 40-year-old, divorced father of 3 children, 2 of whom are girls. Rob says, “I believe in loyalty and in treating women right. I’ve had a long journey, but have arrived where I am much wiser.”

So, here are a few of the more interesting points of my discussion with Rob:

Lynn: Which type of woman do you respect more and would work to have a relationship with – a woman who is easy to “get” (not a challenge, always available, gives in to sex relatively soon); or a woman who is not always available, has a life of her own, and makes you work for her time and attention?

Rob: Well the answer to this one is simple. I am more attracted to the woman who is not available. The fact that she has a life of her own is a good thing. A woman that is constantly around and doesn’t go off exploring alone, to me, tends to run out of things to talk about. I cannot be the only exciting thing in her life.

When a woman makes a man work for her time, the man in turn should carefully plan fun and exciting activities: go to places she has never been before and try things that neither one of you has ever done. I believe the sexual portion of the relationship should not even be addressed or even discussed until 90 or 180 days of dating. To me, that’s when the discussions should start. Now, this is all contingent on the fact that the relationship has reached that level and taking it further is agreed upon by both parties.
Lynn: How do women react when you do nice things for them relatively early in a relationship? Are they suspicious of you? Do most women that you’ve dated act this way?

Rob: You must know or have heard something? I am a giver throughout the relationship. It may be big or small gifts or gestures. I believe that a woman should be showered with gifts. This has always been me. The cost of the gifts I do give, do not matter either. I dated a woman before where after six months, I was shopping for a gift for her in Tiffany. I just wanted to make her happy. Women I have found, sometimes look at me like, ok what does he want? Or, he is after sex. When, in most cases, they are wrong. I give gifts because I like you and I like to see you happy.
Lynn: What lessons are you teaching your daughters about interacting with men?

Rob: The first lesson I am teaching them is to be reliant on themselves. I teach them to not depend on a man for support. I tell them to strive to reach their own dreams and that a man and a relationship should only enhance what you already have or aspire to have. It is not mandatory for you to have a man. If a relationship has you sacrificing what is important to you, is it really worth being in? I tell them God made more than one boy, so if it doesn’t work, it’s not the end of the world.

I also tell them to talk to and listen to those that are older and have already been where they are. Respect their knowledge and learn from the mistakes of others.

Lynn: Why do men cheat, generally speaking?

Rob: The answer to this question is broad. There are many reasons, in my opinion, why men cheat. One reason is they have never seen a relationship where infidelity didn’t exist. Or, it could be to stroke their male ego. Like, “I know I am the man, if I have five different women after me”. For a married man, sometimes it could be the reality of everyday life. The excitement of the sneaking, the secret liaison itself can be an aphrodisiac. Each man’s reason for cheating is different. It could even be trivial like, my wife cut her hair short and I liked it long. It depends on the man.
Lynn: Once a man cheats on you, does it mean he will do it again?

Rob: Only if a man has regrets for what he has done and he sees the way it has affected the other party will he not do it again. He must care about that party and it must have an affect on him to make him change his ways. If there is no regret, no remorse, or no feeling, it will happen again. He just changes his tactics.

Then, I asked Rob what question he would like to ask women…a question that perplexes him? Here’s what he asked:

Rob: “Why do women say they want a good, honest, clean, employed man and when they find one, they never choose him? I have seen far too often a great guy pursue a woman and they go great together and she always seems to be attracted to the pretty, going nowhere guy. Is it all physical or is it that women lie about their interest in the good guy?

Hmmm…good question, Rob. I’m sure many of us women ask ourselves the same thing.