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.

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