Liz: How will a person know if they’d be good at editing and proofing websites?

Bruce: Anybody who spots errors in writing everywhere they look would be a good match for this career. People who are known as official or unofficial proofreader of others’ writing at work, school, or home would enjoy editing and proofreading websites. Those who search newspaper for typos are a natural for this position. And I’m sure many people have come across websites that just hurt their eyes, and wondered if anything could be done about it. For some people, editing and proofreading come naturally. For others it’s a challenge. But if you get a real kick out of finding errors that others miss, you’ll love being a website editor!

Liz: Do you need an English degree, or any certifications for that matter, to start this business?

Bruce: Absolutely not! You need a good grasp of English language, but that can be learned without a degree. For many, it’s a gift. My own degree is in Human Resources Management, quite a far cry from English or Journalism. In my eBook, I suggest a few ways to obtain proofreading and editing experience and to get some kind of certification. It’s nice to be able to present some credentials to prospective clients, but not an absolute necessity. The only certification that’s really required is a “certification of motivation.”

Liz: How much does it cost to get a business like this started? Can it be started for under $100?

Bruce: One could easily launch their own home-based website editing and proofreading business for under $100, as long as we make a few assumptions. The first and most obvious needs would be a computer with an Internet connection. As long as you can surf Web, you can edit Web. If we start calculating at that point, then yes, startup costs can be below $100.

A few good reference books such as a dictionary and style manual are required. Besides those, you’ll need a box of red pens, highlighters, and plenty of paper if you choose to print and mark up errors on paper. Of course, those last items are not necessary if you decide to do all editing in your word processor. Both capabilities are discussed in eBook.

Setting up your own Web page is a good idea, and that’s where you might start running up some costs (not necessarily though, and eBook talks about that topic too). But bottom line? When I started my business, I already had a computer, Internet connection, and some dictionaries. So my cash outlay was in neighborhood of, well, zero dollars.

I went back to work in a cheerful office writing about people who DO operate successfully online. And I'm fascinated by (and envious of) ones who make it working at home, especially those who are people-persons.

Tom Marshall is a jolly fellow who has made a success of his online specialty foods Internet magazine. His culinary expertise was impressive, plus he had been in food brokerage business for years. And suddenly entrepreneur in him drove him to start all over again. "I had no clue, ZERO idea what I was doing," admitted Tom. "I had words 'under construction' ALL OVER that first website. An expert in field took a look at it for me, and he said, "Tom, any website that's worth anything is always under construction. Get rid of all that!"

Tom's wife supported two of them during start-up. Tom swears he aged about 50 years trying to get thing going. Why did he do it?

"It takes a vision and a lot of determination," he said.

It doesn't hurt to have a sense of humor, either. After repeatedly telling me 'we're doing this,' and 'we'll be setting up that next', he confessed that 'we' is his multiple personality. "It's comprised of "me, myself, and I," he laughed. A caller asked for 'computer systems manager.' "He just happens to be in!" Tom told him.