HANG OUT YOUR SHINGLE

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COUNTRY SKILLS

Recently a letter told us of a small dilemma:
"I've worked for six years in Charleston, SC, though I live many miles away, and like millions of other people, I'm sick and tired of the hassle of daily
commutes. I have this idea for a little business of my own and want to get a computer to operate it out of my home. Though a little embarrassed to admit it,
I haven't the faintest idea how computers work, or how they'll speed up the operation of a home business. Would Mother consider writing an article on
how to outfit a home office?"

-Jennifer McCallan
Andrews, SC

Part 1 : Computer will help, but the inspiration's up to you.

By J. Presley

We've had similar conversations with dozens of readers over the past few months. In 1987, MOTHER began using desktop computers to lay text out on each magazine page, a revolution in capability compared to the hundreds of hours of cutting paper copy into blocks and pasting them onto aboard. Those first small Macintoshes are just ornaments today, when MOTHER uses computers to edit, typeset and scan in every photograph and illustration. Though at times we catch ourselves in wide eyed confusion, the tremendous time savings of giving the dull, repetitive work to that beeping marvel on the desk is always plain. After referring Jennifer's question to country-business expert J. Presley, who lives in a town near St. Louis, MO and works out of his home office as a business writer and consultant, he jumped at the chance to demystify the computer "revolution" in home business. "J.P." has worked with computers for over 20 years ("since they were steam driven," he jokes) and will author part two of this series in the next issue.

Living in the peace and clean air of the country on a little place of your own is the American dream. And the single best way I know to finance that dream is to operate a home-based business. And please be assured that modern electronics—far from being something that is difficult to understand, is actually making country-located business more and more doable every day. High-speed computers let a single person process words, numbers, and images (all of it called data, in computerese) that once required a whole building full of clerks, artists, and bookkeepers. From even the most remote country location (so long as roads, electricity, and phone lines are in—and soon, even if they aren't) business can be conducted around the globe using modern communication technologies including Federal Express, UPS, and other computerized delivery services, the phone company's 800 and 900 numbers, faxes, computer-to-computer "modems," and cellular and hard-wired phones sending voice and data via fiber optics, microwaves, and satellites. Anyone with a good business idea, the courage to take a risk, confidence to make mistakes and learn from them, willingness to work hard plus determination and energy can do it. You don't need a lot of education or a lot of money—and you don't need to know a thing about electronics. You do have to be willing to work harder and longer-for less pay than you'd earn working for someone else.

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