Student Comments for Establishing Your Freelance Business

Instructor: Kathy Ide   Students of this course said:    “Thank you for a really great course. Very helpful, informative, and inspiring.” — Sharon King   “I am most grateful for your sharing your expertise, and especially for your repeatd emphasis on prayer, and your frequent reminders throughout the course to maintain our relationships with our Lord and our families and friends as we work. As I get more involved in this business, I can see that it would be easy to become isolated, so your discussion of balance and taking care of ourselves was also very helpful. Thanks for your work on our behalf.” — Sally Stillings   “Gaining wisdom from someone who has already walked down this path and is able to provide wisdom from hindsight has been hugely valuable to me. The lesson on taxes will probably be the most helpful to me, but I also really liked the idea of asking clients to evaluate your services on a scale of 1-5 after you return a project. Since taking the class I've started doing this and have really enjoyed getting more specific feedback from my clients. I now know what they appreciate most about my services and what I can work on to improve my service.” — Sarah Hess   “The information for the class was very good. I want to take my time and go through each lesson because there's so much good material. Thank you!” — Jenni Hurst   “This class has far exceeded my expectations. The material was spot on and it was so helpful to learn from someone with experience to share. The course was very thorough and covered areas of business I hadn't given much thought to yet. The instructor's comments and the class interaction really made this a worthwhile course. I didn't think I could afford to take it, but now I realize I couldn't afford NOT to take it! I am very pleased with myself for completing this course and already feel much more confident about running my own business.” — Dianne Polome   “I can't thank you enough for all the valuable information in this class. There were so many things that were helpful to me. It more than exceeded my expectations and I would heartily recommend it to anyone starting a freelance editing venture. The homework was neither too easy nor too difficult and was always completely relevant. The interaction between participants was really wonderful too. That kind of back-and-forth doesn't always happen with an online class. It certainly made the class more enjoyable.”  — Terri O. Poss   “This class has been an answer to prayer for me, and I received much more than I expected. I have been stumbling along trying to set up my editing business and this class has not only clarified every decision I need to make, but addressed ones I didn't know I needed. It is well worth the cost, especially when I consider all the hours I will now save by setting my yet to do list on a professional footing, rather than continuously having to correct mis-steps. Thank you for an excellent course.” — Marcy Weydemuller   The course was far more than I expected. Kathy brought up so many things I had never considered. Some of the points were a little daunting at first, but now I am looking forward to starting this new career! The information I received was well worth the money I spent for tuition, and Kathy was a kind and very gracious instructor. I found all of the homework helpful. Some of the homework was quite easy, but other assignments were hard and time consuming. However, hard is not a bad thing and I think all of the hard ones were necessary to provide a complete understanding of the scope of the editing business. I will definitely take more classes, simply based on the excellent information I received in this class. — Carlene Van Cott   Lots of great hands-on tips. I appreciated that there were a lot of assignments because I was able to pick and choose the ones that were most applicable to me. Some weeks were really easy and others were really hard. The lessons about balance and scheduling were easy, though still necessary. Everyone has different strengths, so the lessons I found hard and easy were probably the opposite for other people. The lessons were pretty clear. And we knew that if we didn't understand something, we could always ask. I really enjoyed reading other people's assignments and seeing that there are many others in the same boat as me. It was also nice to be among Christians. I'm used to the secular university and workforce, so this was a blessing. The most helpful parts were probably the least fun: creating forms and approaching the obstacle of taxes. Scary stuff, but essential. I'm still nervous about handling that stuff, but I feel a little more confident than I did. I know I will be referring to the lessons in future.  — Amy Timco   The lessons were informative, gave me points to ponder, and offered some great suggestions. Definitely worth the price of the tuition. The homework had no right or wrong answers, just examining what will work for each individual editor. The lessons are written clearly. Personal experiences from the instructor made the lessons practical and applicable. — Judy Vandiver   I can't thank you enough for the guidance and detailed information provided in your course Establishing Your Freelance Business. You answered the seemingly countless questions I had related to this venture in editing, and then some. Thank you for your willingness to share your hard-earned experience with others who are just starting out. The money I invested in this course was a steal.  — Barbara Bonebrake   Thank you for doing such a great job teaching our class. Each lesson had something useful and usually, something I had not thought about before. I got a much more realistic handle on freelance editing—the good and the not-so-good! Thanks again for putting your heart into the course. — Brooke Schlange   The assignments were excellent. The assignments were optional, and since we only had to do one per lesson, it was manageable. Some of the homework was easy, but some really took some time and thought. I thought they were all good. The lessons were explained well, and there were enough examples to help out. I liked the interaction between the students and teacher, and among the students. The forms we created (the time logs, expense forms, etc.) really helped me. The lesson on wages/rates was excellent, too. Kathy, thank you very much for this class. Among other things, it really made me understand how much is involved in running your own business. I'm not sure that I am quite ready for it, with having kids so young, but you have really helped me feel that when the time is right, I will be able to do it (with God's help.) Thanks again! — Emmy Daniels   The course was truly excellent. I’m so glad I took this one. I’ll highly recommend it to anyone possibility interested. Thanks! — Dawn Kinzer   I expected lots of practical application in this course and I got it. The lessons were a good length and I liked the flexibility of the due dates and that we weren't required to answer every question. The homework was specific enough to make me think but not something I had to spend hours on. The lessons were explained clearly, and I think I grasped all the concepts sufficiently. I liked how personable everyone (including Kathy) was and that we got personal feedback on our assignments. The feedback was great. I still have a lot of decisions to make for my business but this course helped me know where I need to start. I also think it's good that you had lessons on how to treat both pleasant and unpleasant clients. You emphasized acting professionally. I hope to be taking more PEN courses in the future.  — Ashley Barrett   I was very pleased with the professionalism and helpfulness this course offered. Once I pick up a couple of the proofreading classes, I will feel ready to start taking clients. I owe it all to this great class! I soaked it all in like a sponge. I tried doing every assignment, but during my busy weeks it was nice to have the option of only completing two. The homework was difficult, but not too difficult. I felt challenged, but not overwhelmed or full of despair. Each lesson gave me the opportunity to really explore the concept of a freelance career. I appreciated the honesty of each lesson. The tax section went a little bit over my head, but I am grateful to have the information on hand for when I will need it. I liked Kathy's dedication and being able to read other people's responses. Getting a better handle on the writing industry as a whole will be an invaluable tool. This class (and some of the others) will give me an avenue with which to mentor other writers, which is my heart!  — Joanne Reese   Thanks, Kathy, for this course. It covered even more than what I had expected! I feel I accomplished so much during this class—things I had been putting off, such as creating template letters and a more user-friendly editorial agreement. I loved the balance of information this course offered. The sections on balancing work, family, and prayer life were especially invaluable. The class didn't just focus on editorial/business issues, but addressed family and spiritual life as well and in depth. Wonderful! The beauty of this class was that if any of us had a question, we could post it to the group (or directly to Kathy) and get an answer right away. I liked having a broad choice of optional assignments to choose from. Actually, because all of them were so valuable, I completed all of them, rather than just the minimum required for a certificate. -- Laurel Vincenty    This course was well organized, clearly explained, and easy to understand. Good practical suggestions on homework. Things we will use in the "real world." Most of all, I liked learning the information. I'm especially pleased about the emphasis on prayer and following God's guidance. This course will make my business stronger, it helped me avoid common pitfalls, and gave me more information about what is involved in running a proofreading or editing business. -- Laura Evans   The course was right on topic, and well defined. I learned a lot and the students offered excellent insights as well. I feel very fortunate to have taken this class. The course covered material that I would never have thought about. The optional assignments give everyone a chance to contribute. The lessons were clear. The practical ones that included charts, pay scales, etc. gave me a better gauge for my own rates. -- Simon Presland   This course was exactly what I expected,.and more. It closely paralleled the course I took from our local community college last spring, Starting and Operating Your Home-Based Business. I liked how the instructor reminded us of our work being before God. -- Kathleen Davis   I don't say this very often, but this class actually exceeded my expectations. I was impressed by the focus on work/life balance and the elements on faith and our relationship with God. I was also impressed with the level of detail Kathy offered. From the first few lessons, I felt empowered to open shop. The exercises were relevant to the lessons and helped me to apply the knowledge. They made me think but were not difficult to complete. I enjoyed interacting with my classmates and getting questions answered by the teacher. The tidbits I picked up about how to weave my faith into my workday will be paramount to me in my freelance business. That's not something you learn in the workplace. These lessons helped me develop a plan and keep my mind open for ideas. -- Natasha McNulty    I appreciate the hands-on advice. And now I have what amounts to a ‘booklet’ of practical advice (i.e., the complete course material) on permanent storage. -- Katherine Swarts    Great lessons! Provided excellent food for thought, instruction, and wonderful, practical assignments. Thank you for a helpful, reasonably priced class to help us gain knowledge and experience to use in our freelance editing careers! -- Sheryl Caissie