Two things have happened that will cause me to spend a lot less time here.

The first is that, in accordance with my admonitions to you all as well as recent events, I have volunteered for a political campaign for the November elections. I don't know when the work will start; within the next few weeks is all I can guess.

The second is that, in accordance with Sweetie still in lay-off mode, I will be doing some extra paid work the week after next--and will take whatever other paying work I can find.

Don't say it Carl, Barefoot--I know I'm too old to take advantage of Navy paydays ;) This is typing stuff--the modern-day equivalent of taking in laundry. I've already lucked into a bit of editing, a one-time thing. I shall also be placing an ad in the local U newspaper, offering typing and editing services for lazy students.

I beg of you, lurkers all, please help support this forum and its small percentage of actual posters by finding and posting interesting news items. Just one post a week from each lurker would make for a really interesting place. Please help out.

-- Anonymous, July 21, 2001

Answers

okay, but first you have to tell us what you would charge for 'around the world.'

-- Anonymous, July 21, 2001

>I shall also be placing an ad in the local U newspaper, offering typing and editing services for lazy students.

I predict that you'll have more work than you'll be able to comfortably handle. If you'll also include "cover letters and resumes" in your ad, you may get more of the easy, high paying projects that are a boon to the home typist. I was once making around $80/week just for resumes and cover letters (1983).

The hardest part was collecting payment, so I went to strictly cash, with half down to do the project and the rest when complete. I dropped the "editing" part and went to straight typing when the resumes aspect when to $80/wk. That was good money for 1983, and I probably could've charged more had I stayed with it, but I moved on to cleaning apartments for landlords at the end of the term and made enough so as not to have to do much else for money during the quarter.

-- Anonymous, July 21, 2001

Although judging by the number of typos in the passage above (pre- coffee) I got out of the home typing service at a good time. (;

-- Anonymous, July 21, 2001

Yep, did that for 14 years or so and made very nice money, especially during finals--and NEVER accepted checks! Unfortunately, when every student got a computer the only work left was the dregs, you know, the really awful/complete rewrite stuff and it got to be such a trial with no "easy" stuff to dilute it. I hated working for small businesses as they treated me like dirt but, given the circumstances, well, gotta do what I can, migraines or no! Sweetie will do some too.

-- Anonymous, July 21, 2001

I think you'll find the market has changed somewhat. Although there seems to be a higher percentage of students who can type, they type around 40 wpm, which means several multi-hour sessions for a 5-7 page paper, and add to that the students who have started at the last minute, and I think you'll be amazed at the business you'll get, especially from the students in writing and humanities classes at the 200-level.

Given the beginnings of the turn-around in the ecomony, I think doing resume packages will pay well -- Columbus has a fairly solid economy, yet I know an older 20-something who is averaging around $125/wk with her side resume business. She charges $25 for an "average" one page resume that she types onto a disk ("average" meaning straight typing, no multiple columns or fancy fonts) and $15 for a "generic" cover letter, also typed onto the disk (the client can then vary the addresses). For an additional fee, she can also make copies of the resume on suitable paper and address envelopes for mass mailings. She averages about three hours a week at her business, plus an extra half- hour now and again to post signs at several places. She doesn't advertise in the paper. I think her start-up expenses were around $35, mainly for paper and a re-fill toner cartridge for her printer.

I know all of this because she occasionally phones me for help at the end of the quarter. A term or so ago, she had orders for almost 1000 copies of resumes, mainly from OSU and Capital students. I spent a profitable afternoon in Kinkos running off resumes, which certainly beats waiting on tables as a way to pick up a few extra dollars on short notice.

Anyway, good luck!

-- Anonymous, July 21, 2001

Lurker1, that would be double quotation marks rather than single ones.

Please make a deposit into Old Git's Paypal account.

-- Anonymous, July 21, 2001

It'll be fine...we just WON'T delete double posts!!!!!! hehehehehe

Heck I thought about geting Dan to help..but He'd give Carl and Mailman a run for their money,joke wise! and if he's on here, I'm not!!!!!

-- Anonymous, July 21, 2001

Just a suggestion on saving alot of money on ink to refill your ink cartrige for the printer, buy ink from the supplier that sells to the local paper. I did this and bought a pint of black ink (could have bought a larger bottle) for the price of two cartriges. Use a suringe (sp?)to insert the ink into the used cartridge and presto your set to go. You will need to make a tiny hole at the top of the cartridge before injecting the ink and then cover the hole with tape before puting back into the printer.

-- Anonymous, July 21, 2001

Excellent idea, Maggie! I can do that with my printer (and do!). Unfortunately, it can't be done with all of them -- some are sealed in such a way that ink can't be added. I hope that's not the trend of the future.

-- Anonymous, July 21, 2001

Snort! The printer I have uses ribbons! It's a Panasonic XP1124 (I think), haven't used it for ages.

I quit doing term papers about six years ago, Meemur. Business had started to go down when I was in Norfolk and students were getting computers like they used to get phones. Then when we came here, same thing--business just slid right downhill because students were doing their own stuff and using spellcheckers and grammar programs. Maybe the novelty's worn off, though, and they would prefer a fuller social life! Still, whatever work I can pick up will be a help.

I like the resume prices! Do you know the going rate per page of regular term paper typing? It was around $2 last I knew and I could type 8 to 10 pages an hour, depending on the quality of the copy.

-- Anonymous, July 21, 2001

OG, it's $8-$10 here per page! for "straight" typing (no complicated mathematical symbols or editing) and goes up for papers ladden with symbols or "rush" jobs. You might want to phone several typists to get a feel for what's up in your area. When I was researching mine, I not only looked at the paper, but also checked the library b.boards, laundry, and student union.

In any case, $2/page is too low.

-- Anonymous, July 21, 2001

Yep, $2 is WAY too low after all this time! But $8-10/page is incredible! I don't think I could get that much here but I have to check around and see. I have to advertise in the university paper because I don't drive any more and I hate to bother Sweetie or the Hungarian with such trips. Once I get a few customers, I can ask them to post flyers for me.

After I do the research typing job, I'll be able to use that person as a reference and, since she's part of the academic community, she might come across people who need good typists anyway and pass on my name. When I did this before, I got all my business by word of mouth after the initial start-up. I'd take my vacation at the end of April and do student typing up to 20 hours a day. Can't do that now, but I can certainly put in a few hours a day. What's great is I can still do my scanner work!

-- Anonymous, July 21, 2001

Also consider mailing one of your flyers to whomever is in charge of the remedial writing program, as well as developmental services. Those students frequently need typists. You can get that info by calling the campus switchboard and then asking for secretaries in those departments.

It might be worth finding out when midterms/finals are for the summer session and bothering a driver for rides to the library and student union for a one-time posting session. Some of your market might not be looking in the paper but would see a flyer.

If I were closer, I'd certainly run over to campus for you, but I think you're about ten hours away. (;

-- Anonymous, July 21, 2001

OG, maybe put up a flyer at Kinkos or ask if they would keep an index card on file of your services. If you ever want to buy a printer, Lexmark brand is dependable and resonable. I said that thinking you might want to make some copies without having to make a trip to have it done.

Meemur, I bought an ink refill kit that had the ink, syringe, cartridge flush out and a small tiny screw. The screw was to be used to make a hole at the very top part of the ink cartridge and it worked great. The trick was to put tape over the hole ater filling with ink. I didn't want to have to pay out the money for another kit, so the idea of buying the ink in bulk seemed to make sense to me and really is saving me bucks.

-- Anonymous, July 22, 2001

Well, the first message didn't post so lets try this again.

OG, think about puting up a flyer up at Kinkos or ask them to keep an index card on file of your services. I have a Lexmark printer and would recommend it to anyone.

Meemur, I used a tiny screw to open up a hole at the very top of a ink cartridge and it worked great.

-- Anonymous, July 22, 2001

Sorry about the double post.

-- Anonymous, July 22, 2001

That's also a good idea, Maggie. I'll pass that idea on to several friends who have the sealed cassettes. I can't believe the $60 - $75 bucks some companies are charging for refills! That makes the bulk ink look very economical.

-- Anonymous, July 22, 2001

Many thanks for all your suggestions and advice, I feel very optimistic about making some money when the Dukies return from summer vac. Besides the student paper, there's also a yuppie diner not far away where a flyer would attract quite a bit of Dukie attention. The little foyer, where people wait for a table, contains all sorts of flyers that people read while they wait.

-- Anonymous, July 22, 2001