How Did You First Get Started in Genealogy?
I was attending a funeral for one of my husband's relatives and there was a cousin there that had a large notebook full of names and dates and she was going around asking people questions and writing in her book. I asked her what she was doing and she introduced me to genealogy research right then and there and I have been hooked ever since. She allowed me to copy the notebook full of information and I was on my way. Since that time I have been doing genealogy research for over 20 years with the past 5 of those years at the professional level.
Starting My Genealogy Business
I was a stay at home Mom and my daughter was getting old enough to be in high school and have her own drivers license. She didn't need me to run her around to all her activities anymore so I starting thinking about getting a job away from the home to supplement our household income. Since my husband is also self-employed and worked from home, I was hesitant to get a job outside of the home as we had really gotten used to being together everyday. I started thinking about something that my husband always says "Find something you love to do and try to find a way to make a living at it". I thought about that statement and asked myself, "What do I love to do?" and my answer was easy, Genealogy. That started me on a period of self education in the field of professional genealogy and in 2005 I officially started my genealogy business named "Once Upon A Time Genealogy". I was able to take an avid hobby that I love and turn it into a business where I get to help others locate their ancestors and fill in their family trees on a daily basis. I have the best job in the World!
Tips and Tricks
- Know your area of specialty like the back of your hand before you start your business.
- Understand that starting your genealogy business will not make you millions and may not even support your family at first but with hard work and putting your name out there for everyone to see, you can build a pretty good Clientele base.
- I can not think of anything in particular that I would do differently now other than I wish I had started my business soon than I actually did. I didn't realize how rewarding it would be to be able to help others with their genealogy research.
Tips for Attracting/Finding Clients
Get involved with your local Genealogical or Historical Society and let them know about your business. Visit your local public library often and become friends with the genealogy librarian and let them know that if anyone contacts them needing research completed they can refer those people to you.
Suggestions for Setting Rate & Fees
It is important to set reasonable research fees that are not too high or too low. This is purely a personal decision but keep in mind what business expenses you have to cover and how much your time means to you. Setting you rates and fees needs to be something that you think long and hard about.
Contracts, Reports & Other Business Aspects to Consider
If you decide to use written contracts for the Client to sign, be sure that they are well written and very easy to understand for the Client. On research reports, I would say the same thing, make sure that the report is well written and easy for the Client to understand.
Tell us a little about your genealogy business (+URL)
My genealogy business is "Once Upon A Time Genealogy" I specialize in Tennessee and Kentucky genealogy research. I do everything from a simple document retrieval to large in-depth research projects. Visit My Website At: http://www.freewebs.com/genealogyservices/index.htm
