Friday, August 25, 2006
Why Is My Company Called Customline Wordware?
It's because of a car. Really.Most of you reading this today will be far too young to remember the Ford Customline. That's okay: I'm far too young to remember the Ford Customline! But it does exist (see picture) and my husband owns one, an old car that belonged in its heyday to his late aunt.
So that's the Customline piece.
I'd been freelancing for a lot of years before I met and married Paul, but when I did, he pointed out my hopeless lack of organization and business acumen. Some years before, he had started a consulting business that he called Customline Software. So it seemed fairly obvious for me to tag along with Wordware.
I'm happy to say that Customline Wordware has grown and flourished, so much so that it has completely eclipsed its former Web-mate, Customline Software. I don't know how Paul feels about that; but he was right: whether you're a writer, an editor, or -- as I am -- both, you need to treat what you do as a business.
Whether or not you name it after a car is, of course, up to you!
Behave in a businesslike manner and you'll see that people begin to treat you that way, too. It's the only way that writers and editors will be given the respect that they deserve. And when you do, you'll be... beyond the elements of style!
Jeannette Cézanne
Customline Wordware: Custom Copy To Go!
