Late evening ramble

I drove into the city today, to try out BLANKSPACES for some co-working. On my way to the freeway, I passed an automotive repair shop that I’ve passed a hundred times before. It’s a small shop, and looks like it’s probably operated by the owner himself. As I passed it, a man whom I took to be the owner was sitting out front on a chair reading the newspaper. All visible repair bays for cars were empty. It got me thinking about being a sole proprietor in the digital age.

As a sole proprietor myself, I face similar needs during my business year. I provide a service, and I hope that people will have need of it. The difference between the repair shop owner and me is that if my business starts to decline, I can essentially overhaul my shop all by myself. I can upgrade my facade with a whole new look, tweak the engine (EE) for better performance or even add-on new functionality, all with very little cost.

This presents those of us who are web workers a rather unique place in the history of business ownership. Freelancers in particular, since we don’t have to go up against a bureaucracy or chain of command to get anything approved. Cost is also very low with digital businesses, mostly costing only our time.

I don’t have any earth shattering insight into the world of digital business, or the differences between brick-and-mortar vs. Internet. Just the thought that in these tough times, I’m glad to be working in a medium that allows me such dramatic flexibility. I am thankful for the work I have and for the clients I have.

You may also notice that my site is currently down for repair. That’s OK, I have this shop running on the side. Now where did that paper go…