"I did it for my self-respect and mental health"

Why and how Lisa Orchard started her freelance business

Among the many things that make freelancing a great career is you can get started at any stage. Whether it’s your first career out of school, a second or third career, or a way to earn money in retirement, you can always transition into freelancing.

When you start freelancing in an area you’re already knowledgeable about, you have a headstart. You don’t have to learn the industry, you likely already have a network, and you understand your potential clients.

Lisa Orchard chose this path for her career, combining her love of urban planning with a desire to run her own business. The result is a fulfilling career and a busy work schedule. Read on to find out why Lisa moved into freelancing, the steps she took, and her advice for other freelancers.

Lisa and Lola enjoying a break from work

Job title(s) if applicable: Owner and Principal Consultant, Scribe Technical

Give a brief description of what you do and who you help.

I’ve been working as a technical writer and editor for almost five years – about the same amount of time I spent preparing for this major career change! I launched my business under the name Scribe Technical in 2019, and today I work with urban planners, engineers, and architects, for the most part. I help them make their complex documents clear and more effective, particularly for communicating with non-experts.

In practice, this means I do a lot of structural and copy editing of reports, plans, studies, position papers, and templates. I also offer training for professionals in government, industry, and non-profits, tailored to their writing needs and challenges. I’m a big advocate of plain language and find there is growing interest from my clients, which I’m delighted to see. I also publish short guides, tip sheets, and style guides (all on my website) targeted at my main client base. I’m always looking for what my clients or potential clients need, and if it’s something that fits my business model, I’ll adjust my services in response.

Freelancing has allowed me to build a second career that is much more aligned with how I think, how I like to work, the way I relate to people, my values. I bring my whole self to the work in a way I could not when working in an organization. I enjoy both the on-going business development and the client projects; there’s always something to do.

What first attracted you to an editing career?

I was always reading, journaling, and writing stories as a kid. I worked in a bookstore as a teenager, and took English classes in university, but didn’t see a realistic path for myself in publishing or a related field. Looking back, I realize I just wasn’t aware of the possibilities. I’d never had a teacher or guidance counsellor take me under their wing; there weren’t any co-ops and paid internships that I was aware of; no one ever raised the possibility of starting my own business, that’s for sure! I find it kind of incredible, actually, that I’m fully immersed in one of my original passions and getting paid well for it!

When I discovered this thing called “technical communications,” I realized it was what I had actually been doing in one form or another for almost 20 years as an urban planner. I started taking part-time courses in technical communications at a local college while working full-time in government. The more I learned, the more I saw the possibility of merging my profession with the best practices of technical writing and editing. I tried to create a role for myself in my organization, but that was a no-go, and not quite what I wanted to do, anyway – it just seemed like a safe compromise. When the time was right, I finally made the break.

How did you get started in editing?

I went to graduate school for urban planning, which was a practical choice at the time for a number of reasons. As a planner, I always went for jobs in policy and research because I liked finding solutions to the “big picture” issues and finding ways of communicating why they mattered to various audiences, from our most senior managers to local residents. Over time I seemed to become the “go-to” person for my colleagues, who came to me to polish their reports, briefing notes, and so on. I worked behind the scenes on some really important projects, with some really smart people who were great writers, and was grateful for that. It was satisfying to deliver something that was well-written and could lead to a change for the better.

Describe how your career has unfolded, how you identified your specialties, and how you wound up where you are.

I was working in a dysfunctional organization and losing my tolerance for being poorly treated. I still had many working years left and wanted to feel valued through my work. While it was a terrible time for me professionally, I don’t know that I would have had the spirit to make the change without going through it. I did it for my self-respect and mental health.

I’d daydreamed about having my own business “one day” (a bookstore, of course) but had no idea how I would go about making that happen. While I was working as a planner and completing my certificate in technical communications, I found a City of Toronto program for female entrepreneurs. I got accepted into a 12-week development program (with Andrew Patricio of BizLaunch) to develop my idea of merging urban planning and technical communications. It came with a $5,000 grant – all I needed for a new laptop and a good website.

The program was demanding. It forced me to develop a concrete business plan that funnelled all of my vague ideas into a strategy that I could actually implement. There was nothing daydreamy about it! Even though I was going to work for myself, I still needed it to function like a proper business, rather than treat it like a hobby. And I still live by the business plan, reviewing it every few months and updating it every year.

I started Scribe Technical with one client and a plan build a team of technical writers and editors. Since then, I’ve had dozens of amazing clients and many return clients, doing work that I’m proud to be a small part of. I came to accept that I like doing the work, but not managing people and having to worry about how I’ll pay them. For now, it’s just me and occasional freelancers when work gets a bit too busy, or I need someone with specialized skills. The model works for me, and gives me a lot of time and flexibility for my family.

I introduced myself to the clients I wanted to work with the most. Sometimes I tapped into my network; sometimes it was a cold call. My business plan helped me figure out what my potential clients needed, and how I could communicate what I was offering – it proved its value again!

The first three years were constant work, and I loved it, actually. There was always something new to do. Then I started to see I didn’t have to work quite so hard at some things, like educating my potential clients, and could focus on developing other ideas. The business began to hum along, clients came back to me on a regular basis, and others were getting to know I was there to help.

But I never coast. Now I’m at a point where I have to make some decisions – just enjoy where I’m at now, or start to push into new markets, with new products or services, or perhaps something else...!

What do you love about editing?

I know that what I’m working on matters to my clients and often, to a wider community. I get to drop in, work deeply, and then get out of the project, knowing it’s as close to perfect as it can get. It’s very satisfying – and no office politics!

I also love that I’m constantly learning. I’m exposed to new subjects, clients, perspectives, tools – and all of it oriented around writing and editing. I think we should all, always, be a beginner at something, anything, and I’m lucky to experience this in some capacity through my work.

What do you love about freelancing?

Freelancing has allowed me to build a second career that is much more aligned with how I think, how I like to work, the way I relate to people, my values. I bring my whole self to the work in a way I could not when working in an organization. I enjoy both the on-going business development and the client projects; there’s always something to do.

What is a piece of advice you would share with other freelancers?

I have a tip for the many women who’ve asked me how I’m making this work: charge what you’re worth, and that’s probably more than you think [note, this applies to all freelancers]. For example, if you set yourself up to provide niche services, you’re likely bringing unique expertise. That depth has value, in addition to the immediate service you’re providing. In my case, I’m applying my many years of experience dealing with urban issues to the documents I edit; this means I can charge what any other consultant in urban planning would charge, which I think is fair. This is also part of the reason that when I went freelance, I focused on finding clients who were working on projects I was already familiar with.

Even though I was going to work for myself, I still needed it to function like a proper business, rather than treat it like a hobby. And I still live by the business plan, reviewing it every few months and updating it every year.

Tell us about your Substack

I launched a Substack for my main clients and to grow my business reputation, but I’m scaling back right now as I’ve had a busy spring. It’s UrbanPlannersWritingClub.substack.com.

Much of what I’ve published is useful to anyone who needs to communicate complex information, and so now I’m thinking of making some changes to reach a wider readership – may be a good summer project!

Is there anything else you want to share with the readers of Happy Freelancing that we didn’t go into?

I think it’s really important to have a business name. Too many people out there undervalue freelancers’ skills and expertise, even though they are so reliant on us. People will take you more seriously and pay you more if you look and function like a business!

Contact info for anyone who wants to find you elsewhere.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisadorchard/

Website: www.scribetw.com

Here’s to your ongoing freelance success,

Heidi