Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Making of the Green: How to Set Up Your Own Business
Presenter: Neil Perlin

Intrigued by the idea of going independent? Controlling your own destiny and schedule? Putting an end to office politics?

Learn the answers to these and other questions in this presentation about deciding whether to go independent. Even if you don’t plan to go solo, many of the topics, such as career flexibility, branding, and staying current, may apply to you.

Neil Perlin, a technical communicator with 31 years of experience (the last 20 of which have been completely on his own), covers the following topics:

• Defining yourself — How to determine whether you have the qualities needed to work independently, and your strategic definition
• Selling yourself  — How to market and brand yourself, plus what not to do
• Managing yourself — How to manage your operational direction when there’s no one to talk to; issues like sounding boards, family support, and goal setting
• Psychologically preparing yourself — How becoming independent can reduce or even eliminate the fear of losing your job
• Extending yourself — How to keep up in a field that’s constantly changing; and finally,
• Keeping yourself sane — How to avoid becoming overwhelmed by work

Neil Perlin has 31 years' experience in technical communication, with 25 in training, consulting, and development for online formats and tools such as WinHelp, HTML Help, JavaHelp, WebHelp, CE Help, RoboHelp, Flare, and others.

He is a columnist for Intercom and the Professional Communication Society of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers' (IEEE PCS) journal, a frequent speaker at STC chapters and conferences, IEEE PCS, and other groups. He is a member of the STC-Boston chapter, started and ran the EDoc SIG from 1993 to 1996, created and manages the "Beyond the Bleeding Edge" stem at STC’s annual conference, represented STC for the W3C (WorldWide Web Consortium) for three years in the early 2000s, and is a 2010 STC Fellow.

Neil is Madcap-certified for Flare and Mimic and Adobe-certified for RoboHelp and Captivate. He provides training, consulting, and development for online documentation and help, Flare, RoboHelp, Captivate, Mimic, XML, single-sourcing, and structured authoring through Hyper/Word Services of Tewksbury, MA, www.hyperword.com. He can be reached at nperlin@nperlin.cnc.net, and blogs and tweets periodically about technical communication, amateur astronomy, and barbecue at NeilEric.

5:45 - 9:00 PM - Dinner meeting
(6:30 - Dinner, 7:30 - Presentation)

Hilton Garden Inn
5 Wheeler Road, Burlington, MA 01803
Phone: 781-272-8800
Map and Directions

Payment received by March 14:
     $20 for STC Boston and Northern New England chapter members
     $15 for full-time registered students*
     $35 for other STC members and nonmembers

Payment received after March 14  (space permitting):
     $35 for STC Boston and Northern New England chapter members
     $25 for full-time registered students*
     $45 for other STC members and nonmembers

*Student ID from an accredited college is required and must be shown at the registration desk prior to admittance.

Cancellations must be made by March 14 to receive a refund.

Registration and Payment Instructions

Contact Cindy Cookson, Accountant for the Boston Chapter, by e-mail or phone at 978-409-6112.