I’m JQL and I’m here to help you succeed in your endeavours whatever they may be.
Background
I’ve been working with computers since 1981. I trained as a Systems Analyst and I’ve been online since 1995. I have been selling my software and services on the internet since then so I have lots of experience. I now want to use that experience to help others, to help you.
My story is a fairly conventional one. I’m sorry but I don’t have the usual “get-rich-quick in 2 weeks” story which you’ve probably read so often on the internet.
But I have a passion…
A real passion for computers and I really do enjoy helping others.
A long time ago, when I started my business, I was recovering from just over six months of illness. If you’ve been on extended sick leave and social benefits, you’ll know I had no money left. I’d even sold my car and my job had gone.
I started my business with just £32.50, all the money I had in the world. I used this money to buy 2 adverts in the local newspaper. This was before the internet. I did say it was a long time ago! Mine was a physical business visiting clients. I walked to my clients, sometimes 4-5 miles each way because I couldn’t afford the bus fare. If my clients paid cash, I could buy food. If they paid by cheque, well I had to wait for the cheque to clear.
After the first month, I had enough money to regularly afford the bus fare to and from my clients, most days. By month 3, I had enough to buy a clapped-out car for £50. Oh boy, was this car bad. One day, coming up to a junction, the brakes failed, how I didn’t hit anyone I’ll never know. Someone was looking out for me that day.
This spurred me on to do better. To work hard at the business and never again be in the position of having to drive a death-trap. Of having nothing to eat when I came home at night.
Through hard work and a burning desire to succeed, after just over 3 years, my turnover was nearly £460,000 a year (about $650,000 in US dollars), I had 4 employees and a SAAB 900 Turbo. The rest, as they say, is history.
Fast forward many years to today
I sold my business a long time ago (but kept one part – Visual Accounts) and have done what I wanted to do when I wanted to do it since then.
- I enjoy three weeks holiday every August,
- and two weeks holiday in the Winter (usually somewhere hot).
- I’ve flown over 1,250,000 miles as an airline passenger for holidays.
- I have an American RV (camping car) which I use often.
- I have a touring motorbike that I ride nearly every day.
- I earn money on the internet. I’m not old enough to collect a pension and doing nothing is boring – I’ve tried it.
- I teach English as a foreign language because I like helping people.
I’m a member of a Social Entrepreneur website which gives a lot of help, support and training on internet based businesses and it even has free internet hosting – it’s where this website is hosted. Join me and thousands of others for free on the site today. It won’t cost you a penny to join and you’ll never have to buy anything if you don’t want to.
It’s wonderful to meet you and feel free to contact me if you ever need anything. Just drop me a comment below.
See you soon.
Brian Macdonald
Dear John,
We are still using VA for business and personal accounting after more than 20 years; very happy with it!
However, unable to access personal accounts files; attempts result in following: ‘Error while loading Ver 2000 file: Input past end of file’.
Are you able to advise?
Sincerely,
Brian Macdonald
John
Brian,
I’m sending you an email re the error you’re receiving. If you haven’t got it by the morning, check your spam folder.