Barbara Brabec - America's Home Business Maven(TM)

After nearly four decades of leadership in the home business industry as an author, newsletter publisher, and speaker, Barbara has now withdrawn from active involvement in the general home business field (been there, done that), preferring instead to expand her book manuscript editing and critiquing services for authors and self-publishers, while also writing and publishing some new non-business books of her own.

Barbara's trade books include Homemade Money and Creative Cash, both of which have achieved classic status in their respective fields. In print since 1984 and long recommended by U.S. Small Business Administration specialists, Homemade Money was for many years used as a text in entrepreneurial courses across the country. After five editions and 128,000 copies in print, this classic guide was updated and released by M. Evans in 2003 as a new two-volume edition.

Creative Cash, a classic in its field for more than thirty years, has helped thousands of creative people launch successful art or craft businesses at home. In fact, several people who started a business with an earlier edition of this book in hand ended up as featured success stories in the 6th edition. Other crafts business books include Handmade for Profit (see related blog below), The Craft Business Answer Book, and Make It Profitable.

Self-Employed since 1971

Barbara's experience includes twenty years as an editor and publisher, first of a crafts business magazine (1971-1976), then of a subscription newsletter for home-business owners (1981-1996). During these years she was also a featured columnist for several magazines. Her "Selling what You Make" (later renamed "Profits") column ran in Crafts magazine for twenty years, becoming at that point the longest-running column of its kind.

Before starting her present publishing business in 1981, Barbara was for two years publisher and general manager of the book division of Barrington Press, Inc., which coincidentally published the first edition of her Creative Cash book. In this capacity, she was directly responsible for the book's initial sales success, and it was the overwhelming response to this book that convinced her she should start her own publishing business at home. She launched that business at the age of 42 with a thousand dollars borrowed from savings, and says it was the smartest career decision she ever made.

Barbara gained much of her business management experience while working for ten years in corporate offices in Chicago prior to becoming self-employed. However, she is entirely self-taught in all other areas of business and marketing, writing, periodical and book publishing, teaching, speaking, editing, eBook design and publication, using computers and related technology, and designing and managing a website. She believes that anyone who can read--and apply what they've learned--can achieve success in their chosen field. Her greatest strength as a leader and home-business adviser is that she has personally experienced most of the things she writes about.

Through the years, Barbara's professional viewpoints have been included in several books by other authors. Frequently quoted in the national press as a home-business expert, she has has given countless radio and newspaper interviews. Aticles by and about her have been published in dozens of small-business periodicals and today may be found on numerous sites on the Web.

Barbara's years of experience in the crafts industry led to her being chosen to be the Series Editor for Prima Publishing's line of For Fun & Profit books published in 1999-2000. Her continuing interest in this industry prompted her to launch a crafts blog in 2009 to help creative people cash in on their creativity (see below).

Barbara was married for nearly 44 years to Harry Brabec, a professional musician/percussionist and crafts show producer who died in February, 2005. He assisted her in her work for many years and always kept her laughing. His home-business humor has been included in several editions of Barbara's books and and will be featured in the memoir she is currently writing about his life as a musician. Based on Harry's reminiscent letters to musician and Czech friends in the last ten years of his life, it will also include some of Barbara's backstage experiences with Harry and some of the famous entertainers and show people he worked with.