About WOW! Worker's on Wheels
by Coleen Sykora
A bit of background on WOW....
Bob and I started full-timing in early 1992, when we were both only 34 years old. People kept asking us how, since we looked healthy and were too young to be retired, we could afford to travel and live like we did -- without working. Each time, I'd explain to some degree or the other, that we did work -- we worked as we traveled. Excited about our new lifestyle, I was (and still am) happy to tell people our story -- how we got started, what we do for work, how we handle day to day things like mail and taxes, etc.
In early 1994, I started Workers On Wheels as a print newsletter. Basically, I began to write down what I'd been telling people for the past couple of years. When I'd hear from other working RVers, I'd share their experiences and suggestions with WOW's subscribers. It mushroomed into a 32 page magazine, with a section on the work of RVers and a section on the life of RVers, particularly Bob and myself.
Last summer (1999) we changed formats, discontinuing the print subscription magazine, expanding our website, and starting the a free WOW e-zine. This past spring, we added Life As We Live It, because we have many subscribers who want to know about our personal life and the full-timing lifestyle, but, the majority are primarily interested in the work related info. WOW's e-zine now has 2700+ subscribers and Life As We Live It has 800+ subscribers.
The website originally focussed almost entirely on the work of RVers -- interviews with employers who hired mobile workers, profiles of working RVers, articles on what work is available and how and where to find it, help for running an RV-based home business, etc.
We are in the process of redoing the site's structure, with pages on the various types of work for RVers -- caretaking, working at campgrounds, working with temporary staffing agencies, vending at events, working in the entertainment industry, etc. Because our readers are asking for it, we're also adding pages on general RVing information, such as boondocking, cold weather RVing, and RVing with pets.
We hear from a surprising number of people who miss having the print publication or who do not have Internet access. We are in the process of putting together some print material for them, although it is to soon to announce just what exactly they are.
A couple of the most frequently asked questions I receive are, "What work is available?" and "How do I get started?" I've answered those in our FAQ. See the FAQ Page here!
Joy and prosperity,
Coleen