10 years; no fooling

It's April Fools Day, and the usual pranksters are at it again.

• See the Top 100 April Fool's Day Hoaxes of all time at the Museum of Hoaxes.
• PC World has the Top 10 April Fool's Day Fake News Items.
• The Onion, well, it's always April Fool's Day at The Onion.

But one thing that's perfect for April 1 -- but isn't a joke -- is the fact that today I'm celebrating 10 years as an independent, freelance, entrepreneur, small-business woman, sole proprietor. I started on this day in 2000...and I'm still at it. Gainfully self-employed, thanks to the range of clients who continue to call on me, day and night, for a few good words (or paragraphs, or pages, or projects).

Whether it's an annual report (this year, for a chicken franchise, an intimate apparel maker, a biopharmaceutical company, and a real estate investment firm) or "romance" copy for a wallpaper sample book, helping senior executives formulate a speech or writing stories for employee publications (print or online), there's been no shortage in the need for good writing. Thankfully.

I've seen estimates that give small businesses a less than 10 percent chance of surviving 10 years. I'm happy to be one of the few to pass that milestone.

AMY INK: Still open for business.