June 20, 2013

Scribendi.com was founded in 1997 as one of the world’s first online editing and proofreading companies.  Based in Ontario, Canada, the company’s primary goal is to provide clients with fast, reliable, and affordable revision services.  The company focuses on innovation, customer service, and high-quality editing, securing position as the premier editing and proofreading company.  They have edited over 604 million words and processed over 210,000 orders from 223 countries and territories.

From its humble beginnings in her parent’s basement, Chandra Clarke has grown Scribendi.com from a single person business to an international operation, and Community Futures Development Corporation has been part of this success.

When this company applied for Community Adjustment funding in 2010, they had 14 internal staff and 100 contract staff.  The organization was looking to increase its web presence by proposing to develop an “in-house” education program, using a modular, e-learning system to ensure that all editorial employees and support staff –in Chatham and around the World- have a high level of standardized skills with respect to verbal and written English language.  The company owners also envisioned using this as a resource to Chatham-Kent residents and an opportunity to provide skills training to new Canadians.

In January 2013, Scribendi launched their GrammarCamp program at www.grammarcamp.com:  the end result of the funding they received from Community Futures Development Corporation of Chatham-Kent.  They now have an internal staff of 20 and 200 externally contract staff, representing a growth rate of 42% for their internal staff and 100% for contract staff.  The project impacted the economy by providing 6 “white collar” jobs to the Chatham-Kent Area.  Scribendi has over $1 Million dollars in sales/year. 

This company continues to be an industry leader with their founder, Chandra Clarke, being recognized as one of the top 100 top female entrepreneurs in Canada for the 3rd year in a row.