Aug. 16, 2000

Tired of climbing the career ladder, a Salt Lake woman quits her job on the spot and has no idea what to do next.

Three years later, she owns a multi-million dollar company with employees spread across the nation. News Specialist Scott Light tells us how she did it.

Jennifer Johnson did it from her home, one room in fact. But it took a drastic move.

One day in 1997 she barely caught a flight to New York for a business trip. Tired of the long hours as a marketing executive, she fell into her airplane seat and pulled out her ink pen.

Jennifer Johnson/Johnson & Company: "RIGHT THEN, RIGHT THERE, I PULLED OUT MY PAD OF PAPER AND GIDDILY WROTE MY RESIGNATION."

This from a woman who had no idea what to do next.

Within days she was on the phone with business contacts who needed consulting services.

Within a month, she hired her first employee and started a 100% virtual marketing and p.r. business called Johnson and Company.

Keep in mind, Jennifer had never owned a home computer and could barely manage the internet.

"GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, SANTA CRUZ CALIFORNIA. HERE'S ONE OF OUR INTERNS."

Now, 17 employees are spread out all over and Johnson and Company is still completely based in cyberspace. Every employee tele-works just like Jennifer.

Jennifer Johnson/Johnson & Company: "WE LET THEM SET THEIR OWN HOURS, DECIDE THE CEILING OF HOURS, HOW MUCH BUSINESS TRAVEL THEY WANT TO DO."

This year, Johnson and Company is expected to bill $4-million for marketing and p.r. services.

Scott Light/Eyewitness News: "JENNIFER JOHNSON ISN'T ALONE,EITHER. IT'S ESTIMATED FIVE PERCENT OF THE AMERICAN WORKFORCE WORKS FROM HOME OR AT A SATELLITE OFFICE CLOSE TO HOME. IN JUST FIVE MORE YEARS, THAT NUMBER IS EXPECTED TO BE 20% OF THE WORKFORCE TELE-WORKING."

Curt Stewart/Dept. of Workforce Services: "WE SEE IT ALL THE TIME. SO I'M IMAGINING MUCH OF THE WORKFORCE IN THE FUTURE, I MEAN PEOPLE ARE IMAGINING YOU CAN WORK FROM HOME EVERYWHERE."

If you're wondering how long Jennifer has to work to run her virtual business from home-- 20 to 25 hours a week.

That means less time at company headquarters here, and lots more family time.