By James Tait
Are you a hobbyist and thinking of starting a genealogy business? Maybe you are a seasoned professional looking to optimise your business through technology or create strategic growth with long-term sustainably? I think ‘Roots to Revenue-How to Start and Grow a Genealogy Business at home’ by Thomas MacEntee will be a very useful book for your professional development as a genealogist.
After finishing the genealogy postgraduate certificate from the University of Strathclyde in 2023, the skills I had learnt strengthened my genealogy knowledge and research skills but turning that into a business was daunting and overwhelming. What I needed was a book from an established, leading genealogist that explained how to run a professional genealogy business in 2025. I came across ‘Roots to Revenue-How to Start and Grow a Genealogy Business at home’ written by Thomas MacEntee, whose presentations at various Rootstech conferences I had watched, and I thought this was precisely what I required. I was correct.
This book covers the why, when and how of professional genealogy, including working ‘in’ the business and ‘on’ the business. I am still transitioning to becoming a professional genealogist, and I found useful tips and answers to the questions I had, such as, how to manage client expectations, write ‘terms of service’ and how to create a successful business. This book includes industry benchmarks, resources to download and real-world examples. The level of detail is priceless, and there is even a sample daily schedule which highlights the various tasks you need to think about when planning your work-day to minimise burnout and be at your most effective. This book is written in a conversational format with actionable steps throughout.
The book ends with case studies on established genealogy businesses including Legacy Tree Genealogists, ProGenealogists, and Genealogists.com (Trace). It explores how they became world-wide success stories and what lessons can be learnt from them.
I certainly enjoyed reading this book and have gained lots of useful knowledge, and I recommend you check it out, it might do the same for you.
