Making a Business Out of an Innocent Blogging Hobby
Everyone loves blogging. It’s a fantastic way to get on the internet to share your thoughts and ideas, but how exactly do you turn an innocent pastime like blogging into a fully-fledged business? It’s actually a lot easier and manageable than you might think.
blogging tips
Develop your own niche
The first hurdle to overcome is building a niche. If you talk or write about general subjects, then your niche will be difficult to find and you’ll most likely need to rely on your reputation or personality to build an audience.
There are plenty of bloggers that talk just about their own lifestyle, the things they enjoy or current affairs. These types of bloggers are easy to come by, but only the ones with unique personalities or followings will be able to turn it into a viable business opportunity. Everyone else is usually pushed into obscurity because they have nothing that sets themselves apart.
When you want to develop a niche, you need to pick something that will allow you to create quality content that will engage people. A good start is to pick something you are personally passionate about. This could be something like a book series you like, a hobby you have or even something that you’re skilled at.
For instance, if you work as a programmer at a tech company then you could write about your work, you could write about your daily life and the projects that you work on (assuming you don’t break any rules about leaking information!). You need a proper niche if you want to be successful in blogging, so pick something that you can personally connect with.
Move away from WordPress and other hosts
If you want to take your blogging seriously then you’ll have to self-host your website. While free websites are fantastic for getting started, people aren’t going to take you seriously if you don’t have your own domain name and a custom design for your blog. This will make it far easier for people to remember your website and it also gives your content an air of professionalism.
This can often be difficult depending on how much knowledge you have regarding hosting your own website. It might be worth your time and money to hire a web designer to help you out, but if you’re willing to do some research and learn how to set up your own website and domain name, then it could save a lot of money.
Learn how to make money from your blog
There are plenty of ways to make money from your blog, but depending on your content, the delivery and style you focus on, you may need to adjust your ideas.
The most basic way to make money from a blog is to use advertisements. By placing banner ads on your website, you can monetize your website with the help of advertisers. It’s simple because all you do is place banners on certain parts of your website and you’ll get paid depending on how many impressions they get. Most advertisers pay per thousand impressions you get on the adverts, so it’s slow income unless you have lots of readers checking out your blog.
Another fantastic way of making money on your blog is to place affiliate links in your content. You place links to the products you review or use, then you get paid a commission whenever someone uses your link to purchase it. You can set up affiliate links with general companies such as Amazon, or you could have private affiliates that also include discounts for your readers.
Lastly, another option is to attach your blog to a service or product that you sell. For example, if you’re a blogger that focuses a lot on the history of something, then you could write an ebook that compiles all of the information you’ve written and sell it as a non-fiction book. For example here's my book:
Understand the costs of growing your blog
When your blog starts to generate money, you’ll need to start improving your content, hiring people and also spend money on outreach. After all, no one’s going to notice your blog if you don’t spend money on advertising it and spreading your reach.
The best way to do this is to start taking your blog seriously and thinking of it as an actual business. The moment you make your first penny from your blog should be the moment you decide that you are now a business and no longer a hobbyist.
Start looking at professional services to help you grow your blog. For instance, recruit the services of a marketing agency to help you expose your blog to a wider audience. Consider risk management strategies to minimise the possibility of your blog losing relevance in your chosen niche. You can find more details from Equify here if you’re interested in professional services that can help reduce the risks in your business. Even though you’re not a physical business, there are still plenty of ways to ruin your blog and sink back into obscurity.
Be careful
Starting your own business can be a difficult process that takes a lot of time, effort and resources. However, with the right assistance, you can make it much easier to handle especially if you’re turning something you love into a business.
However, it goes without saying that you should be careful when you turn a hobby into a job. Many people find that their love for blogging diminishes because it turns from being a pastime into a job, and some people often find that they lose their passion for writing as a result of it.
Make sure that you understand this risk before you turn something you love into a job. Try your best to pick a subject you feel passionate about, and treat your blog like a business as soon as you decide to take the plunge and turn it into something profitable. With a bit of luck and a lot of hard work, you can easily turn an innocent hobby such as blogging into a business venture.
You can also check read about website hosting at Mango Matter Media.
Bring These Office Skills To Your Home Business
More often than not, people spend a few years working full-time with a company to build up all the skills and experience they will need to bring to their very own company once they do decide to go freelance. So, which skills are transferable from full-time work to your home office? Here are just a few of them.
Time Management
Just like when working in an office, you will still have plenty of deadlines to stick to when you are working on your own at home. You just get the added advantage that you can do your work whenever you please, just as long as you hit the deadline.
freelancing
So, bringing your time management skills from your office job to your freelance life is a super idea. Often, freelancers get lazy when they work from home and start quite late in the day. However, it’s a good idea to try and stick to regular office hours as this can help you organize your time better and put you in a professional mindset ready for work.
A Professional Attitude
Speaking of a professional mindset, that attitude is extremely important as it can help freelancers create a structure for themselves. There are various ways you can help yourself develop a professional attitude.
For example, rather than sitting around in your pajamas all day, it’s important you still dress as if you are going to the office even if you have no reason to leave your house. You will also find it useful if you have a home office or dedicated work space for you in your home so that it still feels like you have an office to go to.
A Continual Training Program
When you are in full-time work, there are plenty of opportunities to train on the job and take courses funded by your employee. Once you are freelance, all your training is up to you.
Even though it may be expensive, it is still important that you take relevant training such as an operations management online degree and other further educational courses.
I recommend buying a subscription to a site like SkillShare. A premium membership gives you access to all of the learning videos. It’s one way you can edge past your competitors and be more attractive to clients than them.
Communication
Just because you don’t work in an office with other people anymore, there's no reason why you should neglect your communication skills. After all, you'll still need to keep in touch with your clients and customers via email, phone, and Skype. More importantly, you’ll need to maintain your communications with clarity and confidence and without any dropped calls or frozen video conferences. The best way to do that is with specialized internet services, for example, with internet for truckers or any other business vertical you may enter into. When you have clear connectivity and reliable internet service, you’ll be available to your clients at every turn.
Failing to stick to communication best practices could end up with you putting some of your professional relationships at risk. So, even though you might not use them on a day-to-day basis, don’t forget to take the time to brush up on your communication skills!
You might be surprised just how many of your office-based skills can be brought over to your freelance business. If you do transfer them successfully, your home-based business will certainly grow leaps and bounds!
Need help getting started? Grab my No-Fluff Freelance Writing Starter Pack.
Don't Believe These Myths About Freelancing
People hear freelancing and they think, sitting around at home all day doing barely any work and making good money out of it. They think that it’s easy and everybody that does it is doing great. If that were true, why isn’t everybody doing it? Because that isn’t true.
There are so many myths about freelancing and people are drawn in by them, only to find that it really isn’t for them and they’re struggling a lot. If you’re thinking about going freelance, make sure it isn’t for one of these reasons.
freelance writing
Freelancing is Easy Money
This is by far the most common mistake that people make about freelancing. They think that you can just get a load of clients and start making easy money straight away.
There are two problems there.
Getting clients takes work, and even when you do, you still have to work for your money. When you’re first starting out you’re going to be tight for money for a while. It might even be worth considering borrowing a bit from somewhere like smallbusinessloans.co to get you started or to save up a few months worth of savings. It acts as a good buffer, which you’ll need.
So many people leave full-time work to go freelance, only to find that they can’t get any work in and they’ve run out of money. It’s going to take a while to build a customer base and start earning a decent amount and if you aren’t prepared for that, you won’t last long. Here's how to get started finding clients.
Freelancing Is For Lazy People
A lot of people look down on freelancers because they think that they’re layabouts that sit around at home all day doing nothing. That’s probably true of some people, but most freelancers often work harder than people in a traditional 9 to 5 job.
The main difference is that we just work different hours. The amount of work that we’re doing is usually the same or even more than somebody that is limited to 8 hours a day in the office. We also have way more responsibility to deal with. When you’re working a normal job, there’s somebody else that is responsible for handling all of the finances and finding clients for the company, but a freelancer does that all themselves.
Freelancing Is Less Stressful
Everybody gets stressed about work and people think that freelancing is far less stressful than traditional work hours. That’s not the case at all. When you don’t have a regular paycheck you’ll have to deal with the stress of managing your finances and finding enough work to pay your rent.
There’s also the added stress of meeting deadlines that are often strict and at strange times of the day if you’re working with somebody halfway across the world. When money is tight and you’re trying to keep yourself motivated and finish projects as quickly as possible so you can get paid, stress levels are off the scale.
Freelancing is a great career option for some people, but if you’re only considering it because you think you can do minimal work for maximum payout, think again.
Your Online Writing Business Needs These Things To Thrive
There are some things you'll need to get right if you want your online business to not only survive but thrive over the long term.
Easy as pie! That is how most people regard starting up and running a business online. Of course, the reality of the situation tends to be a tad more complicated than that. In fact, there are some things you'll need to get right if you want your online business to not only survive but thrive over the long term.
An internet connection
OK, so having a reliable internet connection when you run an online business is pretty obvious! Of course, many online business owners prioritize low overheads above paying out for a reliable internet connection. The problem is they risk not being able to get online to talk to customers, or do client work, and put the success of their company in peril.
Protection from security risks
Next, if your business primarily operates online, it is essential that it is protected from any security risks. In fact, you will need to ensure that you safeguard your customers' information in line with the GDPR rules, and block any threats from entering your network too. Oh, and don't forget that you will need to ensure you can access your business remotely in a safe way as well. You can visit charlesit.com and site like them to find out more about getting a managed security solution.
A great online reputation
When trading solely online, as the post at mention.com suggests, your online reputation is essential. After all, the vast majority of people will check reviews for a product or service before they even consider buying it. Of course, that means you need to do your best to ensure that any reviews you do get are glowing ones.
Luckily, by offering a high level of customer service throughout your work with a client you can help to maximize your positive reviews. Even if you do get the occasional poor rating, it's not the end of the world. Replying in a calm, helpful, and positive manner is a fantastic method to show that particular person you care about their experience with your business while also proving to other potential customers that you care as well, something that can help you to continue to win over custom online.
A website that works for you
Finally, when it comes to running a business online, your website is one of the most critical assets that you have. In fact, without a site that is well presented, clear to navigate, and easy to use, you will be limiting the possible success of your online endeavor.
Don't panic if you’re not a coding wizard, though, as there are plenty of specialists out there that can create an effective and attractive website for you. If you don’t want to hire someone, SquareSpace sites are easy to set up and run (and inexpensive). That’s what I use.
Think You're Ready To Start Your Own Business? Hold On!
how to start my own business
We all have that dream of being able to stand up from our desks, tell our boss what we really think of them, and storm out, ready to start a new life. However, it's hardly surprising most people don't do that since they generally don't have a plan for what comes after. Thanks to the internet, it's never been easier to do just that. Of course, that doesn't mean that there aren't still a lot of challenges in your way. If you really want to start your own business, here are a few things that you need to be fully aware of before you get started.
Does the world want what you're selling?
It's easy to think to yourself that you've got the perfect product and that you're going to be a millionaire in no time. However, the world is filled with people who thought the exact same thing, bet everything they had on it, and then crashed and burned horribly.
Now, this is certainly not meant to scare you away, but it's always better to think about these things before you commit. Before you actually start to push forward with your business, it's incredibly important to do as much research as possible. The last thing you want is to discover, too late, is customers don't care about your product, or someone else is always providing it to them.
Do you actually have the time and skills?
Running a business is a serious commitment, and it's not something that you should take lightly. You need to be sure that it's something that you are willing to keep pushing forward with no matter what, even when times get tough and you're completely exhausted. Running a business isn't something that just anyone can do. You need to be sure that you're the kind of person who can handle the pressure involved in running a business.
how to start my own business
The legal stuff
Of course, the difficulty in running a business doesn't just come from your ability to make things work on a day-to-day basis. It also comes from your ability to navigate all of the complex legal elements of it, like forming an LLC, getting business licenses and choosing a registered agent. Before you do anything, make sure you head over to howtostartanllc.org to make sure that you've covered everything. Those things are far from the only legal aspects of running a business that you need to be aware of, but it's important that you get off on the right foot.
Of course, if you are able to deal with all of these things, then the only thing standing between you and starting your own business is how willing you are to commit to the hard work that comes with it. But if you are, then there are few things more exciting than being able to take total control of your life and career.
Want to start your freelance writing career? Read my book for detailed steps on getting started and becoming successful!
The Fluff-Free Freelance Writing Master Course: The only course that gives you concrete, actionable information to building a successful freelance business without any fluff.
7 Tips For Starting A Solo Business On A Tight Budget
You don’t always need money to make money. Many solo entrepreneurs have started with nothing. It’s all about being creative in the beginning and taking things slowly – the luxuries can come later. Here are seven tips for getting the ball rolling on a tight budget.
1. Work from home (if you can)
You don’t need an office to begin with – the cost of rent isn’t worth it. Start off by working from home. If you need to get out of the house to do meetings with clients or simply have some social interaction, there are always coffee bars to work from.
You can make changes to make working at home more affordable, such as looking for another electricity provider, which can offer you better rates for higher consumption. Companies like Smart Meter Texas, let you review your home's monthly energy usage to avoid having any bill surprises and allowing you to from work without worrying about your energy bills.
Those with dreams of owning a shop should consider an online store first. Of course, some trades can’t be run from home – however there may still be creative cost-cutting methods to get things started such as owning a market stall before graduating to a shop or operating out of a food truck before opening a restaurant.
2. Do your own marketing
You can do a lot of initial marketing for cheap online and still come across professional. Rather than hiring a website developer, why not build your own site for free on the likes of Wordpress.com? Set up social media pages to help boost your brand and print off your own business cards and flyers using free programs.
3. Use free software
As a small start-up, you needn’t be paying hundreds for business software. There are many free programmes available at the likes of AdminSoftware.biz that can help you to do all your accounting. If you’re going to pay for any software, digital security should be your priority.
4. Use free advice
Every business owner needs advice. However, you needn’t be forking out money on financial advisers and solicitors and IT assistants... at first. There are many free services in which you can ask questions to advisers online. There are also sites such as Citizens Advice Bureau that can have lots of business advice on. This isn’t to mention the amount of blogs and vlogs out there on the internet that can offer advice tips and step-by-step tutorials.
5. Outsource wisely
You can’t do everything yourself and there will be some jobs that you’ll need to outsource. Sites such as Fiverr.com are generally great places to look – you can find cheap freelancers who are able to handle everything from logo design to legal contract writing. Always check reviews and testimonials to get an idea of a freelancer’s reputation first to avoid being ripped off.
6. Consider borrowing
There’s no shame in taking out a business loan. Many business owners will borrow money to get their entrepreneurial venture started. It’s worth using sites such as BusinessLoans.co to compare interest rates and get the best deal. You could also consider hiring a loan broker if you’re looking to take out a big loan.
7. Seek investors
Another option to help fund your dreams could be to seek out an investor. Persuading an investor to give you money requires a solid business plan and a good financial incentive on their part. Unlike a loan, you won’t have to pay interest, although you will be giving the investor a share of your future profits.
Want to get started as a freelance writer? My No-Fluff Freelance Writing Starter Pack gives you everything you need to get started (minus a laptop!) for just $25.
Treat Your Blog Like A Business And It Will Boom
As you start to see your pages as products, your readers as customers and take your traffic, conversion, and business proposition seriously, you should be well on your way to making it as a money-making blogger.
So you want to be a blogger? Well, the first thing you’re going to need to do is kick the creativity to the curb (okay, not totally) and think like an entrepreneur. Blogging as a hobby is all well and good, but if you want to make some real money, creativity alone just won't cut it. Instead, you have to be big and bold and operate like a boss. To do that, you need to treat your blog like the business you want it to be. Board meetings and pencil skirts aside, you’re going to want to get serious with your blogging strategy.
To start with it isn’t that easy to see an online creative outlet as a profitable business, but the skill will come in time. To get you there, you need to follow a few simple steps. As you start to see your pages as products, your readers as customers and take your traffic, conversion, and business proposition seriously, you should be well on your way to making it as a money-making blogger.
Start With A Strategy
Every good business will have a strategy, regardless of what their main activity is. So, if you want to start running your blog like a legitimate business, you need to start out with a strategy. But don’t worry, you won’t have to do this alone. Creating a blog strategy like this might sound complex, but if you follow all of the steps, you should find that you’re able to come up with a plan of action to start treating your blog like a business.
Do Your Research
With a good strategy behind you, you can get started on taking your blog a bit more seriously. The first thing you’re going to want to do is to do some research. If you want your blog content to wow, you’re going to want to make each post count because quality is more important than quantity. So do some research to get some inspiration on what to write about. Look at what's trending, and keep an out for any gaps in content that you could fill with an original idea. Here's a good tool that can help you find out what is trending in your niche.
After researching, you should start to think about the way you can make your content count. Because not only do you want it to be shareable, you need it to be relevant to your niche too. So, to do this, try to ensure that every piece of content you create is interesting, educational, informative, or entertaining. It should have a purpose in terms of what it is giving to your readers.
Stay On Top Of The Competition
Just like in business, in blogging you need to know what your competitors are doing in order to stay ahead. So be sure that you’re reading their posts and following them on social media. That way, you can ensure that you’re offering above and beyond what they are, as well as coming up with original content ideas. Use more explanations, more graphs, more videos or anyway you can one-up your competition.
Focus On Your Following
Growing your blog's audience is a key part of making it a business success. It’s important that you’re able to gain more traffic, increase your conversion rate and generate more money if you want your blog and your business to grow. So work on growing your audience and see it as your customer base.
Facebook groups is one of the best ways to get eyes on your blog. Start a group around your niche and share links to your blog. Don't stop there, though. Also provide your group with a bevy of interesting facts, links to other's blogs and other fun stuff. No one will stick around in a group that's only ads for your blog. If you want an example, you can join my FB group for writers.
Put Out A Product
A key element to treating your blog like a business is being able to offer a range of products to your customers. So, you’re going to want to think about the products or services that you can sell from your blog over time. This may not be something that you do today, but you need to be thinking about it. What you decide on will often depend on your niche and what your customers want. Tees and coffee mugs are big hits with comedy blogs. Ebooks, whitepapers and affiliate products are some other ideas.
Take Care Of Your Customers
To run your blog like a business, you do have to see your readers as customers. For this, you may need to find an identity verification solution for compliant product sales, create a CRM database or even conduct meetups. Just make sure that you put your readers first.
As you start to work through each step and follow your strategy, you should find that it’s easier to see your blog as a business than you may have first thought. Then, you’ll be on your way to generating a strong profit from your blogging business.
The 7 Sins of the Unready Writer (Blogging for Noobs)
For everyone who wants to embrace the freelance writing career, there are plenty of helpful materials online to teach you exactly what you should be doing, and how, and preferably when and where, too. But I am of the opinion that the best lessons are the ones that show you clearly what you shouldn’t do. Here’s an ode to the worst mistakes of copywriting.
#1. You don’t stick to basic SEO rules
The first and most basic lesson is that online writing can turn into a successful business if you're being viewed and noticed. In other words, not obeying the rules of SEO – Search Engine Optimization – will get you nowhere. Your choice of keywords, aka the search terms that you want to address with your copy, will define whether readers can find your article or not.
For instance, picking general keywords is a pointless exercise. There's tons of competition! Targeting specific phrases is a better plan. Remember, though, keywords are only useful if you know where to place them naturally in your text, starting with headings and continuing with anchor texts and media names.
#2. You don’t research your topic
Do you remember that time in college when you tried to write essays without opening a single book? If you found it difficult to produce a quality paper, it’s likely that the lack of research had something to do with it. Similarly, when you work as a freelance writer, you need to approach your topics in the same way that a student approaches essays. Except that you don't need to hit the library for your research. You can find plenty of updated, reliable material online. There’s nothing worse than producing an incomplete article that doesn’t provide sufficient information or that delivers fake data.
#3. You don’t protect your content
Online content is accessible, findable and therefore stealable. However, you can protect your original content, using this guide on the DMCA functions. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act is a US law that punishes the infringement of digital rights. In other words, if you notice that someone is making a profit from your original content you can use the DMCA to protect yourself. The only hiccup is that you need to be on the look for potential digital abuse. Setting up Google Alerts can help, too.
#4. You are too generic
Do you know how many new articles are published online every day? The answer is TOO MANY. At least, too many for your content to get noticed if you don’t provide any specific information. Generic text is completely pointless. Get a niche and stick to it.
Niche blogs and niche content follow one specific purpose and they stick with a target audience. Niche content allows you, as a writer, to attract an interested audience. Generic content might seem easier to write – it involves less research time – but it’s often categorized as random, if not placeholder, content.
#5. You think you are too good for proofreading
Lets get things rite from teh startt: nobody enjoy to read a txt ful of mistaks.
Spelling mistakes, wrong punctuation and bad spacing rules make your content feel less intelligent. Readers won't take you seriously.
#6. You lack originality
An original piece of content doesn’t mean that you need to reinvent your industry to attract readers constantly. You can curate existing content – even the content produced by others – assuming that you do it smartly. Listing useful posts about a specific topic is a great way of repurposing content that is already available. Or, you could also write an opinion piece about someone else’s article or page, which allows you to reuse their content while adding a new angle to it.
#7. You don’t follow the trends
Writing great content takes time, but it doesn’t matter how long you spend on a piece. If it’s not related to any current trend or event, then it’ll go unnoticed. A good example of what not to do would be a Christmas article posted during the summer holiday. Nobody would care to search for it, let alone read it. Follow the trends to attract your readers.
Kindness Isn't Weakness: How Compassion Can Benefit Your Business
When it comes to effective business practices, compassion isn't the first thing to spring to people's minds. If anything, when we think of successful business people, we think of ruthless individuals who are harsh, stern, get their own way and often profit at the expense of others. But while this may prove true in some cases, the opposite actually rings true when it comes to operating a small business.
Small businesses rely a lot more heavily on a content and loyal staff base than multinational firms. When businesses are just starting out, highly competent and friendly staff can make or break individual sales which are essential to get your brand out there and cement your brand’s role as a serious marketplace competitor. So, how do you go about adding a compassionate touch to your business and brand? Here are a few tips and tricks to get you started.
Understanding Why Compassion is Essential
Many authority figures in businesses mistakenly believe that putting intense pressure on employees will result in better results from their work, such as increased sales and higher annual turnovers. However, what this actually does is increase stress levels among employees, which can have extremely detrimental effects on their personal health, which in turn will have negative knock on your business.
Firstly, if you offer paid healthcare for your employees, you can look to start forking out more to cover bills for stress induced illnesses such as ulcers, heart diseases and certain mental illnesses. High levels of stress can also contribute towards tensions between workers (meaning that any expenditure on team building exercises is wasted) and higher levels of staff leaving in favor of other positions with alternative companies (resulting in increased spending on recruiting and training new staff members).
hiring freelancers
Paying a Living Wage
While most companies pay the minimum wage when possible, it is a good idea to offer every single staff member a living wage. This shows that you understand that they have bills to pay and expenses coming out and are happy to ensure that these are sufficiently covered by the salary that you are offering them. Different people may have different responsibilities and commitments to cover financially, so ensure that they are gaining a good living from their hard work.
Rewards and Incentives
If you want to go beyond the call of duty, why not consider implementing rewards schemes and incentives in the workplace? These could be varied. Positive schemes to try out could include offering a bonus for the individual who has made the most sales over the year or a monthly prize for the individual who has shown the most improvement or received the most positive reviews via customer feedback.
These types of schemes within the workplace show your gratitude towards your employees and the hard work that and dedication that they are showing in their job roles, encouraging others to follow suit of leading individuals in the business.
Offering Compassionate Leave
While it is not mandatory that you offer individuals paid leave following personal issues or bereavement, it is highly recommended. This period of leave will allow them to get back on their feet and they will be hugely grateful for it. Remember that if an individual is requesting leave for some negative life event, pushing them to work isn't going to be very productive and will simply encourage them to leave your company, spread negative vibes about the workplace or badmouth your company (which may be heard or passed on to potential customers and clients). For more information, refer to this compassion leave guide for employers.
Listening to Your Staff Members
The final piece of advice on this topic is perhaps the most important: listening to your staff members. By taking the time and effort to communicate effectively with your employees, you will learn more about them, understand their situations and figure out how to improve the workplace for them.
This may be something as simple as installing a coffee machine in the staff room or a water dispenser in an office. These small changes can make staff more comfortable, content and able to focus on their work. Seemingly minor complaints concerning workload or standard protocol can help you to adjust job roles, responsibilities and other areas of your business to ensure that everyone is getting the most out of their experience within your company.
Following these simple steps can help you to become a more compassionate and empathetic employer who workers will warm to, appreciate their job and work at their highest ability.
Tools to Help Freelancers to Celebrate World Entrepreneur Day
I just received this great information, and thought it would be helpful for you freelancers out there, especially since it's World Entrepreneur Day:
The most recent annual report from Upwork and the Freelancers Union found that more people than ever are choosing to freelance, up to 55 million this year, or 35% of the total U.S. workforce.
Many factors are contributing to a surge in the gig economy like the growing costs of opening a business (office space, utilities, payroll, etc.) to employees seeking flexibility, but one thing remains the same: contract workers do not receive access to the same benefits that full-time employees working for companies do.
The following freelance-friendly services and tools give freelancers a leg up within the expensive major cities where they’re often based:
SPENT Money: SPENT Money helps freelancers save time and money by organizing business and personal transactions, capturing and storing receipts, submitting expenses while earning cash back on daily purchases.
Taxfyle: Taxfyle removes the hassle of finding the right tax professional for your specific needs. The app matches your tax profile to a network of tax professionals to ensure you receive expert service of a credentialed tax professional this season, at the lowest rates possible.
Breather: Breather creates an environment for freelancers to meet outside that isn’t a home, office or coffee shop. A Breather space helps you punctuate your work life, allowing you to meet, work and focus without distraction.
Shapr: Networking should be a joyful experience and Shapr helps freelancers connect with like minded individuals through tagged interested, locations and professional experience.
Protect Your Business with These Tips
The herculean amount of effort it takes to register and launch a business with a stable platform is awe-inspiring to see. Additionally, it’s something that should never be wasted. It’s a shame when we see the potential that certain ideas, projects and business visions have become wasted due to inaction, or inefficiency.
To that extent, it is very important to avoid business downtime to any extent that you can. There will be some days, such as intense snowstorms causing all of your staff to be homebound, where you may need to take a concerning day or two off. But for the most part, keeping your operations running well and caring for the growth of your company means limiting the time when you are out of operation.
As they say, time is money. However, it’s also important to balance this desire for success by ensuring your books are well managed and the work/life balance of those in your company is respected. With the following advice, you’ll achieve on all fronts.
Use Managed IT Services
Managed IT services are worth their weight in gold, and while you may visit zetasky.com to find out why, let me give you a brief summary which is agreed upon my many business leaders and proven industry professionals. When you have someone to help with complex tasks such as cybersecurity, cloud solutions and infrastructure concerns, you are much less likely to make grave errors that can take a network down for a couple of days or more. We all know just how crippling a loss of connectivity can be in 2019, and so it’s not particularly something you can afford.
Avoid Burnout
All systems can be functioning just fine, but then you notice your staff taking leaves of absence due to feeling burned out. Remember, a work life balance is not a luxury, it’s something you need to implement well to ensure that your staff can function in their jobs, stay effective and also improve the quality of their work. Avoiding an unnecessary extra work load, keeping the working environment encouraging, and developing a better means of managing your HR can ensure that you manage this process effectively long before it becomes a problem.
Insure Against Issues
Things happen. The power grid going down in your area, a natural disaster of some kind leaving you without power, or even insurances against vandalism and willful sabotage can come into play for some firms that are experiencing issues. You would be surprised just how effective these insurances can be. Your mileage may vary.
With this advice, we hope you can avoid all business downtime to the extent that you can.
What 2017 Freelancers are Saying About Their Business
The Slash Workers report by AND CO has found that freelancing isn't just the future of business, it's the now and freelancers are loving their life (as if you didn't already know!) They interviewed 300 independent workers in February and March 2017 and basically found out how they feel about every aspect of the freelancing game.
“We launched this study because we wanted to quantify the evolving makeup and motivations of today’s independent workforce. The data revealed a host of unique insights into this new worker class, but most significant was the multifaceted nature of these ‘Slash Workers,’” said Leif Abraham, co-founder of AND CO. “Skilled in a range of talents and exceptionally agile in their career paths, these workers demand a new framework for managing their day-to-day lives, and that’s precisely what we’re building at AND CO.”
Here's some of what they found:
Meet the Slash Workers: 95% of respondents surveyed are “Slash Workers,” that is people who sell two or more talents to multiple clients vs. specializing within a single job function.
Freedom is the New Wealth: Despite a minority of freelancers (23%) saying that going independent has made them more financially stable, they’re overwhelmingly happier since they’ve gone solo: 68% say their quality of life has improved.
Freelance Isn’t a Fallback: Just 6% of respondents said they were freelancing until a full-time opportunity comes along, shattering the commonly-held stereotype that freelancers have no other option. More than 40% of respondents said they intend to freelance “forever.”
Not About the Benjamins: The No. 1 reason freelancers cite for going independent: personal growth (40%), followed by flexibility (27%). Just 7% did so for a perceived financial upside.
Where freelancers work
Open the Floodgates: Two in three freelancers in the study have been independent for less than three years. The largest share of newly-minted independents are creatives.
Death of the Office: 25% of freelancers surveyed said they are “digital nomads,” working and traveling remotely in cities around the world. Looking ahead, 60% of respondents said they’d consider adopting a nomadic lifestyle in the future.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Freelancers reported getting stiffed by clients across all income levels, with 44% saying they’ve had trouble collecting payment before. More than 60% of respondents said there is a general lack of respect for the freelance community.
how many projects freelancers do at once
Freelance Wage Gap: Male respondents were 4.5X more likely to earn more than $150K a year than female respondents, yet more men said they had been stiffed by a client.
What’s Missing? 61% of freelancers say they miss the feeling of community that a traditional workplace affords. More than half said they wished more companies would offer remote work options for freelancers.
challenges for freelancers
Want great tips on becoming a successful freelance writer? Read my book:
The Fluff-Free Freelance Writing Master Course: The only course that gives you concrete, actionable information to building a successful freelance business without any fluff.
3 Ways To Keep Small Business Operations in Check
Regardless of the kind of business you run, you will always need to make sure that you are doing whatever is necessary to keep the operational side of things in check. If you fail to do this, it means that you can expect a huge knock-on effect to begin, with the ultimate result being a business which has no customers, is unable to continue in its current state, and needs serious help to get anywhere at all.
Of course, keeping your eye on operations is a big part of your job as an entrepreneur, but it is something of a learned skill. For that reason, it’s important to look into what kind of areas you might need to focus on most of all, so that you know where to begin in this journey.
Outsourcing
For most big businesses these days, outsourcing is actually something of an essential. Without being able to put some of your work out there to other businesses, you will find it impossible to get everything done. What’s more, there will be many occasions when you actually don’t have any option except to outsource something, such as when it is too technical or you don’t know enough about it to do it in-house.
Generally, businesses have this issue with technology, and if you find that you need the help of a managed IT services team, then you are absolutely not alone. Getting that kind of assistance on board will lead to considerable improvements in how your operations are run, and will help you to save time and money in the long run.
Funding
It doesn’t matter what else you might be doing: if you don’t have the necessary funding, then you are not going to be able to keep your business afloat. The operational side of your business will simply dry up if the money isn’t there, so this is actually a hugely important part of this procedure.
Funding can be made simpler, but the most important thing you need to do is to make a point of looking far enough ahead that you can avert any major disasters. That is something which you will find tricky at first, but with the right kind of foresight you should be able to do it - and keep your operations in check throughout.
Management
Promoting someone to a management position in operations will not only help you by removing some of your workload, it will also mean that you have created a position which is directly responsible for everything that happens in operations. That is bound to lead to some distinct improvements in how things are done, and you might even be surprised at how quickly they come about.
Of course, you need to make sure that you promote or hire the right person, so try not to rush through your process here. Do that, and your business will be in a much better place in no time at all. Operations can be made a lot simpler in this basic way.
Improving Your Business' IT Systems In 4 Steps
For most modern businesses, IT is the backbone. Improving your IT systems is something your business can do straight away to make your systems more efficient, and maybe even save you some money too. Transform your technology and change the way it serves your business with these four steps for improving your business’ IT.
1. Reassess your needs
A business’ technology needs can change over time, so it’s important that you assess regularly to make sure you’ve got everything you need. This is especially important when you’ve got new employees around. You need to make sure they have what they need to do their job effectively - including equipment and software that meets any special requirements they might have. Anything that is wasted and costing you money needs to go.
2. Find systems that work for you
IT isn’t always a ‘one size fits all’ solution. In fact, different businesses in different industries will have different requirements for their IT systems. Do some research and recruit a provider who can meet your bespoke IT needs, and consider one that provides ongoing support to ensure you can resolve any IT problems quickly. For example, Vertex specializes in IT services for law firms, while another firm would specialize in other areas.
3. Improve your security
Security measures are another element that needs to be reviewed regularly to ensure that your business stays up to date on the latest threats.IT security is more important than ever. From protecting the personal data of your clients and employees to keeping your accounts information secure, there’s a lot of potential for disaster. Improving your IT security requires putting the right protection in place, as well as limiting human error by educating your employees.
4. Cut costs
Your IT spend could be having a serious impact on your business’ running costs, but they can also be an area in which you could save money. Some ways you can think about cutting your IT costs include buying refurbished equipment or leasing it. You can also cut down on the amount of paper and other materials that you use, while making sure that all systems are shut off when not in use will save money on your company’s energy bills. There are simple ways for your business to save money, you just need to know where to look.
Improving your business’ IT systems is something that will need constant review to make sure your systems are operating effectively, while giving your business the best value for money. Technology is important, and getting it right can save your business a lot of time and hassle. Looking for other ways to improve your business? Why not look at improving your human resources next?
Five Ways to Make Blog Posts More Popular
Is your blog content the nerdy kids sitting by itself at the lunch table? Do you want it to be the head cheerleader, front-and-center at the pep rally? Everyone wants their site to have amazing content, but actually creating popular content isn't easy. I should know! I've been producing site content for clients for almost 20 years. Along the way, I've picked up a few tricks that can make your content shareable and search engine friendly. Up until now I've been using all of these tricks for just for clients. Today, I'm going to share them with you.
my blog isn't popular
1. Always Include Interesting Images...and Then Some...
You probably know that you need an interesting photo to share your content on Pinterest. That goes for the rest of social media, too. Content that has photos gets more shares. For example, research done by Socialbakers.com and published by eMarketer reports that 75% of content posted on Facebook are images and found that images have an 84% interaction rate. Research by Media Blog also found that using photos gave Twitter users 35% bump in retweets.
Okay, so it's clear that people love images. I won't keep hammering it into your brain.
What types of images do people love most?
photos that affect twitter results
Glad you asked.
The Neilson Norman Group did some research on what photos draw the most attention. Here's what they found:
People love looking at people...but not generic people. So, don't use stock photos of people. Try illustrating your posts with pictures of you doing a task or having a reaction to the subject you're talking about.
If you post a photo of how to do something or a product, give them the option to see a larger version of the photo. The larger version should be at least twice as big. People want to see details!
Don't use photos as filler. The photo should be original and eye-catching, not a stock image.
Posting a photo with your blog text isn't enough, though. You want to make search engines find you using your photos, so make sure that you fill in the caption, Alt text section, description and meta with relevant keywords and phrases.
More images are better, too. The highest ranking articles have 3.2 photos (see the infographic at the end of this post).
2. Cook Up a Title that Gets Attention
Back in the day, any informative title would get your blog post great views. Now, there's too much competition. If you don't stand out you don't get views.
The best way to craft a title that people pay attention to is to play on emotions. Make the title:
Shock
Make the reader feel guilty
Make the reader curious
Make the reader feel mad
Make the reader feel like they are going to get a deal (free is always a good word to use)
You get the idea. Here's an infographic to give you some title ideas. (Pro tip: There is more of this post below the infographic.)
Use emotion in your marketing.
3. Meta It Up
Yoast SEO Plugin
Did you know that every single page on your site has its own meta? This helps search engines find your new blog post and help it rank. The best way to add meta to your blog post is to use a plugin like Yoast. (No, I don't get anything for telling you about Yoast. I just think it's great.) It's free, and it makes adding meta easy while it guides you through toning up your SEO in every area of your post.
4. Link Up with Success
You've probably heard that adding links to reputable sites will get you more search engine love. That's true, but there is another reason that you should add links. Links to further information on the topics in your post shows your readers that you care. You don't just try to tell them what you want them to know; you go the extra step to give them even more information. Your readers will appreciate that and will come back to you. They will also be more likely to share your post with others if it's chock full of helpfulness. The highest ranking articles have around 10 links. Mind you, these articles are over 1,000 words. You wouldn't put that many links into a shorter article.
5. Don't Be Boring!
The most popular posts are entertaining. That doesn't mean that you need to be Jim Carry wild to get laughs, but you can inject personal stories into your posts, touching customer testimonials or a joke or two that goes with your post.
The Perfect Blog Post Infographic
Is There Such a Thing as Too Many Sales?
For those who run home businesses, (like a freelance writing business!) there are a number of unique challenges you're likely to face. For example, you end up with a huge spike in sales in a short space of time. It might sound funny, but when that happens it can be something of a nightmare. Suddenly, having lots of sales to deal with is a drain on resources.
If you’re just starting out, you might be wondering what you need to do to keep on top of it all. Here's what you need to know.
Freelance writing business
Tell The Taxman
First, let’s think about the legal implications. Whatever you earn, you need to declare. So, when you suddenly start bringing in more you'll want to make sure that you keep the IRS informed as to what is going on in your business financially.
This doesn’t mean you have to do it straight away, but you should at least remember to keep records as well as you can. The more you stay above board, the easier the whole process is, so this is a vital first consideration when your sales start to spike.
office supplies for a writer
Switch To Buying Online
You’ll need to start trying to find ways to make better use of your number one resource: time. A great way to do this is to start buying all those essential little things online rather than at the store. This is true for everything right down to the smallest items of stationery.
In fact, it is often the smallest things where this is truest, partly because going out and buying them constantly takes up so much time. I have an Amazon Business account, which gives me discounts and makes it easy to keep up with what I spend.
Even stamps can be bought online - you just purchase and then print them on a printer. Doing this will save you plenty of time, allowing you to deal with the sudden influx of sales.
Consider Hiring Help
You might well be used to working alone, especially if you have your home office all set up there. But when things start going haywire, it might be time to start hiring some outside help.
This can come in a number of forms. It might be that you want to actually take someone on as an assistant in your business. This will depend on space and what kind of money you have spare, of course, but it might be worthwhile. You might alternatively decide to use the online workforce which already exists, and outsource some work to other remote workers.
However you decide to do it, getting some help is likely to prove useful in the long run. Don’t go it alone if you think that you really can’t manage.
Bonus tip: Here are How to Increase Sales – 25 Tips from the Pros that can help you uplevel, too.
What to get to the point where you have more work than you can handle? Then read my book. It has surefire ways to get clients and to build your business, whether you are a newbie or a seasoned writer:
The Fluff-Free Freelance Writing Master Course: The only course that gives you concrete, actionable information to building a successful freelance business without any fluff.
What's the Difference Between Copy and Content?
Do I need a copywriter or a content writer? Is there a difference?
Is it copy or content?
I've been asked this so many times. In fact, I just saw someone ask this question in a copywriting forum on Facebook. Some writers don't even know the difference!
I've written articles about it for other websites, but I thought I should probably lay down the knowledge here, too. Let's get started.
The Difference Between Copywriting and Content Writing...In a Nutshell
There's probably going to be arguments about this. Some people feel that content and copywriting are the same thing, but it really isn't in my opinion. Here's the low-down:
Copy is marketing writing that does nothing but sell, like an ad or a marketing email. Content sells and/or informs or entertains.
Let's look at some examples.
Copywriting from the Coke website.
This example from the Coke Rewards website is simple copywriting. The whole goal of the text is to get visitors to sign up for Coke's new reward program so Coke can sell more soda. That's it.
This text is by the same company, but it is classified as content instead of copy.
This text is also presented by Coke. It's sole objective is to tell visitors about the mission and vision of the company. While its overall purpose is to convey a positive feeling about the Coca-cola corporation, it also informative. A kid who is writing a school paper about Coke could go to this page and be supplied with facts about the company's mission. This makes the text content.
What you're reading right now is content, by the way. The text on this page of my site, though, is copy.
Do You Need to Hire a Copywriter or a Content Writer?
You can take this quick test to decide whether you need to hire a copywriter or a content writer.
If you answer yes to these questions, you need a content writer:
Does the text need to draw in traffic?
Will the text be informative or used to engage the visitor?
Will this text be shareable?
If you answer yes to these questions, you need a copywriter:
Is the intent of this text to sell?
Will the content have a call-to-action?
Will the content be used for direct mailings, sales emails, homepages or social media?
What if you need both? What if you need copy and content? Well, there are writers that do both types of writing very well. For example, I've written copy and content for big and small companies and they have been very happy with the results.
What's the Difference Between Journalism and Content Writing?
Paid news isn't ethical. Don't get greedy.
There's one more type of writing I think I should talk about before I close out this post: journalism. Business owners tend to get news and content writing confused. A news article is one that excludes bias towards a business, product or person. So, if you are paying a writer to create a news article about your business to be published in a magazine or newspaper, that's unethical.
Think about this scenario:
A business owner contacts a journalist that writes for a print or online newspaper or magazine and asks if the writer would do an article about the business. The business promises to pay the writer for an article or a mention. The writer agrees and the article is published.
A totally legit transaction, right? NOPE. This is an incredibly shady practice.
A news article is defined as written content that excludes bias towards a business, product or person. If the writer is being paid by a business, there's no way the article isn't biased.
Most, if not all, news publications have rules about this sort of thing. As a writer, taking a payment is a great way to get fired and have your name smeared from here to eternity.
(For everyone about to leave a comment about big media: I'm not naive enough to think that money never exchanges hands in journalism, but that doesn't mean it's okay.)
If your business has a newsworthy story then you shouldn't have to pay for news coverage. A publication will want to cover your story. Plus, a publication writer is already getting paid from their publication. If they get paid by the business and the publication they're just double-dipping.
The exception to this rule is blogging. Independent bloggers don't get paid by a publication and may require payment to cover your business. This is called a sponsored post.
Okay, so that's your three basic types of text that can be found online and in print.
Achieve Any Goal with These 4 Steps
US Women’s National Team midfielder Carli Lloyd visualized herself scoring a bunch of goals in the World Cup final in 2015. She netted three in the first 16 minutes of play to propel USA to victory. She got her goals. Literally. Here's how you can, too.
Carli Lloyd USA Women's World Cup
Use Visualization to Achieve Your Goals, Too
“There’s a four step process that when applied, works wonders in helping you achieve your goals,” says Life Coach, Anne Deidre. “Whether it’s the World Cup, losing weight or starting your own business, whatever you want to do, you can!”
The 4 Step Process To Achieve Any Goal
Get An Idea – Pay attention to those light bulbs that go off in your head. Dream big and set your goal.
Visualize It As If It’s REAL – Imagine you are already doing what you set your sights on and, here’s the key, feel the feelings that come with it. See it and feel it as if it is already a part of your life. What emotions are running through you when you put on your dream jeans and they fit? When you open your doors for business?
Map Out Your Plan – Get a calendar out and pen, not pencil, in time for you to work towards your goal. Even if you are a busy mom, you can carve out time. Plan meals in advance, schedule activities in advance and STICK TO IT.
Take Action – Because you’ve been thinking, seeing, feeling and planning for your success, by the time you take action, everything is in alignment. What you do will flow effortlessly, moving your goal closer and closer until you can reach out and grab it!
Is your goal to become a successful writer? You need my book:
The Fluff-Free Freelance Writing Master Course: The only course that gives you concrete, actionable information to building a successful freelance business without any fluff.
How Your Small Business Could Attract Independent Contributors
Most people who are brave enough to set up their own small business have some form of adequate multitasking skills. However many small businesses get stuck and find that they don’t see growth. You may not be seeing a decline in sales and dissatisfaction from customers, but you just can’t seem to break through a monthly target. You as the business owner are the main voice in deciding what direction the products and services your company provides go. However, a lack of different voices can slow the efficiency of a business down and damage a company’s appeal. Enlisting the services of people who can bring a fresh, new perspective to your small business can inject a much-needed dosage of innovation.
hiring freelancers
Attracting Professionals
First and foremost you must have multiple reasons for independent professionals to work with you. Free agents in the world of business are more than likely looking for two things: a challenge that they can sink their teeth into, and a reliable employer with a valid payment scheme.
Researching, developing and making a new product, something which your business has never tried, is a great incentive for independents. It shows you’re expanding and you’re serious about a new project, therefore, the jobs that you will offer will have some kind of short-term permanency.
A contract is a very serious agreement in the world of employment and especially in the world of business. You could show the pool of talent you have all your ducks in order and ready to go with a carefully written temporary contract and/or job advertisement, you may see an overflow of applicants all vying to please your needs.
Supply, Order and Payment
You also need to show you’re good for payment. It’s not just the challenges of your project that should be alluring, but the instantaneous and modern form of paying wages.
When you allocated them a task, you’re essentially ordering from a supplier. The supplier will give you back completed work in the desired fashion, thus adding to a project’s completion. You’ll then be given an invoice by the freelancer for the amount of work they have completed for you.
For a consistent and trustworthy technology that can decipher invoices without the need for manual input, get answers at www.dataserv.com/solutions/ap-automation. This type of services eliminates the need for an accounts payable department because it can read and automate all of the figures and names on invoices.
If you like the manual approach, I prefer PayPal's invoice system.
Becoming Part of the Team
Finally, the temporary part-time or freelancer staff you hire should be made to feel a part of the regular working staff. Human relationships in business are crucial to a smooth running machine and to prevent hiccups due to the lack of communication.
You could offer the option of working in your offices so the hire can take part in the decision making. This also gives you a chance to see whether a short-term role can be transitioned into a permanent full-time role. You may find that taking freelancers to business expos, presentations and pitches will also tighten them into the fabric of your business and allow you to get the best out of them.
Great Freelancing Ideas For Stay-At-Home Moms
Being a stay-at-home mom is a dream for many, but it's hard to do when you need to make a living. I've been there. I decided to build a business from home, while I raised my babies. Now, I'm successful and my babies are teens. If I can do it, you can too!
Try these money making ventures to fill your days and your bank account.
Freelance Writing
If you love to write, then freelance writing may be for you. That's what I do. I built my company during nap times and often with a toddler on my lap as I typed. I write articles, blogs and sale's copy for websites. If you'd like a step-by-step guide to becoming a freelance writer, grab a copy of my book The Fluff-Free Freelance Writing Master Course: The only course that gives you concrete, actionable information to building a successful freelance business without any fluff.
wham
Open An Etsy Shop
Etsy is a great place for crafty people to sell their goods. There’s all sorts of items on there. Always check the competition first. You aren’t likely to get very far if there are already lots of shops selling the same kind of thing.
This is perfect for stay at home moms because you can get the kids to help out with making your products so it gives you a good opportunity to spend time with them doing something fun while making some extra money at the same time.Visit http://stay-a-stay-at-home-mom.com/selling-on-etsy.html for some great tips on how to make yourself stand out from the rest of the stores on there.
Blogging
Maybe you should start an advice blog? It doesn’t have to be anything about parenting if you don’t want it to be. If you’re considering starting an Etsy shop, you could do a craft blog about how you make your products. Whatever you decide to do, there are plenty of different ways that you can monetize your blog.
If you don’t want to commit to maintaining your own blog, you could look into writing guest posts for other people. There are so many different sites out there that are looking for guest writers and you can decide how much work you want to take on each week. Just by doing a quick Google search you should be able to find some blogs looking for guest writers.
Dog Walking
If you’re an animal lover, you could earn money for spending time with dogs all day. Sounds pretty perfect, doesn’t it? It’s easy to set up your own dog walking service. Just get a few flyers printed online and hand them out around the local area. You can also advertise on sites like Craigslist to find more work. Sites like https://www.rover.com list dog walking jobs in your local area so it’s a great place to get started. It’s a brilliant way to earn extra money and get a bit of exercise while you do it.