Can You Make A Career Out Of Your Blogging Side Hustle?
Transforming your blog into a full-time business is no joke. And it shouldn’t be something that’s taken lightly.
If you are a beginner blogger or someone who is just ready to take their blog to the next level, then it’s time for you to sit down and listen up!
This is tough work. And you need to be brave if you are going to make this work.
If you want blogging to be your full time ‘career’ then you need to treat it as such and you need to work ‘full time’ on it.
The best advice I read was to work 59 hours a week. Forty is just enough to get by, and you know what? It’s true.
But, it doesn’t matter because the work is the passion and doesn’t seem like work at all.
Are You a Self-Starter?
Some people are internally motivated and driven. They do things even if no one (like a boss) is checking up on them. These people generally don’t need external motivations to reward themselves. They are what’s known as “self-starters”.
Of course, there’s a second group of people who are externally motivated. They need to know others are watching or paying attention to get things done. If you know your boss is never going to ask about that project, do you still get it done? Or would it languish at the back of your hard drive never to be seen again?
Self-starters make the best entrepreneurs. That’s because, in your own business, no one is standing over your shoulder to make sure the task gets done. You must motivate yourself or your business won’t last very long.
Do You Want to Give Up Your Hobby?
When you do an activity as a side-hustle, there’s a certain amount of freedom. You can walk away from a project that no longer interests you. You can be choosy about which clients you work with or what offers you make to customers.
But once you move from hobby status, the game changes. Now you might stick with a project even if you don’t enjoy it because there’s a paycheck at the end of it. You might take on clients that aren’t in your target market to keep the lights on.
It’s not that turning a side hustle into a full-time gig is a bad thing. Just understand that once you make this move, you no longer have a hobby. You have a business and that means you will have to make decisions as a business owner, not a hobbyist.
Are You Prepared to Take on Your Expenses?
Once you make the transition to a full-time business, your expenses will grow substantially. No longer will you be working for a corporation that helps to pay for your health insurance or retirement fund. Additionally, depending on where you live and how you file your income, you may be subject to a much higher tax percentage.
Turning your side hustle into a full-time business can be exciting and fun. But do your research first and consider if this is something you truly want to do. You might discover that a full-time gig is the answer you’ve been waiting for!
Plan Your Daily Money Tasks & Be Productive In Your Side Hustle
There are 3 important questions that you need to consider when to make money with your blog side hustle money plan:
- How much do I want to make?
- Why do I want to make it?
- Where will that money come from?
What Are Money Tasks?
Money tasks are the ones that bring in money for your business. Sometimes, these tasks are obvious. For example, if you’re busy working on an info graphic for a client and you send an invoice as soon as you’re done, you’ve tackled a money task.
Some tasks you need to do in your business aren’t money tasks. These can include things like blogging or posting to social media. Unless you’re sharing an offer to buy one of your courses or hire you for your services, these aren’t bringing in any money.
Long-Term VS Short-Term Money Tasks
There are two kinds of money tasks that you’ll do. Short-term money tasks are the activities that lead to money in the coming days or weeks. Writing a blog post for a client is a short-term money task.
Long-term money tasks are the ones where you will get paid. But that payout may be delayed by weeks or months. For example, writing a course on content marketing is a money task. But you won’t get paid until you have the sales page up and have the product in your shopping cart software. So, while it is a money task, it’s a long-term money task.
Stay Productive by Planning Your Money Tasks
Now that you know what money tasks are, you need to create your to-do lists with these tasks in mind. Smart entrepreneurs try to make lists with a mix of short-term and long-term money tasks on them. So on yours, you might have “write a page for my Kindle eBook” (long-term task) as well as a task like “install WordPress for client” (short-term task).
If you can, try to make your task list the night before. This means that as soon as you’re ready to work on your blog, you won’t waste valuable time spinning your wheels. Instead, you’ll be able to jump right into your money tasks which boosts your productivity and allows you to get more done in less time.
Create Your Side Business Marketing Plan
You can’t assume that customers will seek you out. You have to seek them out. That’s where a marketing plan comes into play. A marketing plan is your way of attracting clients and customers to your business. Here are a few key ways you can market your business…
Facebook Groups
However, not every group owner wants this behavior in their community. Many admins have guidelines against self-promotion. Often, this is done to prevent members from spamming each other excessively. If you’re not sure if you’re allowed to post a link in your group, ask the moderator or creator.
Referrals
Word-of-mouth marketing can be powerful. That’s because many potential customers will ask others for a provider they trust. They feel like there’s less risk when they take this approach.
This social media network can be a wonderful way to help sales, particularly if you target businesspeople or brands. But you may not see as much traction in certain niches. For example, Riley experimented with posting to LinkedIn for two months. While she did make a few connections, the majority of her sales came from other social networks.
However, it’s still smart to have a profile on this social network. It makes you look more professional and it’s used by journalists and writers when they’re looking for a source to interview.
Pinterest (My Favorite)
Visual businesses have an advantage with this social media network. It’s where many users go to dream and plan. In fact, those in the party, wedding, or fitness niches can benefit from using Pinterest.
Marketing isn’t an exact science. It’s an experiment. Try to post to different networks for a month or two and study your results. Then look at which methods are giving you the best return for your time. Spend more time focusing on these methods and watch as your business continues to grow!
Avoid Burnout: How To Balance Your Time Between Content Creation, Work And Family
I would like to say that growing my blog was easy. That I found some secret key that a lot of blogger’s fail to realize. But I didn’t. Growing my blog was actually very difficult.
Suppose you’re a busy mom who works full-time with a side hustle as a blogger. Some days, you’ll feels overwhelmed and pulled in twenty different directions all at once. Maybe you start missing sleep and skipping meals so you can get it all done. Although you may not realize it now, you’re on the fast-track to burnout.
Unfortunately, burnout can be more likely to hit entrepreneurs, especially those who are trying to balance a side hustle. But it doesn’t have to happen. There are many ways to prevent burnout in your life and business.
Get Clear on What Matters
Often, burnout is the result of trying to do too much at once. Pause and ask yourself what it is that you really want to accomplish. Are you trying to build a small side hustle to replace your full-time income? Or do you merely want an extra income stream?
Consider if your timeline is realistic. If you’re hoping to leave your job in six months and you’d like to start a party planning business but you have no experience, you’re asking a lot of yourself. You may need to revise your timeline to avoid burning out.
Have a Plan
The more you have written down on paper (or stored on your phone), the less information you’re trying to carry around in your brain. When you have methods in place to store your data, you can show up in every area of your life calm and focused.
While you can’t account for everything in life, the more you can plan, the less stress you’re likely to experience. So go ahead and take a couple of hours to plan meals for your household, map out a chore chart, or break down your workload into manageable bites.
Take Off the Superwoman Cape
Stop trying to do it all yourself. Look over your tasks and see if you can’t outsource some of your to-do list. For example, can your spouse handle dinner twice a week? Will your mom watch the kids for an afternoon so you can knock out those errands?
Asking for help is hard. But when you do, you release stress and anxiety. You invite more joy, peace, and simplicity into your life when you let others show up and help you carry the load.
Plan for Mini Rest Stops
You wouldn’t go on a seventeen-hour drive and not include a break for the bathroom or time to refuel. Yet many women do this when they plan their days. The truth is you need moments of refreshment built into your schedule.
These refreshing moments can be simple – a mini-meditation session, a couple of quick yoga poses, a power nap, a nutritious snack, or a moment to cuddle with your child. Activities like these help you reconnect with your inner essence and can calm your inner chaos.
Burnout doesn’t have to be part of your story just because you’re an entrepreneur. Slow down and take the time to care for yourself. You’ll feel better and be able to accomplish more when you protect your own mental (and emotional) health.
When Is It Right For You To Quit Your Day Job To Grow Your Blogging Business?
Ellie worked as a nurse in a doctor’s office. She began a side business as an eBook author. She started seeing consistent income within a few months and was able to earn just as much as she did at her job.
As she watched her writing career grow, Ellie started wondering if she was ready to take the leap and quit her day job. She talked to a mentor for advice who recommended asking these four questions…
Do You Have a Financial Safety Net?
Although taking your new business full-time can be exhilarating, don’t get so caught up in the excitement that you forget to consider your financial picture. Ask yourself what you’d do if a client was 30 days late on an invoice or your next product doesn’t sell.
A healthy emergency fund can be a lifesaver for cash-strapped entrepreneurs. Ideally, you want around 3 months of expenses in the bank before you walk away from your job to pursue your side hustle.
Is Your Income Diversified?
Working with a single client and making five figures is great. But what happens when that client decides to go in a new direction and no longer needs your services? You’ve lost all your income and you’ll need to scramble to replace it.
For Ellie, she had 20 books published under two pen names. She used a variety of services to publish her books including Amazon Kindle, Kobo, and Barnes and Noble. This allows Ellie to have a diverse range of income sources.
Do You Want to Go Full-Time?
Not everyone wants to turn a side gig into a full-time job. Maybe your art could pay the bills but you’d rather use it just to fund your vacations or other lifestyle choices. There’s nothing wrong with that.
Don’t feel like you have to go full-time just because it’s the next step or because others are pressuring you. Make the decision that’s best for you and your business.
Have You Created Space for Success in Your Life?
Do you have the home office or studio you need? Have you set boundaries with friends and family? Is your partner on board with your decision to pursue your business full-time?
Making sure you’ve created space in your life for success will make your transition pleasant and enjoyable. You’ll experience less stress and find it easier to navigate this new season in your business.
Maybe you’ve worked through the questions above and realized you’re not quite ready to make the leap. If that’s the case, don’t get discouraged. Instead, evaluate what you need to do differently and make a plan to leave if that’s what you want.
If you’ve read through the questions above and you’re ready to make the leap, set a deadline. Create a list of what you need to do before that deadline to make it happen. Then take a deep breath, adjust your chute, and get ready for the adventure of a lifetime.
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