Buy AutoTrafficRSS script now for $27 only!
We will send the script to your PayPal email within few hours,Please add FullContentRSS@gmail.com to your email contact.Source: Five Killer Reasons Why #Blogging is Better Than Working 9-5
Buy AutoTrafficRSS script now for $27 only!
We will send the script to your PayPal email within few hours,Please add FullContentRSS@gmail.com to your email contact.Every so often, Singapore comes up tops in a survey that we're really not proud of. Whether it be our long working hours, cost of living or lack of emotions, there are some survey results we just want to shove under the rug.
Recently, a survey of eleven countries found that Singapore office workers were the least productive of the lot. So paiseh! But not at all surprising.
Every Singaporean employee is used to the sight of coworkers fiddling away on their smartphones all day as they sit around at the office till late at night so the boss thinks they're working late.
Here are four ways employers and managers can give their workers a kick in the butt and raise their productivity.
Stop emphasising face timeSingapore employers tend to fear that if they don't insist their workers sit under their noses all day, every day, these employees will start taking advantage of their largesse and start slacking off.
Little do they know, it is this emphasis on face time that causes the low productivity levels. When workers are forced to sit at the office till late at night no matter how efficiently they do their work, you can bet they'll try to be as inefficient as possible. What's the point in doing your work more efficiently when you still need to stay late?
Start rewarding efficiencyOn the flipside, workers who are actually efficient and manage to leave the office on time are often penalised. We've all met bosses who frown upon leaving on time as being lazy.
Even worse, there are bosses who respond by heaping more work on their efficient employees, so these people end up leaving as late as everyone else, after having done twice the amount of work.
Companies need to reward efficiency instead of penalise it if they want a workforce that's doing actual work, rather than just sitting around waiting for the boss to leave. One of the biggest ways to do this is to allow employees to leave once they've finished their assigned tasks. You can be sure nobody will be sitting around surfing Facebook when it eats directly into their personal time.
Reduce administrative and repetitive tasksThe survey revealed that employees only spend 60% of their time on their main work duties—ie. the work they were actually hired for. By contrast, they spend an average of 380 hours a year doing repetitive or administrative tasks, equivalent to a whopping two months of work.
There are bosses that create gratuitous, pointless busy-work for their clients. One employer a friend worked for insisted that they fill out a table accounting for every single piece of paper that was printed out, and submit this at the end of every working day.
In addition, many employees complain about being forced to attend useless, unproductive meetings that distract them from their actual work. Despite the fact that so many employees find these meetings a waste of time, bosses don't seem to welcome the feedback and do nothing to reduce the administrative workload.
Don't be penny wise, pound foolishEmployers often try to cut costs by overloading existing employees with administrative tasks or extra reporting duties.
For instance, I have lawyer friends who complain that their bosses refuse to hire a secretary to save money, which means that these lawyers are spending hours every day photocopying documents and doing admin.
That's just dumb, because it would be much cheaper for the firms to simply hire an administrative assistant or two than to constantly have to retrain rookie lawyers who leave because they don't want to spend their entire career standing in front of the photocopying machine till 10pm.
Employers need to take employee welfare and career aspirations into account when allocating tasks to workers. Cutting corners by refusing to get the admin support your company needs or not wanting to update your processes and technology can cost you more greatly in the long run, in the form of a high turnover rate and compromised quality of work.
Do you think Singapore office workers are unproductive? Share your opinions in the comments!
Tags: Career
Buy AutoTrafficRSS script now for $27 only!
We will send the script to your PayPal email within few hours,Please add FullContentRSS@gmail.com to your email contact.As a busy mum to two young children I'm always trying to find new flexible ways of working that fits around childcare, school runs and household chores. I blog full time, use mystery shopping apps and dabble in a little matched betting to make money on the side, but I've always wondered if there is something else I was missing. I think I've found the solution - an online recruitment agency called RedWigWam.
RedWigWam are different to other recruitment agencies. They take the hassle out of applying for temporary work, with no long application forms and simplify the whole process from start to finish. They have an app so you can receive job alerts on the go and if you ever have any questions just use their live chat to talk to a real person. RedWigWam always pays at least the minimum wage and you'll even receive holiday pay!
Truly flexible workingRedWigWam offers part time truly flexible working solutions which are perfect for us busy parents, but also retirees, students and anyone else keen to make cash in their free time. From mystery shopping checks, to an hours work here and there, to part time roles, you really can fit work around your lifestyle.
Hassle freeThey take the hassle out of applying for jobs by sending you emails, texts or app notifications (you choose) for jobs that match your criteria. Only suitable jobs will be sent so your time is never wasted. Jobs are allocated on a first come first served basis and there is no obligation to accept any work. Choose only the work you want to do.
Fast paymentThe best part is there's no long wait to get paid – you'll be paid in one week. Not only that, but RedWigWam pay via PAYE meaning all your tax and national insurance contributions are taken care of. That's one less thing for you to worry about.
Never dullThere are a huge variety of jobs, so you'll never be bored again. Complete a mystery task undercover as a secret shopper, do a spot of cleaning in the morning, hand out coupons in your local supermarket or complete admin tasks for a nearby small business. Meet new people, share your skills, keep your CV up to date and make some money in the process.
Click here to sign up to RedWigWam today!
Have you ever used RedWigWam? Do let me know your thoughts in the comments.
Want to know more? Watch this short video to learn how to get a job with RedWigWam:
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*collaborative post
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Buy AutoTrafficRSS script now for $27 only!
We will send the script to your PayPal email within few hours,Please add FullContentRSS@gmail.com to your email contact.Much of the small business advice that's out there is for individuals who run service based businesses. But what about those who sell physical products? What about their needs, like ensuring they always have money for inventory?
This is something I find myself thinking about a lot lately as I spend more time with designers and product developers. They are teaching me a lot about the cash flow needs of a products based business, and most importantly, the need for money for inventory so they can keep running.
What happens when you don't have money for inventory?When a products based business doesn't have enough cash flow, it affects their ability to continue stocking their inventory. When they don't have money from inventory, they either need to take it out of their own pockets or hit the business reserves. If neither of those are options, then the business runs the risk of coming to a screeching halt.
With that being said, there are options out there so that business owners can always ensure they have money for inventory.
Ask for half of a payment upfront.If your products-based business takes wholesale orders from larger companies, you always have the option of asking for half the payment up front to help with inventory costs.
This is actually something I learned from my roommate who is a fashion designer for a local company. They show samples to retailers. The retailers then choose which items they want for their store and place an order for X amount. If they take half the payment upfront, they can use that money to start production and have enough money for inventory.
If they don't take half the payment upfront, they run this risk of having to do what I previously mentioned. In this way, they can use some of the money for the current order to start the process of the same order.
Leverage debt.Leveraging debt to do things like make payroll or buy inventory is nothing new. Companies have been doing this for eons in an effort to keep their businesses running.
Of course, this is easier said than done in some cases. First, you need to really know what you're doing or you could run into problems. That's why you should consult with your financial team before doing this.
Second, in the case of small businesses, it's not that easy to get a line of credit from more traditional means. If that's your experience, you may need to find alternative lenders or use credit cards.
Accounts Receivable FactoringAccounts receivable factoring is also a commonly used option to get money for inventory when cash flow is low. What you do is sell your unpaid invoices to a factoring company who then pays them (minus a percentage which is their payment).
This is a good option to use when you have a ton of unpaid invoices or the payment terms on those invoices aren't working out in your favor.
Final ThoughtsWhile cash-flow is important for every business, products based businesses especially need to keep an eye on it so they have money for inventory. With these options, product based businesses can ensure they have the funds they need to keep their inventory stocked.
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We will send the script to your PayPal email within few hours,Please add FullContentRSS@gmail.com to your email contact.If you want to build a successful blog you might just need to hire a freelancer.
In fact, if you look at almost any blog or website that is making six-figures or more they all have one thing in common: a team of awesome people helping them out.
Hiring a full time staff member, however, can be a bit daunting and, as such, many people opt for freelancers to help outsource tasks like editing, writing, maintenance, and more.
In today's post we're going to cover:
Oh, and if you're looking to do freelance work then you might want to check out this guide to paid content writing and this article on making money online when you blog is brand new.
Why do you need to hire a freelancer?So let's start by taking a look at why you might want need to hire a freelancer to help grow your blog and take it to the next, professional level.
As a blogger there are so many tasks that we need to do each day. As you can see in the graphic above, on any given day you might do some SEO work, writing, editing, graphic design, website design, networking advertising, etc.
It is honestly more than one person can (or should!) be doing and it's important to recognize our limitations in this area.
One of the keys to a successful blogging is freeing yourself up to focus on the tasks that you're best at, or that tasks that make the most impact on your blog.
For example, if you're an excellent writer and that is what grows your blog the most, then why not pay someone to do your book work and give you back those 2-3 hours a week?
Outsourcing in this way frees up time but it also reduces a huge amount of stress because you're not learning dozens of different things that you never wanted to learn, and instead you get to focus on your passions and the results that they bring.
As a side note, a lot of people are now relying on freelance work as the economy changes, and I think it's wonderful that the Internet allows us to exchange services with incredible people that we might otherwise have never encountered.
If you have decided that you'd like some help, the first thing that you'll be hit with is the overwhelming variety of options and how difficult it can be to find someone trustworthy with the right skills and work ethic.
Let's go through it all, step by step, and in the end you'll hopefully have a good starting place.
1. Decide what specific tasks you need help with
The first step is to think about exactly what you need some help with. This is vital because a lot of failed freelance relationships happen when the employer is too vague with what they actually want from the new team member.
This stage can actually take a little more time than you might think and it's worth sitting down with a pen and paper and really mapping out where you need the help, and where the limits to those tasks are.
For example, I have one or two freelancers that I semi-regularly engage for writing tasks. This might sound simple but when you break it down it can get a little complicated with question like:
All of these types of issues can have a big impact on the type of tasks that you get help with, and can really impact on the way you structure the setup and relationship over time.
Something I've found really useful to help overcome some of these issues is to create a document that outlines the process and the tasks involved and then laying it all out for a "test job" that you give the freelancer. We'll discuss this in detail at a later stage.
BONUS TIP ABOUT TASKSIt's important to have a clear vision about your blog's long term goals. If you aren't sure what you are trying to achieve within 6-12 months then you run the risk of creating stuff with a freelancer that never gets used. Check out our suggestions about developing a strategy for your blog to give you a start point on what to consider when making a plan.
At this point you really just want to try and come up with a list of tasks that you need help with, or tasks that you really don't want to do anymore due to a lack of experience or confidence. This will give a good framework for the next steps.
2. Decide on your budget and timeline
Budget is a really important factor to consider here because many services will be unobtainable due to the cost factor. For example, hiring an agency to manage your SEO properly could cost $10,000+ a year.
But it's also a trap to think that you shouldn't hire someone because you don't think you can afford it. A lot of small business owners fall into this mindset and end up burning themselves out because they think they have to do everything themselves.
We need to strike a balance between affordability/realism and our goals for expansion. This also entails an element of risk (all business does) because you need to weigh up how much you want to back yourself and your blog as a profit-making entity that will incur costs in the process.
There are a few things you might want to consider when working out your budget for freelancers:
At this point you want to sit down and try and figure out how much you want to spend over a fixed period, and then break that period down into tasks and figure out how much each of those is going to cost.
You can also do this based on certain goals that you have for your blog. For example, if you want someone to write 100 x 2,000-word articles and they charge $100 per article then that is going to cost you $10,000.
You might decide that this is too much and so you can reduce the number of articles that you want to produce, or sacrifice quality and find a cheaper writer. By mapping out the whole budget process like this you can get a good picture about what is affordable.
The best thing you can do at this stage is go and talk to your accountant and, if you don't have one, take the plunge and get one.
A good accountant doesn't just do your taxes, they also help you plan your future financial moves. For example, in this case the can help you determine how much you can afford to risk on a freelancer, how long you can hire them, and what sort of financial reward it might lead to.
3. Create a "test task" to practice the freelancing process
The first thing we want to do is create a small test task that can help us find out how the whole process works.
This is a really valuable step because it allows you to refine your goals for the freelancer as well as helps you to learn any issues that might arise on a smaller level as opposed to finding them out after you've committed a lot of time or money to the project.
So what should be included in such a task?
Now, many of the websites that allow you to hire freelancers will have all of this sorted out for you and you'll just be required to fill in a bunch of different fields. But it's a good idea to think about it beforehand so as to get it refined.
At this point you might need some tools to help you explain the job in as much detail as possible. For example, sometimes you will need to take a screenshot and then add some arrows and so on to explain the task like this this example:
On a Mac you can do that by taking a screenshot by clicking COMMAND SHIFT 4 and then opening up the graphic in Preview and using the markup tool (the green arrows!).
As a side note, I clicked the image instead of the actual tool about three times when making this screenshot! So meta. On a PC you can use the Snipping Tool and then edit the image in an editor like Photoshop.
Alternatively, you can get a browser extension like Awesome Screenshots that will do it all in one go plus much more.
This one also allows you to take scrolling videos of your screen and blur and mark them up, which can be very handy if you want to explain a portion of your screen without revealing everything due to privacy or some other reason.
As you can see, the goal here is to create a job that is clearly explained and defined both in written text and with images so as to ensure that the freelancer you hire has all the information she or he needs.
4. Hire the right freelancer for the job
This is the stage where we actually go out into the web and look for the right freelancer for the task that we have created. There are lots of ways to do this, so let's take a look at the best options.
The first option is to look on one of the major sites like 99Designs, Guru or Upwork. These have several advantages:
If you go back an look at our guide on how to find images for your blog you'll see that we've used 99Designs to come up with a lot of our Blog Tyrant graphics and designs. The process literally takes two or three minutes with their super-clean interface.
You can start a contest where freelancers bid on a new job, or you can invite a specific worker to the task and request a quote. I really enjoy this process and am yet to be disappointed by the quality of work that is available.
So, what should you look for when trying to hire the right freelancer?
To give you an example, we can head over to this audio technician on Fiverr who is an excellent example of someone who ticks all the right boxes.
As you can see, he has a 5-star rating which is made up of over 2,000 reviews from happy customers. This is very difficult to fake, and given that he has a "top rated seller" badge from Fiverr it's likely that he is pretty safe.
5. Figure out how to communicate, share files and review progress
The last stage is to figure out how you will communicate and how you will review each others progress. Of course, if you're using a site like 99Designs then most of it will happen on-site.
For external projects and freelancing staff, I like to use a site like Trello that allows you to manage projects and communicate with staff and colleagues in a very methodical and clear way.
This is a screenshot of one of my Trello boards – I have different ones for different companies and projects, and within each project we break them down in to things like General Chat, Future Topics, etc.
It's a really great way to share files and manage it all as it doesn't all get lost in your email inbox such that you end up digging around for files or threads or messages for hours a week.
This approach really saves time but also keeps a record of the whole process which can be valuable if anything ever needs to be reviewed, or you want to look back and figure out how to replicate a successful freelancing project.
BONUS COMMUNICATION TIPTry to be as patient and empathetic as possible when you are working with a new freelancer. Often we know our own blogs so well that we forget that simple tasks might actually require a lot of training and explanation for someone else. Try to find someone you communicate well with, even if they're not technically perfect.
Have you ever hired a freelancer?If you've ever worked with a freelancer on your blog I'd love to hear about it. What worked well and where did you find them? Is there anything you would do differently in the future? Please leave a comment below and let us know as it might really help someone who is just starting out.
Note: Some links in this post are affiliate links which means I may make a commission if you purchase through my links. I truly appreciate you supporting my blog and hope that you find this information helpful!
Over my many years of blogging, I've gotten so many questions about how to start a fashion or style blog. The big topic these days is how to make money blogging and while that is very important and something that I love to help other bloggers out with (check out the bottom of this post for more on that!) the foundation of your blog is where you really need to put your focus in before you even jump into making money from it. Even if you already have a blog, this post will still be a great reference for you to make sure that you've got all the pieces in place to help you grow your traffic and monetize your blog. First thing that I have to mention is that yes, you will need to invest some money in this. As they always say, it takes money to make money. The good thing about starting your fashion blog is that it doesn't cost a lot of money but just know that once you are able to monetize your blog, you will be make it back easily so the costs of running a blog are worth it. 1. You r domain/blog name: I know this can be the hardest part! I have helped several people (including my sister) name their blogs. For mine, it just came together quickly as my husband was always known as "Ish" in college because of his last name. Even though we weren't married at the time I started my blog I knew I eventually would become an "Ish" too so when I started my blog I wanted it related to fashion and myself which is where "I am Style-ish" came from! You can do something similar as a play on your first or last name. One caveat, is that if you have a different or unique spelling of your name that might not be easy to remember, I suggest going a different direction. Most people will not remember the unique-ness of your name and it may be hard for them to find you if they google you. You want to stick with something simple, easy to spell and easy to remember.If you are stuck, my recommendation is to make a list of things you like. It could be anything, like if you like dogs, doughn uts, makeup, clothes etc... and then narrow it down to what you want to write about on your blog and then pull adjectives or words from those specific things and combine the two. Of course you will also want to make sure that the domain name is still available too but that's why you need to come up with a few different variations to play around with. You can easily see if your domain is available here:
Once you have your domain purchased, make sure to go create accounts with the same name on social media networks that you'll be using. As a fashion blogger I recommend getting a facebook page, instagram and pinterest. A lot of people also have twitter (I do as well but I'm not active). Don't feel like you have to join all of them and be active right away but go ahead and save your name/account so that when you do decide to start using them, you will already have your account name saved!I do want to mention that you will find that most of my social media handles go by "tiffanyish" rather than I am Style-ish and I did that on purpose as I found over the years that no one remembers that my blog is "Style-ish" and they end up googling "I am stylish" or "I'm stylish" which has led to a lot of confusion with readers. So again, make sure to learn from my mistakes and to create a name that is not too unique that people won't have trouble spelling or remembering.
2. Choosing your blogging platform: When I started blogging in 2008 there were not a lot of platforms to choose from and since I started blogging as a hobby, I chose the best free platform there was and that was blogger (or blogspot) which is hosted by google.Eventually I bought my domain, meaning I went from iamstyle-ish.blogspot.com to iamstyle-ish.com. I have continued since on blogger just because it was easy and I didn't feel I need to change. I also knew it was going to be a long and expensive process and I didn't want to commit to it. Since then I've started quite a few blogs on the wordpress platform for my business and helped a few friends get their blogs started and I definitely started to see the advantages of using a wordpress hosted blog. I am finally going through the transition of transferring I am Style-ish from blogger to wordpress and I'm now crossing my fingers that everything will transition smoothly. I have over 8 years of blogging and thousands of photos to move over, so my advice, don't be like me and make sure to start out the right way! Don't get me wrong, I think blogger is a great platform as it's very user friendly, very cost effective (you only pay for the domain that you purchase once a year) so I think that blogger is great for hobby bloggers. If you are serious about blogging and eventually want to make money from it, starting on Wordpress is the way to go.
One big thing to note, wordpress has two different ways to start a blog, wordpress.com (free) and wordpress.org (self hosted). Make sure to start your blog on wordpress.org as this is the only way you'll be able to customize your site and make it your own. Wordpress.com is the free version and it's very limiting as to what you can do for your blog, one thing being that you may not even advertise on it. So if you are wanting to make money from your blog, that's definitely not the option you will want to go with. A lot of people make this mistake so make sure that you are signing up for the right account. When you are on wordpress.org, you will need a hosting company. This basically means your blog will have your own spot on the internet that is all yours. I recently signed up through BlueHost and it was such an easy process so I highly recommend them (they are also one of the main hosting companies that wordpress recommends which is why the process is so easy). Just sign up through my link here and you'll be able to purchase your hosting and install it onto wordpress in one click! Trust me when I tell you that it's a lot more complicated when you don't go through a hosting site like BlueHost. Hosting is not expensive at all and totally worth it. Bluehost has plans starting at $3.95 a month and if you end up deciding that blogging is not for you or you just don't have enough time to dedicate to it, they offer a 30 day refund so don't feel like you are locked in forever!
3. Make your blog pretty! If you are on a budget you can certainly use the standard templates that come with the wordpress blog. You will want to pick a theme that you can identify with and goes with your style. However there are a lot of beautiful pre-made themes out there to purchase that you may find go with your aesthetic and you have a lot more choices in customizing the look and feel of your blog. A simple google search of "wordpress themes" will come up with plenty of results. My favorite sites that create beautiful, modern and girly style templates are:
Bluchic (you can find one of their templates on my other blog, tiffandjen.com). They are all very sleek, modern and easy to navigate.
Etsy: It's not just for cute crafts and jewelry, Etsy has plenty of sellers that have created gorgeous blog themes for you to purchase. Georgia Lou is one of my favorites on Etsy.Creative Market: This is a great resource for a lot of other blogger related items I'll cover in another post! They also have a lot of great wordpress themes and even ecommerce themes if you plan on opening on a store along with your blog. Eclair designs is one of my favorites for pretty wordpress themes.
When you purchase a theme, you will rece ive an email with a download file. Make sure to read the instructions on how to install the theme. It's fairly easy but just make sure you follow their instructions exactly as they will show you the best way to set up your theme so that you can customize it to your liking. 4. Create your content: I'm going to assume that you know you want to concentrate on fashion and style for your blog. It's great to have that focus but if there is anything more specific that you can make your blog and your style more "you". For me, when I was working in the corporate world, I focused more on what to wear for work and my shopping finds. Now, I still like to focus on my sale/shopping finds but I also focus on dressing casual yet stylish as well how to dress as a mom to a preschooler. It's OK to evolve as your readers will continue to follow you as your lifestyle changes, but it's great to have a specific focus so that when readers come across your style that relates to them, they will want to continue to follow along.
Creating content can be tough right off the bat, and sometimes even when you've been blogging for a long time! I can have weeks where I just have no idea what to write about but some weeks I have so many ideas there's not enough time in the day to write all those posts! Keep a notebook with a running list of topics that you'd like to write and if you ever need any ideas, refer to that list and continually add to them so you'll always have something to write about! You don't have to blog every day, but my suggestion is to start with at least 3 days a week to get you in the rhythm of blogging and then adjust from there if you want to blog more or less. Also plan ahead. For example for holiday season, you'll want to do some gift guide posts so make sure that you keep a calendar of when you'll be posting your holiday content. Or maybe you want to share what you'll be wearing for all your holiday parties. Get that on your list so tha t you'll be prepped with photos and content when the time comes to post.
5. Promote your blog and posts via Social Media: Hopefully you followed my instructions above to save all your social media handles with your blog name! When you grow your blog, start growing your social media accounts as well. The easiest thing to do is to simply start networking within that platform. Every platform is different in the way you'll want to promote your own blog. But the most important thing is to not make it all about you. When you are on facebook, go to other blogger's pages and start to interact with their posts. You can even share their post on your own facebook page. I know that makes me very happy when I see another blogger do that for me and I often will do the same for them! On your own facebook page, along with promoting your own posts, share other interesting posts that you find on facebook that you think your followers will be interested in. On Instagram, start t o follow bloggers that you love and start engaging with them and their followers. Comment, like and follow and be genuine about that as people will likely want to engage back with you. Not every post has to be about your blog but I recommend keeping your photos on brand. So if you are mainly focused on fashion, don't share what you had for lunch every day. People are going to be following you for your style and not until you have a more established following you'll want to keep your content consistent so that they know what to expect. It's not to say that you can't share a food pic once in a while, just make sure that it makes sense and incorporates into your feed.
How to make money blogging: This is probably the number one question I get these days and because of that, my sister (who also gets the same questions) and I started Gal Guides. Gal Guides are guides or short books that my sister and I wrote that shares all our secrets about how we make money not only b logging but also with growing our brand and our online store. We specifically wrote them for women who are interested in fashion/style blogging and you'll find that all our guides and tips are geared towards that.
Something that you may not know is that my company, T&J Designs is my main focus and I blog as a means to help with growing the business but it's also become a part time job of mine that I truly enjoy. I work with a lot of influencer networks for sponsored posts which is a large reason why I can make a full time income even though I only work part time on the blog. My first guide, The Top Influencer Networks that Will Pay You to Post, shares everything that I've learned these past few years of working with influencer networks. I've narrowed down to the best ones for you to work with, how much you get paid, what kind of brands that they work with and more! Head over to shop the guides, if you purchase this guide, you'll also get a free printable to help you track everything from what campaigns you applied to, to due dates of posts, the deliverables of each campaign and most importantly when you'll get paid. My sister wrote her guide on how to reach out to PR and brands in order to get paid collaborations. We are currently offering a special price on the both guides + 3 bonuses which you can get HERE. If you want to start making money blogging but you have no idea where to start, these are the guides for you. These guides are for all levels of blogging but I will say that to work with a lot of the influencer networks you do have to have to provide your analytics about your audience, so while these guides will definitely get you a head start in working with the networks, you'll still want to work on growing your audience so that you have a great chance of landing campaigns with brands and networks.We will be adding more guides soon on a lot more topics such as how to grow your instagram, how to get more traffic to your blog and if you are interested in starting your own fashion business we'll also be adding guides on how to start and grow your brand, how and where to buy wholesa le for your store and SO much more.
Stay up to date with the launch of all our new guides by adding your email below. For this month only, we are offering 2 subscribers the chance to win a one hour consultation with either me or Jen to ask us any or all questions related to your blog or business!
Buy AutoTrafficRSS script now for $27 only!
We will send the script to your PayPal email within few hours,Please add FullContentRSS@gmail.com to your email contact.While it is relatively easy to set up a blog, generating traffic (people that will come to your blog to check out stuff) and making profit from the blog are the main obstacles you need to think about.
playStarting a blog and making lots of money of it is no easy thing to do.
(leapfrogmedia)
Keep in mind that if you don't have a passion for writing (or content creation), it will be extra hard for you. Also, if you are looking to make a lot of money, be prepared to remain persistent for as many years (yes, years. Ask Linda Ikeji) as it takes.
If you are not discouraged yet, and you want to create the next Linda Ikeji Blog or BellaNaija, then here is what you need to do:
Pick a topic: Define a topic or niche that you want to focus on/write about and design your content around it. This will help you not only laser-focus your writing, it will also help you build digital products and service that compliment the content you are producing. For example, you could focus on music or movies or tech.
WordPress dashboard
(2createwebsite.com)
Select a platform: Wordpress is still the most popular platform for blogging but there are other platforms you can take advantage of such as Medium (I recommend this if you are active on Twitter), Tumblr, and Blogger.com. But if you want to go all out, you'll want to go with a self-hosted Wordpress site on a custom domain (none of those blahblah.wordpress.com stuff).
Pick a domain name that will not work against you: If you're serious about making money with your blog, a custom domain name is important. Find a relevant keyword-rich domain name that is aptly descriptive of intended topic/niche, use a top-level domain (TLD) like .com or .ng, keep the domain name short (within 15 characters), and try to avoid domain names that have hyphens, since they are often associated with spammers.
Find a good web hosting company: Initially, you'll probably want to start with a managed Wordpress solution or a Virtual Private Server (VPS) and go from there. However, by the time you starting hitting a few thousand visitors per day, you'll need a more dedicated solution like a Caching and Content Delivery Network (CDN), they make content delivery ultra-fast.
Google Analytics
(google analytics)
Set up analytics: Analytics help you keep track of what you are doing while you build out your blog. Google Analytics and IO Analytics are highly recommended. They will show you things like what social media channel you views are coming from, where the people visiting your blog are doing so from, how many viewers finish reading your posts, how long they spent on your blog and so on. This will help you follow the numbers and optimize your content via insights into the behavioral patterns of your audience.
ALSO READ: A secret guide to taking pictures even when you run out of storage
Get Google's Webmaster Tools: If you are serious about building a blog and making money, you need to leverage Google's webmaster tools to see what keywords they are ranking for and any messages that would impact their ability to rank. It will also allow you setup an XML sitemap and track keyword impressions as well as click-through rates.
Learn about SEO: Yes, you didn't start blog because of SEO but you should at least learn and understand the basic fundamentals of search engine optimization (SEO) because that will let you pay attention to the the key aspects of your content that will impact your ability to rank high on search engines like Google.
Content is king: You may have heard this phrase several times. You need to build content that is engaging keyword centric, insightful, unique, and well written. Write for humans while also paying attention to search engines and what they want. It is also important that you are consistent with publishing content.
email marketing
(One 400)
Sign up for email marketing: The best way to make money off your blog is through email marketing, plain and simple. Ads could work (for a while and with small returns) but you need to be having tens of thousands of page visits. Some examples you can check out are ConvertKit, MailChimp, InfusionSoft and Constant Contact.
Build a digital product and position your offers: Email marketing is great but you need a digital product, service or other kind of offer in the back-end to take full advantage. You can create multiple offers/products that drive people up a value chain to your high-ticket sales.
Social Media
(Fivesquid)
Get social: Building a blog is not easy in any way (if you want to make lots of money off it, at least). To help you get to success faster, you need to get social. You will be able to link up with other bloggers interested in online marketing (thus expanding your network) and reach your audience through platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Content Marketing: This may be the single most important factor in the success of your blog. Marketing your content is what is going to get more people visiting your blog and help you rank high on search engines like Google. Content marketing can be done with articles on sites like Medium, by answering questions on Quora, by posting videos on YouTube (you can make money off this too), and so on.
At the end of the day, you have to be able to make money from the content you create.
(relevance)
Monetize your content: Running a blog can get costly, to be honest. Don't think you are going to get rich overnight. But you can take certain steps to make some money along the way by monetizing your content. You can generate small amounts of cash by doing things like creating articles that will lead people to e-books, manuals or courses you have created. You also create video tutorials that will sell a big package os develop a system that will teach people whatever you are really good at.
There are several ways to make money off your blog, but don't try to look for shortcuts along the way. Also, you have to consider things like Internet (Smile has a great N19,800 4G subscription that can get you started) and power (you can get a 3.5HP generator for around N65K), as well as subscription fees for your email marketing service.
Does blogging sound like a business venture you are interested in? Do you have any tips to share? Drop them in the comments section below. Happy hunting!
Most of us have a love-hate relationship with money. We love having it but hate finding ways to get more of it. Maybe you enjoy your steady 9-to-5 job but know working it won't necessarily bring in the big bucks. Or maybe you feel trapped in a dead-end job without any financial freedom to search for something better. If only there were a way to make extra money fast in a way that also works with your unforgiving daily schedule. Enter: the side hustle.
Today, 20% to 30% of workers in Europe and the United States work in the gig economy (side hustle business), awarding them freedom to work when they want, where they want, and to what extent they need. What's even more interesting is an increasing number of seniors are choosing to explore this option as supplemental retirement income.
Whether you want to save for an upcoming vacation, ditch the full-time responsibilities for a part-time gig, or use this side income as an extra retirement plan, there are many paths you can take. Let's take a look at 24 side hustles that will start earning you extra money today.
1. Be an online dating consultantYes, that's right. This is now a thing. The online dating world is cutthroat. Whether you're on Tinder, Coffee Meets Bagel, Match, or OkCupid, standing out among other users can be difficult. But that's where online dating consultants come in. You can put your social media skills to good use by helping others choose flattering profile pictures and create engaging "about me" posts. For example, The Heartographer charges $349 for online video chats that help you create an enticing profile worthy of quality matches and first dates.
You don't have to be a professional chef to make money from cooking …
2. Start a meal-prep businessSome of us find solace in the kitchen preparing a hot, home-cooked meal after a long day's work. But for most of us, coming up with something edible for dinner is a horrid chore. A blogging couple actually make $100 a week preparing five frozen meals for a family that doesn't have time to cook dinner every night. If meal prep isn't your thing, many others are generating extra monthly income baking for local events or parties in their area. Who can turn down a good cupcake with the perfect icing-to-cake ratio?
3. Sell old gift cardsIt's December 26, and you've got yet another stack of gift cards tied to stores you've never heard of — and wouldn't be caught dead shopping in. Rather than letting them eat space in your wallet, sell them for money. You have two options here: First, you can sell your cards to various sites that will make you an offer. Or you can exchange them on sites that allow you to set a price for purchase. Sites, such as Raise, will only take 15% of the card's selling price for processing fees.
Become your own boss by watching people sign papers …
A notary is someone with legal training who is licensed by the government for legal affairs. Notaries can witness signatures on documents, administer and take oaths, or notarize important real estate documents. Once you receive your notary certification from the state, you can charge your own fee to notarize documents. The cost for certification is usually less than $100.
5. Raise beesBeekeepers who raise bees and sell honey can make a pretty substantial side income at local farmers markets and road-side stands. Obviously, beekeeping can take time to learn and maintain each season, but this side hustle is perfect for semi-retired or retired people looking for a profitable hobby.
6. Drive your carGot a car that gets great gas mileage? You can sign up to drive for ride-sharing companies, such as Uber or Lyft, in your spare time. Park yourself by the airport or near local bars downtown to make extra cash as a shuttle service. Similar to driving services, apps, such as PostMates, allow you to make up to $25 an hour delivering food to local customers in your area. The difference with this service is it hires walkers, bikers, and drivers alike.
7. Create and sell online coursesOne of the most effective and efficient side hustles are the ones that generate passive income. By creating and selling online courses, you are able to spend a few hours creating a course and then sit back and watch the money come to you as people enroll. Figure out an area you have experience with, and go from there. If you spent 20 years as a financial adviser, you could easily create a course about investing in stocks. Other course ideas include teaching yoga for beginners, how to negotiate higher salaries, and cake decorating.
8. Teach on UdemyIf the time it takes to market an online course is unappealing, consider promoting and teaching your course on Udemy. This site allows you to monetize your niche skill set and get paid to teach the course any way you like. Courses on listed on Udemy right now are "Body Language for Entrepreneurs," "Microsoft Excel 2010: Advanced Training," and "Java Tutorial for Complete Beginners."
9. Design websitesE-commerce and online marketing have skyrocketed to the point where no business can be successful without an attractive website. Even today's job seekers are turning to personal websites to replace outdated resumes. The only problem is no one knows how to do it. People will gladly pay a pretty penny for someone to handle back-end installations and codes that allow a website to run smoothly. You can make money on a per-project basis by creating websites for clients through builder sites, such as Squarespace, GoDaddy, and Wix.
10. Tweet and post for cashTweeting for money isn't just for Kim Kardashian and her friends anymore (though she reportedly brings in about $200,000 for her Instagram posts). If you have enough followers, you can make money tweeting and posting about products you like. Sites, such as MyLikes and LikeItToKnowIt, are popular but will only entertain accounts with at least a few thousand followers.
Be like Tyler Durden and sell soap, or any other household good you can make …
11. Get on EtsyTurn your hobby into a profitable e-commerce business by setting up shop on Etsy. The wife of the popular blogger, Mr. Money Mustache, now supports her entire family with profits she makes selling handmade soaps. In fact, she once sold $10,000 worth of product in just two months. In addition to soaps, many people sell items, such as handmade jewelry, clothes, and furniture, through this online retailer.
12. Take online surveysBrain power often nears empty after a long day's work. For those with stressful jobs, completing online surveys for extra money might be your best bet. Choose which clients you like and the hours you want to work, all from the comfort of your couch. Yes, this mindless work can be done while simultaneously watching NCIS reruns. We recommended signing up for multiple survey sites at once, so you can capitalize on income potential. Sites, such as InboxDollars, SwagBucks, and PaidSurveys, are all popular options for this side hustle.
13. Rent out your homeDo you live near a thriving metropolis, vacation destination, or popular tourist attraction? Try renting out your cabin in the mountains or the extra room in your home to travelers from across the globe. Apps, such as Airbnb, have a massive following and simplify the process of renting and booking accommodations. Through Airbrb, hosts can set their own prices, as well. Many put this extra income toward home expenses by simply renting their space for a few nights a month.
Content marketing is a huge source of income for businesses, and they're hungry for people who have a way with words. Writers can satisfy this craving by joining freelance-writing sites or content mills that pay per post. It's not hard to find clients that need content created daily, but the pricing will vary. Some make $30 per post, while more established freelancers are charging $100 per post or more.
Chances are you have something you can teach. Maybe you're able to comprehend difficult math problems in your sleep or are fluent in German. You can easily establish a side hustle by offering your expertise to those in need for an hourly fee. Parents are always looking for a piano teacher who can fit into their busy schedule. Simply post an ad about your services, and let new students find you.
16. Sell your photos for stockAlthough this would require you to occasionally leave the house, freelance photographers can make a generous side income by taking family portraits, engagement photos, or baby pictures. In addition, bloggers continuously hunt for click-worthy stock photos to accompany their posts. If you have the talent, microstock sites, such as istockphoto.com and shutterstock.com, make it easy to get started selling attractive photos online. However, this is not the time or place for artsy iPhone photos. Those looking to make money off this hustle will need to purchase a high-quality digital camera.
17. Become a calligrapherWe've all seen posts on Facebook from our friends showcasing their new calligraphy skills. Widely popular calligraphy pens allow users to create unique, hand-written fonts that can be used for special occasions, such as wedding invitations, home decor, and various other Pinterest-inspired ideas. Anyone with a need for a creative hobby can learn and monetize this skill. All you need are a few special pens and a boat load of blank paper to get started. Launch a calligraphy business, and you can make cash per envelope addressing wedding invitations.
18. Sell your treesBelieve it or not, there are websites that will pay you for your unwanted trees. Although this is not a steady source of income — unless you want to be solely responsible for ruining photosynthesis for all humankind — lumber yards are willing to pay for trees on your property. Maybe you just bought a piece of land that needs clearing before you can construct your dream home. Why not make some extra cash selling that lumber to others? Hardwood trees, such as maple, birch, and oak, are most valuable.
You can also make money by getting rid of your stuff …
19. Sell household itemsYou'd be surprised by how much money is lying around your home right now. DIY flippers are always searching online for old furniture they can repurpose and sell for cash. Secondhand stores, such as Clothes Mentor and Plato's Closet, will pay you for sweaters, pants, purses, and jewelry you don't wear. Cash in on your spring cleaning by selling unwanted items on Craigslist, eBay, and other consignment stores.
If you're willing to get down and dirty, you can make lots of money as a local handyman doing things most others are unwilling to deal with. In the Financial Samurai's case, he handles all "dirty" tasks required to maintain his rental property and saves hundreds each month by avoiding expensive fix-it fees. For example, he watched YouTube tutorial videos to learn how to fix an overflowing dishwasher air valve and saved $300 in plumbing fees. If you want to really advertise your services, you can get on Takl or TaskRabbit to market yourself.
21. Edit college admissions essaysMost colleges require an essay to accompany your application. But for most teens, crafting a compelling personal statement worthy of an acceptance letter is easier said than done. Admissions are getting increasingly competitive, and parents today are more than willing to pay for editing services or constructive feedback for their children's essays. All you need are editing skills to launch this side hustle.
22. Buy and sell domain namesDomain trading has been around for decades, but with the rise of online business and entrepreneurship, the opportunity to make money buying and selling domain names is huge. Purchase them on GoDaddy, and use sites, such as Flippa, to find prospective buyers. The more common the domain name, the pricier it becomes.
23. Work as a brand ambassadorBig brands and startups are always looking for brand ambassadors to support their grass-roots marketing efforts. These people get paid to advertise services. This is a popular source of part-time income for college students with access to a large population, as well as weekend warriors who don't mind promoting services at local events. Some companies even offer commission packages for every sale you bring in.
24. Be a mystery shopperYou can use sites, such as Bestmark, to start making money as a mystery shopper. If you don't mind leaving your home, you can get paid to shop at stores or eat at restaurants. The most commonly known mystery shoppers are for Subway, making sure their "sandwich artists" are following franchise guidelines. Getting paid to go somewhere you probably frequent anyway? Sounds like a win-win.
This article was originally published on The Cheat Sheet. Reprinted with permission.
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