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Tag: business
The Pressures of Being a Blogger

The Pressures of Being a Blogger

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For some reason, some people believe that being a blogger is a walk in the park. Often all they see is what we get; the days out, the ‘free’ stuff, easy money made from messing around on social media. If I’m being honest I get why people think this, it does appear to be an easy choice for those that want to make a few quid. I hate to disappoint those with such an opinion though, I’m afraid it’s much harder work that us bloggers are letting on!

What people don’t see is the stressful side of the job. They don’t see all of the hard work that goes into maintaining a blog, the technical side that sees one task take literally days to complete. They don’t see the day-to-day mundane side of blogging. The things we have to do each and every day, that’s right no days off, just to maintain a presence and keep things ticking over. They also don’t realise how hard it is to maintain multiple social channels. Suddenly the fun side of social media becomes a chore as we try to make our mark on the influencer world. If it was as easy as clicking publish, we’d all be millionaires.

The harsh reality of becoming a blogger –

In actual fact, blogging is not all sunshine and roses. It can be incredible stressful at times and can leave us full-timers wondering why we bothered starting up this ‘blogging thing‘ in the first place. Yes there are perks to the job, but as with every other job that has benefits, they have to be worked hard for. I know I’m not alone when I say I worked on my blog solidly for an entire year before I made a dime from it. Blogging is a labour of love and it’s not to be taken lightly. Doesn’t seem so glamorous now, hey?!

This summer I stepped away from my blog for a few weeks. I felt like I wanted to take stock and reevaluate my direction. As it turns out, I was just a little burnt out, all I needed was time away from the screen to get my spark back. You see, because blogging is such an all-consuming job we don’t get to take holidays where we can just switch off. You can guarantee that I lost money in those few weeks and as a blogger that was a conscious decision I had to make. Take time out for myself and my family and make less money, or carry on full speed ahead missing out on quality time with my girls but make a packet. Not an easy decision, but I’m confident I made the right one. Just another on of the pressures of being a blogger.

 

To highlight just how stressful this line of work can be, I got in touch with some of my fellow bloggers to find out what they find most difficult about the job;

Victoria from Lylia Rose: ‘The never ending amount of work to do and playing every role – copywriter, accountant, photographer, receptionist, website designer, applying for jobs daily, etc. It can be overwhelming sometimes and I feel like I need to clone myself!’

Mandi from Big Family Organised Chaos: ‘Uncertainty! Will you get enough paid work in this month to cover the bills, will the payments you are due be paid on time, will you end up doing a full working week with no money to show for it, and why are you still working at midnight because you HAVE to get that post written before the deadline but the children have needed you for everything all day!’

Nicola from Mummy to Dex: ‘Personally, I find it stressful when I have to negotiate fees. I always worry I’ve put people off with what I charge. I guess I suffer from imposter syndrome and doubt my capabilities as a blogger.’

Nickie from Typecast: ‘Comparing yourself with other bloggers. Seeing other bloggers work on a campaign you thought you pitched well for but didn’t get. Finding enough hours in the day to hit deadline.’

Emma from The Mini Mes and Me: ‘When clients don’t pay on time and you have to chase and chase and chase them for money owed. I think sometimes they forget that blogging is often the main income for many.’

Lisa from That British Betty: ‘I get frustrated that I can’t spend as much time as I’d like to on my blog – I KNOW I could make it a success if I had more time. I work 45 hours a week in PR so often come home tired and don’t feel like doing even more writing! I also miss out on cool brand events as I can’t drop everything and attend an event at 2pm on a Tuesday.’

Michaela from Adventures of a Yorkshire Mum: ‘When people assume that everything is an ad. People commenting on Instagram ‘aren’t you supposed to #ad this’ annoys me as, if it was an ad, I would mention it. And I don’t want to have to write ‘this is not an ad’ on every post I do! ‘

Natalie from Plutonium Sox: ‘The thing that annoys me the most is that people assume because I’m at home I’m not working. I had a deadline to meet for a post this morning, so had to get it written yesterday. Youngest is still on half days at school this week so I literally had a couple of hours in the morning and a couple of hours in the evening. So instead of being able to get my head down and work, I helped my dad with some land registry searches in the morning and helped my husband with building a bed in the evening. When we move I’m putting a home office at the far end of the garden and a ‘sod off’ sign on the front door.’

 

Thankyou to all who made this post possible!

 

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How and Why You can Make any Business Work for You

How and Why You can Make any Business Work for You

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*This post was written in collaboration with One Click Group.

 

How many times have you sat back to evaluate your life and wondered about working for yourself? Maybe not full-time and maybe not in something you currently have the qualifications for, but how many times have you dreamt of making your mark on the business world? For some of you the answer to this is never, for a lot of you the answer is all of the time! 

The thing about business is that you don’t have to set out to conquer the world. There are such enterprises known as the ‘lifestyle business’ and the idea is that you make your dream work around you. Whether it’s your dream to quit your job, or whether you want to run a little something in the evenings around your employment. There are business opportunities for everyone, all you have to do is take the leap.

Making a plan –

When I decided that I wanted to earn a little money off of my own back, I began taking on work in my field outside of my employed hours. This gave me the chance to gain experience in working by myself, it gave me the opportunity to network and build a client base of my own and most importantly it boosted by confidence immeasurably. I concocted this very simple plan some months before I decided to move on and I’m so glad I did. Working in this way provided me with the stepping-stones to the next chapter in my life. I’d had a taste of business and I wasn’t going back.

From this, I set up a limited company which gave me the freedom to build up my business with multiple short and long-term benefits. Setting up a limited company could benefit you too and it doesn’t have to be difficult. There’s a tonne of information available at One Click Group that will answer any questions you have. They will make the whole process as easy as possible for you, that means all you have to concentrate on is working hard to build up your business!

Making a plan isn’t always as simple as this though, you might have to do a little training before you can attempt to work for yourself. You might need to build up funds or you might need to wait for a change in circumstance. Whatever your situation is now, there’s no reason why you can’t start planning ahead. Brain dump all of your ideas, let your imagination flow and work out where you want to be this time next year. A plan is the first step to changing your life.

 

Believing in yourself –

In the beginning I could count the people who believed in me on half a hand. All of a sudden my business had turned into everyone’s business and boy did they have a lot to say about it. What was most important, was that I believed in myself. I knew I could make my venture work and I was ready for all of the hard graft that I knew it would take to get it off of the ground. I’m not saying self-doubt didn’t creep in every once in a while, but on the whole I was ready to make it happen.

Since then I’ve tried so many different lifestyle business ideas. Some have crashed and burned, some I’ve gotten bored with and others are still part of my multiple income streams. The good thing about these small business ideas is that they can be lucrative, but often they cost very little to get going. All you need is courage, determination and a little bit of pixie dust!

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Working from Home: How to Meet Deadlines When your Children Refuse to Nap

Working from Home: How to Meet Deadlines When your Children Refuse to Nap

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Thus far in my blogging career, I’ve been able to complete a sizeable chunk of the hefty workload whilst my children slumbered. I would put them down for their afternoon nap and sit down to a couple of hours work in the afternoon. Then when they went to bed in the evening, I’d grab a few more hours for good measure. It was a good balance and one that will be sorely missed.

The last few months have seen my eldest daughter drop her naps altogether. My youngest does still nap, but not for long during daytime hours. This has thrown a huge spanner in the works where my business is concerned, as I’ve lost a whopping 14 hours of dedicated blogging time each week. At first I found myself in a spin of overwhelm and disorganisation. With even less time in the day to get on top of things, I felt like I was drowning in my work load.

Something had to change. Firstly I had to accept that nap time is no more. I’ve had a good run of 2.5 years of mid-afternoon bliss, but it was time to re-asses our daily routine to keep each of us as happy as can be. After much trial and error, we now have a good little routine going!

 

So, here’s how to meet deadlines when your children refuse to nap:

 

Split your days into activity blocks –

The key to keeping everyone in your house happy, is to allocate of time to meet everyone’s needs. In our house, the littlest still needs a short nap around lunchtime, so our day is divided into three blocks; ‘morning’, ‘downtime’ and ‘the rest of the day’. Our morning and the rest of the day is dedicated to our girls, we take them out, educate them and do everything else that comes with being a parent. Downtime however, is time for me to settle the girls down for an hour in order to get through some of my workload. I often enlist the help of Peppa Pig here, but it’s a good rest for the girls and time for them to recharge for the rest of the day.

Create a dedicated work space –

Having an area that’s just for you is a great way to make sure you meet your deadlines. My husband recently built me a desk area and it means that I can leave unfinished work to come back to later. I’m able to jump back into my chair and continue my project without having to wast time reorganising myself. It also means there are no little people using my documents as scrap paper!

Work into the night, but know when to stop –

I’ve accepted that If I’m to continue working at the level I’ve gotten used to, then burning the midnight oil is a given. As it’s the only real quiet time I have, I leave all of the more complicated projects until after the children have settled for the night. Working too late, too often can quickly lead to burn out though. So it’s important to recognise your limits and to hit the hay early once in a while. Burning the candle at both ends won’t be a benefit to anyone.

Use downtime to catch up on easy tasks –

If the kids are up and you’re finding it difficult to concentrate, tackling tasks that are simple will make you feel like you’ve been productive. It’s still work that has to be done and once you have time to yourself you can concentrate on the more complex projects.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help –

Sometimes things don’t go according to plan and getting things done becomes impossible. That’s when you need to admit defeat and ask for a little help. Whether that’s getting someone to watch the kids whilst you spend some time catching up, or outsourcing work that you just isn’t at the top of your priority list. Don’t try to be superhuman!

 

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Four Easy ways to Make Money from Home

Four Easy ways to Make Money from Home

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Ever since I gave up my first business back in 2015, I’ve made it my mission to find legitimate ways of making money from home. For a little while I was a stay at home mum, but like many others before me I needed something else in my life. I needed to feel the purpose that comes from having a business. I missed the excitement of building up my own empire and the rush from striking good deals and making money in my own right.

The good thing about working from home, is that you have the space to create multiple income streams. There’s the opportunity to seek out numerous ways to make cash, all from the comfort and warmth of your own four walls. I for one, have never looked back since I began freelancing. The fact that I make money from home means that I’m always here for my children, as well as constantly feeding my desire to be successful at work!

There are so many ways that you too can make money from home, all it take is effort and a lot of determination. Here are four easy ways you can make money from home;

 

Freelance writing –

Freelance writing is a great way to make money from home. If you love to write and have the skills to produce good quality copy, then this option could be for you. There are numerous online platforms that provide freelancers with work at their skill level, as well as giving them the opportunity to rise through the ranks as they gain experience. The beauty of this role is that you can take on as much or as little work as you wish and payment is usually made swiftly. If this is of interest to you, I’ve written about more about making money from freelance writing HERE! 

 

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Sell unwanted jewellery –

Most of us have jewellery in the house that we no longer wear. Whether they’re pieces that are no longer in fashion or they’re just not your cup of tea anymore, often they sit collecting dust. The fact is though, that you could be sitting on a pile of cash without even realising it! You can sell jewellery for cash with little to no effort, all you have to concentrate on is the reward. With gold prices currently at a record high, now is the time to get searching through your jewellery box. The best bit about it is that you can be paid for your wares in as little as 24 hours.

 

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Complete online surveys –

As much as completing online surveys is never going to make you a millionaire, there’s still the possibility to make a little extra money for a rainy day. A quick Google search will present you with a whole host of survey sites, some pay in cash, others in points that can be exchanged for vouchers and some in gifts. The secret to making money from home with these surveys is volume. They take very little brain power to complete, you can do them whilst sitting in front of the TV of an evening. Do as many as you can in the time that you have and reap the rewards!

 

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Sell unwanted household items –

As with unwanted jewellery, many of us have a house full of things we no longer need nor use. An easy way to make money from home, is to list these items on online marketplaces and auction sites. Someone else is bound to want what you have and you can use the cash to get something that you really need instead. Not only are you set to make a tidy sum from selling your stuff, you’ll also de-clutter your home along the way!

 

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*This post was written in collaboration with Post My Gold. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

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What Does Good Customer Service Mean to You? #AtYourService

What Does Good Customer Service Mean to You? #AtYourService

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Good customer service is so important. Being responsive, helpful and polite when customers need your assistance can mean the difference between repeat custom and losing the client for good. In fact, out of a survey of 600 people 75% agreed that good customer service is incredibly important! This group of people stated that good communication skills and manners, as well as being able to access the correct support, are what makes for excellent customer service.

Some of the most common annoyances with customer service includes; poor communication, bad manners, not having direct access to the correct person, slow response times and language barriers. Unfortunately we’ve all been at the receiving end of poor customer service at some point. Generally though, bad service is the exception rather than the rule. Many of us have tales of positive customer service that stick in our minds, rendering the poor ones a mere unpleasant memory!

 

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Positive customer service –

I recently had a really positive customer service experience, involving a large UK toy store. With two girls in the house, you can imagine what Christmas morning looked like for us. Unfortunately, one of my eldest daughters presents and one that she was incredibly excited about, stopped working after about an hour of use. This was obviously really upsetting for her and disappointing for us as parents, after all no parents wants to see their children upset. Especially not on Christmas day.

So Boxing Day saw us trekking into town, with a hope of exchanging said gift – not the ideal start to a relaxing post-Christmas day! However, when we got there the staff were so apologetic. They made a fuss of our daughter whilst another member of staff swapped the toy quickly and without fuss. We left with well wishes from the staff and smiles on our faces. More importantly, our daughter could finally play with the much loved toy. In the end it was no bother to make the trip out in the middle of the festive period, all thanks to excellent customer service!

 

78% of those who took part in the survey agreed that larger companies provide better customer service. This was certainly the case in respect to our experience!

 

I asked a few of my fellow bloggers about their positive customer service experiences too, here are a few that really stood out to me;

 

Beth from Twinderelmo: ‘Our local shoe shop are always brilliant. Not only do they offer a discount for my twins but if they don’t have the size/style in we want, they ring around to find them and then call me to let me know they’re in stock. They’re all so friendly and it’s such a small town that they’re all local ladies working there. It’s so nice to have such a personal experience!’

Jodie from Maidenhead Mum:  ‘I bought a rug from Hus and Hem (gorgeous online shop) and I wanted it in time for my guests at Christmas so the house looked nice. I then got an email saying it would be delivered after Christmas. I emailed them and was furious. They then rang me up and said they couldn’t do anything about the delivery as it was coming from another country, but they would arrange to let me borrow one of theirs from the shop for Christmas and I could send it back to them after when mine arrived! Amazing!’

Adam from The Coaching Parent:  ‘I was flying with Norwegian. I had my own sandwiches as my meal for the trip. As I was clumsily unpacking them, one of the flight attendants saw me struggling and simply gave me a napkin (without being requested). It was really kind, and surprising. I felt like I was really cared about.’

Victoria from The Growing Mum: ‘I rang Sainsbury’s Bank to complain about a credit card charge. Turns out it was correct and it was my fault but they offered to cancel it anyway which was amazing!’

Charlie from Our Altered Life: ‘Many years ago I stayed in a hotel called Charter House in Warwick for the weekend. The service was amazing the whole time but on the second morning we came down for breakfast to THE most incredible eggs. Just yolks and not a scrap of white. The owner had noticed that I’d left all my whites the previous morning (they make me sick) and had ensured there wasn’t a tiny bit of white to be seen. Over 12 years later, I still remember that little touch that left a lasting impression.’

Jenny from Mama Foodie:  ‘I rang Amazon as I thought they hadn’t delivered when it said they had. They refunded the cost and gave me a free month of prime. It turned out I did receive it!’

 

 

If you need help with any customer service queries, you can visit https://contactcustomerservicesnumber.co.uk/ to help make the process super simple!

 

More interesting customer service statistics –

 

The most popular companies with the best customer service: banks, supermarkets, John Lewis and Amazon!

73% of those asked thought that being able to talk to the right person immediately makes for good customer service. Whilst 26% believe that being able to email the correct person is most important.

46% of those surveyed believe that customer service is better in the digital age.

Very few of those involved in the survey believe that customer service would have been better in previous decades.

 

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*This post was written in collaboration with CCSN.co.uk, who kindly provided the statistics included. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. Credit and thanks goes to my fellow bloggers for their contributions.

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What Kind of Work Space Works for You?

What Kind of Work Space Works for You?

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When I began working from home, productivity wasn’t my strong point. Having never had a job that I didn’t have to leave the house for, I had no idea how distracting working in your own living space can be. There’s always something to be done at home; DIY, housework and the Sky planner to work through. It soon became apparent that my working environment wasn’t helping my progress.

Our work space can have a massive effect on our concentration and the quality of our work. If you get it right, the sky’s your limit. If you get it wrong, you may as well stop wasting your time. This week I’ve teamed up with Pall Mall Estates and a fabulous group of my fellow bloggers, to find out what working kind environment is perfect for them. There are so many variations of what makes up ideal working conditions, what works so well for one person could be a recipe for disaster for another!

 

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What works for me –

 

When blogging and writing became a serious profession for me, I had to develop a fool-proof plan to make sure I continue to make the best of my time. My work station changes depending on what task I have at hand. If it’s something that requires my full attention, I need complete silence and a clean area around me. No clutter and no mobile phone in sight. This is how I spend most of my time, occasionally I’ll listen to a little music but only in between tasks to give my brain a little respite! There are times when I work in front of the TV, but only for jobs that I do day in and day out. The ones that I could do with my eyes shut!

 

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What works for others –

Stacey from One Small Human – ‘I like a window and lots of natural light to concentrate. And I do tend to play music too. But the natural light is the biggest thing for me.’

Beth from Twinderelmo – ‘Smooth radio! It is the best soundtrack to work to. I hate working in silence – feels eerie!’

Victoria from Lylia Rose – ‘Natural light and a clean and tidy desk. If I need to concentrate then I like to sit upright at my desk with no noise or distractions around me.’

Victoria from Mummy to My Little Cheeky Monkey – ‘My desk is by the window and if the kids are away I have music on, but if kids are home I normally have the TV for background noise.’

Kirsty from Life with Boys – ‘I need silence and a clear space. I can’t work in mess and this means I find it very difficult to really get into my work quickly. With a one year old my house is rarely tidy.’

Clara from The Balance Collective – ‘Now I’m writing a lot more than I used to, I’ve realised I get too distracted by music with singer’s (as I end up joining in and get carried away with the song. So now it’s classical music! Enough to remove the “loudness” of silence, but doesn’t transport me away from the words I am trying to write.’

Tricia from The Birth and Baby Academy – ‘Either total silence or a busy coffee shop. Both work really well for me. Sometimes less distractions in a busy coffee shop weirdly!’

Katy from Katykicker – ‘I listen to the ‘music for concentration’ playlist from Spotify on my Sonos and it really helps me focus.’

Louise from Pink Pear Bear –  ‘By myself, in total silence with a limitless supply of tea!’

 

Thankyou to each of these amazing bloggers for giving an insight!

 

What’s the ideal working environment for you?

 

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*This is a collaborative post.

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Women in Business – Homemakers, Mothers and Entrepreneurs

Women in Business – Homemakers, Mothers and Entrepreneurs

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Ever since I entered the world of work, I’ve been inspired by women in business. You know; the kick ass, got their life together women that make running a business look like a walk in the park. The women that stuck two fingers up to the daily grind and leapt into a seemingly uncertain world. I admire these women even more now that I’m a mother. Building up a business is hard work. When you throw a home, partner and children into the mix it becomes a complete juggling act.

When things get a little hectic over here, I often wonder whether I should have waited until my children start school before I began building up another business. I have another two years until they’re both in education though andI know I wouldn’t have lasted that long without working. So instead of dwelling on how hard things seem in any particular moment, I like to turn my attention to the amazing women that have struggled on through the tough times to build their empire. Taking reassurance and inspiration from their determination and achievements.

There are so many amazing women in business out there. They’re homemakers, mothers and entrepreneurs, powering through each day to teach, provide, learn and achieve. So with this in mind, I got in touch with fellow women in business to give you a little insight into how their lives tick!

Women in Business

Vivienne from The Mother’s Room:   ‘I run two small businesses, both inspired by my children! My main focus is my newborn and wedding photography business, but I love supporting new families to carry their babies through my sling consultancy. With support from my husband and some fab childcare, it means that I can juggle work and still be there for my children as much as possible. It does involve a lot of late nights and many strong cups of tea, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.’

Christy from Welsh Mum: ‘I’ve owned an exotic pet shop (physical shop in Cardiff and online shop) for 10 years. 7 years ago my husband started working with me as well, so now it’s a family run business. My son is currently 5 months and we’re looking forward to the challenge ahead. As I’m self employed I could only get the statutory maternity allowance from the government from day one, which is quite limiting financially. My husband was entitled to zero paternity as a self employed worker. So I am currently doing work on the social media, customer service, updating the website etc. from home with the baby. He’s also come into the shop with me on quite a few occasions and I’m sure it will become a second home to him as he gets older. He’s been around snakes & lizards from day one so he’ll certainly be used to a little bit of exotic nature! It has been very challenging trying to focus and find time to look after a newborn and actually be productive. Blogging has helped me with my creative side which I’ve found very relaxing and an essential release. Most of all I’d say being willing to work after the kids have gone to bed is important if you’re self employed. Often I do 2-5 hours work in an evening once he’s asleep as this is my only quiet time to really, really focus on what needs to get done.’

Sarah from Mumzilla: ‘I’m cofounder of a plants by subscription company called BloomBox Club. Because we are both mums, we allow super flexibility on working hours, which works really well. No more 9-5!’

Laura from Mum on a Mission:  ‘I run a cake decorating school from home. I teach during school hours and in the evenings so it fits in around family life. I also run a profitable blog which I do during the school day when I am home alone. Working for myself has helped me to not only earn some much needed money but also be sociable & meet new people. I struggled not working when I first had my son but his disability means its impossible to get paid employment because of the amount of time off I’d need. But I need to work because I get bored so quickly! My brain needs the challenge.’

Donna from The Sleep Thief’s Mummy: ‘I’m a self employed recruitment consultant with a (nearly) 4 year old and an 18 month old. It’s nails but while they’re at nursery/grandparents I have to cram in as much activity as possible. The hardest thing is when they’re ill and I have to take time off as (as much as I love looking after them and being able to be there for them) I’m only able to work 16 hours a week at the moment and it always comes down to me as my husband can’t get the time off – the most important things for me are to be organised and focused.’

Danielle from Someone’s Mum: ‘I earn enough from blogging to stay at home now. I was a teacher for twelve years but I gave it up when the blog became profitable. For the last 3 months or so I have earned more than I did teaching full-time. I get to stay with my children, support my son more (he has autism) and I love the nature of being my own boss and not having the awful pressure of results etc. It can be hard to juggle as until recently both children were at home most of the time. (My son just started school) I have to work most evenings at weekends. I love the flexibility though and it has transformed the quality of my life.’

Chantele from Two Hearts One Roof: ‘I run a wedding and newborn photography company and a studio photography company with my hubby. We had the wedding business before we became parents. It was hard to adjust at first but 1 year on we have learnt to juggle parenting and our businesses. It’s involved a lots of work late at night, having to be more focused and organised to get work finished and out to our clients in the shorter amount of time we have. We started the studio business to actually allow us more time with the dude, as our studio is built in our garden so we can work from home, no travelling involved. It takes lots or drive, determination and a passion for what you do but we love our job so can’t imagine it any other way now.’

 

I’d like to say a huge thankyou to each and everyone of these amazing women for contributing and for being truly inspirational! 

 

 

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#WorkshopWednesday – Three Reasons your Blog Should be Self-Hosted

#WorkshopWednesday – Three Reasons your Blog Should be Self-Hosted

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Welcome to #WorkshopWednesday, my weekly feature with a focus on all things blogging! Each week there’ll be tips, tricks and advice on how to get your blog running like a well oiled machine!

 

It seems an age ago since I took the leap and went self-hosted with my blog. When I look back over the last couple of years, it’s easy to mark going self-hosted as a turning point for The Tale of Mummyhood. I made a deal with myself that once I reached two thousand followers on Twitter, then I’d look into it and switch. At the time it seemed such a daunting prospect, up until then The Tale of Mummyhood was very basic and my technical knowledge was next to nothing.

I would look at other people’s blogs, with their own domain name shining back at me and I knew I wanted to go for it! I was reliably informed that TSOHost were the way to go. They would take on the bulk of the work and migrate my WordPress hosted blog over onto thetaleofmummyhood.com – also purchased through TSO, just to make life super simple!

The whole process was completed in a very short time, less than a day in fact. TSO were on hand from start to finish, practically holding my hand as I was so inexperienced back then. Once the move was made, I soon realised just how much work goes in to maintaining a blog – not taking into consideration the content we have to churn out on top. More importantly, I realised how many doors I’d opened for myself by making the move.

So fast forwarding a year or so, do I regret the work, stress and the huge learning curves that continue to follow me around now I’m self-hosted? Absolutely not! With this in mind, here are three reasons your blog should be self-hosted:

Your branding –

Once you’ve made the move to self-hosted, the ways in which you can customise your blog appear endless. There are oodles of themes, plugins and widgets among so much more. You have the power to make your site represent your niche and really nail your branding. If you’re like me and get itchy feet regularly, you can continue to make changes to your blog until your heart is content. This is more difficult with your standard blogs as you’re bound by the restrictions of your provider and the limited theme options they offer.

Fewer restrictions with brand work –

I’m a firm believer in blogging for the love of it, not just to make a bit of cash. That’s not to say those days won’t come though, if you’re willing to put the work in. If you do want to work with brands and monetise, being self-hosted is a must. If your blog isn’t self-hosted then you’re bound by the terms and conditions of the platform you’re using and unfortunately monetising isn’t favoured by the majority.

There’s no better feeling than making your first few quid, it cements that all the hard graft you’ve put into your blog is worth time and effort you put in. You don’t want to be in a position where you have to turn down exciting opportunities, all because of your hosting.

Room to breathe and room to grow –

When you’re self-hosted a blog doesn’t have to be just that, maybe you’d also like to run an online store too? Having your own domain means that your blog can evolve as your business does. Even if you don’t make any drastic decisions straight away, you’ll have room to breathe knowing that you have so many options.

The key thing to remember is that with blogging comes opportunity, setting yourself up from the outset will mean you’re one step ahead when they drop into your inbox!

 

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Is the Key to Success Self Doubt?

Is the Key to Success Self Doubt?

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Ever since I ventured into the blogging world I’ve been bugged by my own self doubt. Wait, who am I kidding? I’ve ALWAYS been troubled by my own self doubt. I suppose blogging has just resurfaced old feelings, now that I’m constantly tip tapping them down for all to see.

Becoming a blogger brings with it a lot to think about. Obviously there’s the workload, which you don’t realise is so hefty until it’s too late. Once you get the blogging bug, there’s no going back.  Then there’s the feeling of exposure, when you think about who might be reading your stuff. What do they think of it? Is it any good? At some point, every blogger I know has had a crisis in confidence and has thought about closing their laptop for good.

In a strange way though, blogging has also given me a much needed boost in confidence. I wouldn’t have dreamed that I would end up being a blogger and a writer when I was in the early days of motherhood. It took everything I had to function daily, never mind to consider building up a brand new business with very limited technical knowledge. As time went by though I knew I needed something more. I dipped my toes into blogging and quickly realised what amazing possibilities lay before me.

I think that living with a lurking aura of self doubt can be the unexpected key to our success. Apart from the drive I have to be a someone in the eyes of my children and husband, I want to prove to myself that my demons aren’t in control of my future. Every time I get the feeling that I’ve taken on too much or I get anxious about looming deadlines, I turn that negative energy on its head and convert it into ambition. OK not every time, but I try to ignore the bad feelings and replace them with good. I do my best to ignore the voice that’s telling me I can’t and I amplify the one that tells me I can.

I’ve never had a passion for my work life before I found blogging and writing. I’ve always just gone through the motions. Yes I’ve built up a business before, but I didn’t care much for what I did. Now each morning I get up with fresh ideas, ready to power through another day of doing what I love!

 

So, if living with self doubt is what I have to do to make a success of myself, so be it. I’m only human after all!

 

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Freelance Writing – The Low Down

Freelance Writing – The Low Down

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Freelance writing is a great way to earn a living from home. It often means that you can work flexible hours, this is especially convenient if you have children at home. I decided that I wanted to become a freelance writer and blogger soon after my eldest daughter was born. I left my old job behind and decided building my own freelance business was the best way to ensure the happiness of my family and I.

Although it looks easy, writing for a living has its challenges. Doing so from home and around a family just amplifies those challenges. If like me, you too want to be your own person outside of being a mother. If you need to work for your own sake, to thrive and to be content then freelance writing could be for you.

There are a few key points to consider before you make any decisions:

Are you familiar with basic grammar?

You don’t need to be an expert but having basic grammatical knowledge is a must. We all make mistakes, that makes us human. However if you know that grammar isn’t your strong point, it might be worth rethinking your next career move or spending some time brushing up on your core skills.

Do you have a good imagination?

Writing requires a lot of imagination. Think about staring at a blank page knowing that you have to fill it, often with only a keyword to start you off. Are you able to think quickly, providing yourself with a clear direction. Research is a big part of this too, but being able to generate quality and engaging content from almost nothing is a required skill.

Can you type quickly and with minimal errors?

Freelance writing can be a great little earner, if you can type quickly enough. When you’re assigned projects, they are often worth a set amount. If typing is not your strong point, making your money as a writer may not be feasible, as taking more time to write than you should immediately devalues your work. For example, a five hundred word article should take around 30 minutes to complete. Any more than this and your hourly rate won’t reflect the amount of work you’ve put in.

Do you have good research skills?

When you’re writing articles it’s not unusual to have to do a little research along the way. Think about how efficiently you’re able to search for facts and to decide whether the source is reliable. A simple google search doesn’t always suffice. We all know that not everything we read on the internet has depth and so it’s important that you’re able to decipher the good from the bad. After all, you don’t want your work to be discredited due to poor research.

 

If you think freelance writing is for you, you can find out more HERE!

 

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