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How to make time for your side business (and take it full-time)

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by Camilla Hallstrom

When I first started building my business, there was one big thing that kept me back: Time. It felt like I never had the time to grow my business so that I could take it from a side business to a full-time venture. In hindsight, I know I could have done a few things more effectively and achieved my goal faster. Here they are:

1. Build the right business

To be able to quit your job as fast as possible, you need to focus on the right type of business. What do I mean? Compare an ecommerce store and a service-based business. With an ecommerce store, you need to make more money to make it profitable because you need to pay for inventory and shipping. A service-based business (like a freelance business) doesn’t come with these costs.

2. Use a skill you already have

When you’re building your business, focus on a skill you already have so that you don’t have to waste time on learning new skills. I first got started with a translation business and later a freelance writing business because those were skills I already had. This way, I could focus on getting clients (rather than acquiring new skills) from day 1.

3. Focus on the right things

One of the biggest mistakes side business owners make is to focus on the wrong things: Building a website, setting up social media accounts, blogging, and podcasting. I made this same mistake and it set me back many months. You see, when you’re first starting out, the ONE thing you should focus on is getting clients and the easiest and fastest ways to get clients. This includes tapping into your network and directly pitching clients to work with you.

4. Cut down on your time-wasters

You might be thinking: “But it’s so hard to find the time to work on my side business!” I hear you. I used to think that way, too. But then I realized just how much time I was wasting on things that weren’t really that important to me, like hanging out on social media. In fact, you can easily waste hours on these activities every day. Track your time for a few days to find those things you waste time on.

5. Get recurring clients

To build a business, you need to get clients. Unfortunately, all the time you spend on marketing and sales is unpaid. A great solution? Get as many recurring clients as you can, so clients who hire you every month, by focusing on projects that clients need help with on an ongoing basis. In my business, I focus on blog posts rather than one-off projects because this is a service clients need every month.

In the end, building your side business does take time and work. But being able to hand in your notice is well worth the effort. After all, you’re building a business for life.

 

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Camilla Hallstrom is a freelance writer who helps others start their own writing businesses and work from anywhere. Get your free PDF “The 3-Step Plan to Earning $1000 on the Side in the Next 30 Days as a Freelance Writer (Even if You Have Zero Writing Experience)”: https://www.writefromanywhere.com/.

How to Use Writing to Grow Your Creative Business by @TheLadyinRead

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by Meghan Bliss | Featured Contributor 

I’m going to hate on calculus for just a minute.

When I was a junior in high school, I took AP Calculus because that’s what all of my friends took. Did I take it because I was good at math? Not really. Did I do well on exams? I passed, and considering the subject, that was good enough for me. Did I ever have to sketch a parabola again? Nope.

That’s not to say calculus is useless or irrelevant. It certainly isn’t. But most creative business owners I know don’t use what they learned in high school calculus on a daily basis. It’s just one of those things.

You know what other subject I didn’t like in high school? English. (I went on to major in English in college, but that’s another story.) But you know what every single job and internship I’ve ever held required me to do?

Write.

How to Use Writing to Grow Your Creative Business by @theladyinread for SheOwnsIt.com / writing tips, freelance writing, grow your business, content marketing, blogging tips

Photo: The Ivorymix

Seriously. Even my “non-creative” jobs have required good writing skills. I’ve had to write emails, letters, memos, website copy, press releases, and other marketing materials. If you run your own creative business, then writing skills are essential. Even for something as simple yet powerful as an email.

The good news is that when it comes to running a business, you don’t have to write the same way you did in your freshman English class. In fact, academic writing is discouraged in the “real” world. Connecting with colleagues, clients, and potential customers requires approachability and clear communication. It doesn’t have to be difficult. It can even be kind of fun.

Content is powerful in almost any industry. If you run your own business, you have the authority to create and share your own content in multiple ways. All it takes is clear, effective communication.

And a little bit of writing.

Here are some useful ways to use writing to grow your creative business.

Start a blog. There’s a sea of blogs out there these days, so it’s very easy to get lost in the shuffle. That’s why strategic blogging is important. For instance, if you run a business designing wedding invitations, writing a blog about what you had for dinner isn’t going to be effective. But writing about your design process could be highly effective. When potential customers see the thought and creativity you put into your work, they’re more likely to connect with you as a designer. Plus, blogging can grow your platform and help you connect with other like-minded professionals. Community is important, especially if you spend each day working alone.

Start a newsletter. Starting a newsletter is easier than ever with services like MailChimp and ConvertKit, among others. Writing and sending weekly or monthly newsletters is an excellent way to connect with subscribers and offer useful content. Connecting with your potential customers will build their trust in you and the services you provide.

Write a book. This sounds daunting, I know. But it doesn’t have to be. I firmly believe writing a book, even a short e-book, benefits business owners in any industry. Having a book to your name positions you as an expert in your field. Plus, it gives your clients and customers a way to connect with you beyond your website or Twitter feed. A series of books could provide a stream of passive income. Or you could offer a free e-book to your email subscribers to grow your list. For example, I wrote an e-book about freelance writing and what I learned from experience after my first year. I offer it for free to my subscribers because I hope it’ll help them on their own writing journeys. Either way, be mindful and offer content that is helpful, inspiring, and clarifying for your customers. You are trustworthy, after all. You want your subscribers to realize that.

Contribute to websites within your industry. If you’re already comfortable with blogging and article writing, find out which major influencers within your industry accept guest blog posts and articles. Contributing to much larger websites is a great way to gain exposure and drive more traffic to your website. Plus, writing for blogs and websites you truly admire is fulfilling in its own way.

Use social media. If “content is king,” as they say, then social media must be queen. After all, you could spend hours writing blog posts or putting together a stunning e-book, but if you don’t promote, then what’s the point? Many people are uncomfortable with self-promotion, but that’s just part of being a business owner. When used strategically, social media can be an excellent self-promotion tool, but even Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram require writing skills. To connect with colleagues and potential customers you need to communicate clearly and professionally, sometimes in fewer than 140 characters. Here’s the good news: an effective Instagram caption or Tweet doesn’t require a thesis statement and five supporting paragraphs. All it takes is a useful, genuine message…and maybe a few strategic hashtags.

Growing an idea into a full-fledged business takes time. It rarely happens overnight, and it never happens without some trial and error along the way. But as a business owner, you’re in a great position, because you have the power to grow your business however you choose. If you want to start a blog, you can start a blog. If you want to write a book, you can write a book. The methods you choose are up to you. But no matter what you decide, writing will always be one of the best ways to boost your credibility, connect with others, and grow your business into something profitable and fulfilling.

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Meghan BlissMeghan Bliss is the owner and head writer at TheLadyinRead.com, a blog for women who read, write, and want to be read.

After almost four years in finance, Meghan quit her job to write full time. She spends her days blogging, writing novels, and trying to stay off of Pinterest. She also copyedits books, newsletters, manuals, and basically anything else you throw at her — including subtitles and restaurant menus. Her first novel will be released this year.

When she’s not writing or editing, you can find her reading, clumsily practicing the ukulele, or watching old sitcoms and superhero movies with her husband, cat, and baby-to-be.

And, as always, trying to find the perfect shade of red lipstick.

Connect with Meghan here: Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter | Linkedin

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10 Simple Makeover Tips for Your Blog or Small Business by @TheLadyinRead

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by Meghan Bliss | Featured Contributor 

I was only a few months into running my brand new freelance writing business before I began to feel the familiar sting of burnout. It’s not that I disliked what I was doing; I was just a little bored. A little over it, to be honest.

One afternoon I was casually browsing salary rates for other careers (you know, the ones that offer health insurance and pension plans) when I realized I didn’t need to change careers. I just needed to redefine my goals and my vision for my writing business — which is still the career I actually want.

If you feel disillusioned by your current career, even though it’s the career you want, try some of these strategies to help you get back on track.

10 Simple Makeover Tips for Your Blog or Small Business on SheOwnsIt.com | written by @theladyinread

One: Focus on your blog or website’s content, not on your followers. I know, I know. Ignoring your readers may sound harsh and even counter-productive. But that’s not what I mean. You should never ignore your followers, customers, or whatever audience your platform brings, but focusing on quantity over quality can be stressful. When I became more concerned with how many followers my blog had than what I was actually posting, I got discouraged and wondered what I was doing wrong. I published content that was neither clear nor true to my goals, simply because I wanted to gain more readers. It didn’t work. Then I realized my interests and experiences were valid, so when I focused on offering the specific help I could offer, I started making more genuine connections with readers who actually valued what I had to offer.

Two:  Choose a new name. Maybe your blog or business needs a new name or mission statement. For a blog, determine your main focus. It could be healthy living, social media marketing, or raising peacocks, for instance. If you run a business, clarify your goal. Maybe you want to offer ghostwriting services for tech startups or proofreading services for indie authors. Just start with your primary topic and brainstorm from there. Make a list of your top ideas and ask for input from relatives, friends, and colleagues until you find the name that fits you and your business.

Three: Clarify your brand. With your new name ready to go, decide if you need a branding update to match. Maybe a simpler logo, header, or business card. Consistency, too, will make your business look and feel more put-together.

Four: Upgrade your website. When I upgraded my blog by purchasing my own domain name, I was able to customize my site and install the features I needed to make it look more polished. It made me feel like my blog had changed out of sweatpants and into a classy wrap dress with pearls and suede boots. Don’t get me wrong; I was still writing my posts in sweats. I was just more comfortable sharing my site with others overall.

Five: Get rid of physical and digital clutter. Let’s face it: The Internet is saturated with clever ideas, helpful suggestions, product reviews, to-do lists, and creative ways to do just about anything. When we’re constantly taking all of this in, our minds become saturated, too. I started feeling overwhelmed because I tried just about everything (or wanted to, at least), but not everything worked for me. In fact, some things just made my life more complicated. So I weighed what was important versus what was just a hassle or a gimmick, and I got rid of what was not life-giving to me, my blog, or my business. I gave myself permission to reject anything that wasn’t right for me.

Six: Limit your social media intake. As someone who relies heavily on social media for my work as a blogger and author, I say this cautiously. I wonder how many hours we’ve spent as a society browsing through blogs, status updates, tweets, pins, and posts. But while social media is indispensable for connecting with clients and customers, it also breeds distraction, dissatisfaction, and unhealthy comparison if we’re not careful. If your business is struggling, try simplifying your social media intake by focusing on the two platforms that are most helpful for you.

Seven: Read a book about your profession. Okay, so maybe you’re sick of reading. Or maybe you haven’t had time to read since your last English final in high school. Here’s the thing: Reading books about your chosen profession will actually refresh you. If you commit to reading a chapter a day (or even a week), you’ll gain inspiration and new ideas for your own business. What’s more, it’ll remind you that you’re not alone.

Eight: Step away. Take a deep breath. Read a novel, play with the cat, go for a jog, make some tacos, or pour a fresh cup of coffee and call a friend. Just step away from the laptop and take a break.

Nine:  Learn a new skill. If you feel like your business has buckled your creativity, try exploring something new. Is there something you’ve been meaning to learn to implement into your own business? (I’ve been meaning to learn how to self-publish my own books.) Or you could do something completely unrelated to your business, like learning calligraphy, joining a community sports league, or learning how to play the ukulele (another goal of mine). Whatever you do, make sure it interests and refreshes you.

Ten: Realize it’s never too late to start over. If you tried something and it didn’t work, revise your idea and edit your approach until it does. Still not working? Maybe it’s not the right idea for you. On a personal note, I’ve prayed that the doors I shouldn’t walk through will shut so the right ones can open. That helps me step out with confidence, knowing my identity and security don’t depend on my material success.

10 Simple Makeover Tips for Your Blog or Small Business on SheOwnsIt.com | @theladyinread

It’s okay to burn out, and it’s okay to need a break. We’re only human, and we only have so many hours in each day. (Even Beyonce.) If you feel like you’d rather crawl back under the covers than write one more post or file one more invoice, then just stop, take a breath, and try something new. It’s amazing what a little makeover can do.

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Meghan BlissMeghan Bliss is the owner and head writer at TheLadyinRead.com, a blog for women who read, write, and want to be read.

After almost four years in finance, Meghan quit her job to write full time. She spends her days blogging, writing novels, and trying to stay off of Pinterest. She also copyedits books, newsletters, manuals, and basically anything else you throw at her — including subtitles and restaurant menus. Her first novel will be released this year.

When she’s not writing or editing, you can find her reading, clumsily practicing the ukulele, or watching old sitcoms and superhero movies with her husband, cat, and baby-to-be.

And, as always, trying to find the perfect shade of red lipstick.

Connect with Meghan here: Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter | Linkedin

4 Easy Steps to Stay Home and Get Paid to Write by @ecainwrites

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easy-steps-get-paid-write-feature

by Elna Cain | Featured Contributor 

Is your maternity leave ending soon?

Scrambling to find a daycare provider for your child before you head back to your old job?

For the many moms gearing up to go back to work, many are torn between wanting to stay home to take care of their children, and being forced to go back to work to pay the bills.

Before I had my twins, I was a teacher. But once they were born, my life changed. All I wanted was to be with them at all times. Call it being overprotective, but this was my first time being a mom and I knew nothing different.

So, I made the decision to stay home and be with them. I’ve always had this vision before I had children, but I never knew how I was going to go through with it.

How do I still contribute to the finances? Can I really work when I have twins and a house to take care of?

These questions and more were running through my mind leading up to my decision to start a freelance writing business.

If you are thinking about wanting to stay home, why not take a look at freelance writing?

Getting paid to write for online businesses, entrepreneurs, bloggers, and start-ups is very lucrative, and doesn’t take much time out of your day.

I freelance write part-time and make a full-time living from it. And if this Millennial mom to twins can do it, I know you can too.

Here are four easy steps to go from staying home with your children to working from home and having a successful writing business.

1. Find a Writing Niche

What’s your background? What are your hobbies?

When you start freelance writing, it’s a good idea to find a niche or two that you feel comfortable writing about.

You can draw from your past work experiences or from your interests and hobbies.

For me, when I first started I chose parenting and psychology. I couldn’t land any high paying writing jobs in the parenting niche and I couldn’t find many psychology-based writing jobs either.

It wasn’t until I learned about digital marketing that I saw a need for content. From there I learned about digital marketing, wrote about it and landed clients in that niche.

So while you can use your work experience or interests to start off, you may end up finding your ideal niche once you start freelance writing.

2. Start Building Your Portfolio

Prospective clients often view your writing work before making a decision to hire you.

So, when you first start, you’ll need to provide some samples of your writing when you start applying for freelance writing jobs.

There are many ways to create samples:

Use Your Blog

Do you have a personal blog? If you blog about topics in your niche, you can definitely use those pieces in your portfolio.

When I first started, I put up a blog and wrote a few posts to serve as samples. They don’t have to be long but they do have to show excellent writing that’s tailored for an online audience.

Share a Google Doc

If you don’t have a blog, you can easily draft up a sample in Google Docs and create a shareable link for your portfolio.

It’s easy to do and quick to write up. This is something I did before I put up my blog or website, although I didn’t use Google Docs; instead I made a PDF.

Having a live link versus a PDF is much better to show as a portfolio piece.

Use a Publishing Platform

Another quick way is to create a sample using LinkedIn’s Pulse. Their publishing platform is only open to LinkedIn members.

This is by far better than using your blog or a Google Doc since publishing here means it will be viewed and shared by many people.

pulse

Another option is to use Medium, a blogging platform. This also generates a live link for your portfolio and to be used when you write your pitch.

Guest Posting

The best proof that you are a legit writer is to have your writing on someone else’s site. And, guest posting allows you to do this easily.

If you visit a few blogs, you can contact the owner and ask if they accept guest posts. Other times, you might notice a “write for us” page in the menu of certain blogs.

write-for-us

If it’s in your niche, then contact them and ask if you can submit a guest post.

What’s great about guest posting is that you receive an author bio tagged at the end of your post.

This is where you can market your services and let prospects know who you are, what you write about, and how you can help them.

Here’s what one of my author bios looks like in a guest post:

author-bio

3. Have a Home Base

If you really want to succeed as someone who gets paid to write, then the best thing you can do is have a website for your freelance writing business.

This will be your writer website. You definitely can use your personal website to host your portfolio and advertise your services, but plan on setting up a professional looking website in the near future.

This is the place where you can tailor your writing for your ideal client. They could be bloggers, small businesses, startups, medical professionals, or entertainment gurus for example.

4. Start Pitching

Don’t expect clients to approach you once you have your Hire Me page up. You’re going to have to go out and find the clients at first.

But, where do you find good paying freelance writing jobs? The best place I found when I first started was on job boards.

I had success on these boards:

Another way you can source a job is by looking locally. Tell your friends and family that you want to start freelancing and see if they need help with editing their résumé or writing copy for a friend’s business flyer.

This not only gives you experience but you can add these projects to your portfolio.

If you want even more ways, you can check out my post on 20 different ways to find a freelance writing job.

Once you find potential writing gigs, the next thing to do is create and email your pitch. Your pitch is how you will convince the prospect you are the one for the job. Some tips:

  • Clearly explain what you provide, why you’re qualified, and how you can help.
  • Provide relative samples.
  • Don’t mention you’re new! If you’ve been blogging personally for years, turn that around and say you’ve been a professional blogger for over three years and that you know your way around the backend of WordPress.

Wrapping it Up

Freelance writing is perfect for stay-at-home moms. I’m able to write for my clients when my children are sleeping, and enjoy the day doing arts and crafts with them.

I’m Elna and I’m a freelance writer and coach. I help people become profitable freelance writers. Check out my free email course on Get Paid to Write Online and learn the steps you need to be a freelance writer.

 
Write Your Way to 1k

4 Solid Strategies to Boost Your Freelance Writing Career by @ecainwrites

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4 Solid Strategies to Boost Your Freelance Writing Career

by Elna Cain | Featured Contributor 

Are you a freelance writer?

Been at this for a while and not seeing progress?

Maybe you tried pitching here and there with no luck. Or worse, you signed up to a freelance marketplace and found out prospects aren’t willing to pay more than $20 for content.

You’re probably thinking this isn’t a viable career choice, and you’re just going to go back to AdSense or sponsored posts while you continue going to the day job you despise.

Well, being a freelance writer is a perfect choice for bloggers, aspiring writers, stay-at-home parents and those who hate their 9-5 job.

I was able to replace my full-time income as a teacher by only working part-time hours as a freelance writer. I’m a work-at-mom with twin toddlers, and if I’m able to make it as a successful freelance writer, I know you can too.

If you’re struggling to land a high-paying clients or land recurring work, here are four proven strategies to help you succeed.

1. Constantly Refine Your Writing

refine-writingIf you want to get paid to write, then it’s a bit obvious you should know how to write!

But, this doesn’t mean you need a journalism background to be a freelance writer. You can be a profitable freelance writer even if you’re an average writer. The key to being a success is to have the desire to improve your writing over time.

This means learning how to write for an online audience. Instead of writing big blocks of paragraphs – as you would in school – online writing favors shorter paragraphs and even the notable one-sentence paragraph.

It also means having the desire to learn new types of writing like copywriting. If you can inject some persuasive writing elements into your blog posts or client pieces, you’ll become a better writer and have no shortage of work coming to you.

2. Blog Consistently

blog-consistentlyDo you have a blog? Or worse yet, do you have a blog that hasn’t been updated since your child started walking over four months ago?

I strongly believe every freelance writer should have a blog. Whether it’s a personal blog, a professional blog, or a blog on the niche they want to get paid for, if you’re a writer, have a blog!

Because you know what? Clients and prospects look at your blog, and this can be a deciding factor whether or not they want to hire you.

If you provide fresh and consistent content – and have some form of engagement and social shares – clients will be more likely to take an interest in your services.

So, do your business some good and get back to a consistent blogging schedule. Provide high-value, targeted content for your audience and wow prospects that land on your site.

3. Have a Pitching Process

pitching-processWant to know a secret? The truly successful freelance writers rarely need to spend time pitching. This is because prospects contact them for their content needs. They actually end up turning down work due to lack of time!

But these freelance writers didn’t start off like that. They had to hustle and pitch daily. And that means you should too.

Have a pitching process that you can stick to on a weekly basis. This means:

  • Set a goal of how many pitches you want to send out in a day. For example, try to send out at three pitches a day.
  • Check the job boards – like Problogger – at night and in the morning for the best chance of landing a gig.
  • Constantly review your pitch. If it’s not converting the way you want it to, then change it. Include different samples, or work on using power words to convey your expert knowledge.
  • Keep track of your pitches. Make a Google sheet or Excel sheet and keep track of the job boards on where you found the pitch, the company or blogger you pitched to and when you sent your pitch. This helps when it’s time to circle back and revisit unresponsive emails you sent.

4. Invest In Your Business

invest-businessLet’s be real here.

Freelance writing is a business, and you’re not just a writer; you’re a businessperson. And the best thing you can do for your burgeoning freelance writing career is to invest in it.

Invest in a freelance writing course to help you be that A-list sought after writer you know you are. Learn the skills and tools you need to profit from your writing.

Because it all boils down to making an impact with your writing. And if you can do that for your clients, you’ll have no problem landing consistent work.

Wrapping it Up

The demand for freelance writing is huge. More and more businesses are coming online every day. They all eventually come to realize they need content – quality content. You can fulfill that need.

But, you may have a difficult time from the start. Instead of making mistakes and feeling discouraged, improve your writing and practice writing every day on your blog.

And to really see an improvement, develop a solid pitching process and invest in a freelance writing course to give your business that extra attention.

Over to you – what’s stopping you from being a successful freelance writer?

I’m Elna and I’m a freelance writer and coach. I help people become profitable freelance writers. Check out my free email course on Get Paid to Write Online and learn the steps you need to be a freelance writer.

 
Write Your Way to 1k