Self-employment Support?

[fidgiegirl]

Oh hey! And I started a gluten free blog that I hope to develop into something bigger with affiliate links and local ads as well as web ads. I think I will buy a similar domain name for Door County, WI, too - hardly any info out there for that area - I'm sure there are tourists who go there who would read and appreciate the info.

[puglogic]

Kelli, way to go! If you haven't gotten The $100 Startup out of the library yet, it might be worth a read. There are at least a couple of examples in there of teaching-related microbusinesses (one is for a music teacher, I forget the other) that sound like they really took off. Plus, I found all the case studies inspirational (as in "inspiring my own ideas" ) I'm also part of this community, which is a pretty neat bunch of people who are cobbling together different interests into income, or just to be a bigger part of life: http://puttylike.com

[fidgiegirl]

Thanks, pug! Will check it out!

[fidgiegirl]

I have gotten the $100 Startup just today, and am excited to really dig in. Looks great - boils down the essence of concepts like the business plan to a useful template, not just the pages and pages of how-can-I-know-yet details that every other proposed one contains. And so I like it, what I've skimmed so far!

My hubby and I are also going to write an eBook. Gotta put it out there! Gotta "speak" it, so they say, to realize the goal.

[fidgiegirl]

I've read about a third of the book so far, so it's a quick read. At first I was eating it up but by the time I put it down I was feeling a little, not sure, maybe disheartened? Not sure where that came from. But anyway, I'm still excited by the practical advice and been there-done that stories the author presents.

Also, unlike other books where they recommend just taking the plunge, he offers up stories of people who continue in their day jobs and supplement with a side income. That's where I see this going for right now. Not so sure I can think bigger than that at this point! Man, uncertainty is really rearing its ugly head tonight!

[try2bfrugal]

Also, unlike other books where they recommend just taking the plunge, he offers up stories of people who continue in their day jobs and supplement with a side income. That's where I see this going for right now. Not so sure I can think bigger than that at this point! Man, uncertainty is really rearing its ugly head tonight!

Good luck Kelli and just hang in there through the uncertainty. Think about it this way....If you make a page of content a day and each page makes just 10 cents a day, at the end of a year you will be making over 13K a year (365 pages of content X 10 cents a day X 365 days in a year). If it doesn't work out you can always start over with another topic or look for new ways to market your existing sites.

[fidgiegirl]

Thanks, try2bfrugal!!

[puglogic]

Keep your head up, Kelli. There are all kinds of things to try -- there is no one right way, and no magic bullet. But you can explore different things until you find the one that does what you want it to do. Starting with a side business is a great thing....you can grow it as you wish.

Are you thinking of an online business or a in-person business? Passive, or active?

[fidgiegirl]

Hi all! Coming back around to this thread, which has been so full of great ideas and inspiration.

I have been exploring the Puttylike site more deeply and read a sample chapter of Emilie's book, Renaissance Business. I am definitely a scanner/multipotentialite, and I very much liked what she had to say, but $49.99 is steep for an eBook. I am surprised she's priced it that way. Even for $19.99 or $24.99 I might go for it, but $49.99 . . . has anyone read it?

From the sample chapter, I did get a good idea which is for someone who has diverse (sometimes wildly diverse) interests, it's good to choose an overarching theme for a business rather than a narrow focus. So my gluten free blog? I lost interest (unsurprisingly) in relatively short order. Same with another blog I started. But with an overarching focus, one can go in many directions and still "fit" into the business. So I might be doing some soul-searching about what that overarching focus could be, and right now I'm thinking it might have something to do with learning. The first blog I started, actually, about being frugal and green, might be broad enough, but I have to commit to doing at least SOMETHING with it.

I also liked the idea of an accountability group (did he call it "mastermind group?") from Zero Hour Workweek. Basically it is a few people who agree to get together and keep each other on the straight and narrow, doing high leverage activities like creating (as he says, "not checking e-mail or blog stats all day".) I am still very interested in the topics of my first two blogs I started up, but I don't populate them. I could have TONS to put on either of them, but I don't - I mean, look at how much I post here, and about 90% of it is about being frugal and green. Tons of possibilities. Perhaps something like this - even if I got my DH started posting! - could make a difference.

And the one that I can't quite get my head around how this idea works yet . . . in Zero Hour Workweek, he says that monetizing blogs as THE way to make money is the biggest mistake most bloggers make. That it's in publishing excellent, authentic and WANTED content, which leads to other moneymakers like eBooks and ____? Like I said, not quite understanding it. But I can see where to make a decent amount of money from ads is quite difficult.

Lots to mull over.

I do feel reassured by something else in Emilie's book: building a business takes time. And effort. (I'm not really putting in the effort, to be honest. So no wonder nothing has happened). Other books, like Making a Living Without a Job (which don't get me wrong, I LOVE) propose just DOING IT . . . quitting your day job and going for it. Not gonna happen in this house. So I guess it was good to read, ok, it's alright to take some time doing it . . . but DO IT.

How's it going for others? It's been a while since much action on this thread . . . do we have some new business ventures? Or lessons learned? I really appreciate all the expertise that's flowed on the thread so far. Happy new year, all!

[SteveinMN]

And the one that I can't quite get my head around how this idea works yet . . . in Zero Hour Workweek, he says that monetizing blogs as THE way to make money is the biggest mistake most bloggers make. That it's in publishing excellent, authentic and WANTED content, which leads to other moneymakers like eBooks and ____? Like I said, not quite understanding it. But I can see where to make a decent amount of money from ads is quite difficult.

I'll admit to not having read the book, but I think lots of bloggers try to monetize their blogs as soon as possible -- and forget why people would want to come back, which is compelling content with a high level of experience/expertise in a unique area, or at least a unique perspective on a more common topic.

I look at a lot of blogs for the sake of information and enjoyment, and many of them either are rehashes of information that exists elsewhere or meta-indexes connecting to Amazon or eBay. If I wanted that kind of thing, I'd go to Amazon or eBay. I won't be back to that blog. Then there are the fake blogs set up to attract link love from search engines and not provide much useful information (http://www.cheapestblueuprightvacuums.com and the like) but lots of links and ads.

But a good blog will provide information and attract people who want that information -- who then will feed the blog and, sometimes, even be the major content providers as the blogger provides a framework or jumping-off point for discussion. Then the blogger becomes recognized for whatever the blog specializes in and becomes a subject-matter expert and ... can write articles or (e)books, give public speeches, make public appearances, etc. It's not a path everyone will be able to achieve, but I don't think it can happen with just mediocre content.