Show me the money! That is a famous line from a movie and while you may not be screaming that every time you write a blog post you may be wondering how to monetize your blog, right? Your blog is your company’s 24/7/365 calling card. It is where you share your expertise and your insight. It is the place you direct potential clients so they can see who you are and “hear” your tone.
Your blog also feeds new content to your website and that makes Google think you’re continually adding new content and that’s a great thing.
How To Monetize Your Blog
Here are a few ways you may be able to earn a little bit of money (in some cases, quite a bit of money) from your blog and that will help with the effort and time and, yes, money you put into it.
Affiliate marketing. You can be an Amazon affiliate and if you mention products in your blog post you can link to Amazon and potentially earn affiliate money. You could also partner with a business or a product or service provider who offers affiliate programs if you sell their programs or services.
You can sell advertising space on your site. Be aware that you will need to show a potential advertiser that you have the traffic to warrant their wanting to buy space on your site. Another way to sell ad space is to place ads on your site for products you endorse and you may earn a percentage of sales made when someone clicks on the ad on your site.
Write and sell ebooks. If you have an area of expertise that lends itself to books, write a few. Hire a ghostwriter to write them for you. The books don’t need to be long, short ebooks are popular. Ask us for information if you need a ghostwriter.
If you have a business model that lends itself to a membership site, sell paid membership plans. When you do this, you will need to offer the members perks they can’t get elsewhere, classes, downloads, online sessions with you, etc.
Write a sponsored blog post. Sometimes you may be approached by a brand who will pay you to write have one of their blog posts on your site. This is ideal if you agree with their product or service and their brand. For example if you write a vegetarian living blog, you won’t want to agree to a guest post on the merits of eating beef.
Have you ever looked into ways to make your blog “pay”? If so, how did it work out? What were your challenges? If you’re still searching for inspiration, reach out. We can help!
Some people who are always late will laugh it off and say it’s just a personality quirk or that “they’d be late to their own funeral.” Why are you late? That is something you need to look at and explore within yourself. It’s not a quirk, it’s not something that others find amusing — it is in fact a rude way in which to interact.
Whether you’re going to a family event or a work meeting or even showing up at work, are you late more often than not? Let’s kick off 2020 with a plan to stop your tardy ways and be more on time.
Being punctual is something about which many people pride themselves. Being late is not something they would ever do. Yes, there are times when you just can’t avoid being late — there is an accident, or a fire or something beyond your control. More often than not, though, if you leave early you will arrive on time. If you know it will take thirty minutes to arrive somewhere — don’t leave at the thirty minute mark. Leave forty-five minutes before your appointment. Give yourself a cushion. Respect the time of others — that is the main point of this conversation.
Why are you late?
Does time truly get away from you?
Do you forget to write appointments down in your virtual or paper calendar?
Do you need to set a timer or alarm in order to get yourself to meetings on time?
Do you have an assistant who could be called upon to remind you of pending meetings and to get you out the door in time?
Do you honestly not want to be where you are supposed to? Look into your own procrastination for answers
Why Are You Late?
In the past being late was relegated to “artistic types” or “creatives” and that no longer flies. Regardless of your vocation or avocation, being punctual is respecting the time of others.
Here are tips you can implement into your life to assure you’re on time:
Timers matter. It is easy to get so lost in a task that you honestly forget the time. To help prevent that from happening, set a timer thirty minutes before you need to leave. This will give you time to wrap up what you’re doing, visit the restroom, gather your stuff and leave on time.
Plan your tasks accordingly. If you know you have a meeting soon, don’t get involved in a time-consuming task.
Build in buffers. If you have calls that are scheduled for thirty minutes add a buffer before you have your next appointment. This will help you not feel rushed, help the person with whom you’re on the phone not feel rushed or short changed, and if you have additional time because of your buffer, get up and take a walk! Treat yourself.
If you simply can’t, or won’t set a timer, ask someone to give you a reminder. As an adult, you should be able to set your own timer, but if you know you’ll ignore it, then ask for help.
Take time to really do some soul searching on why you’re late. Are you late to everything or to specific things (like the dentist or a meeting with a client with whom you’re not engaged?) If you know what you’re late for then you can find reasons for your tardiness then address it.
Do you struggle with time management or productivity or getting to appointments on time? If so, drop us a message and let’s get you accountable!
Your office surroundings have a lot to do with your state of mind as well as your productivity. This is the same whether you work in an office, a cube or your home office. We have some tips on how to kick off 2020 more productively by starting with your office setting.
We know there are those individuals who will say they can work in a mess because they know where everything is. That simply isn’t true. When you’re working in a chaotic environment — even if you can find everything — you’re still adding to your stress and that can unwittingly decrease your productivity.
Here are some ways to boost productivity by starting with your office.
Add foilage. Whether you’re adding live plants, air plants or artificial plants, greenery enhances your mood and just makes you feel better. Adding plant life gives you a break from staring at the office walls or computer screen and if you concentrate on the plant you just might feel yourself relax.
Get rid of the clutter. This goes for your physical as well as your virtual desktop. Set up filing systems. Put stuff in drawers or folders. Keep out what you need to use regularly. Put items away that are used infrequently. Don’t let clutter roll around the desk because it’s distracting.
Lighting matters. You don’t have to replace the ceiling lights to enhance the lighting in your space, but add a table or desk lamp to brighten up the work space.
How inspired are you by your office decor? If you have any say in the matter, update and upgrade the decor. Add a coat of paint or hang photos. Add a few personal items or motivational quotes.
How is the flooring in your office? If you’re working on hardwood floors or linoleum and the floors are cold or loud or dark, install new flooring or at least add a few throw rugs to dampen the sound and brighten up the space. If you already have carpet that is worn and dingy, add throw rugs or a mat to help your chair roll easier.
Take some time before the new year gets too far into its cycle and give your office a once over and see if it’s helping, or hindering, your productivity.
Burnout. It is real, but it can also be an excuse entrepreneurs tell themselves they are suffering from when they really have just lost their passion (momentarily) for their business. How to reignite your business passion is something we talk with our clients about quite regularly.
It is easy to be excited when you have an amazing business idea. It is also easy to feel as though you’re pushing a rock up a steep hill when you’re in the midst of making that business a success. All of a sudden that “thing” you loved is now your “job.” Your passion project has grown wings and will be the driving force in your entrepreneurial endeavor. That is a lot of pressure to put on something you love, right?
How To Reignite Your Business Passion
We have come up with five ways you can use to reignite your passion for the business idea you’re pursuing and making a living from.
You’re the expert. Whether you’re making widgets or crocheting blankets, you have taken the first steps in turning that passion — your unique expertise — into a business. Shout it from the rooftops that you are the expert. If you don’t believe it, potential clients won’t either.
Take a break. If your business is crocheting or dog grooming or whatever was once a hobby and is now a business, take a break from it. Do something completely different. You may just come back refreshed and renewed.
Just because you’re passionate about something doesn’t mean you have to make a living at it, right? If you love to crochet blankets, sell them at local craft fairs, set up an etsy store, give them away to the homeless — no one says that just because it’s your expertise that you HAVE to turn it into a business.
If you’re currently an employee who wants to break out and become an entrepreneur, is there anything about your current job that you enjoy? Can that translate into a passion project that might set you on the path toward being an entrepreneur?
Maybe you just need a career change. Your passions can change and rather than trying to force yourself to become passionate about it again, admit that you want to go in another direction. Perhaps you have reached the end of your creativity with a certain project. Maybe you have uncovered something else you are more passionate about — go for it!
Life is too short to be stuck in a rut or be doing something that kills your soul. Perhaps you need a vacation or perhaps you need a business coach or an accountability group who can help you uncover the reasons why your passion has changed. Don’t close the door to a new opportunity if that is the path you are facing.
Are you still passionate about your business? Has it evolved since you started it? Leave us a message.
Being an entrepreneur can be stressful. Holidays can also be stressful. We have tips on how to ease holiday stress and entrepreneurs need to read these and implement them. Remember, if you own a business you are responsible for everything and every dollar that comes in and goes out — you need to stay healthy and in top shape.
If we’re honest with ourselves, the holidays are stressful without tossing being a business owner into the mix, right? It should be a time of friends, family and frivolity but it isn’t usually and we miss out. Don’t miss out this holiday season — on business or on your personal life.
For many entrepreneurs you have your business to run, family events to attend, shopping, end-of-year tasks that are sometimes more time consuming and draining than other tasks and then you probably have customer-centric events to host or attend. Whew!
How To Ease Holiday Stress
You can’t avoid stress, but you can address it and alleviate it. Here are our tips:
Have a plan. Being spontaneous may be your usual M.O. but with so much more being on your plate during the holidays, take time to plan your days and your weeks. Also, plan for downtime and personal time.
Don’t be among the 54% of all entrepreneurs who say they are extremely stressed during the holidays. If you’re feeling pulled into too many directions, prioritize where you truly need to be and go. Take a step back and just say “no.”
Take time for yourself. In order to keep your business viable you need to be resilient and healthy. Unplug. Set an away message for your email and only check it a couple times a day. Turn off your phone when you’re eating dinner with your family or attending a holiday party.
Don’t completely shutter the doors and tell yourself, “No one truly works this time of year.” Well, we bet your competition is working– they may be working fewer hours, but they’re still working.
Start the year strong. If you let yourself do nothing in December or in these last couple weeks of the year you will begin the year feeling you’re behind and that is no way to kick off 2020.
What will you do to practice self-care this holiday season? We would love to know. Drop us a line in the comments below. If you’re struggling with stress, business planning and not reaching your goals, contact us. We can help.
