I can’t wait to tell you about my past two weeks . . . working from Ecuador and living the dream … the travel life of a blogger. It was awesome! I got to spend the entire time with my son, Hunter, who is living his dream. Working from Ecuador and surfing before, during and after work.
But in the meantime . . .
Let’s talk about doing what you love as a blogger. In the early days of running my homeschool blog, it felt more like an enjoyable hobby.
Can you relate?
Eventually, I needed to follow best practices for online businessesand get serious. Today, I’m offering four small profitable business ideas to turn your hobby into a business with the potential of earning six figures.
These four steps can determine if you’re treating your business as a hobby and how you need to make some changes in order to grow. Even if you’ve had your biz for many years, there’s always room for improvement.
For me, I’m working on Step #1, as I build better systems in my business. Read through each of them and let me know which step you’re working on this week.
Step #1: Organization & Systems
When treating your new business like a hobby, you’re likely to become increasingly disorganized. This is manageable if you only have a few customers, but you’ll quickly find yourself spending time trying to get all of your paperwork in order.
To make your blog into a business, you’ll need to develop systems, which is the first small profitable business idea.
These systems include ways to manage your bills, receipts and other paperwork in a centralized location. Fortunately, digital programs make it easier to do so, but it’s best to start getting organized as soon as possible. Even if your online business is young, you still need to deal with taxes and other expenses. For that reason, I recommend using an organization system to streamline the process.
Step #2: Setting a Schedule
Running an online business means unexpected events will pop up on occasion. For that reason, be sure to balance flexibility with your schedule. One of the the most important small profitable business ideas is setting and keeping a schedule as much as possible. Even if you’re working at home, all by yourself. Or working at home with your kids bouncing in and out of the room.
Make sure to budget time each day for handling your blog, marketing, bookkeeping, and networking. Yep, even with an online business, you need to network. But, that’s another post in and of itself.
Make sure to turn your schedule into a habit.
Again, you may need to improvise on occasion, but setting a schedule and sticking with it ensures you’re able to operate in a professional manner and deliver appropriate services.
It’s also worth tracking your time early in the process. I recommend using Toggl, which I’m using right now as I write this blog post. It helps me manage my time. If a particular task takes up an inordinate amount of your time, outsourcing it can help you spend your time more effectively.
Step #3: Communication and Advertising
As you transition from the hobby to business phase, you need to set up more formal lines of communication which can help tremendously. Make sure to have a dedicated email address and keep it separate from your personal inbox.
Be sure that your website shows your dedication to your business; it’s cheaper and easier than you imagine. At first, you can let people know about your new business through individual emails or social posts.
However, you’ll eventually need to find other ways to advertise your blog. Reaching out to your audience through online and offline advertising is essential to grow your businesses and generate sustained income.
Wondering how? No problem. Discover how to get more followers on Facebook right here.
Step #4: Separate Work & Business Life
Making the move from hobby to business entails taking steps to ensure your business life and personal life don’t mingle too much. Bringing your work home (or into the living room across the hall) with you can make it difficult to unwind and relax. It also makes family life more challenging.
If your business generates enough revenue, a great option is to rent office space, even if it’s in a co-working environment.
Otherwise, set up a dedicated home office to ensure you’re able to mentally separate yourself from your business. Taking a break from work ensures you’re able to be at your best while focusing on your business tasks.
I remember Steve closing the door to our home office and turning off his work-mode. Mentally, it was time for him to spend time with our family when he closed the office door.
Work Smarter, Not Harder
Just adding more hours of work each week will not ensure a successful blog or online business. Following these 4 steps with small profitable business ideas will help you start in the right direction.
In review . . .
- Get Organized – Set up systems
- Follow a Schedule
- Use Communication & Advertising to Grow Your Business
- Separate Work from Family
As I told you in the beginning, I’m working on Step #1 . . . Building better systems in my biz to make more profit each and every week.
Which of these 4 steps will you work on this week? Leave a comment below and let me know. I’m here to help YOU.
