This is a contributor’s blogpost …
If you’re the creative type, chances are you’re already a keen blogger. There are few things more rewarding than having your content seen by others, the comments, meeting likeminded people and developing new skills. But blogging can be so much more than a hobby. Turn it into a business and you could turn something you love into a full-time career. If you’ve already been blogging for a while, and have a good readership, here’s how you can take the leap into becoming a full-time blogger.
Photo Courtesy of Pixabay via Pexels
Have it Professionally Designed
One of your biggest sources of income as a blogger is through sponsorships. Here you will either write a post containing a link to the client, who often pays well for this privilege. Alternatively, they may ask you to publish a guest post which has already been written or install a banner ad in the sidebar of your blog. While affiliate links and Google Adsense will contribute towards your earnings as a blogger, sponsors are the main one. So to interest them, one thing you can do is get your site looking its best. They are far more likely to choose a nicely designed, easy to read and professional looking blog over one that looks messy and chaotic. Investing in a professional blog design is money well spent, it makes your blog stand out and look presentable and tick all of the boxes that sponsors are looking for.
Secure a Decent Domain Name
Another thing many sponsors will be looking for is a blog with their own domain name. When you sign up to a free blogging service like Blogger or WordPress, your blog name will be followed with ‘.blogspot.com’ or ‘.wordpress.com.’ You can easily ditch these and have a professional .com/ .co.uk/ .net or other domain of your choice. If you use a service like Godaddy, it only costs a few dollars a year but is worth it since you won’t be missing out on sponsors who require a custom domain.
Set Up a Home Office
If you’re planning on becoming a full-time blogger, you need to take it as seriously as you would any other job. Therefore having a proper space to work from is essential. You will need a properly kitted out home office with a good desk and equipment. A fast computer is also necessary, and you may also need equipment such as a DSLR camera to take high quality, original photos. If the cost of getting set up is too much for you to afford outright, you could look into business loans from places like Swift Financial. That way you have everything you need to get right down to work and make a proper go of things.
Register as a Business and for Taxes
Once you start earning money from your blog (even just a little), you will need to notify the relevant tax authorities in your country. It’s not difficult to do but very important, even if you’re earning below the threshold for paying tax they will still want to know about it. You will also need to register as a business. In the UK it will be the HMRC, in the US, the IRS. Find out which authorities you need to report to and ensure it’s all set up correctly.
