Hello there, dreamer. Maybe it’s those quiet moments when you are at peace with yourself. Eyes closed. Deep breaths in. Everything relaxed. And you dream. Dream of things that bring you joy, fill your soul, feed your spirit. And in that moment.. you know.. you just KNOW you were designed for this.
This life. Following your heart. Living your dreams. Crafting your business and life. But maybe you’re not quite sure how to get from here to there. Maybe you’re asking yourself, “Should I start a blog?” You might be a brand new blogger. Or maybe you’ve dabbled a bit but can’t see a path forward.
I’ve done it all. Before launching my online business, Crochet 365 Knit Too, I dabbled in several other online endeavors. Made plenty of mistakes. Picked myself back up, brushed myself off and tried again. I learned. A lot. Here are all the truths I wish I could tell myself at the beginning.. if only I could travel back in time.
Should I Start A Blog?
Starting a blog is a low risk undertaking with the potential for high rewards. But it’s not for everyone and sometimes the benefits are not exactly what you think. These are my top 10 reasons I should have started sooner.
1. You Can Control Your Income
If you’re asking, ‘‘, you likely want to know about income. Is it possible to build a ? A that maybe replaces your day job income? Glad you asked!
A year ago I was working a great job as an accountant for a school district. I loved my job. My coworkers were great, the work was interesting and I was moving up the pay scale. When I started Crochet 365 Knit Too, I did it on the side, while working a full time job. As it grew, I learned more about , advertising and . When I worked a little harder on my , it made money. So I wrote more blog articles, worked a little bit more and it made a lot more.
When I realized my side gig was making as much as my “real job”, I put in my notice and haven’t looked back since. In a year, I doubled my income. And I’m on track to double it again this year.
As a , you decide when you want to work. You decide how MUCH you want to work. And you get rewarded for your effort. The more you work.. the more money you can make.
2. You Can Pursue Your Passion
The world is a great big beautiful place. If you are passionate about a hobby or interest, odds are there are others who are passionate about it too. Your mission is to attract those people to your little corner of the internet to share your joy. This means you can take something you’re passionate about–either an idea or a hobby–and you can create an entire business around that passion. And you can focus on aspects that speak to your soul. Maybe a Youtube channel or a lifestyle blog speaks to you. Or maybe you want to hone in on your writing style, writing blog posts that share your vision with the world.
I know it sounds like a cliche, but work doesn’t feel like work when you love what you do. Should I start a blog to pursue a passion? Of course!
An online business can also enable you to pursue your OTHER life passions. Love to travel? No problem. No need to ask someone for time off or figure out how you’re going to juggle your work load. You call the shots. Take as much time off as you like. Maybe you check in on your business on your laptop and wifi. Or maybe you can ignore it for a bit because your business is running on autopilot! They call this type of income “passive income”, by the way.. and it’s pretty amazing!
All those hobbies and activities you always wanted to try? They are at your fingertips when you control your income and your time!
3. You Can Design Your Days
Should I start a blog JUST to have a flexible schedule? A lot of people think this might be the best perk of all! I decide when I work and how long I want to work. If I wake up at 5 am and feel like writing a newsletter, I make myself some coffee and hit the office in my slippers. My slippers.. sigh.. I pretty much live in my slippers these days, if I’m going to be 100% honest.
I set daily goals and when I meet them, I stop. Or maybe I stop anyway, because I feel like it. I both set the rules and break the rules. And it’s all good.
And I can’t even say enough about all the little joys in life I can do now that I work for myself. I wake up when I feel like it, rested and refreshed. Midway through the morning, I take a break to walk our dogs on our property and chat with my husband. Lunch is a leisurely affair. I take as long as I want to prep my food and eat. No rushing through lunch to get back to the office to sit in long, sleepy afternoon meetings.
At the moment, my pup is stretched out on his back, asleep next to my chair. Precious moments can’t be purchased. And I get those moments more often now. Time with my family. Time with myself. Quiet, peaceful moments. Or purposely adventurous ones. All wonderful.
4. You Can Face and Overcome Challenges
A successful blog isn’t all sunshine and roses. It’s also about trying new things that sometimes don’t pan out as expected. Here are some of the challenges I’ve faced on my blogging journey
- My very first sites failed (because I didn’t know how to make them thrive)
- I created products that no one wanted
- I sold a low cost physical product and hated it
- I spent thousands on things that didn’t work
- I almost didn’t do my 2 top revenue streams because I believed they wouldn’t work
- I let a lot of things slide in life to get my business off the ground
There definitely have been some highs and lows on the road to a 6 figure plus income. And there are still challenges all the time. The difference is that I can now take a step back, carefully look at all the pieces of the puzzle, then execute a plan. When it all comes together, I feel victorious!
5. You Will Learn New Things
When we stop learning, we stop growing, I always say. There are always new skills to learn, especially when you start a new blog. I am constantly learning new things, new ways of doing the old things and new ideas for new things. Opening my mind to learning new things has helped me cope in real life too because I’ve reframed how I think about things. Obstacles no longer need to be road blocks. I just pause. Come up with a solution. And proceed forward. Blogging has given me that confidence in myself.
I’ve also learned other unexpected things about myself. 15 Years ago, I dreamed of being a writer. I bought ‘how to’ books. And then I sent my family outside of the house, because I was SURE that the reason I couldn’t write a thing was because it wasn’t quiet enough. But none of that helped. Nothing came out of the keyboard to the screen. Eventually I gave up that dream and accepted that maybe it wasn’t meant to be.
When I started writing blog posts and newsletters, I found my inner voice, my writing style. At first it felt all awkward and rusty, like when you first wake up in the morning and things don’t come out of your mouth properly. But as I wrote and shared little pieces of myself in blog posts and in emails with my readers, it’s like something woke up inside me.
Writing gives me a lot of joy and brings joy to others too. My readers often tell me mine is the first email they read in their inbox and say I should really think about writing a book. But for now, my newsletters and blog posts are just enough. It fills me up without being too much. A blessing indeed.
If you’re a blogger looking to grow an email list, be sure to get the nitty gritty details on growing an email list here.
6. Blogging Makes You A Better Person
Publishing your thoughts and feelings to a big unknown world can be scary. And, sure, you will have a few negative people who say something that hurts your feelings. But 99% of the people will love you for it. They will thank you and tell you how you brought them joy, a smile, a laugh.
But both the positive and negative feedback helps make you a better person. The negative makes you realize that you never will please everyone and that it’s ok that they ‘are not your people’. Focusing on the 99% you connect with, who ARE your people is so much more fulfilling. They speak the good truth about you that you always knew was deep inside. Those kind words fill you and empower you to push yourself farther than you ever thought possible.
This translates to real life too. Realizing that not everyone will like or agree with you, that you can move on and say ‘no’ to things that are not filling you up. It gives you confidence to make the right life decisions that are best for you and your family. A very good skill indeed.
7. You Can Make A Difference and Inspire Others
While you’re putting your goodness into the world, you are making the lives of your readers better. They come to you for a solution.. maybe it’s an answer to a troubling problem or perhaps it’s a a small thing that improves their lives in some way. Or maybe you’re like me.. offering a fun crochet project to bring them joy.
Sometimes it’s just your words that touches someone to their soul. I get emails from readers all over the world who tell me they feel like they are sitting on my front porch, drinking coffee, chatting about this or that. It’s completely amazing to be connected to someone you’ve never met, halfway across the world, and feeling like that small little thing you said, made or did has changed their lives in some way. It’s powerful.
8. Blogging Creates Opportunities
There are endless ways that your blogging journey can bring you other opportunities. Maybe you meet some amazing new friends in the blogging community and you help each other achieve mutual goals. You might even use your online business to grow your personal brand to other areas of your life. Some bloggers have brick and mortar stores and leverage their online presence into more “real life” business.
It also creates opportunities for MORE online endeavors. Your blog can be a gateway to a business relationship with a big brand or business, leading to a mutually beneficial partnership. Or perhaps you might start other online projects and businesses and funnel your existing audience into new profitable arenas.
9. You Can Be Your Own Boss
Should I start a blog to be my own boss? Overall, my boss is THE BEST. She lets me have flexible hours. Time off to play with my dogs. No set hours. But she also has been known to give me the afternoon off, purposely to clean the house–and really, what fun is that?
All kidding aside, being your own boss is pretty amazing most of the time. But there are a few downsides. You ARE responsible for your own paycheck and there are risks involved. There are many bloggers who never make it past “hobby blogging” to actually make real money.
You are responsible for working hard to make it happen. That’s a heavy thought sometimes. But when it comes together, financial freedom and the ability to structure your life exactly as you want is the big payday! Definitely a perk of being your own boss!
10. You Can Start A Blog For Very Little Cash
There are not a lot of businesses you can start with minimal cost. This might be what I love best about blogging. You don’t need a college degree or to invest your life savings. It makes it really easy to see if it’s for you.. It is really important, however, to take a few correct steps in the beginning.
For instance, when I started I was super confused over free WordPress sites vs the low cost self hosted WordPress sites. I’m so glad I went the self hosted route vs a free blog. Even though a free blogging platform, SOUNDS amazing, if you want to ultimately get paid for your work, most people need to start with a low cost self hosted WordPress platform instead.
Free platforms give you no control over the content, they look very unprofessional and they have limits in place to prevent you from fully monetizing them. Saving a few bucks at the start is definitely NOT worth the headache later. A self hosted WordPress blog sets you up for success from the start. That’s why all my sites are self hosted WordPress sites and I recommend them to everyone.
How Can I Get Started?
I like to think that I’ve made all the mistakes so YOU don’t have to! If you are ready to get on your way → Here’s How To Get Started Step by Step. Be sure to check out my favorite tools and resources for bloggers too. Its a treasure trove of information!
I can’t wait to see what you create!
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