Should I be a blogger or just go out and get a job?

I’ve  started a blog but it’s not making any money just yet. I know it’s going to take some time to turn my blog into a business but I’m a single parent so I don’t have a partner to help pay the bills cover the bills.  Everyone I know says I should just go out and get a job.

So how should I work on building my blog and keep a roof over my head at the same time?  Should I get a job? My big worry is that I won’t have the time and energy to do everything and that my online business will suffer.  What should I do?

When friends and family are worried about your finances the first thing they will recommend is that you get a job. This may be the right choice – only you can know for sure – but keep in mind that almost everyone is heavily biased towards employment being the only responsible way to earn a living. We’re taught this is true from an early age by parents and schools, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it IS true for you right now. 

If you decide to go the self-employed route then you need to cover the bills as quickly as you can, so I would sit down and work out what you have to offer that people would pay you for. Unfortunately blogs aren’t quick earners (yep, I learned that one the hard way 🙂 ) so I’d suggest allowing yourself a fixed number of hours per week to build your blog then focus the rest of time on activities that will generate you an income much faster. This might be offering your skills on Elance or Odesk or even Fiverr. The pay isn’t great but if you’re going to find it hard to hold down a part time job and pay for childcare then employment might not pay much better. Plus you can raise your rates as you build your experience and profile.

You can take on little jobs as and when you have the time and energy, and set the deadline for twice as long as it should take to allow lots of room for any challenges that might come along. Another option is to write Kindle ebooks. You might only make peanuts from your first book but you get better quickly, getting a feel for what sells and learn to write faster. You might even find a way to outsource the writing to someone else. And once the book is done the income is passive so it all adds up with every book you write.

So my advice would be to get very focused on what people want and what you have to offer, then offer it in an online ‘marketplace’ where there are already buyers e.g. Ebay, Amazon, People Per Hour, Elance, ODesk or Fiverr – there are more but these are the best-known ones. That will be an easier place to start earning money than getting people to your own blog and working out what to sell them when they get there.

And if offering a service online doesn’t appeal to you, there are many other services you can offer on the business ideas for mums page.

Good luck!

Helen

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