February Business Income $13,454 — I Bought Another Website

February was an extremely busy month. The post I published recently, My Average Day As A Self-Employed Person, described a much calmer routine than the hectic schedule I faced during the last two weeks of February.

My business income is finally growing consistently

In February 2014 I earned $15,474 in business income before expenses. For several months prior I had been hovering around $12,000 per month, so this marked a notable jump.

After accounting for various expenses, my pretax take-home was lower, but before expenses this was my best month yet.

The increase in income came from several factors:

• I added two staff writing contracts in February.
• I raised my rates for staff writing, which I had been hesitant to do, and clients accepted the increase.
• Several websites I own or purchased began performing better, with improvements in AdSense, display advertising, and affiliate revenue.

Reflecting on earlier income reports

Back in May 2012 I reported making $672 in extra income. That amount was meaningful at the time, and it’s rewarding to see how much progress can happen in a couple of years. When I started blogging I read income reports from other bloggers—Pat from Smart Passive Income, Crystal from Budgeting in the Fun Stuff, and Erika from Newlyweds on a Budget—and at first their levels of income seemed out of reach. I used their stories as motivation, and over time I realized those results were attainable with persistence and effort.

Although I’m not at the same level as some top creators, I’m committed to improving my business every day.

This summary is for February and is listed before fees and expenses. Estimated expenses that reduce the gross amount include approximately $2,020—this covers virtual assistants, writers for other sites, the site purchase, PayPal fees, and similar costs.

After most expenses and fees, I earned approximately $13,454. The figures shown only include my direct earnings from services and sites I own, not the total revenue of sites I help manage for others.

This is still a job

While this is a significant amount of business income, it’s important to remember that I invest many hours every single day into this work. This is not passive income—even though I hope to build more passive revenue streams in the future. For about a year I worked full-time on projects that didn’t yet pay, while still putting in full-time hours. Also keep in mind taxes take roughly 30% of this income, which many people forget to factor in.

As I often remind readers, this is still work. I didn’t simply quit a job and relax; I streamlined tasks and hired help where needed, but I still run this as a full-time business. I used to dread Sunday nights—those days are gone—but the work remains substantial and ongoing.

You can find my 2014 goals update and all past income updates on my Extra/Business Income page. If you have any questions about what I included in next month’s report, please let me know.

Blog news

My main site, Making Sense of Cents, is doing well and I’m still enjoying writing regularly. My sister’s blog FITnancials continues to grow, and I’m encouraging her to be more active with promotion. She’s exploring TEFL certification and international teaching opportunities so they can travel while earning—any practical advice for teaching English abroad would be appreciated.

My self-employment and financial independence site, Diversified Finances, is also performing nicely. Being able to discuss self-employment topics and get direct reader feedback has been valuable. If you’re starting a blog, read my posts on How To Start a Blog and How To Make Money Blogging for step-by-step guidance.

Lessons and plans after FinCon 2013

Many readers ask what I took away from FinCon and how I’m applying those lessons. I created a list of actions in my post My Plan For the Future and I’ve started implementing several items. Here are some priorities I outlined and my current progress:

1. Start an eBook. I have topic ideas and plan to pick one and write steadily—aiming to produce around 30 pages per month once I begin.
2. Build my brand. This remains a work in progress; I’m still defining the steps to strengthen and clarify the brand identity.
3. Promote more. I’ve improved promotion efforts and created more “pinnable” images, which increased traffic from Pinterest.
4. Accept more interviews. I participated in two interviews in February and have another scheduled for March. I’ve also had podcast invites but need a microphone and a bit more confidence—recommendations are welcome.
5. Speak at a conference. Public speaking isn’t in my 2014 plans, but I hope to consider it in the future once I feel more comfortable.

Staff writing

In February I added two staff writing gigs, with another set to resume soon. Often readers ask how to find staff writing work. These recent gigs were clients who found me—mainly through my Contact/Hire Me page. My top tip: make it easy for potential clients to hire you by having a clear contact or hire page on your blog.

I still have capacity for additional staff writing. I manage my time to keep productivity high and enjoy writing; I have over 100 article ideas in my notepad. If you need a reliable writer—either for ongoing staff work or one-off posts—contact me. For more guidance on becoming a freelance writer, see my post Do You Want to Be a Freelance Writer?.

Buying websites

I purchased my first website in November 2013 and worked to improve its performance; it generated revenue in January and February, already surpassing the purchase price. In February I bought a second site from another blogger. It cost more than the first purchase but included substantially more content—around 500 articles versus about 20–30 on the first site—and it has begun to earn a few hundred dollars through direct advertising and AdSense.

Blog and social media management services

In February I continued managing several client blogs and received inquiries about additional ongoing editing and management work. I asked a couple of clients for testimonials and added them to my Contact/Hire Me page—testimonials are a helpful trust signal for freelancers.

I enjoy blog and social media management and want to keep growing that side of the business. Many site owners hire me to manage their blogs while they’re on vacation or need a break. I know how personal a blog can feel, which is why I try to make transitions smooth and stress-free. Pricing is individualized since every blog’s needs differ—if you’re interested, email me and we can discuss a tailored plan.

Services I offer include:

• Managing and approving comments, which is especially useful when you’re away.
• Monitoring site uptime and responding if the site encounters hosting issues.
• Handling email inquiries and replies when requested.
• Replying to comments on posts to keep engagement active.
• Making sure scheduled posts publish correctly and on time.
• Writing articles while you’re away, including ghostwritten pieces.
• Managing social media—growing followers and engaging with the audience.

If you’re interested in becoming a virtual assistant, see my post on How To Become a Virtual Assistant and learn more about what the role entails in What a Virtual Assistant Does.

Affiliate income — working on improvements

Affiliate revenue didn’t rise significantly in February, but I’m actively working to increase it. Right now I’m going through approval processes for several affiliate programs; approvals are taking longer than expected but I’m hopeful these will come through in March.