How I Earned $12,100 in March From My Business

Happy April, everyone. I can’t believe how quickly the months go by. A new month means fresh goals and new opportunities to improve the business and exceed income targets.

March felt busy, but the total didn’t match February even though it had three more days.

For March 2014, I earned $13,119 in business income before expenses. That’s a solid amount, but I’d hoped it would be a little higher.

Looking back at past income reports keeps me motivated.

In May 2012 I earned $672 in extra income. While $672 was great at the time, I’m proud of the progress I’ve made over the last two years. This August will mark three years of blogging for me, and when I started I never imagined I’d be where I am today.

I still read other bloggers’ income reports—Pat from Smart Passive Income and others—and they always inspire me to push harder.

I still can’t believe I’m self-employed.

When I began side hustling, it was to earn extra spending money and to put additional funds toward student loans. I never expected to leave my day job and freelance full time.

I’m very happy to be self-employed. I was terrified in September 2013 when I told my employer I was leaving. I debated the decision every day and had many restless nights worrying about whether I’d made the right choice.

 

This summary is for March and is shown before fees and expenses. Estimated expenses that reduce the gross amount are approximately $1,020 (virtual assistants, writers for other sites, PayPal fees, etc.).

After expenses and fees, I made approximately $12,100. The amounts listed reflect my direct earnings only; if I help run a blog that earns revenue, I record only my payment—not the site’s full revenue.

 

Self-employment is rewarding, but it’s still work.

While this income might seem like “extra” to some, it’s now my primary business income and requires many hours every day.

This is not passive income—at least not yet. I’ve invested significant time into growing these services, and for about a year I earned nothing while still working full-time hours on my side projects. Also remember that taxes consume roughly 30% of this income, which is often overlooked.

I recently published an article, The Blogging Business and Taxes, to help other bloggers and freelancers understand tax obligations. With tax season approaching, many online freelancers are feeling the reality of tax bills.

As a reminder: leaving a job to run a business doesn’t mean lounging all day. It’s still work. Over time I’ve learned to streamline tasks and outsource certain responsibilities, which helps, but the workload remains significant.

I used to juggle a full-time job and my business—those were long, sleepless periods. Nowadays I enjoy what I do and don’t feel the Sunday-night dread I once had. Our goals keep me motivated. You can read my 2014 goals update and all previous income updates on my Extra/Business Income page.

If there are specific details you’d like me to include in next month’s income report, please let me know.

Blog news

My main site, Making Sense of Cents, is running smoothly and I’m enjoying writing. A blog redesign is in progress and I’m excited to share it soon. I welcome feedback on what you’d like to see in a redesign—some readers felt the last redesign was too business-like and not personable enough, so I’m trying to balance aesthetics and voice.

My sister’s blog is doing well; she plans to focus more on it after her move to Chicago. If you haven’t yet, consider subscribing to FITnancials.

My self-employment and financial independence site, Diversified Finances, is also progressing nicely—I’m glad I launched it.

If you’re thinking about starting a blog, check out my posts How To Start a Blog and How To Make Money Blogging for step-by-step guidance.

Plans for the blog and business (in no particular order):

1. Start an eBook. I have several ideas but haven’t committed to a topic. My plan is to choose a topic in the coming months and aim to write about 30 pages per month until it’s finished. I’ll study other personal finance and blogging eBooks to learn best practices.
2. Build my brand. This is ongoing and I’m figuring out the best approach.
3. Promote more aggressively. I’ve improved but want to do more to reach new readers.
4. Accept more interviews. I participated in three interviews in March and have two more scheduled for April.
5. Speak at a conference someday. I’m in early conversations with other bloggers about this opportunity.

Staff writing

In March I added a new staff writing client and was rehired for another site that had been on hold. Many people ask how to find staff writing jobs. Most of the website owners who hire me find me via the Contact/Hire Me page—something every blogger should have. If a prospective client can’t find a way to contact you, they can’t hire you.

I’m still open to staff writing gigs. If you need regular content, one-off articles, or help filling gaps in your editorial calendar, I offer reliable, quick turnaround services.

For anyone interested in freelancing, read my article Do You Want to Be a Freelance Writer? for more information on getting started.

Buying websites

I purchased my first website in November 2013 and a second in February. I’ll wait before buying more while I focus on optimizing the sites I already own.

Do you plan to buy websites in the future? Why or why not?

Update on blog and social media management services

In March I managed four to five client websites. For some clients I provide full-service management (email handling, content fixes, monetization), and for others I support certain tasks like social media or monitoring. Some clients receive passive revenue while I handle the daily operations.

Blog and social media management is an area I’d like to grow. Many bloggers seek help when they need a break or vacation; I step in to ensure the site runs smoothly while the owner is away. Pricing varies because each blog has unique needs—if you’re interested, email me and we can discuss a custom plan.

These management services have helped increase my business income. I genuinely enjoy blogging, social media, and the various tasks involved in managing websites.

Services I offer for blog and social media management include:

• Comment moderation and replies. I remove spam, approve genuine comments, and reply when appropriate.
• Uptime monitoring. I check sites throughout the day and address hosting issues to prevent downtime.
• Email monitoring and responses for clients who want a complete break from communications.
• Post scheduling and publishing checks to ensure content goes live as planned.
• Writing posts while owners are away, including ghostwritten content.
• Social media management—growing and engaging with followers.

Interested in becoming a virtual assistant? Read about what a virtual assistant does and how to get started.

Affiliate income — areas for improvement

Affiliate income is an area I’m actively working to improve. I’ve added a few affiliate products to the site but haven’t consistently promoted them. That will change as I focus on better integration and promotion strategies.