How I Made $12,640 in January: Business Income Breakdown

The start of January felt slow. I had work to do, but I wasn’t putting in full eight-hour days. The first two weeks dragged, likely because many people were still recovering from the holidays.

The last half of the month picked up dramatically, and that momentum has carried into February. I’m enjoying the busier schedule and it looks like February will be a solid month as well.

I was actually surprised January outperformed December. I hadn’t expected it to be as strong.

My business income seems steady.

In January 2014, I recorded $13,539 in business income before expenses. Lately my earnings have hovered around this level (you can see the trend in the chart below). I’m fine with being in this range—it’s a comfortable and sustainable level for now.

That said, I’m always looking for ways to grow. I’d like to build more websites, put extra effort into the sites I already run, and expand the services I offer to increase overall revenue.

Progress over time

Back in July 2012 my extra income was $1,425. That amount remains meaningful—especially as supplemental income—and I’m pleased with how far things have come since then.

When I first started blogging, I read income reports from established bloggers like Pat at Smart Passive Income and Crystal at Budgeting in the Fun Stuff. At the time, those numbers felt out of reach. I assumed their success was unattainable for me.

Reading other bloggers’ reports motivated me. I thought their earnings were unrealistic for my situation, but I was wrong—and I’m glad I was. I’m not at Pat’s or Crystal’s level yet, but I keep working each day to improve and grow my business.

The figure above is for January before fees and expenses. Estimated expenses that reduce the total include roughly $900 for virtual assistants, PayPal fees, and similar costs.

January’s gross includes rent paid by my sister and her boyfriend. After fees and expenses, I earned approximately $12,640. This total represents my direct earnings from services; it does not include revenue that flows through blogs I help run for others.

This remains a job.

Although the income is substantial, I spend many hours every day working on the business. This is not passive income—at least not yet. I’ve invested years into building this and there was a long period when I earned nothing while still putting in full-time hours. Also keep in mind that taxes take roughly 30% of self-employment income, which significantly affects take-home pay. I plan to write a post about taxes for self-employed individuals on Diversified Finances soon.

Yes, I do operate under an LLC. My background as a business valuation analyst helped me set up a proper structure and run things efficiently.

As a reality check: this is work. Some assume I quit my job and do nothing, but I consistently put in real effort. That said, I’ve become much better at streamlining tasks and hiring help for specific duties, which makes managing everything more sustainable.

For a while my business was a second job on top of my full-time position; there were many sleepless nights. Fortunately, I enjoy what I do, and that makes the effort worthwhile. Our goals motivate me to keep improving. You can find my 2014 goals update and past income reports on my Extra/Business Income page if you want more context.

If you have questions about my monthly income reports or want to see specific details included next month, let me know.

Blog news

There aren’t major changes to report at Making Sense of Cents. I adjusted my posting schedule: instead of weekly life updates, I plan to share life updates once or twice a month. This frees room to publish more varied topics and keeps personal updates from becoming repetitive.

My sister’s blog is doing well and I’m trying to help her get more involved and boost promotion. If you have tips for a new blogger, please share them in the comments. Also consider subscribing to FITnancials if you’re interested in her content.

My site focused on self-employment and financial independence, Diversified Finances, is also doing well. It’s been useful to discuss self-employment in depth and get direct reader feedback. If there are self-employment topics you’d like me to cover, tell me in the comments.

If you’re starting a blog, check out my How To Start a Blog post for step-by-step instructions. Another popular article from last month was How To Make Money Blogging, which may be useful if you’re looking to monetize.

Takeaways from FinCon 2013

Many readers ask what I learned at FinCon and which ideas I’ve applied. I put together a list in My Plan For the Future, but I haven’t followed through as actively as I should. I need to create a concrete action plan and make consistent progress.

FinCon14 tickets went on sale recently—who’s heading to New Orleans this year? Any bootcamp attendees?

Plans after FinCon13 included:

1. Start an eBook. I haven’t started this yet. It’s not a top priority at the moment, so it may wait.
2. Build my brand. I’m actively working on this.
3. Promote more. I’ve focused more on promoting my posts and growing visibility.
4. Accept more interviews. I did a couple of interviews in January and have more scheduled for February. I’m open to interview requests.
5. Speak at a conference. Public speaking is not likely for 2014—maybe 2015 if I can overcome my nerves.

Staff writing

I didn’t add new staff writing gigs in January because I wasn’t actively looking. I did receive a few inquiries, but none turned into ongoing work. I’m still open to writing opportunities. I enjoy writing and keep a running list of over 100 topic ideas.

If you need a staff writer or one-off content, I’m available. I can produce regular posts, fill gaps in editorial calendars, write ad content, and deliver quick turnarounds reliably. For more on this route, see my Do You Want to Be a Freelance Writer? article.

Buying websites

I purchased my first website in November 2013 and have been improving it since. In January it already produced income greater than the purchase price, which is encouraging. I plan to cover the topic of buying websites in more depth soon—if you’ve bought a site or are considering it, I’d love to hear your questions.

Update on blog and social media management services

In January I handled a fair amount of blog management. I filled in for two site owners who were on vacation—John at Frugal Rules and Cat at Budget Blonde—and they were pleased with the service. I also continue to fully manage another site that I took on last June.

Blog and social media management is an area I want to grow. Many bloggers want coverage while on vacation or when they need a break. I take the responsibility seriously and work to make transitions smooth so owners can relax while away from their sites.

Pricing varies by client because every blog has different needs. If you’re interested, email me and I’ll provide details.

I manage a range of tasks for different blogs, which has helped increase my business income recently. I enjoy the work—everything from content and scheduling to social media engagement.

Typical blog and social media management services I offer:

• Manage and approve comments, so you don’t need to check the site constantly while away.
• Monitor site uptime multiple times daily to ensure the blog stays live.
• Check and respond to emails if desired—useful for owners who want a complete break.
• Reply to comments on posts to keep readers engaged.
• Ensure scheduled posts go live as planned and fix any publishing issues.
• Create articles while you’re away, including ghostwritten content.
• Manage social media: find and engage followers and maintain interaction with your audience.

If you need temporary blog management—one week, one month, or another defined period—get in touch. For those interested in becoming a virtual assistant or learning what VAs do, I’ve written guides covering those topics.

Affiliate income — room for improvement

Affiliate income has been weak, and I feel bad because many people have asked me to review their products. Time constraints have been my excuse, but that needs to change. I completed one affiliate review in January and plan to publish more in February.

One January goal was to review affiliate offers I’ve received. I started sorting them and made a list of reviews I want to tackle. I’ll aim to make those reviews informative and engaging.

What types of reviews would you like to see? I’m considering credit card and travel reward reviews—recently I used points to book five round-trip tickets for friends, and I’d like to share how that worked and how others can use rewards strategically.

Offline side hustles

I haven’t focused on offline side hustles lately. I have ideas, but I’m prioritizing growing my online business for now. Wes has been doing some side jobs too, but his earnings aren’t part of my business income report.

What offline side hustles do you work on?