It all started with a simple question, can I earn money on Fiverr as a photographer? Keen to get into doing more product photography, I was looking for a way to find clients and generate more work for myself. A YouTube video about a freelance copywriter on CNBC’s Millennial Money convinced me to turn to Fiverr. And after the first month, I received my first order.
After the first six months on the platform, I was on a roll that didn’t stop. Soon I was a Level One (I wrote about that), then Level Two Seller. I don’t plan to break things down as precisely as I did in that second post (about becoming a Level One Seller, but later I’ll talk about the amounts and the impact it had on the photography arm of my business as a whole. Scroll down if you’re just here for the dollars… I get it.
What’s been happening since my last post?
Around April, things got hectic around here as my workload more than doubled. Not only was I continuing to maintain my roles in my business, but I was doing all the photography and processing myself. It was chaos, let me tell you. I started getting a little more help here and there with general admin like my emails or managing the enquiries. I looked to add new people for the website and social media curation side of things over at Chalkboard Digital.
But still, with everything happening and a holiday looming, I had to take stock of my situation. Make a plan! Luckily, I love a good plan, so with some time off marked out for July, I put my Fiverr on ‘Away’ and stopped taking orders for a few weeks. I worried that it would mean a drop-off in enquiry when I returned or, worse, dropping off the search results altogether. But I knew I needed to find some people to help me if things were to continue to get bigger! What can I say? I’m team go big AND go home.
Getting a little help
So, during my holiday, I started to think about what I wanted to do and what I could outsource from the work we did. There was a lot I still feel I want to keep my eyes on personally (Facebook Marketing and Direct Emails especially), and that would take longer to hand over confidently. But there were other things I could step back from or check in with quite easily; if I was willing to loosen the reins a bit. So I did. I took some of those things and found specific people that could help. I trained some myself and outsourced (often on Fiverr) others.
When I returned from break, I marked myself as available, and it was all smooth sailing from there. Well, as long as you don’t count getting the plague and a dead SD drive that corrupted five shoots in one hit. Ugh. Yup that all happened, which made the remainder of July and all of August a lot despite all my hard work and changes. But now, at the end of September, I feel like I finally got through the worst of that. With the team in place and a few price increases, I feel like I can manage the enquiry that is coming in.
Plus, I’m well on my way to becoming a Top Seller!
Which is excellent and something I’ve had in my sights the entire time. I’d love to add that badge to my profile; only thousands of dollars in sales to go. (see my dashboard view below) Haha. Something else I want to look into before the end of the year is the ProSeller program to check out the benefits to me as a seller and the requirements to apply for the program. I’ve seen some accounts with less than ten reviews marked as a ProSeller, so I’m not sure what the deal is. If you know, let me know in the comments. Until then, I’ve made sure to have both a Fiverr and a Fiverr Business profile up and running (screenshots below) to grab as much attention as possible.
Fiverr Profile
Fiverr Business Profile
What did this new stream of income from Fiverr mean for my business?
Well! This is the part that I didn’t expect, especially after one year. A 2000% increase in Photography sales through my business direct happened in the past year. No, that’s not a typo—two THOUSAND per cent increase. When you see the figures below of the amount I’ve earned, it will just cover the income earned directly from Fiverr. I think that’s the only way to be respectful of our clients. But the short version it’s a lot more than I expected and is more than the Fiverr figure by a lot.
Before working on Fiverr as a photographer, I didn’t call myself one. I was a blogger. But I did the odd photo job here and there for clients but had never really gone all in. However, enquiry picked up as soon as we started posting photo content from the Fiverr Gigs to our feeds (mine and the business account). And up and up and up.
This was another reason it no longer worked for me to have my finger in every pie of my business. With boxes arriving almost every day with new items to be photographed, I desperately needed some help. And a price increase. Which we did at the start of the new financial year and will do again at the end of this calendar year. I’m okay with saying that right now, especially on Fiverr; I’m way too cheap. But that’s building experience and a roster of regular clients right? These things take time, and I am thrilled with our progress.
Get to it already. How much did I earn from Fiverr in my first year?
This is it, what you’ve all been waiting for, right? I’ve included some screencaps below my Dashboard to back up what I’m saying. Someone always wants proof of this stuff, and I’m happy to provide it. All amounts are listed in USD and, when exported, are converted into AUD. I’ll give you the figure at the very end for the direct from Fiverr (via Payoneer) to my bank account Australian Dollar figure. Full disclosure here, I’m not hiding anything from the tax man.
The breakdown below shows each calendar year (and summary at the top of the page, spoiler alert, haha) and the ebb and flow of it all. There are months where I’m taking on more work than completing it (it only counts as earned when a Gig is Delivered) and others where I’m delivering a lot of work, booked the month prior. I find it all evens out in the end, and with holidays in December and July, I’m happy with the consistency of it all.
2021 Calendar Year (started August 2021)
2022 Calendar Year (to date)
According to my accounting software, I received $15,521.04 (AUD) into my business account in my first year on Fiverr.
This is net and is less various charges, deductions of my advertising, Seller Plus program fees and any purchases of services on Fiverr I deducted from my account. I mean, not too shabby, right? Especially when you consider that this whole thing started as a whim, and I didn’t expect much. Add to that the other work I’m doing, the referrals to my business and the general growth that has been part of the upward movement. I’m a happy girl.
So, if you ask me if you should investigate if a platform like Fiverr would work for you, I’m a big fat yes. I use it often as a Buyer and a Seller, which says a lot since I opened my account in November 2015 for a transaction as a Buyer that was eventually cancelled and didn’t open again until 2021. It might be worth another look if it’s been a while since you checked it out. It certainly was for me.
And before I go, here are my current gigs
My current Gig strategy is to focus on the primary photography Gigs consistently performing well. I’m using the Seller Plus program to gain access to additional Key Word information and Gig performance stats to enable me to choose the right keywords for all the right places. Do I think it’s necessary to do this to earn good money on Fiverr? No. But if you’re someone like me who loves to analyse a bit of data and hunt down the best keywords possible, I’d recommend it. Plus, your money is released in 7 days; I can’t argue with that when I’m on a 14-day withdrawal program for my cash flow purposes.
I’ve added a couple more to my profile since I started, but as you’ll see, they are very similar to when I began. This is what I’m running with right now (featuring the listing slides because who doesn’t love to sticky beak on how others are setting up their profile). And if you’d like to work with me, I’d love to have you. Head over to my Fiverr profile, and let’s get started.
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It’s hard to believe that it’s two years since I said goodbye to my last remaining day job and went fulltime in my business. Seriously, it’s been that long. How does one block of time feel so short but so long at the same time? But we made it. And to be honest, there hasn’t been a day, even in the most recent times, that I regretted that choice. Working for myself, running my business and blog, is where I want to be. Not to mention, it’s been a successful couple of years. That helps, I’m sure. But there are some changes in the wind, and I thought it was about time we caught up. Stick it out through to the end, some exciting things are happening, and I plan to bring you along for the ride.
The year I found my feet.
The first year of working for myself was all about finding my feet again. Working out what there was, I could do, hustling to make a living and settling into a routine. I had Charlotte in the office every Saturday, and we chipped away at adding clients to my roster, nailing down the reporting process and getting my butt back into blogging. We did everything that year; websites to Facebook page setups, Advertising packages to Workshops. I was busier than I’d ever been. Soon, clients-wise, we were looking for more help and time, in general, to get it done. I remained hands-on, and photography and account management started to shop up as the main things that earned the business money. Luckily, they’re also the thing I liked most, which brings us to year two.
The year focused on account management.
Year two of this going fulltime business was an interesting one, with a September ‘start date’ I was six months into the year when COVID-19 hit; we were in lockdown. For the first half of that second year, we worked on building up my photography work, had a full, scaled up client roster and were booking thousands of dollars worth of ads for clients every single month. We had found our niche. Enquiries came in for the other work, websites and other projects, but for the most part, we stuck with what we knew we could deliver on best. Heading into March, we had our biggest scheduled month of product and lifestyle photography in the business ever. And it had to be cancelled. Social Media Management clients made up 70% of our business, and suddenly, some of them had no income for the coming 6-12 months.
I started to question everything.
We were lucky to have a diversified client base in industries including fashion, manufacturing, hospitality, conferences, tourism and recreation. We were lucky because while we lost some contracts immediately and some needed a scaled-back approach they could afford, we had other industries that sort of sailed on through, business as usual. But it was in that first few weeks of lockdown that it occurred to me that my business needed a foundation that could support us if ALL the client work was to go away. First, I knew we would never specialise or focus on one industry. Too risky. Second to that, I started looking at the offerings we made and how to future proof them. More freelancers added to the books. Less dependence on me specifically being available. But then, the most significant idea of my second year came to me; it was time to shake things up.
Have I told you about Chalkboard Digital?
Chalkboard Digital is the new name of the business formally known as Suger Social. If you’re part of the Suger News team, you’ll know all about how and why my business underwent a rebrand this year. Just a few short months ago, I made a move towards the next phase of my business, and I wanted to move away from the blog and myself personally. Not because I didn’t want the two associated. But because for the next phase to work, it had to be strong on its own. WHY? In October we are launching a digital products shop! It will be packed with products to help you ‘do’ your social media like Canva templates. Plus there will be the tools you need to do that with Lightroom Presets and Stock Photos by me and some other Australian photographers. It will be a home base; a solid, somewhat passive foundation for the business.
And that’s where we’re at!
We have a website that I decided to build on Squarespace (links to everything below). That was interesting, if you have questions, ask away. There have been a couple of blog posts about Pinterest, mostly. I’ve rebranded all the socials, and I even started a YouTube channel. Considering the way my channel has been sitting idle for a year or more now, that’s optimistic, but here we are. I’m hoping that now I can show you a little more of the work I’m doing, I can get back into the studio vlog idea. Show the products as they develop and answer some of the questions I’ve been Googling madly since this process started. Who knows where it will all lead; all I know is that it felt like time to do an update. You are my blog family, and I want you along for this ride with me. Come what may.
Maybe these things are universal, or perhaps they are just me. But I thought, maybe it would be fun to talk about the things you should know about working for yourself. I’m a veteran now, basically. I’ve been back full-time working for myself for a year. And in some way or another, I’ve been doing my own thing since I was 21 years old.
Though, at 21, I SUCKED at it, just quietly.
But now, let’s have some fun. I’m here to shed some light on what it looks like to work for yourself. Hopefully, you should know about working for yourself that will make the transition or life as you know it easier. Working for myself includes working at home. And even though I have a designated and slightly separate from my house office, it comes with its own distractions. Lord help me, if I were working inside my house or in the lounge where I sued to work, it would be free for all. This brings me to ‘thing’ number one;
You should know that you’ll get really into doing the dishes.
If you work from home, like me, all of a sudden, every dish to be washed and every pile of laundry to be folded will suddenly become irresistible. Your home will become the procrastination station, and this includes those tasks or chores you haven’t done in five years but are now suddenly essential! By the way, did you see my new outdoor area and recycling sorting bins? (see, exactly). While it can be easy to resist these things and call them out for what they are, I find now that it’s easier to do them. Want to do the dishes and put on a load of washing? Go ahead. In the end, it might cost you 10 minutes or so, but resisting will cost you longer. But make sure you call a spade a spade; what you’re doing here is procrastinating. Maybe ask yourself why THAT is. You know, while you’re loading those dishes…
You should know that motivation is a flighty bitch.
Let me tell you, you can’t wait on motivation to show up when you work for yourself. Know that motivation won’t show up when needed but instead will visit at THE most inopportune times. Think middle of the night, in the coffee line or just as that Netflix series you’ve been waiting all week to sit down and watch gets good. To some degree, you have to go with it. But on the other hand, you have to set boundaries around your work time and have ways to bottle that motivation for you to use later. The most important thing is not to be too hard on yourself. It’s hard to work on command when you’re the only one giving orders. It’ll take time; give yourself space.
You should know that you’ll never really feel like you’ve got it all together.
My business is pretty impressive when you look at it on paper. We work with some big companies and have great success with the regular clients we work with (life update blogged here). I still love the work, and the small team of people I have around me (not literally, digitally) are so fun and easy to work with. But even then, I have a hard time feeling like I’ve got it all together. Maybe that’s one of those goals that you never officially realise (or should stop chasing), but it’s true. Good as it gets, and as impressively smoothly it operates from the outside looking in, expect to feel (at times) that you have no idea what you’re doing or how it even works. But just get dressed and show up; no one has it all together, so you’re in good company.
You should know that not everyone will pay on time.
I hate to be Debbie Downer on this one, but you should allow for the people who pay late when you’re estimating your income. Make some allowance for those who won’t pay you at all. I’ve had this happen before – when I could least afford it too. It happens, and we do what we can to prepare for it. Sound practices are a start; don’t be afraid to ask people to pay when they said they would, get deposits for larger projects or have service agreements drawn up and signed (a leg to stand on if you have to sue them). But also, save a little more than you need to as a buffer. Be prepared for less income than expected to account for longer payment terms or to have to shake the tree. While people will pay you on time in a perfect world, it just doesn’t work that way. Be prepared; no one wants to come up short and cannot pay those who do work or supply to you.
You should get good advice and know enough to take it!
When I started my first business, the best thing I did was go to an accountant that specialised in small businesses. The stupidest thing I ever did was ignore his advice (on and off) for over a decade. I mean, young and dumb doesn’t cover that. I thought he didn’t understand MY business or what MY goals were, but really, I was a brat. Business is business and when you find someone who has proven themselves with experiences to be worthy of listening to, do yourself a favour a try to do it. I should have been saving 20%-30% of my income for taxes etc. But did I? Of course not. Did I keep my business and personal expenses separate? Pfffft, who has time for that. Not doing these small things (in the past, I learned THAT lesson) led to a whole heap of problems that could have been avoided if I just listened to the expert I was paying to advise me. Find good people and ask for their advice, and then, take it! Trusting your gut will only take you so far, and usually to places you’ve already been before.
You should know that you are not alone, even when it feels like you are.
Oh man, some days when I look at my computer screen, steaming coffee in hand and emails piled up, I feel like I haven’t spoken to anyone in days. And sometimes, that literally happens. But you should know that you aren’t alone. Others are doing what you do, and the internet is an amazing place to meet them. I feel like some one-on-one interaction (I call it using up my word count!) take a fitness class, do a workshop or head to a cafe to work and say hi to strangers. Ask a friend for coffee or lunch, call a family member or do whatever it takes to feel connected again. Do the things in my how to lift your mood post, whatever it takes. Working for yourself, especially at home, can be like living in a bubble. So, get out more.
You should know that the perfect schedule doesn’t exist.
Trust me; I’ve tried to find it. Haha. I’ve got a pretty good daily routine at the moment, but if I’ve learnt one thing in the past year, it’s that best-laid plans ALWAYS go to shit. Haha. This means that I never leave things until the last minute (because Murphy’s Law says that when things will go wrong), and I always leave space in my schedule for other things to pop up. I love working for myself. After all, it means I can be available to my family when they need me and take naps in the afternoon because it makes me feel good. Don’t get too focused on having ‘the perfect day that you forget why you do this in the first place. Maybe your perfect schedule is a five-point to-do list that you get done when you feel like it? Sound okay? Good news, you get to decide.
And most of all, you should know that your best is good enough.
If you’ve made a mistake or tried and failed, I want you to know that your best WAS good enough. I come across this concern so often working with businesses and on my own business. You can’t always get it right, and worrying about getting it wrong has stopped many people from doing anything at all. Done is better than perfect. And in my books, saying you’re sorry, you made a mistake, or you’ll do better next time is more effective than never having tried. The right people will support you in developing and growing yourself and will never ask for more than your best effort. This doesn’t mean you should be slacking off and doing things half-assed – I would never give you permission to do that. But as the old saying goes, when you know better, you can do better, and I work to that all the time. Always improving and getting better, but learning (after all this time!) that part of that is not knowing or sometimes falling short. If you tried, and especially if you gave it your best, that’s enough. (FOR NOW, haha).
And that’s my list!
Allow me to finish by saying, you, my friend, are fantastic. If you’ve made this leap or are planning it, you’re already a rock star in my books. I know the freedom and joy that doing your own thing can bring. I’m so proud of you for giving it a shot. But, the flipside of that is that we adventurous types can be hard to please. We tend to beat ourselves up or expect way more than someone else would ever expect from us. Try not to do that, okay? Yes, there are plenty of serious things you should know or do, like taxes or metrics or reporting, but in the end, the most important thing is how you’re doing. Check-in with yourself, and I guarantee the rest will fall into place.
Images by Renee Shae Photography for her Big & Boss brand – Renee is a Brisbane based photographer specialising in branding photography and headshots.
Having a work from home daily routine isn’t something I planned on. I was pretty casual about such things. But I’ve been working for myself for a while now, so it was time, right? I left my job almost a year ago, and I’ve been working for myself full-time ever since. It’s been the best! Seriously, I’m glad I leapt when I did. And if I were someone who wondered what if, I’d wish I did it sooner. The first few months involved many afternoons spent in the spa, soaking up the sunshine or napping. Then it was summer, and we ALL know how I am during summer; sunshine, naps and cocktails (see the theme here).
I call this the recovery period.
That said, I think it would be crazy to talk about my current routine without acknowledging that I gave myself plenty of time to settle into it. I’d been working hard; some rest was required. If you’re new to working for yourself or working from home, give yourself a grace period. Time to recover from whatever came before is important.
From there, I’ve settled into a routine that works for me – productivity-wise, as well as being in communication with and available for my client’s and their digital marketing schedules. Of course, there is some variation, but I’m a creature of habit. I like to know what I’m doing and preferably when, so a daily routine works for me. I wouldn’t be too hard on yourself if it’s not your thing; all of us are different. You do you, boo.
Let’s get into my work from home daily routine, shall we?
Mornings
I’ve learnt that I work better in the morning. It’s too easy to be distracted by ALL THE THINGS in the afternoon, so I focus on getting my work done first thing. The essential stuff or items with deadlines, anyway. This sees me in my office around 7 am with a coffee in hand and breakfast in my belly. After taking it into the house the night before, I’m usually returning my pencil case, a few notebooks, and a refilled water bottle to my desk.
As part of what works for me, I run an A4 page to-do list that I continue to add to or cross things off until I either use up the page or bugs me. The first thing I do is check my emails for news from my team or clients and add any new notes or work to the list. Nothing makes me happier than seeing those things get crossed out at the end of a productive stretch of work.
Around mid-morning, when the sun starts to hit me in the face, I take a break. There’s usually more coffee or a fresh bottle of water. Around this time, I might post to my Instagram story, queue up my shows on YouTube or reply to comments on the socials. After that, I usually eat something and reply to text messages or emails that have come in during the few hours I’ve been working. Then I get back to work on the stuff on my list.
Lunch
After my mid-morning break, I find that it’s usually after 1 pm before I get hungry again and the kitchen starts to call. Within the hour, I’m in the house making lunch and tidying the kitchen as I go. It can be easy to get distracted by the state of your house when you work from home, but I find that I can ignore almost anything if the kitchen is clean and tidy, the dishes are stacked in the dishwasher, and I know what is happening for dinner.
Moving forward, I would like to incorporate a walk or a swim either before or after lunch. Exercise is something that has been pushed aside a bit in the last year or so. And as someone who thrives on activity and moving my body, this doesn’t work for me. But I have space here to do it, so hold me to it, okay? Ask me about my walk or swim next time we’re chatting. I can’t keep spending 12 hours a day slumped over a screen. Must improve.
Afternoons
I have a thing for afternoon naps. Give me 45 minutes to rest and recharge, and I’ll take it. Some days that is exactly what I’ll do. Other days I sleep for hours, and some I don’t sleep at all. I’m learning to go with it and do what I need to do. Getting back into the office in the afternoon refreshed, that’s my go-to plan; lunch, nap, crush all the things.
We work with a lot of businesses that are heavily involved in email marketing, most with bi-weekly marketing emails (EDMs) as a minimum. That means afternoons are usually spent checking EDMs, checking sales figures and tweaking content plans and advertising as required. Some days this alone can take all afternoon and into the evening. Other days, it leaves time in my work from home daily routine to either get back to my list or deep dive into my emails or reporting.
That said, I tend not to work on the creative or ideas side of things in the afternoon. It’s not that I’m not capable, but I certainly have to force things a little more in the afternoons. Sometimes I book client appointments or meetings in the afternoons, but it’s usually a good time for the grunt work of my business. The invoicing, connecting with the team, book-keeping and all that essential, but certainly not flashy, stuff. By 5 or 6 pm, I’m looking to be out of my office and back in the house preparing for dinner or watching classes, courses or more youtube.
Evenings
Dinner in our house is a bit of a hit and miss type affair. Often Kel works late or drops in on friends and clients later in the afternoon or evening. So it would be unusual to see him at home before 6 pm. Sometimes this means that I’ve eaten and have settled in for a movie or scroll through the socials when Kel gets here. A bonus of not having kids is that our nighttime routine, our entire afternoon really, is way more casual around here than it would be for parents.
Part of my new work from home daily routine is that I prefer to log off when I leave my office. Sometimes I’ll post an image to Instagram or share something fun with Facebook. But there’s no work after I leave the office, and mostly I stick to it. Kel uses evenings to do quotes for his business, so it used to be pretty standard for us to be working. But doing things this way makes me wake up fresher and ready to get started if I don’t work into the night.
And then, this.
I like to work on weekends when my inbox is quieter. For better or for worse, it works for me. Kel is heading out to do the same most of the time, so it doesn’t feel strange to spend a few hours in the office. I use this time to wrap up the week or plan for the next one. You’ll usually find me starting a new page for my list on the weekend while admiring what a productive human I am.
But there’s no ‘admin stuff’ on the weekends if I can avoid it. I like to get creative and work on my blog or content for the most part. And yes, I know you’re wondering where that content has been, but I did say for the most part. Haha. Lately, we have onboarded three new clients; my weekends have been used to get them sorted.
But NORMALLY…
On a Saturday morning, I like to write my Suger News email. It is a review of my week and what I’ve been dealing with or learning. Sunday mornings, I have some fun with my photo or video editing for my youTube channel, content planning or writing. Then, I play music, courses or classes in the background, pump up the volume on some great tunes and get into the groove of making stuff. It’s the best.
When I think about it, I should probably get out more, but to be honest, this is what I’m into right now. It’s where I want to be and what I want to be doing; until that changes, I’m okay with my business also being my hobby. Right now, it’s fun, I feel good, and while I do need to do some work on the systems in my business being more streamlined, I’m good. I can’t argue with that!
There you go, team! If you have any questions about my work from home daily routine, leave them below. Want to know more about one aspect or another? Ask away. And with all that said, I’d love to hear about YOUR daily routine. What’s working for you?
This morning I committed to a blog post. That was before I realised that my to-do list really didn’t leave much room for such things. But, a promise is a promise. After digging through a bunch of drafts with no half-finished winners (judge me if you will, haha), it was time to just go for it and write something new.
So I wrote this.
I wrote because this week I’ve taken photos for a new pool float range and a styled wedding shot. I mean, what is this life I’ve created for myself. I’ve been very into social media, as you know, but over the past few months more and more I’m being booked for photos. And as part of getting out there, I’ve been saying yes as often as possible.
Even when, like the styled wedding shoot including cake, floral and venue vendors, I was out of my depth to some degree. I just knew I had the basics under my belt. I had to not overthink it and go for it. And guys, you have no idea, I 100% went for it. I don’t have any edited photos from the wedding shoot yet.
However, I’ve finished the ones for the pool float business and I’m so happy with the outcome. I mean, check out this sneak peek on Instagram…
I don’t know if you remember how much I struggled with video editing. Heck, the whole learning something new and stepping out of my comfort-zone thing. Which, at the time it felt impossible, but I think it flicked a switch. New things and pushing the boundaries is exciting again, instead of entirely painful and hard.
Sometimes it’s hard and it always takes a lot of work, but I’m proud of myself. It’s a feeling that seems to have disappeared a little bit in the past couple of years. I was looking for other people to say good job, well done or validate me in whatever way. (Not that those things aren’t nice!). But these days I feel like I know what I did is good, I know how far I’ve come and how quickly I’m learning. That all comes from me.
I think if I’m honest, I knew that was where it was.
Looking outside myself for any of that, motivation or inspiration, was a mistake. I know that now. Mostly because THIS is way easier. It comes from somewhere much more natural. And partly because I know I can trust myself. I’ve got my back and while I keep pushing the boundaries, that’s exactly who should have it.
I’m not sure I’ve ever met anyone THAT into doing the washing or cooking (every. single. night). Me either. A very strong ME EITHER. And that’s why we outsource household chores. I’m not sure if you know but I especially hate the fact that when you do your dishes, almost immediately, there’s something else to wash up. It just pushes my buttons. Washing is a bit like that too. Cleaning the shower…!! (deep breath, anyway). Over the years more and more we choose to buy our time back by paying other people to do the things we don’t want to do.
Or don’t have time to do.
I know. Before you even say it, this is a privileged position to be in. It takes a certain amount of disposable income to outsource your chores. But let me tell you, it’s not as much as you would think. Don’t shut that listening part of your brain off just yet, hang in with me. There might be a solution in here for you. Maybe.
I like to think of outsourcing household chores as a type of self-care. Instead of having to clean on a Saturday morning, the cleaner ($50 p.w.) comes Friday and Saturday morning, we get coffee or I catch up on my current YouTube favourites. Instead of grocery shopping, picking up and putting away, preparing and monitoring, we have all our meals delivered 5 to 7 days a week ($250+ p.w. for 2 people). Sure, that’s might not make sense for you; but for us, the cost of takeaway at something like $20 per person, per meal… It makes total sense.
As women, a large amount of these ‘chores’ fall to us. Even with great partners, it’s the way the world goes (change world, change). So, why shouldn’t you invest a portion of the household budget into buying YOUR time back? Worried about a partner who expects a certain level of household effort from you? (firstly, gosh, we should chat, but secondly…) Kel and I have never disagreed about the money we spend on outsourcing. He knows very well, he doesn’t want to do it either.
Though, to be fair, he’s a legend when it comes to keeping us in clean clothes.
We function well as a team, but we also know what works for us and what doesn’t. Having someone come in once a week, and recently ordering meals to be delivered, that works for us. There is less pressure, fewer arguments, and everything just works more efficiently. Including us. Which matters to us, we each run a business that takes a CHUNK of our time and even without kids, we like to stay involved with our family and friends. Taking some of those chores off our plate gives us space and time to do the things that are important to us and our businesses.
This is a lesson I learned from my parents from a very young age. Mum would leave early in the mornings to open her shop (at the time, later it was real estate offices, then a transport depot) and someone would come in to get us off to school. My parents also had someone who came to the house up to three times a week to cook, clean and care for us after school until Dad came back to the house (off the farm, which we lived on). There was never any shame about the help they paid for because, with everything they had on, the day-to-day of life would have been in a shambles without it.
It sounds like a pitch for cleaning or meal delivery services, right?
You’re probably waiting for me to launch into a pitch for this new app or service provider that has paid for this space on the blog. Well, it’s not; Hashtag Not Sponsored. This post was a chance for me to impress upon you how many things you are doing that might just be better off done by someone else. The $25 an hour you pay to a cleaner, or the $100 a week for meals, it only costs you money. What does it cost you otherwise? I know that I could never be as efficient as my cleaner, book-keeper or meal service. I know, I’ve tried. A lot of the time, the time spent DOES NOT equal the reward. For me.
So, I stopped doing it all. I challenge you to really look, I know the sums don’t add up for me when I look at it. Maybe for you, it’s someone to look after the kids or do the ironing? Someone to maintain your lawn and gardens or clean the windows where you can’t seem to reach. Whatever it is, there’s someone, for a more than reasonable price, who will take that job off your hands AND off your mind. Look around you, how do you spend your time? Do you want some of that back? Great, outsourcing your household chores will change your life. Not that interested in ‘more’ time, then maybe this post isn’t for you after all. Haha.
Can’t please ’em all.
I’m sure that for some people this post will bring up a range of emotions and internal conversations around money, worth and value. Great! That’s exactly what I wanted to do. If you’re reading this and I think that maybe I should just get on with the washing, grocery shopping and meal prep, then ask yourself some questions. Get to the bottom of why you think I HAVE to do all those things. Or better yet, why we are perfectly okay with saying that, but most people would never say it to Kel. It’s part of pulling apart the fabric of WHY we do the things we do. Why do we need to do it all? Who told us that having time out for ourselves was something that selfish people do?
So, there you go, team. My little look behind the scenes into the running of our household. I’m a little worried about sounding like a bit of a brat on this one, spoiled to the core just like those kids in primary school always said. (flashback! Haha) But please know that I would never want to you spend money you don’t have on outsourcing your household chores or anything else. But, for less money than you think, you could be making a HUGE difference in your quality of life. Take a look, have the conversations and let me know how you go. Want some tips or advice, let me know, I’ve outsourced pretty much everything at this point, I’m happy to share the insider info.
Just last week I gave notice at my day job to go back working for myself full-time. Even though it’s been pretty casual over the past year, this will give me the ultimate freedom to work in and on my business. I’m excited and nervous because you never can tell when you’re ready to work for yourself, right?
I don’t know about that. I feel pretty ready this time. I have a good team in place, some great systems for managing payments, invoices and tax (gross). It’s ONE HUNDRED per cent time I moved on. I’m ready to work for myself
For the past few years, I’ve worked part-time with an organisation as part of my ‘I need structure to run my business’ story properly. But it’s just that, a story. One I told myself because left to my own devices I tend to get distracted and procrastinate. Not something that works particularly well for someone, like me, working for myself.
Time to face my fears of screwing everything up, and go for it. Again.
I’ve been here before. Maybe that’s why it’s taken me so long to get on with it this time. The first time I was 21-years-old and bravado took the place of any anxiety. I just leapt and planned on figuring it out as I went. Which, I 100% had to do when during that stint of business ownership Kel lost his job, and I was hustling for both of us.
Then I did it again when I was in my late twenties when it was more of a necessity than a choice. I left a job that was sucking my soul via a method that was hard to determine if they fired me or I quit. Either way, it was precisely the shove I needed, and soon I was doing it! Until I got an offer I couldn’t refuse and here we are.
Those situations it got me thinking about when and how to KNOW if you’re ready to make the leap and work for yourself. Full time. And maybe it won’t be forever, but I genuinely feel this time it will be. Everything I’ve done leading up to this point has prepared me. The mistakes and missteps especially.
How I knew it was time to start working for myself;
Ready or not, here I come.
I mentioned this already, but I feel ready for this. This has been a great indicator for me that it’s time to go. And sure, not everyone is going to feel that way because of nerves or whatever kind of apprehension. If you feel ready, I think trust that, then it’s time to start putting those wheels in motion to step down from your current role. Just rip that band-aid off, commit and book a date. Having a date on the horizon will get you there; ready or not.
This is the time to put your self-guided time management skills to the test. Which, let me tell you, are something that it took me a while to develop. During this notice period start to make sure you have everything in place to start. Do you have somewhere to work? Do you have an idea of what hours you’ll be working? Is there anything you need to finalise the set-up of your office or workspace? Now is the time. Homestretch.
Money matters.
I know, I know, it’s not all about money. It’s about following your passion and doing something you love. BUT the reality is that as an adult you need money to pay for the essentials, so you need a plan. Make sure at very least you have a bit of a cushion. At worst, have an idea of the current income you’re making from your side-hustle.
As far as money goes, maybe you’ll have to streamline your bills to make this work. Before you make a move, pay down as much debt as you can and make sure you’re on the best deal for your cost of living basics (mortgage/rent, phone, internet, electricity etc.). Can’t see a reduction? Maybe you need to do what my friend Blaise did and move home for a while to make it work during the startup phase. A great option if you have it.
My final point on money is to work for yourself you’re going to need to know how to manage your money. To make it work through famine and feast. To make sure you’re saving enough money for tax time and not getting yourself in a hole. Been there, done that. Get advice early from a small business accountant and get set up correctly from day one. Less than day one, day zero point something.
Have a plan, Stan.
Seriously without a plan what the heck are you doing? This is somewhere I see small businesses and freelancers fall downtime and time again. They have no idea where they’re going, how they’re going to get there and what it’s going to take. Not just related to money either, that’s why we’re in a new section. I’m talking about planning everything.
Start with a budget. What do you NEED to earn to live and be a functioning (tax-paying, sorry to harp on it, flashbacks) human? Break that down into monthly then weekly chunks. I can’t give you this figure; you need to take a genuine look at what it costs for you to live and work, and find your number. Then figure out how many services/products you need sell to get there.
Then the fun starts.
Now you know that you need to sell five website packages a month to make ends meet, you get to figure out how to do that. Taking into account the sales and decision making process time frames. That’s the foundation of your plan. Where will your leads come from, how will you generate them? What will it COST to get them to the point where they buy? Do you see how the plan starts to come together after that?
Get serious about a business budget and plan. I have this free downloadif you need a bit of guide of the questions you’re asking yourself. Sure it says new year business planning, but it’s still good in September. Easy. If you’re going to go for it, you have to take the time to do this first; long before you leap. Maybe you’re not there yet. Maybe when you’ve done the planning, you need to spend some time generating more business on the side. That’s okay too. That’s part of this whole process.
Which brings us to, maybe you’re not ready to work for yourself.
Maybe you started this post, and you were ready, you felt ready, and now you’re like, hmmm. That’s okay. For some of you that ‘notice period’ will be all that you need to get you ready. If you’re close, maybe this is nerves and let me tell you, that won’t change. I’m nervous. I think that’s half the fun. I’m a crazy person. Haha. For some, maybe now isn’t the time. Maybe you’re not ready to work for yourself. Genuinely. Not nerves, not taking the leap, and not a tiny bit of planning and shuffling. For some of you, maybe there’s more to be done. Awesome! We like a challenge, and the best part about not ‘having’ to do this now is that you’ve got time.
Chill, my friend.
If you’re not generating the income and you’d just hoped it would come. Trust me, don’t do that to yourself. Have regular earnings/clients happening; it’ll save you a world of pressure when you go full-time working for yourself. I’ve seen many people who are new to this work for yourself life burn themselves out (quickly!) because they thought more time would immediately equal more money. That’s not always the case. Spend some time either building up your clients or your cash cushion before you leap.
That’s my advice. Take it or leave it. If your problem is that you don’t have all the information you need or you’re starting from scratch, seek out a mentor or business coach. Invest some of the money you have into working out a plan to count down to your business. Boxes to tick and ducks to get in a row. Having someone else support you and cheer you on in this process will mean you’re not right where you started in a year or two.
There we go team, phew. If you made it this far ten points for you! I hope that in some way this post has helped you make a decision (or provide some clarity) about if you are ready to work for yourself. I know you can do it. You can make this work. If I can clarify anything, let me know in the comments, via email or whatever. Taking this step with some of you guys along for the ride seems a little less daunting. Don’t you think?
It comes up in conversation more often than I can count. People wondering what IS IT exactly that I do? I have a blog, for sure. But that can’t earn me a living, right? (right! Haha). So with family Christmas card season just around the corner, I thought I’d make my Mum’s life (and yours) easier and just tell you.
Break it down bit by bit.
If you wanted how I make money specifically on the blog, I have a video about that. Pop over to my (poor, sad, lonely, neglected) YouTube channel to check it out. I do plan to make more videos, but you’ll see below, I’ve been busy so it’s been put on the back burner for a hot minute.
Kicking it off with Suger Coat It.
Right! Let’s kick it off where it all started with this blog. Suger Coat It was my first endeavour into the online world, digital marketing and list building after spending two years failing out of a Business degree. What can I say, I’m not a great student, and never have been. But I love to learn new things by myself from a book or the interwebs; so, I just figured it out.
I write this blog as often as possible and share to the NUMEROUS social media channels attached to it including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, YouTube and a neglected Tumblr and Google + page. Through Suger Coat It I generate income through sponsored posts, content creation (for brands not displayed on my social), digital product sales and ad.
Attached to this is the Suger + Ink podcast (we are re-branding!! Watch out for THAT) with Samara, formally of Blonde Ink. We have learned SO MUCH over the past three seasons of the show and I just love that it just gets better as we go along. Season Four is going to be epic, just two girls living their best 30-something lives.
Then there’s my new Instagram Suger Eats where I can share more of my food photography which has been so successful on Unsplash. I’ve always loved cooking and taking photos of food, something that has gone by the wayside a bit. As part of doing more stuff I love to create, Suger Eats was born. We’re so close to 100 followers and it’s as exciting as the first time I had an account hit that milestone. So cool.
And of course, there’s the Suger Coat It YouTube. As I mentioned above, about this time last year I was 100% in and making a video a week NO MATTER WHAT. It did awesome things for learning an entirely new and somewhat tricky medium (which hurts and I’ve bitched about THAT a lot). It also taught me how to build something from scratch instead of relying so heavily on the audience I do have here and on Facebook.
The Leave Home Blog.
While we’re talking about blogs, there’s also the little engine that could, The Leave Home Blog. My big idea that keeps plodding along with spurts of attention and drabs of forethought. I love this idea and have always referred to it as my big break waiting to happen. It’ll need some changes to bring it into 2018 for that to happen, but I have hope.
The consistency here has improved a lot since Charlotte started doing the majority of the work relating to the Leave Home Blog, especially its Instagram. The rest of the platforms are more automated, but we make (very little) money through sponsored posts and ad sales. The Leave Home Blog is currently funded by Suger Social, which brings me to, Suger Social.
The actual business business.
I registered the business name ‘Red Phone Business Services’ in 2010 as an umbrella to put all my social media, digital marketing, and at the time, copywriting, VA, and freelance services. This business operated in the background of numerous full-time and part-time jobs over the years. It bumped along sometimes making hobby money and sometimes being close to my full-time income.
About two years ago I decided that it needed to come under the Suger brand (invoicing for blog posts or content was confusing as a starting point). I wanted to call it Suger Media (taken!) and didn’t want to lock it into Suger Social Media (also, wordy). So I just went with Suger Social and locked that down throughout the internet.
Shortly after I brought on Charlotte who is our first ’employee’, followed closely by a book-keeper who was a godsend getting my invoicing and bank statement reconciliations under control. Plus, my accountant loves her, so that makes for an easy tax time. And I bought on a VA of sorts to help with the WordPress sites when we build them. I lay them out, set them up, and he fills them in.
Later this year, or next, I’d love to bring on a video editor (I have one locked in when I’m ready!) and more of a full-time assistant with strong admin skills and a drivers licence. Someone who can work more autonomously so we can continue to grow because I’m doing the ‘stuff’ I’m actually good at.
Because we’ve been growing, fast!
Suger Social currently runs the social media for seven businesses full-time from financial planning to fashion, recreation to accommodation. The team, which started as just me, but thankfully has grown have also created or assisted to execute marketing plans for numerous businesses in 2018 through consults and planning masterminds. There is nothing we don’t do really from hourly VA services to re-branding, marketing consultations and training. We also deliver workshops, build websites, some ads strategy and planning, and I’ve been trying my hand at more and more photography for specific social media use.
So, yeah. THAT’S what I do these days.
I’m not sure Mum is going to be able to fit that ALL in the Christmas newsletter, but it should make a nice change from Melissa does something on the internet and seems happy. Which, let’s face it, is the truth of it. Haha. Mum nailed it again.
Do you work online? Is explaining what you do something that happens regularly? I know I need more of an elevator pitch to summarise all this goodness, but do you have one? Give it to me below!
We’ve talked about this before but it really hit home for me today. One of the things I love most about working for myself is that there is really no one to tell me what to do. My favourite part of THAT is choosing who I want to work with. I know, for others in business, that makes them happy too. Even if it means you have to let one go, sometimes. Because, when you spend so much time doing your job, isn’t it best to spend time with people you actually like?
For me, that’s non-negotiable.
As the boys filled me in on their weekend (It was a wild one, apparently. Sorry I missed it.) I felt good. The stories made me laugh and the banter is something I choose not to live without. Then I got home and received messages from clients who are now friends. More stories, some responses, but lots of fun and friendship.
There’s something bonding about knowing the ins and outs of someone’s business; it brings you closer together. Not just that, but it’s bonding when you have a shared experience and business is like that. Maybe for you, it’s having kids the same age, or playing on the same Basketball team.
But it’s not just those people. It’s the ones that cross my inbox and the people who want to utilise the blog for some kind of promotion. I choose every single one that I allow into my life, now. I won’t work with brands that make unreasonable demands of me. I turn down more bad fits than I used to be offered in a year. Every step of the way I get to choose my partners in creating my business, and by extension my life.
I want to count on those around me.
Doing business is hard enough, surrounding yourself with great people is important. People who deliver when they say they will and appreciate what you do. And, importantly to me, aren’t afraid to say so. Who value their word and say what they mean and stand by that. It’s an entire thing. I might not always make good choices in business and in life, but when all is said and done, I know what I need and what makes me happy.
It’s like we were talking about on the Facebook Page last night; I’m creating my life. One piece at a time. And don’t you think that choosing the people you spend the majority of your time with is the perfect way to do that? I do. That and the cooking thing. I really need to cook more actual meals so I’m not living on crap. Oh, and procrastinating… I mean, I could do without that too.
So take a look around, who are the people YOU spend the most time with, are they adding to your life? Are they making it better in some way? Do they bring you joy? To rip off that organising lady. I hope they do. I hope even the ones that get on your nerves and let you down sometimes do.
When I asked for video ideas the other week, Vanessa asked for suggestions for getting new (or first) clients. Unfortunately, I haven’t had time to record anything, but I wrote this post in the process of making some notes about how. Bonus! Maybe after this month of daily blogging, I’m a blogger again. So, these are my tips and suggestions for finding your first client or your next client when you’re starting from scratch.
Ask for a referral
If you’re on a mission to find your next client, make sure you ask past and existing clients for a referral to friends or family. Offer an incentive like gift cards or other gifts that will make an effort worth their while. But this section is called ASK for a referral because you need to have that conversation.
‘Hey such and such, I’ve got some space coming up that I’m looking to fill. Do you know anyone looking for a [insert product/service here]??
Starting out and don’t have anyone to act as a referee? Then, ask family and friends to do it. Take some time to talk to your family and friends about your work. Show them and make sure they know what you do exactly, then send them on their way. My family are my biggest referrers of work for my business; friends are a close second.
Facebook Groups
We have all been members of those groups where week after week, the same question is asked about how to do something, someone looking for a particular service, etc. As frustrating as this can be as a Facebook user scrolling the interwebs.
And no, I don’t mean jumping in and shouting ME, I CAN DO THAT, in every conversation. It’s about being helpful, useful and valuable in those communities so that people remember you when they want someone that does the work you do. A word of caution though, before you dive right into any new Facebook group, make sure you’ve read the rules set by the group Admins. It will undo all your hard work if you put your foot in it over something that had been clearly outlined.
Do what you do best
If you’re a writer, write a blog. If you’re a photographer, start a killer Instagram account. Do what you do best and use it as a platform to let people know that you are for hire. The entire website portion of my business came from people who knew I built and decorated my blog. A strong portfolio of your chosen work is essential in proving to people that you are capable of doing the task. So do what you do best and start creating things while you wait.
Targeted Ads
You know I have a thing for Facebook and Instagram Ads, and when you find the sweet spot, you can drive a lot of inquiries your way. I can hear the chorus now, Facebook Ads don’t work for me, we tried it once, and it just cost us money with no return.
Awesome. Here’s the thing. Once (heck, ten times) isn’t enough.
Start by getting clear on what your product or service REALLY offers the client. Not just what it does but the outcome they can expect. From there, you craft ads that are targeted and appeal to that customer in that way. Which is, of course, easier said than done.
I find many people give up on this work or don’t spend the time they need to get something to work. When working with ads, you must keep tweaking and reviewing each piece of copy and each piece of content (image or video) until you find the one that WORKS. Get some money behind that, and start looking for the next one. Because nothing works forever, and sooner or later, you’ll need the next best performing thing.
Job Boards, Fiver etc
It might not be glamorous, but sometimes what works is setting up accounts on job boards, gumtree, Facebook Marketplace or Fiver and seeing what business you can drum up. Sure working on Fiver can be a tough slog for not a lot of money, but if you’re building a portfolio of work, you have to start somewhere. Set fair rates, promote yourself when the chance arises, and practice pitching your services and negotiating getting paid.
And bonus for those of us in social media or content creation.
Be a practitioner of the work. Operate on all the social media channels, try things and test them out. Get amongst it, so when the time comes for someone to hire you, you’re ready and raring to go. Just because you’ve hit a dry spell (or are just starting) doesn’t mean that you should let your skills get stale. In fact, that will be the death of you.
Planning a creative business photo shoot? Great! This is probably one of my favourite topics to talk about in business and easily my favourite thing to do. Making sure I have a collection of images I can tap into that are personal and filled with brand personality. That resource of creative business images is essential to managing my social media presence day in and day out.
Planning a creative business photo shoot will ensure your brand, blog or business has everything it needs to make waves on social media. All tied in a neatly branded bow. But planning it, executing it and getting to the stage where you have the images to use can be problematic. That’s where this video comes in.
In this video, I’m sharing my tips for planning your next photo shoot including;
Choosing the colours, brand story, location
Hiring a choosing a photographer, developing a relationship, doing the deal and knowing the terms
How to get comfortable in front of the camera
How to make image selections at the end
Why a business photo shoot?
I’ve used creative business photo shoots for a number of years now (see above). I love the evergreen content it creates for my businesses. I have at my disposal an archive of great images I can pull out when I need to inject a little more personality into the blog or social media. Despite numerous hair colour changes along the way (whoops), I have been able to use them year after year.
Having an archive of images improves your brand, blog or business’s overall branding. Go back to the images above and you can see the ‘brand story’ run through the photos. The black, white, blue, grey theme is there. Sometimes subtly and sometimes through obvious clothing and location choices. Consider that as you plan your clothing, prop and location choices.
Consider how much easier it would be to make your website look awesome or roll out content on your social media with these images in your pocket? That part of what you want to plan before your business photo shoot, what EXACTLY are you looking for? Are they all action shots, or are there some posed? Will you use flat lays and product shoots? Use that Pinterest board and plan out the types of images you want beforehand.
What others say.
Nikki from Styling You says in her post 13 tips for professional business photos (another good one, if you’re looking for tips). This post was the reason I started booking this kind of business photo shoot. For a long time, Kel and I had taken all my photos and they were never quite what I was looking for. With Nikki’s tips in hand, I decided to plan my own shoot. I’ve never looked back.
“Having a set of current photos available at the ready to distribute to media, event organisers and for use on your own social media networks helps you to present an image of your business that is true to you and what you represent. Basically, having headshots and creative photos of you ‘doing business’ makes you look more professional.”
Deb from Debbish used a recent milestone birthday as an excuse to have a personal photo shoot. The images from this shoot could easily be used as part of her professional portfolio as a book writer and reviewer, should she need them. She used a local photographer looking to develop her portfolio and the results are amazing.
“I’d previously contacted a local photographer, Jessica Gunn Photographer as I’d initially planned to get some new headshots done for the blog (and Linked In etc) before the Romance Writers’ Conference in August… but it just didn’t happen. Jess was recommended by a friend and I’d looked at her work and thought we’d be a good fit.”
If you have questions, make sure you leave them in the comments here or on YouTube. It loves that kind of thing. Now, on to the good stuff. Below is the PDF download of the important things to plan/book when putting together your creative business photo shoot. No sign up required, go nuts.
Your WordPress questions answered!? Yaaas. Who’s ready for this? It can’t just be me. Gayel here from Made Neat; if there is one topic I love chatting about, it’s WordPress. I can and will take an afternoon out with friends, sipping margaritas, to a conversation about their Google Analytics and websites.
It’s one heck of a party trick.
To suggest I can be a geek at times is a mild statement but it is all for the greater good. And hey, I work for a pretty cool digital agency these days. That makes it all ok. Probably.
What I find interesting about many people who own websites, is that they don’t realise how many elements go into establishing and maintaining a great home on the internet. They overlook tasks and practices that could be implemented to achieve great performance, SEO, traffic and conversions. Things they could be doing themselves, but usually aren’t.
Things that the professionals just do by default.
With that in mind, I thought for my very first post on the new look Suger Coat It, I would touch on these topics. It’s my WordPress Questions Answered, big fat 2018 tip of the day all in one. And maybe down the track, Suger will let me back to expand on them if you have questions. So make sure you leave them in the comments and we’ll go from there.
Your WordPress questions answered.
Using Themes … because they always look pretty straight out of the box.
For many people, choosing to run a theme over a bespoke WordPress website comes back to the budget. There are so many themes on the market it is easy to grab the first one-off the shelf and request your website designer customise it. Careful with this route. It can prove problematic.
Careful consideration needs to be given to using themes, the big one is page speed. Often many plugins are required for the theme to run on your sire which inevitably slows down your page speed. Poor customisation of these themes can also mean that the site lacks branding and a unique look each website deserves.
Work with your designer to find a theme or follow their recommendation for one that they know works. If you’re installing yourself, make sure you read reviews {scroll past the five stars and look for three or four stars to get the real version}. Sometimes it’s best to stick with a theme developer recommended by a friend.
What do you mean page speed? My website loads … eventually.
The speed in which your page loads isn’t just something that provides for great user experience. That said, nobody likes to wait for anything to load these days, keep that in mind. Page speed will impact your Google ranking and score for usability. If your selling products or services via your website, it’s pretty much a death sentence.
There are a few factors that come into play with a websites page speed, the big ones are :
As previously mentioned in page speed, running too many plugins on your site will slow it down and risk problems with incompatibilities. Suger, I’m looking at you and your love of all things plugins here. Keep things really simple for yourself and only run the bare minimum of plugins.
The essential plugins we recommend as a digital agency include :
YOAST SEO
Gravity Forms
WP Fastest Cache
The trick is to only use what you need and delete any that could be running or are redundant. And I mean everything. If you’re not actively using it. Disable it, test it didn’t break anything important by refreshing your webpage and remove it. You can always reinstall it later if you change your mind.
We know that running only necessary plugins on a themed site can be difficult. Often developers will use plugins to deliver items that someone building a Bespoke website will code in. It’s finding that middle ground between what your budget allows, how you want your site to look and the page speed. Walk that line, you’ll find your happy place.
Google Analytics … you mean stalking my site visitors to see where they live right?
Having Google Analytics running on your website is essential. Especially for anyone that needs to maintain excellent Google ranking. Keeping an eye on your Google Analytics ensures your website is running as best as it can be and growth can be tracked. That doesn’t only mean looking at your site demographics, other important indicators include your site’s bounce rate, acquisition and site speed {that guy again}.
Google Analytics tracking code can be easily added by yourself or preferred developer if you don’t already have it on your site. See how you go with this tutorial from Google as a starting point to install on your website. If you pay close attention to what it’s asking you should get through it in no time.
HTTPS … Do I really need a security certificate?
If ranking in Google is important to you, then ensuring that you have an SSL certificate running is essential. I’ve said that before, but there are a few key things Google views as important and this is one of them. Google now gives preference to sites that are https {secure} over those that aren’t. It’s about the user experience, they want to make sure the users they are sending to your site are safe there. Contact your host for an SSL Certificate. They should also be able to assist you in getting it up and running on your website.
Gutenberg … Excuse me, say what now?
Over the coming months, WordPress will release its own version of a page builder called Gutenberg. In the WordPress development community, we are waiting with excitement to find out exactly how this will change the environment we work in. For the everyday WordPress user, this means no longer needing to use a page builder plugin that can be tricky and heavy on page speeds.
Suger uses Divi on her blog {editor: plug} and it uses a thing called Page Builder. But this WordPress native development meant that you can get that ease of use without having to be on a certain theme from a certain developer for it to work efficiently. Watch this space, this is exciting news for those who DIY their website.
Gutenberg, or a Page Builder, will mean having more control over how your website pages look. This could be a great thing for you or it could just be one more section of WordPress that makes no sense. It all depends on how good you are at design and user experience. Which in the end, as experts, is why people will always need Developers like us. Job security, phew.
And lastly… my top tip for 2018 – A Great Digital Content Strategy
I’m hoping that this post has helped get your burning WordPress questions answered. It can be daunting to someone new to get started. I hope I’ve helped! But the final tip I wanted to share is about creating a great digital content strategy. Sure, you can pay to get to the top of Google, but that isn’t necessary. When you have a great digital content strategy you can place your business website there in an authentic and organic way.
Utilising content as an SEO strategy is by far my top tip for 2018. Honestly, it is one of the easiest ones to deploy on a WordPress site. Create great content by being helpful, solving problems with evergreen content. Make a list now of the questions your customers or clients always ask and start answering them.
Alongside that incorporate updates in your industry, the clients you are working with through profiles and/or links and happenings in your business. This style of content {the personal, getting to know you stuff} will always win you results. People like you to be a person on the internet. Especially on social media. And personally, I think is a far better way, way more fun, easy to generate week after week way to outrank your competitors than coughing up the dollars.
{editors note: Want to hear more about this? I have a BUMPER post coming talking about creating a digital content or social media plan for your business. Watch this space}.
And that’s it! Phew. Your WordPress questions answered over and out. Got more? Leave them in the comments and between Suger and I and we’ll get back to you. After all interactions like that are good for your linked website and this one. Did you know that?
