Today I learned about more forms of writing to earn money. Backlinks are essentially links from a website that take you to another website and help build the reputation of that website. SEO stands for search engine optimization and backlinks are integral to getting your website on the first search result, for example. Writers can earn money through this by producing content that is valuable enough to get backlinks. Technical writing is another form of writing that mainly communicates technical and occupational writing. It is best for people who enjoy working with others and want to have their information accurate. Transcription is writing the audio of a script as you hear it, although it only pays by audio hour and not the actual hours you work (one audio hour is about 3-6 hours) so it is important to keep that in mind. I also looked into the intro to video editing and web development and found out that video editing is in demand, but requires a steep learning curve, and web development has many different roles to offer but is a very solitary job.
Today I learned about how authors make money through their books, and several other ways to earn money through your writing. Self-publishing has become increasingly more popular than traditional publishing as authors get to earn more of the revenue and there are more resources to handle it yourself. One way of earning money through writing is copywriting, which is persuasive writing used for marketing or advertising. This is different from content writing since copywriting is meant to advertise the brand and define a call-of-action for people to invest in whatever they are trying to promote. Another is blogging, which can be done on just about anything as long as it is interesting and informational content. Most blogs are on a website, but not every website is a blog. This type of job can pay the author by how many pageviews they receive. If the author does not have a large following, then another way to help is guest blogging. Through this method, the author gains more publicity by gaining the attention of a more popular blogger's readers, and the blogger receives their useful content in return. Speaking of, it is important that you do not only make it about yourself when pitching to do a guest blog! Blogging is hard to break into, but it does have the potential to make a lot of money. There is also ghostwriting in which you get paid to write for other people. Though you are not credited for the content, there are services like Textbroker that specifically seek out ghostwriters.
Today I learned more about selling art online and also took a delve into the world of publishing. I learned different strategies to increase engagement on social media like Instagram and Pinterest to bring more traction to your art like setting a headline, focusing on a niche, engaging with your audience, utilizing polls and other features, and being consistent. This was helpful since I still have a small following on social media and didn't look much into garnering an audience and with it, customers. I also learned about the differences between self-publishing (or indie publishing) and traditional publishing in writing careers. Self-publishing usually allows the writer to keep more of the profits, but it can be harder to reach an audience and some people look down upon it. Meanwhile, traditional publishing make it much easier for you to get your name out there, but they do take a lot of money for that.
Today I learned a lot of helpful advice about selling art online. Selling art has become easier than ever with online marketplaces like Etsy, Shopify, Redbubble, and more, and since I have a personal interest in this topic, it really appealed to me. Some tips were to build an audience by fulfilling a certain niche, start whenever because there is no clear point in which your art becomes good enough to sell, and to show personality in your art and social media. Social media is key to building an audience and it is best to stick to one or two platforms to not burn yourself out. If you're on Etsy, once you have established an audience, it's best to have your own shop on a website like Shopify or Bigcartel to avoid the fees. Of course, building an audience takes time, and it can take years to reach a solid audience. There is so much to the world of selling art online, and it inspires me to see these people doing what they love.
Today I learned about more ways to garner profit, leadership styles and how to fire employees, and selling digital goods. Brevity is a great way to earn more money by keeping things short so you don't lose a customer through all the fluff and nonsense. Another strategy as a customer is to bluff if you absolutely need an object in order to gain the upper hand as the person who can walk away. For leadership styles, there's the good cop and bad cop, but it's important to stay consistent on which one you are. For emotional stability, it is better to stay in one role than to flip-flop between them. If an employee is slacking as a good cop, you should remind what is expected of them. Laying off, terminating, and firing employees mean different things, but all end with the employee leaving the job. To terminate an employee, always have at least one other person in the room and have them be in an area where they can't damage a lot of property. I also learned about the market for digital goods and how you can sell them. For example, I never knew the market for 3D printed objects or laser cut objects was so big. This inspired me to write my own executive summary.
Today I learned about business startups, the term MVPs, and getting sales. For startups, it is very important to know where you're getting your money from since it is a bad idea to put it all on a credit card, and out of pocket is inaccessible for those who are not wealthy. Renting commercial property is one aspect that has many details people overlook such as location, noise, lighting, etc. Next, to obtain funding you should make a budget of expenses and usually funds are sourced by angel investors and for wealthier companies, venture capitalists. It is also important to pay attention profit margins so you don't lose money. Next, the term MVPs stands for Minimally Viable Product which is basically the product with all the features needed to be functionable and buyable for customers. Sellers should listen to feedback at this stage before adding any new features or launching more products to understand what the consumers want. Finally, for getting sales, you should be able to connect with the client to build a meaningful bond so they become invested in you, and not speak too much in risk of accidentally revealing something.
Today I learned about partnership, how to create an executive summary, and the importance of branding in business. For a business, it is important to have people to supply the things that you do not have or are not good at, which is where partnership comes into play. This can also be achieved with a co-founder. In order for the business to be recognized, though, you have to register it which can come in many options such as sole proptetior, LLC, nonprofit, and more. An executive summary is also crucial for a business as it is a more streamlined version of a business plan that informs the reader about the company and what they do and plan to achieve. These should be quick and no more than two pages. Finally, business branding comes in many forms, but it should be recognizable and say something about your brand. For example, a slogan should be catchy and memorable and resonate with your mission, which is another type of branding - mission statements describe what makes your brand stand out from the others and your goals. A logo is a visual representation of your brand that can be designed in bunch of different ways, but it all depends on what represents your company the best.
Today I learned about profit models, identifying your customer and market, and exit strategies. There are different types of profit models that can be suitable for a business depending on what they offer; some models include production, rental, advertising, and many more. Businesses can utilize different types of profit models in order to grow their empire. Customers are integral to a business, so knowing your customer and market is critical. If you are planning to market towards a certain niche, it is best to stick to that. Here, the value proposition of your brand also matters and how you advertise it, meaning that you have to tell consumers what exactly it is that gives value to what you are selling, whether it be happiness or solutions. In this case, looking at the competition on the market helps you figure out how you should be pricing your products, allows you to identify a gap in the market that you can fulfill, and more. Finally, exit strategies are a way to let go of your business with the least investment and money lost possible. The most popular strategy is acquisition of another company but this usually means giving up rights to the brand as well, so it depends on what the entrepeneur wants.
Today I learned about the typical life in the day of an entrepeneur and business models. For entrepeneurs, a typical day varies of course but a lot of it is spent in meetings, reading emails, communicating with business partners, and more. The lifestyle is not easy, but it is rewarding if one wants to have freedom in their daily routine and be their own boss. Then, I learned about business models in entrepeneurship. For a business to succeed, it has to either provide happiness to the customer or solve a problem for them, and without either of these, it will most definitely fail. A startup in a business is important since it is when you plan out what it is you're going to provide and create what's known as an executive summary. It is also better to fail earlier in this process than later to cut your losses, so it is important to figure out whether your startup will succeed or not. A team is always better than a person of one running a company, and finding good partners does not necessarily mean your best friend or people you enjoy working with, but also somebody who can provide value to your team. There are different areas of the business model that an entrepeneur can focus on to make their business flourish which can include the customer relationship, delivery, and more. In order to conceive a new business idea, a person must keep in mind which area they want to target . One especially important piece of advice from all of this is to share your ideas - it is critical to share them in order to gain valuable feedback and if somebody can steal your idea with just you telling it to them, it was never a good idea in the first place.
Today I learned about the fundamentals of entrepeneurship, including what it is, how to get started and advice, common myths, and how to be an effective speaker. An entrepeneur is someone who creates a business of their own, though it does not necessarily have to be on their own and usually requires some sort of team. Some valuable advice from other entrepeneurs is to embrace the doubt that comes with the journey, don't be afraid to jumpstart new things, and to trust yourself and make mistakes since they will come naturally. The talk on how to effectively communicate to an audience and be a good speaker was especially enlightening as it taught me what to do - for example, to repeat your point three times, build a fence around your idea (to differentiate it), have graphics to accompany your presentation, and more. Starting your talk with a promise, for example, is key, and ending it with a joke or salute, but not a thank you is preferrable. The tips on what not to do were also important as I have also personally seen them many times in my life - leave some air on your slides and don't make them too heavy, aka don't use too many words or distracting elements, don't use a pointer whether it be physical or laser, and have your slides accompany you and not the other way around. All the things I learned today were very useful and I will definitely try to apply them in the future.
Today I learned about productivity tips, mentoring and the jet setter lifestyle that also allows a person to make money while doing what they love. I learned about different ways to increase productivity and one thing that stuck out to me was the importance of setting deadlines since humans will typically never get a task done if it doesn't have a deadline. I also learned about different tools for organization like the Kanban board that visually helps you get tasks done. For mentoring, I learned it is important to find somebody that you can offer something back to whether it be your skills or knowledge, and to have a purpose when you're seeking a mentor. I've known about the jet setter lifestyle but it surprised me how someone can actually travel the world with little money. Some ways to support this is by saving money whenever you can, using a travel credit card, staying at places that are free-of-charge and/or ask for your volunteer work in return, and finding hustles whenever you can in different places. I also learned the importance of building a brand and having patience in doing so, as not everything will come quickly and it is better to invest than to engage in quick cash.
Today I learned about the steps to succeed after landing a remote job. I learned about what onboarding is, which is what new employees go through after being hired like being assigned a buddy, and how company culture can be maintained in a remote environment through small talk and constant communication with co-workers. I also learned about the advantages of going paperless and how job loyalty is generally beneficial to the employer and not to the employee. In the next unit, I started to learn financial tips and tricks to make the best out of your time and money. Some of the tips were to separate necessities and luxuries, make a budget sheet, cut down on wasteful and unnecessary purchases, and more. I also learned terms such as liquidity and how to invest money for the future.
Today at Techie Youth, I learned about remote work opportunities and the pros and cons of working from home. It is of course a benefit to be able to set your own hours and work whenever you'd like, but this can also be a drawback if you're not someone who is good at scheduling their time wisely; you could end up working too much and burning yourself out. A lot of jobs are also hybrid meaning they combine remote work and in-person work, so if you want a completely remote job, you must search for that. I also learned about the job application process and how to present yourself in order to get the job. Being professional, active listening, and being prepared are just one of many things that are essential in this process. One interesting thing that stood out to me is the negotiating process and how you can have it be in your favor. The advice was along the lines of "never say a number first, though at the end of the day, the power is in the person who has the cash." I'll definitely keep this mind and use it to identify if I'm being taken advantage of, how to not sell myself short, and become better at asking for what I want.