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Author: Rajan Malla

  • From Unemployed To Self-Employed: How To Make Money As A Freelance Writer

    From Unemployed To Self-Employed: How To Make Money As A Freelance Writer

    It’s a tough time to be creative. Unemployment skyrocketed in the creative sector during the coronavirus pandemic. While pandemic relief programs extended a lifeline to unemployed writers and authors, those benefits have ended while the creative economy is still rebuilding.

    What can you do if you’re still unemployed and searching for the right opportunity? You could walk dogs, drive for Uber, or pick up any number of gigs, but there’s a more lucrative way to use your time and talents. Becoming a self-employed writer keeps your skills fresh and your resumé current while between jobs.

    how to make money as a freelance writer

    Laying the groundwork for self-employment

    Whether you’re working in the gig economy or starting a freelance business, there are certain things to know before striking out as a self-employed writer.

    Cash flow can be inconsistent

    Self-employment income ebbs and flows. Unfortunately, your bills don’t. Budgeting and building an emergency fund is more important than ever when you don’t have guaranteed income. Try a budgeting tool that lets you track expenses by category and watch your progress towards savings goals.

    You need to pay quarterly taxes

    Unlike W-2 employees, self-employed workers don’t have taxes deducted from their paycheck. You’re responsible for tracking earnings and paying quarterly estimated taxes if you’ll owe $1,000 or more in tax.

    Insurance is a must

    Writing is unlikely to cause personal injury or property damage, but there are other risks to worry about as a self-employed writer. Professional liability insurance protects against lawsuits related to copyright infringement, defamation, libel, and errors and omissions. It also makes you a more attractive hire for clients concerned with their own risk profile.

    Creating a portfolio

    Help yourself find job opportunities by creating a stellar portfolio, which will include sharing your best work with prospective employers. You can conveniently share your writing samples in one file by using an online merging tool to combine PDFs. Once all your samples are in one PDF, you can order them as you see fit.

    8 ways to make money as a self-employed writer

    What are the most lucrative ways to put your writing skills to work? Here are eight ways writers can jumpstart their income while between jobs.

    Self-publish on Amazon

    Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing system has made self-publishing easier and more accessible than ever. Of course, simply publishing an ebook doesn’t guarantee it sells. Research your book idea to see if it has traction on Amazon and invest in a great cover design and book description. When your e-book is complete, map out a launch plan to promote your work.

    Pitch guests posts to blogs

    Websites are hungry for content and willing to pay for high-quality blog posts in their niche. By selling guest blog posts, you meet this demand while building your own following as well. The most successful guest posters target blogs in their niche with an engaged readership. Look for blogs with a high volume of comments and social sharing and pitch posts that align with the site’s brand voice. If you have something you’re passionate about, you could even launch your own blog!

    Join a content platform

    You won’t earn as much writing for content platforms like Contently and Textbroker as you would as an independent writer, but you do avoid a lot of the legwork that goes into finding writing jobs. That makes content writing services a good solution when you’re juggling a side hustle on top of parenting, school, or other responsibilities.

    Become a copywriter

    If long-form content isn’t your style, copywriting is a reliable way to pay the bills for writers with a marketing background. Most copywriters specialize in a particular type of copy, such as advertising copy, product copy, social media copy, or email marketing copy. While you don’t necessarily need the experience to break into copywriting, a portfolio is a must for landing jobs. You can build a portfolio with spec work if you don’t have copywriting experience.

    Find freelance jobs online

    Writers can also compete for assignments on freelance job boards like FlexJobs, Upwork, and Guru. Clients on these sites are looking for technical writers, editors, PR experts, white paper authors, and other specialized writing services. However, freelance platforms do charge fees to users so you’ll need to adjust your rates accordingly.

    Offer ghostwriting services

    Do you know someone with a great story who needs help getting it on paper? Authors with established reputations can earn good money ghostwriting. Tap your network to see if old clients are sitting on a potential project. You’ll have the most success as an up-and-coming ghostwriter if you position yourself as an expert in a particular niche.

    Host writing workshops online

    Hosting workshops is another way writers can leverage their following. Writers can sell pre-recorded courses or livestream instructor-led workshops covering a wide range of writing topics. The most successful writing courses include multiple sessions and opportunities for feedback.

    Sell subscriptions

    No, I’m not talking about magazines. Subscription marketing takes one-off sales and turns them into a recurring income stream. Paid newsletters, short story subscriptions, and fee-based membership sites are three ways writers can earn money with subscriptions.

    No one wants to find themselves out of a job and out of cash. But when you’re a writer, temporary unemployment is no reason to panic. Experienced writers are in high demand and you can earn good money for your skills on the freelance marketplace. Who knows — it might even be the start of a flourishing career as a self-employed writer.

  • Tips From Successful Small Business Owners

    Tips From Successful Small Business Owners

    Small business owners have a lot of responsibilities on their shoulders, from making sure daily operations run smoothly to taking care of their employees, and it takes some careful planning to ensure success with it all. That’s where a solid set of practices comes in because it takes a lot of time and energy to stay focused on a quality product or service while also ensuring that the business as a whole runs like a well-oiled machine.

    While some of these practices are generalized for any company, there are a few things you can do that are more tailored to your specific business and employees. Look for online resources for inspiration and ideas, such as Work Money Fun, a lifestyle blog that covers multiple topics. Then think about ways you can take action and make your business the best it can be.

    successful small business owners

    Small Business Owners Should Use These Applications Toward Success

    Make sure you have the right business structure

    Your business structure plays a big role in the way you pay taxes and can offer you a measure of protection against liability issues, so it’s important to consider the right one for your needs. Forming an LLC means you can avoid double taxation while ensuring less paperwork than a corporation would have, and it gives you a structure that clearly spells out all the ownership terms for your business. There are several steps involved in forming an LLC, so read up on the rules and make sure you understand them before you get started. Once you’re familiar with the requirements, you can speed up the formation process with Zenbusiness, an online service that offers support to your business throughout.

    Organize and prioritize

    Once you have your business structure laid out, you can focus on getting the rest of your company organized. This might include delegating certain jobs to specific employees, such as social media management or customer support. It can also include going paperless and digitizing your invoices and receipts, setting up meetings to plan for sales or big events, or physically improving your workstations by updating technology and adding organizational tools. Planning two or three months ahead of time can help you prioritize projects and tasks and will ensure that everyone is on the same page.

    Give yourself the right tools

    While you’re getting organized, it’s important to think about the kinds of tools your business needs and how to implement them. CRM tools, accounting software, time tracking, and productivity management apps, and payment system upgrades are all great ways to keep your business on track, and many of them are either free or low-cost. These tools make it easier to stay in touch with your customers and provide them with quality service, and they’ll also help you and your employees communicate with each other more effectively.

    This is also a good time to think about your marketing tools and how to connect with both existing and potential customers online and in person. Utilizing social media for sharing posts and ads is a major benefit, but you can use old-fashioned marketing methods–like billboards, flyers, and postcards–to bring attention to your business without breaking the bank.

    Be responsive

    When it comes to staying in touch with your customers, it’s a crucial practice to make sure you’re responsive to their needs in a timely manner. Offering a chat option on your website as well as your email address and phone number will give them a way to get in touch immediately; you can also consider having an app created for your business that works in harmony with your website and allows customers an easy way to find what they need even when they’re on the go.

    Give your employees what they need to succeed

    Sometimes, the best business practices aren’t just about what you can do for your customers; it’s also important to think about how you can make your employees feel supported so they can meet their own goals. You might start by offering paid time off or sick leave, financial assistance with tuition, health insurance, or childcare, or a work environment that helps them reduce stress. Create various forms of communication–such as private messaging, group messaging, and one-on-one meetings–so that everyone on your team can share ideas or solutions amongst themselves and with you. Making your employees feel valued is the best way to ensure that they stick with your business and give their job 100%.

    Give yourself permission

    Just as it’s important to take care of your employees, it’s crucial to make sure your mental and physical health is in good shape. Give yourself permission to say no, to wait until tomorrow to take care of a business issue, to take a day off. Running a business is a huge job, and if you don’t set some boundaries you face burnout, which in turn affects your ability to stay on top of things. If time management is a problem, look for helpful apps that will help you get through the day without feeling like you’ve left a dozen tasks unfinished.

    Protect your business

    You work hard every day to build your business into a success, so why put it in danger by ignoring things like cybersecurity? Create a multilevel approach to protecting your business by coming up with a training program for all employees that teaches them how to avoid scams, handle fraud, and keep passwords and emails secure. Invest in a payment system that offers secure transactions so your customers never have to worry about having their info exposed. Look for cybersecurity software that keeps your data safe and blocks malware and other online threats throughout the year so you aren’t faced with a costly surprise down the road.

    The best actions to take to ensure a successful business will vary according to the city you’re in, how many employees you have, what your budget is, and what your goals are, and they’ll change depending on the year. Take a few minutes each month to sit down and plan for the coming weeks so you’ll always have peace of mind about what comes next.

  • Discount Travel Savings Membership Giveaway

    Discount Travel Savings Membership Giveaway

    Do you travel a lot? Here is a giveaway for a chance to win travel savings membership.

     

    Welcome to the Hotels Etc Travel Savings Membership Giveaway

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    Sponsored by:
    Hotels Etc.

     

    ~ 1 Winner ~
    Open to the US
    Ends 11/02-11:59pm
     

    ~Prize~
    One winner will receive a Hotels Etc. Membership ($299 value) 
    That means unlimited access for 365 days and access to over 2.5 million discounts.
     

    Thank you, Hotels Etc. for sponsoring this awesome giveaway!!
    Don’t want to wait for the giveaway to end?
      Check out Hotels Etc. Now For Travel Savings! 
     
    Check out our sponsors on their website and social channels.
     
     
    Thank you to all of the bloggers promoting this giveaway! I appreciate all of you for your hard work and for helping our readers get really awesome prizes!

     

    Now for the fun stuff. This giveaway is open to US, 48-contiguous states only. There are daily bonus entries so please check back tomorrow. Share it with your family and friends, they’ll want to enter to win too!!

    a Rafflecopter giveaway

    If you have any questions about this giveaway,  reviews, or any of our other giveaways, please feel free to email us directly at grovesamy81@gmail.com.

     Disclosure: Work Money Fun, Amy & Aron’s Real Life Reviews and all participating bloggers are not held responsible for sponsors who do not fulfill their prize obligations. This giveaway is in no way endorsed or sponsored by Facebook or any other social media site. The winner will be randomly drawn by Rafflecopter and will be notified by email. The winner has 24 hours to claim the travel savings membership prize before a replacement winner will be drawn. If you would like to participate in an event like this, please contact Amy Groves at grovesamy81@gmail.com
  • How To Encourage Curiosity And Raise A Smart Kid

    How To Encourage Curiosity And Raise A Smart Kid

    How to raise a smart kid? Proven methods to fuel your child’s curiosity to encourage them to learn new things and become smarter.

    What parent doesn’t want their kid to be sharp, do well in school, and excel in extra-curricular activities? A child is always curious and can be molded depending on what we teach them. Raising a successful child should not be all about preaching. Instead, it should be a fun, joyous process where you guide them to discover what they’re good at.

    raise a smart kid

    Tips to raise a smart kid

    Here are 7 things you should be doing to raise a smart, well-rounded kid while keeping the fun intact:

    1. Generate interest in the world around you

    Children are naturally curious and want to know about everything around them – How do pigeons fly, why does the star blink, when does it rain? Childhood years are the most critical years when a kid’s learning ability is at its peak. Attend to all their questions with patience and model your own curiosity in front of them to make it fun.

    2. Build on your child’s innate interests

    Kids develop inquisitiveness as they grow up. As parents, we must identify and support it by helping them learn all that they want. If they are obsessing over dinosaurs, maybe you make them curious about how dinosaurs looked or when they existed by taking them to a dinosaur theme park.

    3. Encourage asking questions to spark critical thinking

    Raising a kid comes with the task of answering a lot of questions. While it can be exhausting sometimes, the fact is that’s how children learn – by asking questions. Instead of teaching them fixed answers, encourage them to ask questions like ‘Why?’, ‘How?’, ‘What if?’. This method of asking questions and answering questions sparks critical thinking, which is essential to raise successful kids.

    Didn’t we want to know it all when we were growing up?

    4. Choose the library to encourage reading

    Every day is a good day to read a book! Give your child access to the world of books by visiting your local library. Reading imparts knowledge which is key to raising a smart kid. Let your child travel into his own fantasy world by choosing a book that interests him. Observe how he satisfies his curiosities and becomes better at grasping things by developing the habit of reading.

    5. Share your passion with your kid

    Talk to your child about things you’ve learned that still fascinate you, for example, any sport, science or cars. If you come across a fascinating documentary or a story, share it with your kid in simple words about how it sparked your curiosity. You will see your kid intrigued. Plus, you will also be sending the message that learning is fun and a lifelong process.

    6. Let kids be kids

    Our children are new to the world and hence slow at learning things. Also, every kid learns at their own pace. Don’t let your stress of raising a successful kid fall on them. Remember, ‘All work and no play make Jack a dull boy!’ So, let them be, let them discover their path on their own. Unstructured play – a set of activities that enables children to think independently without adult intervention – is a great way to nurture a child’s curiosity.

    7. Enjoy the process without worrying about the outcome

    When raising a child, it is easy to fall into the parental trap of focusing too much on your child’s future rather than enjoying the childhood days of learning. These are the days when a child can learn care freely so that you can worry about his grades and achievements later. Foster a learning environment and focus on your kid’s interests while learning with them.

    While there is no foolproof parenting method to raise successful kids, these tips will help you encourage your child to learn and grow. Every child is different, and as a parent, it is our duty to acknowledge it, support them to become smarter kids.

    samidha raj

    Guest Author

    Samidha Raj works as part of the content marketing team at PlanetSpark, a platform that provides online classes to K8 learners on “New Age Skills” like English Communication, Public Speaking, Grammar, Creative Writing, Debating, etc. She is passionate about empowering the youth by educating parents about the importance of 21st-century skills. In her free time, you can find her watching documentaries or animated movies and organizing game nights (board games are her thing)!

    • What Are NFTs In Crypto And Should You Buy One?

      What Are NFTs In Crypto And Should You Buy One?

      NFTs or non-fungible tokens have suddenly become a hot item in art, sports, and marketing. You can even buy NFTs for digital tacos from Taco Bell!

      Some wonder if they are just a fad. Will they come and go like pet rocks? Or are they here to stay?

      What Are Non-Fungible Tokens?

      Today, we hear about non-fungible tokens (NFTs) in everything including digital art, music, sports, collectibles, and even online tweets. You do not hold non-fungible tokens in your hands, you don’t put them on a mantle or shelf, and you don’t put them on your wall.

      An NFT is a unique or one-of-a-kind digital asset that exists online and is recorded in a digital ledger known as a blockchain. They have a distinct value and come with a certificate of authenticity. Even though they are online, they cannot be duplicated.

      Another word for fungible is interchangeable. Stocks are fungible. It doesn’t matter if Bill Gates once owned that share of Microsoft stock that you now own. They are the same share of Microsoft stock. Another way to explain it is you can exchange a $10 bill for another $10 bill, but you cannot replace the Mona Lisa. The former is fungible and the latter is non-fungible.

      Any one-of-a-kind item is, by definition, non-fungible. As such, NFTs come with unique identification codes and metadata held on the blockchain that distinguishes them from each other. Since each NFT is unique and, in some cases, highly sought after, it can rise in value over time, just like an art piece could.

      Buying an NFT is similar to buying an original piece of art, rather than a print. Anyone can own a print, but only one person can own the original. The creator of the original usually has copyright or reproduction rights, but the NFT is the original creation.

      What are NFTs in crypto

      The Digital Blockchain

      You’ve probably heard of Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies by now. Cryptocurrencies are a digital form of currency that some businesses will accept as payment, depending on the coin. But like an NFT, bitcoins are not held in your hand.

      Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum are stored in a digital wallet on an app, a desktop computer, or completely offline. All relevant information about the cryptocurrency is kept on a blockchain.

      Most of the currently available non-fungible tokens are encoded on the Ethereum blockchain. A blockchain is a digital ledger where information is kept and stored. Anything that can be stored on a regular ledger can be stored on a blockchain, like amounts, names, type of asset, type of NFT, and anything else.

      Blockchain data is stored in the cloud, not on some individual computer. The blockchain is distributed to anyone connected to that blockchain. Every time a new entry is made on the blockchain, a record of this entry is added to that particular blockchain, and everyone can see this entry.

      An advantage of blockchain technology is that it is decentralized. No one on the blockchain can be locked out. And any modifications made to the blockchain are recorded immediately, which makes all changes transparent to everyone.

      Decentralization means that no one person, computer or organization can own the blockchain. This digital ledger is distributed to all nodes connected to the blockchain.

      What Types of NFTs Are Available?

      Digital art has been the most popular type of NFT thus far, but there are other types of NFTs available today. The original concept behind NFTs was to help artists exercise more control over their creations and have better protections against others taking their work without permission.

      Artists, athletes, musicians and brand name companies have started creating their unique non-fungible tokens. Some examples of the various types of NFTs you can find today include:

      • NFT art: Digital designs, digital art, gifs, videos, photographs, memes, social media content and pixels.
      • Music: One musician, King of Leon, recently released an entire album as an NFT. Other musicians are now looking at NFTs for their music.
      • Video games: Video game collectibles, video game skins and avatars. Game pieces can be purchased, like a special sword you need for a game. Once you’ve finished using the sword or playing the game, you can sell the game piece.
      • Trading cards: Just like physical trading cards, you can now get virtual trading cards in the form of NFTs. Topps has announced they will be getting into the NFT trading card market.
      • Sports: NBA Top Shot sells video highlight NFTs of your favorite team. Athletes are now signing deals with companies to sell autographed sports memorabilia NFTs. Other entities are starting to sell NFT collections, including boxing and Formula 1 racing.
      • Domain names: Selling domain names as an NFT allows the owner to control the domain using private keys. Domain names can also be linked to digital wallets, which allows for many possible uses.
      • Fashion: Digital clothes, shoes, and hoodies can now be found on NFT marketplaces. Just like one-of-a-kind fashions are rarely bought to be worn, NFT fashions are purchased for exclusivity and as a status symbol.
      • Digital land: Recently, a digital house sold for $500,000, which is part of the Metaverse, which links virtual reality, virtual money and non-fungible tokens together.

      How Can You Buy NFTs?

      You can buy NFTs online at an exchange or a third-party marketplace. OpenSea is the world’s largest marketplace to find NFTs. There are NFT marketplaces that sell all kinds of NFTs, or you can go to a marketplace that specializes in specific types of NFTs like sports or games pieces.

      Many of the NFT marketplaces function similar to the way eBay works. You can look for the type of NFT you want, and when you find something you like, you make a bid on the item and wait to see if you won the bid. Like eBay, some of the NFT marketplaces have a buy-now option.

      Before you buy an NFT on the marketplace website, you will need to set up a digital wallet. A digital wallet is where you keep your cryptocurrencies. Most NFT marketplaces use Ethereum (ETH) as their currency because most NFTs are on the Ethereum blockchain.

      You can get a digital wallet at many cryptocurrency websites, withCoinbase being the largest. You can also buy Ethereum on Coinbase.

      To buy Ethereum (ETH) or any cryptocurrency, you need to go to a cryptocurrency exchange and buy the cryptocurrency you want. You can pay for the cryptocurrency in US dollars or any accepted fiat currency.

      Once you have Ethereum in your digital wallet, you can buy an NFT from an NFT. Some of the more popular NFT marketplaces include:

      When buying an NFT, it is important to watch the price. Ethereum, like all cryptocurrencies, is volatile in price and can change rapidly. This volatility means that the cryptocurrency’s dollar value can fluctuate rapidly.

      What is the Purpose of NFTs?

      Gaming is a big reason for NFTs. Sorare is a website that sells NFTs representing soccer players that can be used in fantasy games against other soccer enthusiasts.

      You can buy NFTs for a virtual reality universe, similar to The Sims or Second Life, called Decentraland. There are also multiplayer games that use NFT game pieces.

      NFTs make verifying the authenticity of digital art easier which, in turn, makes it easier to resell at a later date. Recently, the art auction house Christie’s New York sold its first piece of NFT art for $131,250.

      In some cases, buying an NFT is a status symbol rather than an investment. When someone buys a digital shoe that can never be worn, that is a fashion status symbol.

      Most types of NFTs can be bought, sold or traded on NFT marketplaces.

      Should You Buy an NFT?

      If you’re interested in sports collectibles like autographs and memorabilia, NFTs could be another way to add to your collection. If your interest is in art, NFTs are a way to learn about new artists and add to your art collection. If virtual reality games are an interest, buying game pieces could make these games more enjoyable.

      Another reason to buy NFTs is for an investment, hoping it will increase in value over time. However, increasing value isn’t guaranteed. The average price for an NFT has been dropping recently, causing some to wonder if the NFT market has been in a bubble. In February 2021, the average price of an NFT was about $4,000. By April 2021, the average price dropped to $1,400.

      Like any investment, if there is an interest in the item, the price will increase. Also like any investment, an investor must do their research before buying anything.