I am enjoying interviewing professionals about their line of work or their side hustles. Today I am sharing an interview with Victoria, who shares how she became a full-time blogger.
Tell us a little about yourself and your business. Why did you select it and how did you get started?
My name is Victoria and I’m a full-time blogger at Lylia Rose. I never set out to be a blogger, it accidentally happened! I originally sold cards on Etsy, which evolved into jewelry, then my own fashion accessories website. I started blogging as a way to get more traffic to my website, but I fell in love with blogging and it took over. I now blog full time.
Describe what you do and what you sell for those of us not familiar with your line of work or product.
I write a mix of personal blog posts, sponsored posts, run giveaways and also review products for companies.
I charge companies if they want me to host a giveaway on their behalf, review their product or write a blog post featuring their company. I sell advertising space on my blog. I also use affiliate links and make a small amount of income (£100-150) per month from readers using my referral links.
What are some of your favorite things about what you do?
I love the flexibility whilst I have young children. My children are 5 and 2, so working for myself from home allows me to do all the school pickups and drop offs and spend more time with them in the school holidays. I love being my own boss and picking and choosing the work I want to do.
What are some challenges of this business?
There is no time to switch off. I always have work to do and work most evenings instead of spending time with my husband. As there’s no holiday pay, my laptop comes with me on holiday and I spend at least 1-2 hours catching up each evening. There’s also the constant fear of not making any money as it’s not guaranteed.
For someone interested in what you do, can you share what to expect as far as earning potential and effort?
I currently work 40 hours per week and usually earn between £2000 and £3000 per month. There really isn’t a set wage when it comes to blogging as all bloggers charge different fees and it can often depend on your website stats. There are popular bloggers who earn hundreds of thousands per year and others who earn much less than me.
What does it take for someone to get started with their own side hustle in your line of work?
You need to have a passion for writing and find your own voice. Start writing as much as possible and begin a blog. You can set up a free blog online, but it’s best to invest a little money to get your own domain name which looks a lot more professional. The best thing about blogging is it can be done whenever you have spare time around your other commitments. You can build it up in your spare time. I blogged around my children and working two part time jobs for a few years before taking the plunge into full-time blogging. Join the Facebook blogging groups for support and advice – you’ll learn so much.
If you’re interested in learning more, visit Lylia Rose or tweet Victoria @lyliarose.
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