If you are among those who are waiting for the right time to quit their 9-5 job, then I have to tell you that there’s never going to be a right time to quit. Quitting your day job after freelancing for a while may seem like a big leap, but with everything all planned out, it can be the best decision you will ever make.
Have you been freelancing or blogging for while and are now ready to take that leap into quitting your job and going Pro? Here are 8 things every pro blogger does before quitting their day job:
1. Have the right mindset
It may sound strange to have this as the first thing on this list, but having the right mindset before you go into blogging full time is a must. Pro bloggers make sure that they are mentally prepared for full-time blogging because it is a lot of work. It comes with a lot of issues and challenges, so having the right mindset from the start does help.
There will be a lot of business challenges that you may not have experienced from your day job. You will have a lot of responsibilities. Do not let this scare you. Having a “can-do” attitude will help you grow your career as a full time blogger.
2. Have some money left aside
When you take that leap into the world of full time blogging, you have to make sure you have some money saved up that will keep you going until you start to get regular income. I know some bloggers who left their day job with nothing to fall back on, or some who left because they had no choice, and yet became successful. But most of these bloggers agree that they should have had some money saved up first before making that move. Having some money saved up to cover your bills and living expenses for some months is ideal.
3. Develop a strategy on how you can earn money
Don’t leave your day job without having clients! Being your own boss can be exciting but you need to make sure that you have some sort of income coming in from your blog first before you go Pro.
4. Market yourself regularly
Your blog literally depends on it. You need to constantly promote yourself and your blog so that more people know about you and what you do. The more people know about you and your blog, the higher the possibility of them reading it and becoming regulars. The more readers, the moe followers and engagement. The more followers and engagement, the more money.
5. Have a schedule
Everything in your day job is planned out: your tasks, goals or deadlines. In the same way, you need to have a schedule for your own business. Have an editorial calendar. Note the days and the frequency with which you will write your blog posts. Set certain days or times when you will edit photos and promote on social media. Have everything concernin your blog all planned out.
6. Learn the necessary skills
You have to realize that blogging will be a totally different experience from your day job. Most of your time will be spent working on your own, and you will have to be a jack of all trades. You will be writing and editing posts, taking photos and editing them, promoting your posts on social media, moderating and replying comments, handling taxes and bookkeeping. You can always employ others to handle some of these tasks but when you first start out, you will be doing them yourself pretty much. Learning these skills will help you run your blogging business effectively.
7. Set up your working environment
Just because you’ work from home doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t treat blogging as anything less than a business. Create a space in your house that you can make as an office. Clear up your desk and set up the right environment to work.
8. Get support from fellow bloggers
Although you will be able to work from the comfort of your home, and if you are like me, you would love it. But there will be times when you would miss a normal working environment. I know I do miss it sometimes. Building a relationship with other bloggers will help you transition into pro blogging nicely. They may have more experience than you do and you can always learn a thing or 2 from another blogger. The learning process is endless.
Are you a pro blogger? How did you transition into pro blogging? If you are not, would you consider blogging full-time?
I love reading your blog Stella. You post daily, interact with your followers and always have interesting blogs to read whether it relates to me or not. I can always pick something out of it that is useful. I used to run the ex and my business from home so I know how much work it can be. I totally agree with your ideas, especially having money has a back up put to one side.
I read your blog daily has you post daily. I tend to lose interest in blogs that don’t have regular updates so for me it is really important to have daily updates as much as possible as it keeps the reader interested I think.
No I dont think blogging is for me. My life is a bit chaotic out of virtual world for various reasons including ill health and that of others around me. It is something I think I would enjoy though if circumstances changed.
Thanks a lot for reading and commenting on my posts. I really enjoy reading your comments.
I’ve been blogging on and off for over a decade now. I don’t really consider myself a pro-blogger yet, though I do earn a steady but small income from it. But I so agree with you, blogging is hard work too, especially the promoting side! One spends so much in front of our laptops/desktops, don’t we?
Yes we do. It is so hard..Thanks Dean.
I don’t think I’d have the wotsits to quit my job and blog full time. Massive kudos to all who do though and you have given some wicked tips here for anyone thinking of doing so x
Tell me about it. It is a brave thing to do.
Some great tips here! I think Point 8 is particularly important. Blogging is a community game, not just a solo pastime.
Joanne Mallon – http://www.OpposableThumbsBlog.com
Yea it is a community game Joanne.
These are excellent tips – I see so many bloggers saying they would like to go full time but are waiting for the ‘right time’. I agree that there isn’t a perfect time – It worked for me as I can work the antisocial hours that my family needs me to but it isn’t for everyone! Hard work but ultimately very rewarding.
Yea hard work but so rewarding.
To be honest, I didn’t follow many of these tips and I quit my job to be a full-time blogger and it all worked out amazingly well. But, it’s always good to have some extra money behind you.
Yea it is..There are always exceptions to the rule..Good to know it has worked well for you Dannii.
Great tips I don’t see myself as a pro blogger I don’t think I could blog as a full time job though. But blogging is so rewarding and I enjoy doing it.
Yea it is so rewarding..
Great post Stella. I agree with you on mind set being the first thing. If one goes into anything with the mindset of failure, they are likely to fail and vice versa. It is a bold step to take but worth it.
Like you requested, I would add the only thing to be careful of is not to be in competition with anyone. Other people of definition of success may be different from yours so face your work and do it diligently. Focusing on others brings about discouragement.
Yea it does. I focus on my blog..Thanks Moji.
Really great tips. I know this is what to do if I want to go full time but I’m not sure I could motivate myself at home which is why I don’t think pro blogging is for me.
Motivate yourself can be tricky for many..Thanks Laura.
These are fantastic tips!
Its so easy to jump into something & not think of the potential problems with it.
This post will help a lot of bloggers xx
Yea I hope it does..
Great tips, I don’t class myself as a ‘pro blogger’ but I have made a steady part time income from it over the last year. I started my blog when on maternity leave and just never went back due to childcare costs and I never imagined blogging would bring me an income. I always think I got lucky but really blogging takes so much time and hard work but it is something that I love xx
Blogging is hard work combined with a bit of luck..
I find it is tricky earning money from blogging – some months can be very lucrative and others you are scraping around for pennies
Yea some months are harder than others. Think it is the same in any business though.
Real true. I love reading this blog.
Thank you. Glad you do.
Welcome!
I actually thought of this earlier on today now I have a full time job in Berlin that is taking so much of my time coz I want to slay it. Hmmm, I dont think so, as much as I love blogging I wouldnt want to do it fulltime, mainly coz there are still some career goals I’d like to achieve first. These are great tips hon for those thinking of taking the leap ( :
Yea I hope many find them useful..Thanks hun xo
Great post!! I have been blogging nearly 6 years and don’y make any money from my blog. I know how hard work it is blogging so I can imagine it being even hard trying to find people to pay me to write. I really would love to though. I need to make my mind up by September wheather I should blog for a hobby and get a job or blog for a job.. Eek decisions..
Guess you have a lot of decision making to do. Goodluck with whatever you do decide.
So many things I had never thought of and whilst this wont be me as I like the job I do and blogging is a hobby, it is so good to see those that blog full time, do so well x
Yea it is..
Well blogging is really tough and you cannot just simply quit a job and be a professional blogger. Reading your post is really helpful and makes me consider things in my life right now. Thanks
Glad you found it useful..Thanks for reading.
I would love to be able to blog full-time and I am trying to get to that point where I am able to. The problem I have at the moment is trying to find enough freelancing work to be able to fund me. I am not after a large salary but being able to eat is important! I also like the idea of working for myself as I know I am far more committed to making things work for me than I would be for anyone else – i think it is just a case of knowing how to get the ball rolling and then everything else will fall into place.
Yea..Keep your day job and blog any free time you get..It all falls into place eventually..
That’s true, you’ve got to think differently and be prepared for a rainy day. Some very good tips.
Thanks Alina.
Great tips! I work full-time and don’t plan on leaving my career, however I enjoy blogging part-time!
http://lilinhaangel.com/
Ah nice. Thanks for reading.
Nice tips! I really enjoy blogging, but I love my career and I would never give that up.
http://www.comfycozyup.com
Ah nice…Good to have a career you love.
Hey Stella,
I thoroughly enjoyed this post I recently left my job and have decided to go back to school and now I am looking to take up blogging to give insight to following your dreams career wise and personally. This post was the boost and confirmation that I made the right decision leaving my job. Thanks
Glad you found it helpful. Thanks for reading and good luck with everything..
Solid tips! I just wrote about quitting your day job in order to pursue your dreams today. Odd thing is I already have money saved, but that transition can be tricky especially if you’re not already making some income from your passion and you have a buttload of bills. Resigning is still a vision of my future though. Great work!
Thanks a lot..