Apologies in advance – this one’s a bit of a rambler!
I’m pleased to say I found a new place and am moving in 4 weeks. Of course there’s going to be a lot to do, and I’m not sure how long it’ll take my broadband to switch over but I’m really hoping I won’t need to be disconnected for too long when I move! I’ve got to wait for the reference checks to go through before the flat is officially ours, when they do I’ll arrange the broadband ASAP.
IF I do need to wait for the broadband, my plan is just to use it as a blessing that helps me focus. I’ll probably write as much content as I can for my own sites in that time. I’ll have to plan it so I don’t have too much client work, so I’ll be doing more client work before I move.
I’m really trying to work out a plan of action for summer. It’s so hard (a) because my passive efforts aren’t making enough money for me to justify outsourcing much to move forward quicker and (b) because my passive efforts aren’t making enough for me to focus solely on passive income – I spend most of my time doing client work. If I could spend all my time on passive income I’m sure I’d get somewhere faster, but I just can’t risk that right now, I need to keep the cash coming in.
It’s really hard for me to divide time properly between client work and my own sites. So I’m trying to work out a plan that’ll mean I dedicate time to both. It really isn’t easy to keep switching between the two though, seems my brain can’t motivate itself when it’s doing so much!
Today and yesterday I did take some steps forward: I wrote another two very long reviews (1,000 words+). These reviews are full of long tail keywords and are very detailed, so I’m hoping they’ll do well. I just have to work on promoting them a little to try and get the traffic trickling in, but once I does I’m hoping it’ll end up getting lots of long tail traffic.
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Great news that you have found a place Ruth!
The active/passive conundrum sure is a challenge but your persistence will be the main key to success; just do as much as you can when you can.
Good luck with the packing, it can be exciting starting over somewhere new.
Michelle Adams´s last [type] ..The Turning Point
Twitter: webcareergirl
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Michelle – Thanks, it is exciting and I’m looking forward to it. Just wish I didn’t have to wait 4 weeks since I already feel like this place isn’t home anymore!
Congratulations on finding the new place!!! I agree with Michelle…to do what you can when you can, at least that’s a strategy I’ve been taking.
Even if for a short period of time, like an hour a day- which seems really minimal. It helps me to know that I am taking action.
I am looking forward to hearing about the results with your reviews. My job is a product demonstrator in the “real” world…although marketing in the “real” physical world and internet are different. The connection that is made with people about what you like about certain products, how you use them, benefits received along with throwing in the value tends to drive sales.
Kim´s last [type] ..Personal Progress Journal July 21- 2010
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Kim – Thanks for this advice, I think what you said about even just doing an hour a day helped me to relax a little. As for the reviews, I’ll definitely write more about them. Just have to figure out the best way to get traffic to those individual, really long pages now.
Congrats on the new place. That must be a relief to have that all settled.
I hear you on the passive income – mine certainly isn’t going anywhere fast. Luckily I have a husband to pay the bills but I do need to pull my weight soon.
I also have a hard time outsourcing as it is a gamble if it will pay off. My first few sites where I outsourced content were flops and I look at them and say – I spent $100 and got nothing. But I am trying to change my thinking and look at my whole portfolio and just reinvest all my earnings and hope to see my overall earnings increase.
You may just want to look at your passive income and say “I’m gonna re-invest X% into outsourcing” based on what you can comfortably live without and don’t second-guess. Re-invest in what is making money to push it farther. I have the problem of chasing new stuff rather than re-investing in the stuff that works, trying to work on that also.
Carrie´s last [type] ..Update on Site Rankings – 6 Weeks
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Carrie – Great advice. I have the same problem of trying new stuff rather than the stuff that works (seems a lot of us struggle with that!) Plus I think you’re also right about trying not to worry if X site doesn’t make money, as long as your efforts are paying off on the whole. Mine seem to be, albeit extremely slowly!
Hi Ruth,
if your new neighbours have WiFi, you may be able to charm your way into sharing their Broadband connection for a week or two.
The modern day equivalent of popping over to borrow a cup of sugar I reckon!
Best of luck with the move.
Des @ Affiliate Progress´s last [type] ..Getting Started With Twitter
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Des – Good plan! And I’m so glad I also have my iPhone to check mail etc. I’m hoping the transfer will be very quick though!
As others have said, congratulations on finding a new place! But what’s the deal with phone and broadband service in the UK anyway? I remember it took my husband three weeks to get his hooked up when he rented an apartment in Brighton – which seemed insane to me at the time, given that it has never taken me longer than 3 days to get service hooked up in the US.
Anyway… I think passive income is well worth the investment up front. Of course, if you aren’t in the position financially to invest in the passive portion of your business there isn’t much too do, but I do think you should put as much effort into it as possible. I’ve decided to put all my effort into passive sources because my life, as it is now, means I can’t often meet writing deadlines or do work every day. But I think this limitation for me has been good because I think passive income really what you should aim to be earning in the long run. But that’s just my 2 cents (or 1 pence, I guess).
Michelle´s last [type] ..Free Tools Friday- Budget Backlinking System
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Michelle – It seems they do it here in 2 stages. You can contact the phone company in advance of the move date, but you have to wait for them to connect before you can even tell the broadband company – slows things down a lot. It took about 2 weeks when I first set it up, but I’m hoping it’ll be faster this time since I’m just “transferring” my account over to the new address (fingers crossed!)
Thanks for what you said about passive income. Interesting because I had a thought yesterday, looked at my finances, and decided I can devote more time to it than I currently do. I do still need to do client work, but I do want to stick to a more relaxed schedule and just push ahead as much as possible with my own sites.
Congrats Ruth…. Moving is the perfect time to slim down your belongings even more and head further into minimalism….. Assuming that is what you want.
It’s weird as I can survive pretty well off my passive work these days and I want to work on my sites all day long but….. I wittled down my client list pretty much to just clients I like and decided that would be good. Now they are sending me more work and it’s taking up most of my days…. The same problem looping again. I thought about subbing on but the problem is that they like my specific work and I know from outsourcing client work in the past that they often don’t produce things in a time frame and quality that I deem acceptable!!!
Basically even when passive is doing good, active seems to have a way of taking over!!
Forest´s last [type] ..Sentimentalism- The Minimalists Roadblock!
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Forest – It’s interesting how things turn out isn’t it? But I think it’s great that you’re still earning a good passive income while working on your client work. I guess it means you can build up a better foundation (money-wise) before you go completely full-time on the passive – I guess that’s what you’ll ultimately do?
And yes, I’m definitely going to try and have a big clear out before I move! But my place now is small, so I’ve still got a lot of stuff at my parents’. I think I’m going to be bringing more of it up now I’m getting a bigger place!!
Yes it is a great things…. Problem is that you start to worry your efforts will fade if you can’t continue work on the sites.
I could go full-time passive right now but I need to use this opportunity to build some savings as I survived on pretty much 0 money for my first year of working online and have no savings or anything. This month I will be putting my first $1000 in a savings account and it feels like quite a monumental step! Sadly I still have a lot of debt but interest is frozen for now so it makes best sense to build up more savings than debt and then pay back the debt in a lump sum… That is the plan anyway!
Forest´s last [type] ..Sentimentalism- The Minimalists Roadblock!
Twitter: webcareergirl
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Forest – It looks like you’re doing well with the debt. I think the savings idea is definitely a good one, and even more important if you’re self employed!
congratulations! i have been lurking around your blog for sometime but have not commented.
moving can be a great place to restart your energy and to renew your journey to Internet success! best of luck!!
jared
Twitter: webcareergirl
says:
Jared – Thanks for your recent comments
I am really looking forward to moving just for those reasons, hopefully it all goes smoothly!
Ruth,
Fantastic that you have a new place. When life is in flux, it really is hard to concentrate on matters at hand.
I’m still pushing for the passive income. It covers my web expenses and adds a little extra but an exclusive passive income that covers all my expenses and then some is certainly the goal – for most of us.
Time, patience and dedication will get us there. Oh, and a little bit of quality and integrity. Keep going…you are doing all the right things.
And congrats again on your new move. It must be a relief.
simply stephen´s last [type] ..how to mobilize your life