January Update

You'll probably see less of me (here on my blog) for a while, but there's a good reason.  I'll still be right here (so email me if you need me!) sitting at my work station, I just won't be blogging much...

I'm going to be multi-tasking like crazy for the next several months. It's all to earn extra money, but eegads--it's going to be a serious challenge!

I'll have my usual church gig two days a week (very part time) and possibly an additional part-time church gig, too (creating marketing copy and fliers for the church's youth group).

I'll be critter-care taking (checking in, petting, and litter box duty) for a  nearby friend who's going on vacation.

I'll be working on my usual freelance copywriting gigs.

And I've accepted another part-time, non-copywriting gig that'll take upwards of 14 hours a week through late-April.

With any luck at all, all of this will result in a significant boost in my income.

It's going to be a real juggling act!  Of course, my priority is always my main source of income, copywriting. But the work, although steady (I land projects every week), hasn't been heavy enough for me to re-build my emergency fund, so that's why I'm going to extraordinary lengths to find more (virtual) work. (Do you have any good leads for me along these lines?)

Slowly-but-surely, I'm building a copywriting clientele locally (in addition to the work I get via the Internet), but I'm not yet in a position where I can survive (reliably) solely on copywriting income (although I've managed to scrape by, by the grace of God, for four years now 99.999% on copywriting income). I anticipate it will happen this year (2012), but until it does, I'm accepting other virtual opportunities that come my way as long as I'm sure I can do them well while continuing to serve my clients in an exemplary manner.

One new copywriting client found me by doing a search on "copywriter Tacoma." That was a first for me, so I tried it myself and there I was, on the first page of Google "above the line"! That was a nice surprise!  I guess I'm just "chatty" enough online, and have enough keywords on my Facebook copywriting page, to get decent Google rankings. WOO HOO! 

This past year I've also discovered what DOESN'T work when it comes to advertising. Little Nickel, NOT!  Facebook ads, NOT!  Adwords, NOT! Craigslist--occasionally. Blogging--yes! Facebook outreach--yes. Writing articles--yes. 

I also have a new ad (I posted it here not long ago) on a TV screen at two Forza coffee shops in Lakewood and an ad in a Baby Boomers "aging in place" magazine that I believe will result in additional income. I got both ads at a significant discount, so they're worth the cost ($50/$55) even if they lead me to a single client each. (I expect they'll lead me to more than that!)

I've written two guides to copywriting that I haven't offered to the public yet. I still need to do that to garner additional "passive income." Two--occasionally three--of my books earn some passive income. If I'd do more outreach for them, I'm sure they'd do better! I have to put that on my work schedule!

Which reminds me: The Authors Show (theauthorsshow.com) is re-running my SERVAL SON interview right now. You can also hear it right here to the right of this blog, up top, any time you want.

Here in Tacoma, my nose is to the grindstone right here in my home office, 24/7/365 (when I'm not asleep). Being an enterpreneur isn't for sissies or anxiety-driven souls. It takes guts and waaaaayyy more than a little faith--but it's a terrific way to make a living if you have a service or a product that other people are willing to pay for!!! 

If you're looking for work and not finding any, think about what you can do that you LIKE to do that others are willing to pay for, and hang a shingle.  The work you get will help you feel better while you wait for the economy to recover--and you MAY find that your new self-employment is "just what the doctor ordered" for the balance of your career.  

Where is it written that you HAVE TO put your neck on the chopping block for employers to hack off whenever they feel the "need"? That's just one way to make a living.  This country was founded by entrepreneurs who ran their own businesses. Go for it.

Again: it ain't easy, but it's worth it!