THE BEGINNERS GUIDE TO STARTING A BLOG ON SQUARESPACE.

Starting an online business seems to be all the rage right now and rightly so. If ever there is a time to start a business with virtually zero overhead, this is the time.

The internet provides us with so much opportunity and potential to create the business we’ve always wanted to build. The opportunities are endless.

And yet, in the last few years the market for online courses and information on how to build a business online is enormous. Selling online courses and books on how to make money online is a huge industry!

How do you know what to buy or what courses are worth your money?

How do you cut through all the noise to figure out how to build a website, market your idea or product, and make money?

How do you make time in your already busy schedule to know what steps to take first?

Do you pay someone to build a blog or website or should you DIY the whole thing?

How do you know how long it will actually take to turn a profit?

And can you do all this without taking on debt?

When we started the Dave Ramsey baby steps 10 years ago, one of our big goals was to build our own business. A business we could build slowly in our spare time, debt free.

We are like you. Trying to figure this out as we go. Today our business is profitable and growing. We want to show you what works for us so that maybe we can help you grow your dream too!

We are in this together. We want to grow a profitable business with minimal risk. We value low overhead and higher profits. We want to maximize our time, value our customers, and stay out of debt.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using this link.

HOW TO START A BLOG OR WEBSITE

Blogs can teach, help, entertain, or inspire. It’s important to decide what kind of blog you want to be and niche down to your interests.

One of the biggest mistakes new bloggers and website owners make is to blog about everything. In today’s market, niches are important. Niches help with SEO, finding your customers, building an email list, and selling products. Niches matter.

Blogging is not a get rich quick kind of business. Give yourself time to make money on it. Some people turn a profit right away and others take time. So be patient!

If blogging is not your thing, you could sell a product or service. You could sell handmade items, printable worksheets, business templates, photography skills, virtual assistant help, or coaching. The possibilities are really endless!

All you really need is an idea and a website. We love SquareSpace! We have built many businesses on SquareSpace! It is easy to use and intuitive. You don’t have to be super technical to start and run a SquareSpace website.

HOW CAN YOU BE SUCCESSFUL IN YOUR ONLINE BUSINESS?

I really believe to be successful in business you need knowledge and grit. As business owners we need to be constantly learning new things, taking one thing at a time, and refusing to give up!

I have very specific goals for my business and remind myself those those big goals daily. When I want to give up, I remind myself what I have accomplished, celebrate those things, and keep going. Sometimes, we have too many ideas and get overwhelmed. This is normal. This book is fantastic for helping me narrow down all the ideas and work on one thing at a time.

Brooke Castillo talks in her podcast about adding value. Our businesses ( i.e our blogs or websites) are successful when we use our brains and add value into the world. If we add value for our readers, our businesses will grow. Find out where you can add value.

Once you narrow down your big goals, break that down into smaller tasks. It is easy to get distracted. I love how Rachel Hollis coaches her readers to create a road map to reach your specific goal! The idea is that you can break down a big huge goal into daily practices and tasks. Take some time to really work on this. Stay focused. Work on ONE big thing at a time.

The trick to actually getting those tasks done is making time. Our schedules are full and the days are long. Making time to work on this big dream takes intention. If you really struggle with this, The Other 8 hours really helped me shift my mindset and make time to work. I highly recommend it.

I’m a big believer in taking courses and reading books. To grow your blog, you must commit to learning more things! This industry is constantly changing and we have to be up on the latest technology and marketing.

I love learning about all things blogging and business from Suzi at Start a Mom Blog. Her weekly emails are worth every read. Subscribe to her emails! Her courses are affordable and she often has great sales on her courses.

Carly is my go-to gal for all things Pinterest marketing. I read every email she sends. She is Pinterest brilliant.

I have used this Get to Workbook planner for the last 4 years and have never looked back. So good. If you are a paper planner person, I highly recommend this planner.

Finally, in order to be successful, you have to do the work. I know it sounds silly but it’s true. Sometimes we get stuck in the planning period and just need to do the work. Set aside time. Block it off on our calendar. Use a timer and do the work. It may seem small and insignificant at the moment, but after time you’ll see your hard work pay off!

COMMON QUESTIONS / FAQ ABOUT WORKING ONLINE

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO START A BLOG OR START AN ONLINE SHOP?

You can create a blog on SquareSpace for as little as $12/month! With SquareSpace you don’t even need to buy any fancy graphics. You can literally pay for the site and go!

If you are starting an online shop selling a specific product, you will have to purchase all your materials, packaging materials, AND your website. Of course, you can always start on Etsy for a small fee.

After you set up your website you will also want to purchase an email provider. Many providers are free up until a certain number of subscribers. You can use SquareSpace for this. We also recommend MailerLite. They are a great and affordable.

I’M NOT TECHNICAL IN ANYWAY, IS THIS FOR ME?

Yes! Blogging has changed so much in the last 5 years. Really anyone with a computer and an internet connection can do this!

You can find a course or book on just about anything you need. Youtube is also a really great way to learn about new things.

If you are really concerned about building a website, start with SquareSpace. It is user friendly and the help section is wonderful.

I’M WORKING FULL TIME AND HAVE KIDS, HOW WILL I FIND THE TIME TO DO THIS?

Great question and one I deal with regularly. This book really helped me push through some mental barriers I had on making my goals a reality.

Beyond that, set aside a reasonable amount of time to work on your business each week. Even if you only have 3 hours, block it out. Take one thing at a time, celebrate your wins, and keep going.

ISN’T THE MARKET SATURATED? I’VE HEARD BLOGS ARE DEAD AND THE MARKET HAS MOVED ON TO OTHER THINGS.

If your perspective isn’t in the market, the market isn’t dead. I think if you have something to give that may help someone else, you should do it. Again, find a way to add value.

The fact is - no one rally knows what will happen in the online business market. It’s a new industry. It’s never been done before. No one is really an expert but 2020 has made online business crucial.

Remember, a good business solves a problem for its customers. So many people start blogs with no clear plan to solve a problem. If you want a blog to be a hobby that’s great! But if you want a blog to make money , that is a business and a business solves a problem. Be clear what your goals are before you start!

So jump in. Learn a lot. Do your best!

CAN I MAKE MONEY FAST? HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO BE PROFITABLE?

Maybe? But maybe not. I really don’t know.

As a blogger, you will need time to grow your audience to make money. If you start with an online shop, you maybe able to generate revenue quicker depending on how fast you can create sales.

I know that most businesses, whether they are online or a brink in mortar, take time to build. I think that is normal and okay.

I prefer to grow slow and without debt. I celebrate each new jump in revenue and reinvest in things I know will help us grow to the next level.

The Last Thing You need to Know about Starting an Online Business

Just Start. If you’ve had an idea rolling around for a while, take a leap! Start a website, take a course, and get to work!

Give yourself the time to learn and grow. It’s worth it!