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Blogging for money!

I like to think that Immigration has many faces; some people arrive in a new country as refugees [economic or political]; some for work and others through marriage or studies. I fall under the later. (And later met and married a handsome Canadian!)

What a lot of people do not know is that immigrating as a student costs a lot of money. If, for whatever reason, you are unable to pay your school fees you are either kicked out of the school and/or the country you are studying in.

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The average school fees for an immigrant, from a developing country can cost over $10,000 a year [these figures don’t include housing, meals, supplies, & books]. In most cases you have to pay out of pocket because you are a temporary resident and not a citizen; thus will not qualify for student loans. Some countries permit you to work while others don’t [there are many restrictions international students face].

 

Chimananda Adiche’s book Americanah sum’s this up very well!

 

Of all the countries I have lived in; Canada has been the most welcoming, and it took me 6 years to get my permanent residency. I applied for every visa applicable to prolong my stay!

 _ _ _ _

When I lived & worked in Ireland I got a job heading the advertising & business department of a small newspaper, I wanted to transition into Television & film badly; so I decided to leave my position at the paper for greener pastures.  Sometimes, I wonder if this move was worth it career wise! Breaking into the media in Canada is not only challenging but very competitive. The pay is also minimal . . .

 

After several attempts from pitching film distribution companies to working in a local magazine in every department [advertising, sales and reporting] I decided to work for myself.

 

My first pay-check from blogging was 0.15 cents. I remember telling my sister (who lives in Ireland) and she replied, well that’s a start!

 

I have a degree in both media & marketing.  A 1st class degree.  I may not be good at a lot of things but I know the media well; plus I can develop marketing strategies blindfolded! So I decided to put these skills once again to the test.

Fortunately, I had help along the way from God.  And my husband, mother, sister, brother, in-laws, mentors & friends; without whose help there will be no business to begin with...

 

My personal tips for running a profitable blog & business

  • Find your talent & run with it!
  • Monetize, monetize, monetize! Very cliché I know but your bills don’t take a break; why should you? If it’s not paying you it’s not worth it.
  • Don’t be afraid to say ‘NO!’ it’s in the dictionary for a reason; i.e. don’t get entangled in projects that produce little pay and require you work long hours, some of these projects don’t even pay minimum wage!
  • Cap your time on social media; there’s more to life than Facebook/Twitter. Let’s use basic maths. What percentage of your business [revenue vs. time] comes from social media?
  • Strive to make a profit. Hustling with very little returns is NOT smart!
  • Jack-of-all-trades: okay this title is a bit misleading, but during slow seasons I take on other jobs. I’m a paid speaker; mentor; and I offer beauty & marketing consultations too. I also got approved for my first grant in 2014!
  • Keep your customers happy: they pay your bills!
  • Success in NOT a right it’s a privilege, be good to everyone from the receptionist at the door to the boss!
  • Learn from your mistakes; have no regrets! Everyday is a new day!!

 

Remember those 0.15 cents I talked about? Well they were re-invested. And today I yield very good dividends. :)

 

Blogger businesses that inspire me:

 

WATCH OUT FOR PART II...

AND FEEL FREE TO CHIME IN BELOW!

(c) Shakara Natural 2014

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