Posts tagged expenses
How to prepare for self-employment
How to prepare for self-employment

There’s a certain allure that comes from running your own business and working for yourself. We’ve all been seduced by the supposed freedom that comes from this type of work and self-employment is regularly touted as the surest way to riches. The media glorifies this hustle and grind and it seems like everyone and their cat calls themselves an ‘entrepreneur’ nowadays!

Look, I get it.

This narrative isn’t wrong, per se, but the truth is that self-employment is also incredibly challenging, exhausting and exhilarating. The highs are higher and the lows are lower, which is undoubtedly part of the thrill.

If you’ve spent even a hot sec on an inspirational entrepreneurship Instagram account, you’ve come across the quote “Entrepreneurship is living a few years of your life like most people won’t, so that you can spend the rest of your life like most people can’t.”

I’ve built my business to a stable and profitable place, but in all honesty I got here by trial and error. Looking back, there were definitely ways that I could have prepared ahead of time so that when I started out on my own, it wouldn’t have been so daunting and touch-and-go.

Today I’m sharing 5 tips for anyone who is considering making the leap into self-employment.

Whether you plan to start a services-based business or sell products (physical or digital), I hope that these suggestions give you something to think about before taking the plunge.

Let’s take a look, shall we?

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BusinessCharlotte O'Harabusiness, my business, self-employment, online business, expenses, income tracker spreadsheets, income, money Comment
How much does it cost to run a Squarespace website?
How much does it cost to run a Squarespace website?

They say that the best things in life are free, but sadly that isn't the case for running your beloved website.

There are inherent costs associated with running, operating and maintaining a website and there’s no way around it - you've got to pay to play.

I get asked a lot about how much it costs to run a website and in all honestly, the answer is that "it depends". I know, I know! You were hoping for a set amount but I just can't give you that because there are so many variables.

What I can do, however, is share with you the set cost of running a Squarespace website (meaning : the expenses you can't skip) AND fill you in on the other expenses that you can expect to pay to keep your site up and running.

Many people are happy to talk candidly about the income their website earns (read : money in) but it's harder to get people to open up about the actual operating costs and expenses (read : money out). Lucky for you, I have no such hangup :) If you've been following my blog for a while, you know I LOVE talking about money (examples here and here) and giving you a behind the scenes look at how much it actually costs to run a website and have an online business, so let's dive right in! 

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Squarespace, BusinessCharlotte O'Haraexpenses, squarespace, squarespace tips, squarespace settings, squarespace features, cost, products, income tracker spreadsheetsComment
Cheap Thrills : Treat yourself without breaking the bank
Cheap Thrills : Treat yourself without breaking the bank

If you're anything like me, you like to work hard and play hard. We aren't afraid to put in long hours to build our websites, grow our businesses and expand our brands because we know that it'll pay off in the end. But what's a girl to do when she just needs a little pick me up right now?

That's where cheap thrills come in. 

No, I'm not talking about the Sia song (although it's super catchy), instead I'm talking about ways you can treat yourself without breaking the bank.

Let's take a look.

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BusinessCharlotte O'Haracheap thrills, treat yourself, meditation, money, expenses, personal finance, it's personalComment