blogging Archives - Plutonium Sox

Natalie Ray September 22, 2018 Being a work from home mum

Can you make money blogging without spending a fortune?

Blogging can be a brilliant way to make an income. It’s flexible, offers some amazing opportunities and best of all, it’s great fun. But is it one of those occupations where you need to have money to make money? Do you need to invest in a DSLR camera, a go-pro and expensive hosting? I don’t think so. Here’s why. Blogging on a budget Last weekend was the BlogOn conference in Manchester. This not-for-profit conference boasts numerous talks from experts to help bloggers up their game. The great thing about it is that individuals can choose which sessions they go to.…

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Natalie Ray March 23, 2018 Being a work from home mum

Influencer marketing when moral lines are blurred

This is a blog post that has been rolling around my mind for some time now, but I’ve never felt comfortable writing it. Not because it’s controversial, but because I keep going over the moral issues and I can’t decide where I stand on them. Influencer marketing – an empowering career Influencer marketing whether as a blogger, YouTuber or Instagrammer is a new and exciting career choice. It empowers people to work when they are unable to leave the house. It gives parents another choice in addition to the usual career v children dilemma. And it brings with it some…

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Natalie Ray May 28, 2017 Being a work from home mum

It pays to be friendly in business

Before going self-employed I held numerous roles, all of which put me in contact with questionable characters. And I don’t mean clients, I mean my colleagues. Since then I’ve worked hard to put myself into a position where I take on the work I want to do and turn down the rest. I charge set fees but better still, I choose who I work with. My criteria for working with someone 1. Respect If someone emails me asking me to do something for them and they’re going to give me the sum total of nothing in return, they don’t respect me. That…

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Natalie Ray May 23, 2017 Being a work from home mum

What to expect from your first blogging conference

This is a collaborative post. On Saturday, I headed up to Manchester with a few other bloggers to attend the Blog On conference. I had previously attended World Travel Market (WTM), which a lot of travel bloggers attend. However WTM isn’t specifically aimed at bloggers so Blog On was my first proper conference. About blog on Blog on is huge gathering of bloggers from various different genres. Many of the people who attended were family bloggers but it wasn’t aimed exclusively at that blog topic. The conference consists of four 45 minute slots during which a series of relevant talks take…

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Natalie Ray January 10, 2017 Being a work from home mum

5 things every blogger needs

This is a collaborative post. Over the past few months, blogging has become my main source of income. As I’ve been taking it more seriously, I’ve gradually come to realise that there are certain essentials that make my life easier. Some of them are quite specific to blogging, others are the type of things you’d use in any office job. But until recently I hadn’t got around to investing in them for my home office. 1. A computer This one isn’t as obvious as it sounds. I do know of people who blog quite successfully on a tablet or even…

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Natalie Ray July 5, 2016 Being a work from home mum

The narcissism of bloggers

Years ago, I remember my gran keeping a diary. She wasn’t a prolific diary keeper, but she often wrote down what she did each day, particularly when something of interest happened. I always thought this was a lovely idea, and tried a few times to replicate it. But I never really found the time or the routine to regularly put pen to paper. Years on, I started blogging as a way to promote a business I was involved in at the time. The business eventually fell by the wayside, but by then I was somewhat addicted to blogging. I’m not…

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Natalie Ray March 7, 2016 Being a work from home mum

New Beginnings

New beginnings don’t need to be about life-changing decisions, new year’s resolutions or grand announcements. Sometimes, they can just be about stopping and taking stock. I am terribly guilty of taking on too much. There are so many things I want to do, places I want to go, career aspirations and personal goals like losing weight and getting back to competitive triathlons. The problem is, I get so tied up in trying to be all things to all people that sometimes, I forget to take the time to just stop and smell the flowers. I spent mother’s day putting a new…

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