When I was a kid, I watched the game show “The Price is Right” all the time. The show is still on today, although Bob Barker hasn’t been the host in quite a while.

The basic idea of “The Price is Right” is that contestants have to guess the correct price of an item in order to win.

The same is true when you’re considering the price of an office outside the home. If the price isn’t right, it’s not going to work. So, the first element I want you to think about for an office is whether you can afford it.

When I was looking for an office recently, my limit was $500/month. I was not willing to spend any more than that. Fortunately, my current office is $400/month because I signed up for a longer lease period.

Hang on, though. As they say on infomercials, “But wait, there’s more!”

I’ll admit my ignorance here. When I inquired about my current office, I didn’t realize there would be other costs. Let me break it down for you.

1. There is something called “triple net,” which I’d never heard of. It means that certain costs of building upkeep are split between renters. For me, that’s about $30/month.
2. I didn’t realize I needed renter’s insurance as well. Turns out, I do! That’s another $35/month.
3. Turns out the Wi-Fi in this building is pretty bad, so if I wanted good, solid internet, I needed to have it installed myself. That’s another $60/month. I mistakenly assumed that when you rent an office, fast Wi-Fi is automatically part of the deal.

Those were all surprises to me, but there were some other costs I HAD anticipated, like the duplicate cords, cables, and office accessories I would need to set up a second office. I had most of these from my old college office, but I took the opportunity to upgrade my desk mat and Apple mouse and keyboard. I also bought a couple of bookshelves for my new office.

So, all told, I’m in for a little over $500/month, plus around $300 I’ve spent on some accessories and duplicate items for a second office.

Is it worth it? For me, it’s a no-brainer. The new sense of energy and productivity I feel has been priceless. I could never get that by staying at home all day or going from random coffee shop to random coffee shop.

The expenses I’ve listed might be out of your range right now. No worries. But I’d also ask you this: what is the price of staying in your current situation? If you don’t feel productive or happy in a home office, maybe it’s time to consider switching it up.

I also want to add that renting an office is not the only solution for working outside the home. You might also consider some businesses or churches in your area that have vacant offices and would be willing to cut a deal.

Before signing the lease on my current office, I strongly considered approaching some churches in your area about using an office a few days a week in exchange for doing some writing or content work for them. There are lots of creative solutions!

But don’t just take my word for it. Everyone’s situation is different. For me, renting an office was the right step. It might not be for you. I just ask that you consider whether you’re happy with your current work area, and what you could do to change it.

Today’s Challenge: Think about what you would be willing to spend on an office outside the home. On the flip side, if you’re not happy working from home, think about what it might be costing you in terms of mental health or productivity.

The post Office Space: Is the Price Right? appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

I worked as a college professor for 17 years. During all these years, the faculty at our school were all contracted on an annual basis. We never knew from year to year if we were going to get a contract for the next year.

I hated being in this position, not knowing if I would be employed over the long term. Some years, we wouldn’t get our contracts until mid-May, and the fiscal year started in June!

I hated the feeling of uncertainty that would start to creep around mid-April and wouldn’t be resolved until late May.

If you have a day job and are working on writing as a side hustle, you can relate to this. Even though you might like your day job and feel secure, the reality is that your job could be taken away at any moment. There is never any true security when that security lies in someone else’s decisions.

Or maybe you already are working as a part-time or even a full-time writer. If that’s the case, my guess is that you’d like to make more money as well!

No matter your situation, this series will give you some options for increasing your income—and your different income STREAMS—as a writer.

Writing is the hub of what you do, but it’s just that—a hub. Just like the hub on a bike wheel, writing is the center of what you do, and income streams are the spokes that support you financially. The more spokes, the more security, and the more stability you have.

In this series, we will dive into ten different income streams you can develop as a writer. I won’t be able to go into much detail with each one, but I want you to get a feel for how many different options there are to use your writing skills to create income.

To give you a little sneak peek, here are the ten ways to make money we will talk about:

• Book sales
• Editing & Publishing Services
• Coaching
• Membership & Masterminds
• Freelance Writing
• Speaking
• Courses
• Products
• Ghostwriting
• Affiliates

These are only the tip of the iceberg, but they are many of the most common ways that writers make money with their skills. I hope you’re looking forward to this series and considering how you can begin putting some of these income streams in place in your own business.

Question: How motivated are you to explore new possibilities for creating income as a writer?

The post Making Money as a Writer: Series Introduction appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

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The post Becky Kopitzke on Making Money and Serving God with Your Writing appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.