Home Articles Posted by Izy Berry (Page 42)
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Weddings around the World
Once the excitement of receiving a wedding invitation has worn off, it’s time to start planning your outfit. Choosing a guest outfit for a wedding in the UK is hard enough, but what about if you’ve been invited to a wedding of a different culture? Together with Charles Tyrwhitt, retailers of timeless menswear, we look at how the dress code of a wedding changes depending on the background of the newlyweds.
What will the bride be wearing?
Brides are known in the UK for their flattering white dresses, accompanied by a long train and veil. But how do our own bridal traditions compare to India, Japan and China?
India
In India, the lady’s dress depends on the region of India that they’re from. In some regions, the bride wears a saree which is a garment that looks like a long drape, in others she wears a lehenga which is a long skirt. Often the bride is dressed in red or another vibrant colour, her garments will be carefully embroidered with an impressive design.
The bride and her bridal party often have henna on their palms, hands, forearms and legs.
Japan
Japanese weddings are very elaborate and it is acceptable for families to spend close to £75,000 on a wedding day. It is often the parents of the couple who organise the wedding, and they are willing to spend excessive amounts to save face. Because of the large scale of the weddings, the bride can have as many as 5 costume changes!
At a traditional (Shinto) wedding, the bride wears a white kimono, but more recently Japanese brides wear a dress that has a traditional print.
China
In China, it is likely that the bride will be dressed in red as it is considered a sign of good luck that can warn off evil spirits. In some regions, typically in northern China, the traditional attire for a bride is a one-piece dress that is embroidered with gold and silver designs. In southern China, the typical wear is a two-piece frock.
A bridal crown is part of the wedding costume for some brides too – it is worn for photography or for show at a grand occasion. For footwear, a special pair of shoes are often worn that are embroidered with a symbol — for example, a turtle or a deer which symbolises happiness and longevity.
What will the groom be wearing?
The men often have traditional dress codes that they are expected to follow – however, many of them are opting for a smart suit similar to how a groom in the UK would dress.
India
Similar to the women, it depends on what region of India the groom is from as to what they wear. Some husbands-to-be wear traditional dress, such as a dhoti which is a rectangular cloth ties around the waist. In other regions, they wear a sherwani (a long coat), a kurta (loose falling shirt that hangs below the knee), or a Western suit.
The men also have henna on their bodies but it is less elaborate and often hidden.
Japan
Traditionally, a Japanese groom wears a wedding kimono for the ceremony and then changes into a tuxedo. The formal kimono that he wears is called a montsuki, and often displays the family crest. More recently, younger grooms start the ceremony in a suit too.
China
In China, the husband-to-be traditionally wears a black silk coat over an embroidered robe. Often, in the modern day, the overcoat is not worn.
The groom has to wear certain headwear too – this is usually a black hat with a red tassel. Some younger generations are not following the traditional dress code and simply wear a tuxedo or a Western-style business suit.
What should the guests wear?
It can be difficult to choose an outfit as a guest, as there are many traditions and symbols that you may be unaware of and you don’t want to offend anyone.
India
At an Indian wedding, the bolder your outfit is the better. Wearing vibrant colours will mean you fit in with the Indian guests. Guests should avoid white or black as these are colours worn for funerals and mourning in India. It is also advised that red is not worn either as the bride will probably be dressed in this colour.
Women guests should not bare their shoulders, wear low cut tops or short skirts as this can be seen as disrespectful — a jewel-tone dress with a shawl is one appropriate outfit. The Indian female guests will most likely be dressed in colourful sarees or anarkali suits. Jewellery is important for women too, choose a statement piece for around your neck with matching earrings and bangles.
Men often wear a tailored kurta with a pyjama and a dupatta (shawl) can be added over the kurta. For their feet, sandals, jootis or chappals are often worn as these are comfortable and prevent overheating.
Guests might also be expected to cover their heads if the wedding is held in a temple. For this, women can wear a long scarf or pashmina over their heads and men are usually provided with a head cover such as a large handkerchief.
An Indian wedding is often a long drawn out event (it could be three days long!) so make sure you are wearing something loose and comfortable.
Japan
At a traditional Japanese wedding, men were expected to be dressed very formally with a black suit and white tie. Now however, the dress code is more flexible and it is accepted for men to come dressed in suits other than black with various coloured ties. However, it is advised to avoid white clothes with black ties.
Women often wear dresses that are knee length or a coloured kimono to take on a traditional look. It is best to avoid showing any shoulder as this can be deemed a disrespectful.
China
When dressing for a Chinese wedding, avoid wearing red as this can be seen as trying to steal the limelight from the bride. It’s best to wear pink, peach or purple as these are all symbols of new life and happiness. A formal dress is suitable for a Chinese wedding.
Colours to avoid include black and white, as these symbolise mourning and black is considered to be the colour of bad luck.
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How To Make the Most Out Of Your Family Trip to New York
If you are visiting New York, you might be thinking whether or not the location would be suitable for your young family. In fact, it is a great place for kids. They will love the buzz and the eclectic feel of old and new in one place. A walk in the park will impress them just like visiting a famous shop or a museum. Below you will find a few tips on how to make the most out of your family trip to New York this year.
Central Location or Close to the Underground
If you are traveling with kids, you should try and find a family friendly location in New York that is not too noisy at night. Alternatively, there are a few districts that are well connected to Downtown New York, but have a more suburban feel. You don’t want to end up walking for miles with little kids in the crowd, after all.
Sightseeing Tours
Image via Luca Bravo@lucabravo
If you would like to take in all that this great city has to offer, you might want to go on a sightseeing tour. No matter if you are interested in history, or would like to see the best restaurants and landmarks, you will surely find the right tour. After you have taken a note of the places that interest you and your family, you can go on a hunt to discover the best chocolate drinks or pizza places for families.
Experience Days
If you want to spend your time wisely, you need to see as much of the city as possible. You can book experience days, such as learning about history, making things, or even go on a hot air balloon flight. Visit some of the landmarks of New York with accessible roof and a viewpoint, and you can even top up your Instagram post queue while you are away enjoying big city life. There are also some cheap broadway tickets for great family friendly shows to choose from online.
Park Visits
You don’t have to spend a fortune to enjoy New York and soak in the feel and the atmosphere. Take a day off to visit one of the parks where you can have a picnic, play games, or just watch the locals and understand what is so special about the New York lifestyle and why you might want to learn more about the traditions and the multicultural society.
Fun Museums
Image via Aditya Vyas@aditya1702
Kids love museums, and New York certainly has hundreds of them to choose from. Before you start searching for them online, here are a few ideas that will be winning your little ones’ heart. You can meet dinosaurs at the Field Station, or visit the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum for free on Fridays. Of course, the main attraction is still the Brooklyn Children’s Museum with loads of activities for all ages.
New York is a great place to visit with kids. Make sure that you are able to spend a couple of days to discover the hidden gems that make the Big Apple so special.
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Travelling to Bali? There Are The Best Times to Go
If you are planning a holiday on the tropical paradise island of Bali, you certainly wouldn’t be alone, as many people from all walks of life flock to this amazingly serene island in search of a couple of weeks in paradise. If you are wondering what is the best time to travel to Bali, here is a brief rundown of the various seasons, with the aim of helping you book the best dates.
High Season
June, July and August are the high season months as thousands of people flee the winter months. You will encounter many like-minded travellers who are also planning to enjoy Bali in the high season. There are private luxury Bali villas by Cantik that can be booked online, but if you want a choice of locations, you should be booking at least 3 months in advance. Summer is also the driest months that have more sunshine hours than the other seasons, and if you like meeting other travellers, there will be plenty during the high season.
November to March
This is the monsoon season in Bali, which doesn’t mean it rains all the time, and rarely for longer than a couple of hours, then the sun comes out and dries everything. If you would like to have your pick of the very best luxury Bali villas, an online search will help you find an established villa rental agency, who would have great villas in prime locations, and at reasonable rates too. There are two main seasons in Bali, wet and dry, and if you are planning to go during the 5-month rainy season, be prepared for getting wet.
April and May
Aside from the high season, tourists choose April or May, and while there is a chance of the odd shower, the temperatures a little lower, and, of course, there are less tourists. It is important to book your holiday villa well ahead of your planned arrival, as the island of Bali is a very popular destination. There is also some more information on the best times to book a holiday in Bali, which is recommended reading. There is so much to see and do on this paradise island, and with a bit of online research, you can plan each day, and don’t forget the world-class spas that Bali is known for.
September and October
The months of September and October offer lower temperatures, and, of course, less humidity, which is why these months are so popular, and with comfortable temperatures and mainly cloudless skies, you could do a lot worse that choosing September or October for your Bali holiday. Check with one of the online villa agencies and you might be lucky and book one for this year.
Winter is generally very quiet, and if you aren’t bothered about the rain, winter works if you like seclusion, plus prices are a little lower during December through to February. Once you have made your decision regarding your dates of travel, search online for a reputable accommodation agent, where you can book the luxury villa of your dreams.
“This article is published in a collaboration with Mediabuzzer”
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Top 4 Side Hustles for 2019
Are you trying to think of ways to make a little extra cash on the side for this year? Maybe you’re not wanting to leave your job, but realizing your expenses are a little high and you need to hustle in order to reach your financial goals for the year. Now is a better time than ever to be looking for a small side hustle, because with the Internet there are literally so many options of how you can make money while still maintaining your college studies or your normal work.
1. Freelance
I started off my online journey by freelancing on Elance. Now Elance has merged with Upwork and no longer exists by itself but the concept is the same. You can “bid” on jobs ranging from freelance writing through to project management. You will need to think about what kind of work you want to do and what your skillset is best focused on. Bare in mind that there will be a range of clients working at a variety of price points. If you’re wanting to earn well, you’re likely going to have to bid on more technical work or less popular jobs in order to be able to charge more. Even 5 hours a week work at $20 per hour could be a great way to supplement your income.
2. Start Blogging
Blogging can be a great way to make money and there are honestly so many bloggers making money through affiliate links or other brand-related opportunities. The truth about blogging is that there’s about a year delay in starting your blog and eventually turning it into something profitable. This is because you need to build up its traffic and ensure that it is performing well on Google. If you want to learn more check out this link.
3. Start a Franchise
Starting a franchise might not be at the top of your list, but it can be a really great investment. The best part about starting a franchise is that you’re essentially handed a blueprint for a business model that you can visit and see that it is working. Starting a franchise will generally need a decent amount of money to get you started, but as it’s a proven business model you might find it easy to get a loan from a bank to help you with this.
4. Home Help
An industry that’s always thriving is the industry of home help. You can do anything from babysitting through to bigger tasks like cleaning or taking care of the elderly. It’s important to think about what your skills are and what you will be able to offer your clients. You can look around supermarket notice boards to see what kind of jobs are available in your area, and also some online job sites may list this type of work. It can be a great thing to do alongside your normal job or while you’re studying at college.
Earning a little extra will help ensure that you are able to reach your savings goals for the year.
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4 Ways to Save Money Around Your Home
It can be hard when it feels like all the bills are coming in at once. During my years as a college student, I learned how to be very creative about saving costs around the home. A little bit of money saved here and there every week can add up to big changes over the course of a year. Whether you’re saving for your next vacation, a new home, or just trying to lower your weekly expenses, here are four ways to save money around your home.
One of the easiest ways to save money is by using coupons, which can easily shave off a considerable amount of the purchase price. This is a great way to save for those things you just have to buy, or have been looking forward to buying for a while. Take a look over at this website for some great coupons that can save you considerable amounts of money.
1. Electricity
Depending on where you live, the cost of electricity will vary considerably. Back home in New Zealand, during the winter months, electricity can be very expensive – I’m talking $400-600 a month for a family home. This is a huge cost and so figuring out ways to cut down on heating costs was a big focus for me when I was living there. Small changes can make big differences in your power bill. When I would cook something in the oven, I would try to make two meals at the same time so I would be able to half my heating costs. I would then simply just have the other meal for dinner the following night and heat it up in the microwave. Water heating can also push the power bill up considerably, so small changes like taking shorter showers can do wonders for reducing the electricity bill.
2. Food Waste
There’s nothing worse to me than having extra groceries you don’t use and just end up throwing out at the end of the week. I really struggled with food waste, especially when college or work was at it’s busiest and I didn’t have time to cook as much as I would have liked. Having a clear meal plan and shopping for the ingredients you need to make those meals is a lot easier than walking around a grocery shop picking out things you think you might use. Food waste is not only a waste of money, but it’s a real shame when there are so many people out there struggling to buy food.
3. A Spending Ban
If you ask anyone what my favourite hobbies are, I’m sure that shopping will feature on their lists. I love shopping in all shapes and forms, whether its clothes shopping or gift shopping for someone else. Every few months I like to put myself on a shopping ban, where I allow myself $0 for non-essential shopping. You can choose how long you do the shopping ban, it can be for as little time as a week or even as long as a year – although I would really struggle with that one. Putting yourself on a spending ban is great because not only do you save money while on the ban, but you also reconsider your spending more thoroughly once you come off the ban too.
4. Cut Housing Costs
If you’re living in a rental, or own your own home, you’ll know that housing costs are pretty expensive. It might be worth looking at downsizing your house if you don’t need something quite so big, which can have a huge impact on your lifelong finances. If you’re not interested in changing your home, why not consider making some money from your property to help you save money? Airbnb can be a great side hustle for those of you out there with an extra bedroom or two. You can then use this money to help cover your rent or mortgage each month, leaving you with more money to save in the bank, no matter where your house is. It would be a perfect option for someone with a Great home in lyford cay Bahamas.
I hope my four simple tips of ways to save money around the home help you get a little ahead. Remember it might not seem like much at the time, but consistent money saving can make a big difference over the long haul.
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3 Tips for Improving Your Business
Owning a business is a wonderful challenge – but it’s exactly that, a challenge. If you’re like me and didn’t study business management at college, you might have just found yourself operating a business without much prior experience. While there’s nothing wrong with that, chances are you’re doing some things instinctively that might be holding you back. If you want to improve your business, improve sales and revenue, here are three tips for improving your business.
1. Get Help
It can be tempting to do everything by yourself, after all if you do it yourself then you don’t have to pay anyone and don’t have to worry about relying on anyone else. But the simple truth is if you try to do everything yourself, you’ll be instantly limiting how much growth your business can have. At some point, you’re going to want to bring on at least one other person to help you so you can focus on growth and move from being an employee of your business to a business owner. The type of help you’ll need will depend on your industry, your skill set, and how much time your business is taking up. I have outsourced a lot of aspects of my business and first focused on the ones that were the most time intensive without bringing much in terms in returns. Things like email management, blog posting, social media scheduling etc can easily be done by an assistant remotely. I think it’s important to put a dollar value on your time and to decide when it’s worth paying someone else, like a Social media coach, to do tasks that are weighing you down.
2. Be Consistent
If you work in the online world, it’s much easier to be less consistent than a real store would have to be. If you sell bags and shoes on an Etsy store, for example, it’s important to make sure you have a consistent range of products so that your buyers will always see new things they can purchase. Be consistent with your online presence as this is a great way to promote your products and services. If you work as a sole trader, such as freelance writing, then you will probably need to consistently hunt for new clients. You might have a period where you are really busy and stop pitching, only to find work slows down and you’re a bit stressed about income. I suggest being consistent is the best way to ensure that your business is constantly ticking over and growing. Whether you’re selling mats or working as a coach, consistency is important across the business board.
3. Have a Clear Goal
Do you know what your one-year goal is for your business? Where do you want to see yourself in five years? Without clear goals, you can’t know where you’re headed or how much time and effort you’ll need to get there. Having clear goals ensures that you’re focused on where you want to go and you can then spend your time breaking these goals into smaller, achievable steps that you can work towards each day. This can be a really fun activity to do with a friend, so I suggest setting up a date to sit down and brainstorm what your work and personal goals are for the next five years.
It can be challenging to improve things with your business, but these three tips should get you on the right track.
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Simple Ways to Save Money Fast
Saving money is one of those life skills that I think doesn’t get enough attention. After all, if you want to do anything big in your life finances wise, you’re going to need to have savings. I’m grateful that I really enjoy savings and it somewhat comes naturally to me now, but it wasn’t always that way. When I left home in my teens, I knew I would have to learn how to save in order to have some cushion in case an emergency came up, and also to be able to buy my first car. Little by little I learned some simple ways to save money fast that really help me, so I want to share them with you too:
1. Bulk Cook
I find that food is one of the ways that I spend most of my money. Whether it’s eating out, or cooking meals that are kind of expensive, I realized early on that bulk cooking would be a great way to save money. I’ll cook meals that freeze well and make a number of servings so I can just defrost it and heat it up. Cooking for one is really expensive and wasteful, so I’ve found bulk cooking helps me save money so I have more money left for savings!
2. Cut Out the Drinks
Drinking outside of the home can be really expensive. Whether your vice is coffee or alcohol, both have incredible markups in restaurants and cafes, meaning you can easily spend a ton of money without realizing it. If you want to have a few drinks with your friends, there’s no harm in that, but now the weather is nicer why not host some friends over to your home for a BBQ and enjoy some cheap supermarket drinks instead of shelling out a fortune in a bar.
3. Get Extra Income
Having extra income is going to mean that you have more money available to save. This can be a little challenging to do, depending on your lifestyle and how much free time you have. If you’re able to pick up extra hours at your work, that might be the easiest way to give your income a little boost. But if that’s not an option for you or not something you’re interested in you might want to consider working an extra job or getting a side hustle. I think if you do get an extra job, it can be nice to get something a little more casual and something that you enjoy. Having an extra one or two hundred dollars a month can make a big difference in how much you can save over the course of a year or two. In terms of side hustles, it can really be anything, from babysitting for friends for a bit of extra cash, right through to investing in a bond or launching an online business. There are so many options, you’re just going to have to find one that fits your lifestyle.
If you’re selling online, then you’re going to want to invest in the best 3d secure verification to ensure your client’s privacy.
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3 Tips for Saving on Your Next Family Vacation
Family vacations are some of my favourite vacations – they’re an opportunity to create memories with your family that will last a lifetime. I’ve gone on quite a few trips with my husband, as our own little family, but I’ve also taken my sisters on a few trips. I flew three of my sisters out to Guatemala for my wedding and on the way we decided to meet in Mexico for a few days to enjoy the delicious food and beaches. I also took one of my sisters on a trip to South East Asia. I paid for the majority of these trips, so I know how challenging it can be saving and planning a holiday for a small group of people. Whether you’re planning to head away on vacation soon or hoping to go away next year, I hope these 3 tips for saving on your next family vacation helps you find some deals. If you want to learn more about saving on a family vacation, feel free to check out that link!
1. Choose a Cheaper Destination
I personally think that it’s better to spend a little more on flights to go somewhere where your money will go further, rather than saving on flights and going somewhere really expensive. This is even more true when you’re planning a trip for a family, as costs can add up quickly when multiplied by 3 or 4 people. Some of my favourite best value destinations include Mexico, Nicaragua, South East Asia and Eastern Europe. I really enjoy going somewhere where we can eat out without pinching pennies and worrying about how much everything costs.
2. Be Flexible
If you can be flexible with dates and even locations you fly in and out of, you’ll save so much money. You might find cheap flights from your local airport to Singapore, for example, but you actually want to head to Bangkok. I suggest looking into the cost of flying from Singapore to Bangkok, versus flying direct to Bangkok, and if there’s a considerable flight price difference it might be worth going this non-direct route. I personally love turning things like this into stopovers, as it gives me the chance to visit another country I might not otherwise visit. If you can also be flexible with your dates you will be able to save a lot of money. Travelling during peak time can be a lot more expensive, so if you can travel in the offseason or less common times, you can save a bunch not only on the airfare but also on the accommodation when you’re there.
3. Consider All Inclusive
I personally love all inclusive because you don’t have to worry about carrying around your cards or how much your trip will cost. When you arrive, you pay your bill and you’re ready to go. This makes it so much easier to budget and plan for your trip because you’ll know the majority of the cost before you even leave your front door. A cruise is also a form of all inclusive although depending on what’s included on the cruise you might find having to supplement alcohol and excursion expenses.
If you’re from tucson az then check out this helpful link for more information on planning your move.
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3 Common Mistakes New Bloggers Make
If you’re new to blogging, or have been at it a while and are quite simply not seeing the results you want to see, then there might be a few reasons why. Blogging can be quite a challenging hobby or career, depending on how much experience and knowledge you have in the industry. If you want to make your blog an income source, then you’re going to need to put in a lot more effort than just writing whatever you want, whenever you want. Here are the three common mistakes I see a lot of new bloggers make so that you can avoid them:
1. Unrealistic Expectations
Most successful bloggers you see have been working at their blog for years and years. If your blog is new, then you simply can’t compare your success to theirs. The blogging market is also a bit more flooded now than it used to be and while there’s still plenty of space for new bloggers, it does mean there’s also a lot more competition. I personally don’t think competition is a bad thing – it will ensure that you have to work harder and produce even better content in order to make it to the top. I think having realistic expectations of how quickly you can expect your blog to grow will help ensure that you stay motivated when things maybe aren’t moving as fast as you’d like.
2. Trying to do it All
It can be tempting to try to do everything yourself, and even more so when the blog isn’t yet making any money. However, unless you’re a blogging expert doing everything yourself might hold you back. I think at some point, you need to decide that you’re really committed to your blog and to invest a little to ensure it grows as fast as possible. I have no skills when it comes to graphic design, so knew early on I wanted to invest in a nice logo that I would be proud of and happy to use for years to come. Another area that I have invested in is SEO – search engine optimisation. It can be quite hard to learn the ropes of SEO quickly, so sometimes it’s just worth investing in having an expert help you out. Check out https://www.cheapcomputerserver.com/how-seo-pros-help-rank-site-higher-google-search/ for more information on how an expert can help you rank better.
3. Not Planning
I’m a big believer in planning your content ahead of schedule. This has so many benefits – it means that you can spread topics and content out over a few weeks or months to ensure there’s a steady stream of interesting content. If you’re travelling intensively or have some family commitments coming up, then having content written in advance will be a lifesaver when you don’t have the time to update the blog on the road. Some bloggers find it helpful to have a regular schedule, meaning that every Tuesday and Thursday, for example, they’ll get a new post up. You need to decide what will work best for you and your blog. You’ll need to look at your life and schedule to gauge what editorial plan will work best for you.
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3 Tips for Growing Your Blog in 2019
If you’re a blogger, then you’re probably constantly thinking about ways to grow your blog and increase your traffic. Every year things change so much due to Google updates and changes in the way social media platforms work. However there are some things that have proven effective over the years in growing your blog, and I wanted to share my top 3 tips for growing your blog in 2019:
1. Invest in Social Media
Social media is huge, I mean if you ask your friends how many social media platforms they’re on, I would be thoroughly surprised if they have any less than two. Most of us check out social media first thing when we wake up, throughout the entire day, and then again it’s the last thing we’re looking at before we fall asleep. If you’re not investing time and energy on social media, then you’re really missing out on a lot of traffic for your blog. I personally love Instagram and find it to be such a fun platform to engage with my readers and followers. I also really enjoy that it’s so image focused, which I think is even better for a travel blog. No matter which platforms you choose to invest in, you’re going to want to spend a decent amount of time learning how your followers respond to your content and how to increase engagement. Many successful bloggers get a majority of their traffic from Pinterest, so this is another avenue to explore if you haven’t already.
2. Don’t Skip SEO
Search engine optimization is such an important part of having a blog. If you don’t know what SEO is, then you’re going to want to spend some time investigating how SEO works and how best to use it for your industry. It can feel like a lot of work doing SEO on every post, but there are a few plugins that you can download to make this entire process easier. My favourite SEO plugin is Yoast and so many other bloggers enjoy using it too because it’s so simple to fill in all the information and it updates automatically. If you want to learn more about link building, check out this helpful link.
3. Make a Plan
I think it’s really important to make a plan and a set of goals for your blog from the get-go. If you want to hit 1000 readers a month, then write that goal down and figure out how you can reach that number. Setting clear goals is so important in any industry, but especially in blogging. When you are first starting out, chances are you feel like your blog is so small and not super relevant, but you need to remember all blogs started out this way! Having some clear, small, achievable goals that you can slowly tick off will help you stay motivated and on track. Click here for more information on a marketing toolkit to help you get started.
Blogging can be a fun hobby or an amazing career – you can choose how far you want to take it. Hopefully, these tips help you grow your blog in 2019.
