How to successfully run your own self-employed home based business

I've been self-employed since 2012 and have tried a variety of methods to make money from home as I wanted to create more flexibility for myself whilst I raised my two children.   Since January 2017 I have been full-time self-employed - making a full-time wage successfully from home, by myself, ever since.

It would have been impossible for me to return to work once I had my first child.  I worked full-time hours in a managerial role that regularly required last minute overtime.  The cost of the childcare, especially once we had two children, which we knew we wanted, would have been unaffordable.

So rather than return to my employed role, I tried my hand at a few ways to make money from home such as training to be a childminder (my first business idea) and instead going on to set up an online ecommerce store selling fashion accessories.  This surprisingly led me into the world of blogging and I have successfully made a full-time wage since January 2017 as a full-time blogger, as well as a few other side hustles to generate extra income. 

I have lots of experience in selling online as this was my original home business aim for a few years and, before I had children, I was an ecommerce fulfilment manager for a busy High Street fashion website.  I've used Etsy to sell handmade crafts, set up my own ecommerce store, use eBay daily to sell items and I've used various social networks to sell and market my products.  I've also assisted my husband greatly in setting up his own handmade furniture business selling locally and online. 

I have learnt how to make a living as a blogger and tried more than 60 ways to make money at home over the years.  I can bring all my experiences into helpful blog posts so others don't make the same mistakes I made and can learn how to do all of these things effectively.

Marketing is an essential part of running any business, including a blog and any self-employment venture. I love to share my knowledge of how to get a business out there both online and offline, paid and unpaid.

Not only have I been self-employed for several years, but my husband has been a self-employed handyman, runs his own business making handmade furniture and he now successfully generates a passive income from ads and affiliate marketing on his own website which is rapidly growing. 

Between us we run a few different businesses and have a lot of experience working from home in a variety of fields.  We understand the many challenges that setting up your own business, working from home and raising a family at the same time can bring.

On this page I will share many of the helpful articles from my main money and lifestyle blog that relate to running a business from home, marketing and being self-employed.

Here are some articles to get you started and you'll find lots more below.

• How working from home can save money
• How to manage your time effectively when working from home
• The pros and cons of working from home
• 19 ways I've made money online in the coronavirus lockdown
• 60 tried and tested ways to make money online
• Do you need permission to run a business from home?