Comments on: Why Blog? http://www.erica.biz/2009/why-blog/ Erica Douglass, "temporarily retired" after selling a successful business at age 26, writes thought-provoking blog entries challenging you to change your life and daring you to become more successful. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 05:58:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Rose http://www.erica.biz/2009/why-blog/#comment-3244 Rose Wed, 31 Mar 2010 18:25:07 +0000 http://www.erica.biz/?p=714#comment-3244 THANK YOU for this concise post. There were several gems I've not considered before. I left the US in 2002 for a five month trip to Mexico, and I wanted to fill my friends in on my adventures. Since then my email readership has grown to 1,700, and those that click to my blog has grown to 200+ per (very brief) email update (with website link). It's time for me to promote my favorite store: REI (Outdoor adventure products.) I love them, and can preach them earnestly. Cheers, and see you tonight on your webcast! - Miss Rose rosebark.blogspot.com THANK YOU for this concise post. There were several gems I’ve not considered before.

I left the US in 2002 for a five month trip to Mexico, and I wanted to fill my friends in on my adventures.

Since then my email readership has grown to 1,700, and those that click to my blog has grown to 200+ per (very brief) email update (with website link).

It’s time for me to promote my favorite store: REI (Outdoor adventure products.) I love them, and can preach them earnestly.

Cheers, and see you tonight on your webcast!

- Miss Rose
rosebark.blogspot.com

]]> By: thePoolGuy http://www.erica.biz/2009/why-blog/#comment-1579 thePoolGuy Wed, 18 Feb 2009 01:06:39 +0000 http://www.erica.biz/?p=714#comment-1579 Erica, I'm glad to have found you on Twitter. This is a great post, wouldn't mind reposting it to my blog. Follow me http://twitter.com/thePoolGuy or eMail if interested. Thanks, David Erica,

I’m glad to have found you on Twitter. This is a great post, wouldn’t mind reposting it to my blog. Follow me http://twitter.com/thePoolGuy or eMail if interested.

Thanks,
David

]]> By: Planet Frugal http://www.erica.biz/2009/why-blog/#comment-1575 Planet Frugal Fri, 13 Feb 2009 20:19:37 +0000 http://www.erica.biz/?p=714#comment-1575 Hi Erica, As to the taxes, I think that setting aside 20% is probably too low of a figure for a self employed person. Remember that if you work for yourself then you must pay 15.3% straight into Social Security and Medicare. Then after that, you still need to save enough to pay regular taxes to both the Feds and the state that you work in. This rate varies depending on how much total income you make in a year as well as what state you live in. The lowest rate for the Feds is 10% but that doesn't kick in until after the first $8,950 or so. So those of you with a lower income don't need to save so much percentage-wise but you still have to give them the 15.3%. I think California's tax rate is 8% if memory serves me. (Sounds like it might be going up soon too:) Anyhow, it can be a heck of a shock when a self employed person discovers that they owe 15.3% plus the regular taxes due after that. An added note, if you end up owing more then $1,000 to the Feds at the end of the year then they will also tack on a penalty. If it is more than $1,000 then you were supposed to pay it to them quarterly as estimated taxes. Even the Feds have bills that they need to pay all year. If you owe under $1,000 then there is no penalty due, but they still want the money, of course:) Also don't go to H+R Block type places, if you are comfy with computers than the boxed software is pretty darn good these days. And a whole lot cheaper..... I do like the Nolo Press tax books but don't forget that your local library probably has them for free.... There are several other publishers like Nolo that write good ones too and indeed if you want to do the paperwork and research there are many deductions that you can take as a business that can lower your tax bill significantly. Just do the research to understand what you can and can't deduct. Hi Erica,
As to the taxes, I think that setting aside 20% is probably too low of a figure for a self employed person. Remember that if you work for yourself then you must pay 15.3% straight into Social Security and Medicare. Then after that, you still need to save enough to pay regular taxes to both the Feds and the state that you work in. This rate varies depending on how much total income you make in a year as well as what state you live in. The lowest rate for the Feds is 10% but that doesn’t kick in until after the first $8,950 or so. So those of you with a lower income don’t need to save so much percentage-wise but you still have to give them the 15.3%. I think California’s tax rate is 8% if memory serves me. (Sounds like it might be going up soon too:)
Anyhow, it can be a heck of a shock when a self employed person discovers that they owe 15.3% plus the regular taxes due after that.
An added note, if you end up owing more then $1,000 to the Feds at the end of the year then they will also tack on a penalty. If it is more than $1,000 then you were supposed to pay it to them quarterly as estimated taxes. Even the Feds have bills that they need to pay all year. If you owe under $1,000 then there is no penalty due, but they still want the money, of course:)
Also don’t go to H+R Block type places, if you are comfy with computers than the boxed software is pretty darn good these days. And a whole lot cheaper…..
I do like the Nolo Press tax books but don’t forget that your local library probably has them for free…. There are several other publishers like Nolo that write good ones too and indeed if you want to do the paperwork and research there are many deductions that you can take as a business that can lower your tax bill significantly. Just do the research to understand what you can and can’t deduct.

]]> By: Helle http://www.erica.biz/2009/why-blog/#comment-1571 Helle Sat, 07 Feb 2009 22:34:03 +0000 http://www.erica.biz/?p=714#comment-1571 Hi Erica I´ve been blogging for about a year now, and I enjoy it very much. Having a webshop selling vintage things, I figured it would send readers from my shop to my 2 blogs, and customers from my blogs to my shop, and this has also been the case eventually. Though either customers or readers are in any high number so far, it is going in the right direction. But slowly. I blog about this and that, about what I have on my mind, an about the findings I´m selling in my shop. I never considered having an income through my blogs, because the traffic is still so low. Maybe I should re-consider. Hi Erica
I´ve been blogging for about a year now, and I enjoy it very much. Having a webshop selling vintage things, I figured it would send readers from my shop to my 2 blogs, and customers from my blogs to my shop, and this has also been the case eventually. Though either customers or readers are in any high number so far, it is going in the right direction. But slowly. I blog about this and that, about what I have on my mind, an about the findings I´m selling in my shop.
I never considered having an income through my blogs, because the traffic is still so low. Maybe I should re-consider.

]]> By: Nezel http://www.erica.biz/2009/why-blog/#comment-1580 Nezel Sat, 07 Feb 2009 08:29:54 +0000 http://www.erica.biz/?p=714#comment-1580 Hi! Great! Thanks Erica for enlightening my mind. Honestly, I never liked blogging as well as bloggers. They just waste my limited time of surfing the net. But after reading your four-point importance of blogging, another window of my awareness opens. You are very much right. One blogger may also be right in pointing out the disadvantages of blogging. However there is always that other side of the coin. Who knows the advantages will outweigh the disadvantages. Anyway, it's ourselves that we are presenting here. Negative presentation means negative self, so why waste time on them. Moreover, life is just like that. We're always dealing with the good and the not so good people. Well, that's another story. Thanks again! Hi! Great!
Thanks Erica for enlightening my mind. Honestly, I never liked blogging as well as bloggers. They just waste my limited time of surfing the net. But after reading your four-point importance of blogging, another window of my awareness opens. You are very much right. One blogger may also be right in pointing out the disadvantages of blogging. However there is always that other side of the coin. Who knows the advantages will outweigh the disadvantages. Anyway, it’s ourselves that we are presenting here. Negative presentation means negative self, so why waste time on them. Moreover, life is just like that. We’re always dealing with the good and the not so good people. Well, that’s another story.
Thanks again!

]]> By: Mustafa http://www.erica.biz/2009/why-blog/#comment-1578 Mustafa Sun, 01 Feb 2009 22:41:15 +0000 http://www.erica.biz/?p=714#comment-1578 Hello there. I loved your Blog. It's so fantastic.. Honestly, I'm blogging for two main reasons. Contributing something to the world. And eventually generate income and become self-employed .. Thanks a lot Hello there.
I loved your Blog. It’s so fantastic..
Honestly, I’m blogging for two main reasons. Contributing something to the world. And eventually generate income and become self-employed ..

Thanks a lot

]]> By: Helen Clement http://www.erica.biz/2009/why-blog/#comment-1577 Helen Clement Sat, 31 Jan 2009 19:22:30 +0000 http://www.erica.biz/?p=714#comment-1577 It is in fact the community-building aspect of blogging that is keeping me from blogging and that has led me to unsubscribe from various blogs. There are too many mean or rude or persistently negative people out there who appear to delight in making vicious comments or to need to flog their paranoid bigotry under the guise of free-speech political and religious opinions. I see these kinds of comments, including what used to be called flame wars, tolerated even on moderated blogs. I don't want to provide a venue for these people, and I don't want to have to fend them off through moderation, so I don't blog. It is in fact the community-building aspect of blogging that is keeping me from blogging and that has led me to unsubscribe from various blogs. There are too many mean or rude or persistently negative people out there who appear to delight in making vicious comments or to need to flog their paranoid bigotry under the guise of free-speech political and religious opinions. I see these kinds of comments, including what used to be called flame wars, tolerated even on moderated blogs. I don’t want to provide a venue for these people, and I don’t want to have to fend them off through moderation, so I don’t blog.

]]> By: Dan Massicotte http://www.erica.biz/2009/why-blog/#comment-1576 Dan Massicotte Thu, 29 Jan 2009 16:26:18 +0000 http://www.erica.biz/?p=714#comment-1576 I'm not sure why bloggers keep bringing up Adsense, yet never mention any other methods? What other methods are you using? I’m not sure why bloggers keep bringing up Adsense, yet never mention any other methods? What other methods are you using?

]]> By: Captain-Rob http://www.erica.biz/2009/why-blog/#comment-1574 Captain-Rob Wed, 28 Jan 2009 18:16:04 +0000 http://www.erica.biz/?p=714#comment-1574 Hi Erica, Great post. I really enjoy the four main points you are making and I agree. Rob http://twitter.com/RobsNiche Hi Erica,

Great post. I really enjoy the four main points you are making and I agree.

Rob

http://twitter.com/RobsNiche

]]> By: juliemarg http://www.erica.biz/2009/why-blog/#comment-1573 juliemarg Wed, 28 Jan 2009 09:55:02 +0000 http://www.erica.biz/?p=714#comment-1573 Erica, I'd love to have you do a guest post or two on my site. I'm looking for your recommendation of a favorite restaurant or day spa or bed & breakfast. The extra benefit to you is that you can help a favorite business owner get some free good publicity and who doesn't want that? Here are some examples of guest posts... http://budurl.com/guests Julie Erica,

I’d love to have you do a guest post or two on my site. I’m looking for your recommendation of a favorite restaurant or day spa or bed & breakfast. The extra benefit to you is that you can help a favorite business owner get some free good publicity and who doesn’t want that?

Here are some examples of guest posts…

http://budurl.com/guests

Julie

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