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We share our top 10 business tips for food bloggers, entrepreneurs & influencers that we learned over the years. Plus, how to adapt to the struggles of freelancing and working from home for Coronavirus.
Working from home has always sounded so ideal to me. You don't have to deal with early morning commutes (which also saves you money), you have more time to spend with family, and you can literally wake up and work in your PJs if you want to. However, with the spread of COVID-19 and the lockdown measures in place, I had no choice but to quickly adapt to this new way of life. After a while of just rolling out of bed and jumping straight into work, I found that the lack of structure really got to me. Now don't get me wrong, I've always been very self-disciplined and independent so I've been loving the flexibility. But with that being said... all that glitters is not gold. It definitely has its downsides. As a food blogger, I am always on my feet trying to get new content to fill my followers’ feeds. My journey led me to learn and discover different ways to keep my work and my health in check – so today I share with you my top 10 tips for working from home!
1. Make a Personal Workspace
This is really important to ensure that you are working efficiently. Finding a space where you can work without distractions will allow your mind to associate the environment with working. This will help prepare your mind for the tasks you face that day. I was often tempted to open my laptop in bed and do my work in the comfort of my cosy memory foam mattress, surrounded by a mountain of cushions and pillows. I found that 9 times out of 10 I would end up back asleep again, and then typing in Netflix on my browser to watch ‘one episode’ of modern family….
2. Create a Routine & To-do List
I love a routine, I’m pretty sure everyone does. The best thing about making a routine while working from home is that you can plan your day around what suits you best. If you are a morning person, you can plan your routine to fit and utilize your brain the most effectively, enhancing your productivity and quality of work. To-do lists allow you to trim big, daunting tasks into smaller, more manageable tasks that are easier to focus on. And who doesn’t love ticking off each one as you go!
3. Get Creative With Your Environment
Take advantage of your entire home for content! For the best photos, search in every corner of your home for new backgrounds. This is your opportunity to get creative. Find materials with different textures which will make your photos pop!
4. Hone In On Your Communication Skills
Being a blogger is all about communicating with your audience. We have to grab people’s attention and then maintain their interest. This requires some skill, which we can always improve. How about reading a book on communication? My favourite is ‘How to speak so people really listen’ by Paul McGee.
5. Start a Course
Why not start an online course in something useful and exciting? With the extra free time you have, you may as well do something you normally wouldn’t. It doesn’t even need to be relevant to your work. Choose something you will look forward to doing!
6. Dig for Family Recipes
This is a time to catch up with family members and see how everyone is doing. How about asking them to send you their tasty recipes for you to try and then post on your blog? Fingers crossed they won’t ask for any shares though…
7. Learn a New Cooking Skill
Gone are the days where you could go and try out the new hippy health café where they present their food beautifully, producing banging insta-worthy food pics. Now that we are left to our own devices, have a go at a new cooking skill that could take your food pics to a new level. That’s what YouTube is for!
8. Reach Out to Others in Your Field
One of the best thing about Instagram is finding like-minded people and being able to connect with them. My friends often get bored of my nutrition chat, so it feels good to talk to other nutritionists who blog too. Don’t be afraid to slide into someone’s DMs just to talk to them about your favourite subject. Bloggers love people showing interest in their passion, so they are always welcoming to a conversation!
9. Don’t Work After-Hours
Working from home blurs the line between work and pleasure. Find a reasonable time frame and stick to it. You don’t want to burn yourself out and risk being in bed all day tomorrow. It’s important to finish the day with non-work-related activities to keep you relaxed and refreshed.
10. Do Some Physical Activity Everyday
Exercise is so important. Just 30 minutes a day of walking, running, swimming or any physical activity is not only beneficial to your physical health but also to your mental well-being. Going for a walk to the shop and back can do so much. Get a breath of fresh air and go outside, you won’t ever regret it!
What tips do you have to overcome the challenges of freelancing during quarantine? Leave me a comment below and don’t forget to share this with your fellow freelancers and entrepreneurs.
This article was written in collaboration with Nuna Kamhawi. Nuna is a student at Kings College London (MSc Nutrition - ANUtr to be) and has completed a degree in Cell Biology (BSc). Since finishing her exams, she has turned her passion for nutrition into an educational blog – featuring nutritional facts, recipes and everything food.