9 years, 9 months ago-
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Hello fellow community members!
Motivational Monday. If you are anything like me, getting kick-started on Mondays could take a little bit of effort. So each Monday, let’s kick off the week with a new question/a hot topic/something current and interesting in all things pet.
This week:
Do you have plans to attend the BlogPaws Conference next May in Nashville and if so, are you budgeting for it now?
Do you have a long-term plan in place (whether in your mind or on paper) of how to finance it so that when the time comes, you’ve got it covered?
The inspiration for this question comes with my cleaning out some email folders this past weekend. I cannot begin to tell you the number of emails I received from folks asking for assistance or ideas on how to get to the BlogPaws Conference but they are lacking the funds…..a month, weeks, and even the week OF BlogPaws.
What has worked for you in terms of saving for the conference…. or any blog-related expense….?
Will see what you all have to say before I tell you what has worked for me in years past.
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I wasn’t planning on going next year as it was going to be on the East coast and I couldn’t afford the expense just to see friends. Nashville makes it feel less burdensome though.
I am applying to speak next year so I hope that covers some of my costs. I may also look into a sponsor this year, although I prefer not to be sponsored by a brand so I have the freedom to enjoy myself on my own terms. I already have the money if I need to pay for it myself.
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One thing that’s worked for me in terms of ways to save money and still enjoy the conference is to split the cost of a hotel room. That takes a big chunk out of the expense involved in attending.
If you’re flying, check several different sites before reserving your plane ticket. Ticket prices vary tremendously depending on the season and the anticipated demand (for example, plane tickets to popular vacation destinations such as Maine are always a lot more expensive in the summer than they are in the fall and winter). Also consider the timing of your ticket purchase — I’ve found that if I buy my ticket a month or so out, I tend to get a better price. You could try standby and save more money, but that’s too stressful for me and since flights are often overbooked anyway, actually getting to your destination at your intended time can be a crapshoot if you go the standby route.
Sponsors can be helpful, and so can expressing an interest in working at the event itself. If you have a topic you can speak knowledgeably on, why not submit a proposal for a talk?
I do try to save up ahead of time because even if I have ways to save money on air fare and hotel, I still want to have cash to spend in transit and at/around the conference.
One more thing: Don’t forget to save all your receipts! You can write off travel and conference attendance and its associated costs when you file your taxes next year. (Protip: Get a good accountant! I finally got one last year and she saved me THOUSANDS in taxes by helping me understand what I could write off for business expenses.)
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I haven’t started budgeting just yet but will once the new year comes around. Right now I’m putting my blogging income into a new blog design that’s in the works.
I’m relieved that we can drive this year instead of flying. I really hate the hastle of flying . . .especially with a pet. It’s so much easier to through your bags in the truck and not worry about plastic bags and how many ounces something weighs.
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I would love to go to BlogPaws. It’s a dream I have. But I simply *cannot* afford it. It doesn’t matter if I started saving now or not – I’m on Disability and am barely making ends meet with two special needs cats as is. I’d love to know what ideas people have other than “start saving now” that would possibly work for someone in my situation. I have other blogging friends in the same boat as well.
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After looking at the costs of a trip to BlogPaws (it’s not cheap), I had an idea about a BlogPaws Convention Sponsorship Fund. Basically, BlogPaws members who cannot afford to go to the BlogPaws convention can apply to be sponsored. BlogPaws employees and maybe some past sponsored bloggers choose 10 bloggers to be sponsored. Then BlogPaws members can vote for 5 members that should go to the convention (based on the best blog). BlogPaws members can also get involved by donating to the sponsorship fund.
I’ve already talked to Carol about putting this in action, but maybe if we got some other BlogPaws members behind it there would be a better chance it would happen? If you’re interested please email me txpups3@gmail.com or just inbox me.
Trying to sell products to make money can be difficult, it may be better to ask for them to sponsor your trip to BlogPaws instead of trying to save up.
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Love this discussion, especially that it comes this early so folks can plan for Nashville. A key to being able to attend any event, not just BlogPaws, is to look a the overall cost and break it down into little manageable chunks. For instance, if the cost in all is $1200 (travel, hotel, food, registration)… make a list:
1. I can come up with $250 – that means I need to ‘raise’ $950.
2. Can I write a few blog posts at $50 each…and raise, say, $200? If so, who would I write for and would it be a weekly post or a monthly post?
3. Now I need $750 – can I share a room? That could save another $150 or so (these numbers are made up, you should do this for yourself and use the right numbers). Now I need $500.
4. Could I do some advertising on my blog for that money? What else can I do that isn’t necessarily an online focus? Make phone calls for a start-up locally? Do some admin work for a new business (look in your local newspaper for new businesses – if you could offer them work from home making calls or doing something else, they might jump at it)
5. The goal is to whittle that amount down to a manageable number. Ask others what they’re doing. Reach out to your favorite brand and provide a proposal outlining what you’d do for a sponsorship. Be pr-active.
6. BlogPaws is here to help also. As someone who used to have to do all of the things above, to attend events I wanted to attend, I know how frustrating and disappointing it can be. The idea of a Sponsorship from us is worth considering, so… stay tuned for more news on that. Wouldn’t it be GREAT if a group of bloggers who can’t come because of ‘other’ commitments, not because of money, sponsored other bloggers to come? I love it! I cannot say it enough, pet bloggers are the smartest, most talented, and most sincere bloggers on the web!
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