Before you launch your blog, YouTube channel, or podcast, take time to set your goals. Many new content creators rush to start without thinking about how much time and money they can afford to invest in the project. In this guide, you’ll learn how to make clear choices about your time and money—two things that shape every successful online project.
You have two choices to make.
How much time and money can you spend as a new creator?
Depending on your choices here, your next few steps can be easier or more complicated, cheaper or more expensive. Take the time to consider your options and get it right.
By the way, a free worksheet accompanies this session at yourbestniche.com. It’s called You and Your Goals. If you haven’t already, please download and use it as we go along.
Remember that we’re not trying to narrow down your niche during this session. We’ll get to that later.
Also, we’re not looking at what platform you want to use – a blog, YouTube channel, or a podcast. We’ll get to that later as well.
At this point, we’re just looking at your time and money goals.
Your Goals About Time
Let’s get started.
First, let’s look at time. New content creators can expect to spend anywhere between four and forty hours a week on a project.
When you launch a project, you might have a lot of upfront tasks—branding, platform setup, and learning new skills. Later, routine production may take less.
How much time do you want to spend on your project each week? Are you thinking about a part-time or full-time project? Do you want to spend a couple of hours blogging on the weekend, or are you thinking about working 40 hours a week on YouTube? What’s best for you?
Write out your weekly schedule on your worksheet.
Ask yourself:
- How many hours can you commit every week, realistically?
- When will you create early mornings, lunch breaks, or late nights?
- Which non-essential activities can you pause to protect your content-creation hours?
Look at your schedule to help you decide how much time you want to spend working on your project every week.
Your Goals About Money
Second, look at how much money you will spend on your project.
It takes at least three to four months to earn any income from a project, so most people have to cover the start-up costs of their project themselves. Depending on whether you start a blog, a YouTube channel, or a podcast, those costs can range from $75 to $300 or more.
| Platform | Typical Essentials | Estimated Cost Range* |
| Blog | Domain, hosting, theme | $75–$200 |
| YouTube Channel | Camera or smartphone upgrades, lighting, and mic | $100–$300 |
| Podcast | Mic, pop filter, basic editing software | $100–$250 |
*Figures reflect entry-level gear and services.
After figuring out the start-up costs, do you want a hobby project or a business?
Many creators cover the basic costs and never try to earn any income, making their project a hobby rather than a business.
If you want to earn income, how much do you want to earn? Is a part-time income what you want, or do you want to replace your full-time income?
Do you have any ideas as to how your project will earn you money?
Are you thinking about ads, sponsored posts, or selling digital products? There are also channel memberships, online classes, and workshops. Some creators also offer consulting and freelance services.
Again, take a look at your handout to clarify your choices.
Some Examples
Let’s look at a couple of women I worked with during a Your Goals workshop.
Lydia wanted to start a fashion project.
She felt she had an excellent fashion sense and could help women find a stylish and affordable personal style. After she completed the Your Goals worksheet, she knew she wanted to work 15 hours a week or less. That’s a perfect amount of time for a new, small project.
Moneywise, she was willing to cover the startup costs of her project, up to $200. After that, she wanted to use ads to earn enough to cover the ongoing costs. She was sure she didn’t want to sell affiliate products. By the way, knowing what you don’t want to do is also very helpful.
Another young woman I worked with, Caroline, was just starting her second year of college. She had a rather difficult time in her first year. She didn’t have good study skills and couldn’t schedule her time efficiently.
During her second semester, she joined a study group. She learned good study skills and improved her time management by working with other students. The support she found in that study group helped her improve her grade point average from C to B+. She wanted to share her learning in that study group with other students.
After completing the Your Goals worksheet, she decided she wanted to build a supportive community for students entering college. She would do that through online tutorials and weekend workshops. She tried to work about 15 hours a week and earn a part-time income of $5,000 to $8,000 a year.
It might seem that both women would be sharing information. Still, in reality, Lydia wanted to provide information to her audience, while Caroline wanted to build an online community through information sharing. It’s a subtle difference, but it will make a difference in how the women approach their work.
Also, the fact that Lydia wanted a hobby project while Caroline wanted to have an income-producing project would affect the setup of each project.
Next Steps: Put Your Goals on Paper
- Download the free Your Goals worksheet.
- List your weekly schedule on it. When can you work on your project?
- Estimate costs. Tally one-time and monthly expenses; note funding sources.
- Choose monetization paths. Note your skills and comfort level.
- Set review dates. The first one is in 30 days. After that, revisit your goals every three months; adjust as your project grows.
Clear goals today set the stage for tomorrow’s success.
Read THE COST OF STARTING A BLOG: A Guide for New Content Creators next.