We've interviewed thousands of successful founders at Starter Story and asked what advice they would give to entrepreneurs who are just getting started.

Here's the best advice we discovered for starting a finance blog:

#1: Jeff Proctor, founder of DollarSprout:

We chatted with with Jeff, founder of DollarSprout ($50K/month). In our interview, Jeff says:

I was 25 when I left my fulltime job. I had saved up a little over $20,000, which I figured would last for about a year. It lasted for 9 months. I ended up having to go back to work because I was dead broke.

Additionally:

I don’t think there is any way I/we could have learned these lessons without making the mistakes ourselves. It’s not like reading a how-to article would have necessarily made everything easier; we had to learn things the hard way.

Read the full interview ➜

#2: R.J. Weiss, founder of The Ways To Wealth:

We chatted with with R.J., founder of The Ways To Wealth ($39K/month). In our interview, R.J. says:

Often, it's only after you start a business that you learn what opportunities exist inside an industry. So, getting this hands-on experience as quickly and cheaply as possible is what really matters today.

Read the full interview ➜

#3: Michelle Schroeder-Gardner, founder of Making Sense of Cents:

We chatted with with Michelle, founder of Making Sense of Cents ($75K/month). In our interview, Michelle says:

Learn how to separate work and life. Being a blogger can mean that your work-life balance can get out of whack, and this is because it is so easy in today’s world to constantly be connected.

Additionally:

If you are worried about leaving your job to start a business, start your business on the side if you can because this way you can build up your business while still having the comfort of a regular paycheck from your day job.

Read the full interview ➜

#4: Jeff Proctor, founder of DollarSprout:

We chatted with with Jeff, founder of DollarSprout ($50K/month). In our interview, Jeff says:

Find your target market and be the best possible solution for them.

Read the full interview ➜

#5: Ryan Luke, founder of Arrest Your Debt:

We chatted with with Ryan, founder of Arrest Your Debt ($3.5K/month). In our interview, Ryan says:

It took me about two years to start to feel comfortable with the business of blogging and how to start monetizing content while providing value to others at the same time.

Read the full interview ➜

#6: Sam Dogen, founder of Financial Samurai:

We chatted with with Sam, founder of Financial Samurai ($30K/month). In our interview, Sam says:

Be unique. Trying to copy your competition will only get you so far. If you copy too much, you are going to start feeling terrible about yourself. To grow your business, please be mindful of your brand. Make sure you understand what you or your business stands for and focus on doing things to get there.

Additionally:

Everything amazing will seem daunting and impossible at first. However, amazing things get accomplished all the time. The key is to just start. If the direction is correct, sooner or later you will get there!

Read the full interview ➜

#7: Ricardo Pina, founder of The Modest Wallet:

We chatted with with Ricardo, founder of The Modest Wallet ($8.5K/month). In our interview, Ricardo says:

The idea behind The Modest Wallet is that you don’t need a finance degree to understand and manage your own money. We want to make money simple!

Additionally:

You don’t have to start the next Apple or Amazon to run a successful business, you need to find something you’re passionate about and make a decision to see that through no matter what.

Read the full interview ➜

#8: R.J. Weiss, founder of The Ways To Wealth:

We chatted with with R.J., founder of The Ways To Wealth ($39K/month). In our interview, R.J. says:

I’ve tried to focus on projects I know I can do repeatedly that will move the business forward — even if many experts say those aren’t the highest ROI strategies.

Additionally:

The more reps you get in (like in weight lifting), the more you’ll improve your money-making skill and the better entrepreneur you’ll be.

Read the full interview ➜

#9: Jack Kerouac (pseudonym), founder of Alpha Letter:

We chatted with with Jack, founder of Alpha Letter ($35K/month). In our interview, Jack says:

I would suggest connecting with every big influence that follows you and networking. Social media is a powerful tool for connecting with people. If you make an account and go viral you will eventually have big named people following you.

Read the full interview ➜

#10: Alex Morris, founder of TSOH Investment Research Service:

We chatted with with Alex, founder of TSOH Investment Research Service ($16K/month). In our interview, Alex says:

Ensure that you truly love what you're doing (the “work”) before you leap. In addition, establish a set of realistic goals (financial, deliverables, etc.) for yourself and your customers.

Additionally:

Being open and honest about your process/investments/performance leaves you exposed to criticism (often constructive, but sometimes not). When times are tough, I always remind myself that this business, just like my investment process, is focused on the long-term.

Further:

Charlie Munger has a saying: “It’s the work on your desk. Do well with what you have, and more will follow.” I take that advice to heart.

Read the full interview ➜

#11: R.J. Weiss, founder of The Ways To Wealth:

We chatted with with R.J., founder of The Ways To Wealth ($39K/month). In our interview, R.J. says:

It’s not enough to just create content and hope it sticks with Google. We’re aiming to create content that nobody else can or will produce.

Additionally:

Think long-term. Have a clear vision for what you want the future to look like, then work backwards to come up with the strategy to achieve that vision.

Read the full interview ➜

#12: Alexis Schroeder, founder of FITnancials:

We chatted with with Alexis, founder of FITnancials ($7.5K/month). In our interview, Alexis says:

Treat your business as a legit business and not a hobby.

Read the full interview ➜

#13: Pardeep Goyal, founder of Cash Overflow:

We chatted with with Pardeep, founder of Cash Overflow ($10K/month). In our interview, Pardeep says:

I learned from the failure of my startup that we should launch products after understanding the pains and gains of the target audience.

Additionally:

Most of the entrepreneurial dreams die before germinating. You don’t need a lot of money to start an online business but a burning desire to become successful.

Read the full interview ➜

#14: Sayan Neogie, founder of Prosmartrepreneur:

We chatted with with Sayan, founder of Prosmartrepreneur ($9.5K/month). In our interview, Sayan says:

Only a small percentage of your content online will bring the most of the revenue.

Read the full interview ➜

#15: Bobby Hoyt, founder of Millennial Money Man:

We chatted with with Bobby, founder of Millennial Money Man ($150K/month). In our interview, Bobby says:

Don’t be afraid to be real. Build your business the way you want. Manage it the way you want. Do things the way you want them to be done.

Additionally:

You need to find a balance between giving your employees space and stepping in when you know what needs to be done.

Read the full interview ➜

#16: Michelle Schroeder-Gardner, founder of Making Sense of Cents:

We chatted with with Michelle, founder of Making Sense of Cents ($75K/month). In our interview, Michelle says:

Take a course! There is probably something that you can learn, especially if you feel stuck. A course can help you figure out what you may be missing, learn new ways to attract customers/readers, grow your business, and more.

Read the full interview ➜

#17: Matt Paulson, founder of MarketBeat:

We chatted with with Matt, founder of MarketBeat ($3M/month). In our interview, Matt says:

Business growth happens by doing more and more of “the boring stuff” and doing it consistently over a long period of time, especially after you become an established business.

Additionally:

There’s a saying that you don’t often know that you are in the “good old days” until they have come and gone, and you can look back at them. But I think the good old days are right now. I love working on MarketBeat. I love the type of work that I do. I love working with the people on our team.

Read the full interview ➜

#18: Michelle Schroeder-Gardner, founder of Making Sense of Cents:

We chatted with with Michelle, founder of Making Sense of Cents ($75K/month). In our interview, Michelle says:

We have enough saved to retire whenever we’d like, and I’m ready to move on to focusing more on my day-to-day life, raising a child, and being happy.

Read the full interview ➜

#19: Ling Thich, founder of Finsavvy Panda:

We chatted with with Ling, founder of Finsavvy Panda ($18K/month). In our interview, Ling says:

At the end of the day, it's all about taking calculated risks and trusting your instincts.

Additionally:

Whether it's taking courses, networking with others in your industry, or hiring a coach or mentor, investing in your growth is key to achieving success.

Read the full interview ➜

#20: David Ning, founder of Astute Actions Inc:

We chatted with with David, founder of Astute Actions Inc ($30K/month). In our interview, David says:

At the end of the day, good content is the best way to keep readers from coming back.

Additionally:

Make friends, meet up with people, and help others. You never know when a simple tip from a friend will transform your business.

Further:

Network with others. Learn from them, and offer what you’ve learned too. You just never know how you can help others and how they can help you in the future.

Read the full interview ➜

Part of

Starting A Finance Blog: Everything You Need To Know

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