Learn how Nate Blury Turned his Interest in Cocktails into a Successful Home Business!
Nate Blury is a work-at-home success running his home business, Original Tin Cup Co., and he’s the Co-Founder of the Fresh Coast Consulting Group. When he is not at his home office, he can be found traveling the world drinking and learning from people in the beverage industry as a part of his Cocktail and Conversation Blog.
1) How did you get started working from home?
Like most people, I had a traditional career and office job as an Executive at FedEx. However, in 2012 the company launched a cost saving intuitive, as well as a work-from-home pilot program. I jumped at the opportunity and haven’t looked back since.
2) How did you choose the work-at-home career you do?
After my career at FedEx, I realized that I did not want to go back to a traditional office space; so I Created the Original Tin Cup Co. to be as mobile and flexible as possible for both myself and my team.
3) How did you get started (basic initial steps)?
I was lucky to have support from a large company when I began my work from home career. They provided me with the equipment I needed, but I was still responsible for converting my space into an office and ensuring I had high-speed internet/cable connections. I also chose to upgrade simple things, like ensuring I had a Stand-up desk. That I had a good camera, headset, and microphone for video conferencing. I also had to buy my own docking station so that I could hook my tiny laptop up to a more usable desktop configuration.
4) How did you get your first client or customer or job?
Working from home for a big company helped give me the confidence I needed when it came time to start working from home for myself. It was still difficult to make that, first sale. However, I actually think it can be easier to appear bigger than you really are online. I ensured that my marketing/ and teaser video instilled confidence that we were a real company with real products and a brand to sell. From there the sales started to build.
5) How do you market your business?
Now that I have my own company, I outsource my marketing to other work from home professionals as well as utilize social media to market my business. I also blog and vlog about my experiences to ensure I have a healthy social connection to the professional community.
6) What does your usual day look like?
Running a small business means that no two days are alike. The same would be true if I were at a traditional office. However. I do try my best to stick to a schedule with consistent hours and start times. From there, I chunk out my days with specific times set aside for emails, video conferences, meetings, marketing content creation, and travel days.
7) What do you know now that you wish you knew when you started?
I wish I was aware of how lonely it could be to be by myself for the entire day, and also how difficult it can be at times to stay motivated and on task. Also, it can be a real culture shock to go from a loud, busy, office, with co-workers, and a water cooler, down to just yourself and a laptop. I learned pretty early on how easy it is to blur the lines between work and your personal life. It can be very easy to give into the temptation to do a quick load of laundry or wash a few dishes between meetings when really you should be catching up on emails instead.
8) What advice would you give someone who wants to work from home?
I feel that if someone is exploring a work from home opportunity, ensure that you have a dedicated space for your home office. Be careful to not let your work leave that space and creep into other parts of your house. If it does then you may have a difficult time drawing a healthy boundary for yourself and your work. Also, think about how your relationships with your children, spouse, significant other, or roommates could be affected as well. It can be very rewarding to work from home, and it offers flexibility and great opportunity so good luck, and make the most of it!
Find Nate Blury Online:
Website: Original Tin Cup
Facebook: Orginal Tin Cup Company
Instagram: @originaltincup
Twitter: @OriginalTinCup
