This is a post which summarises data migration, what that means and how to get started. It also covers where you might have data you did not think about.

So you are moving your data from one place to another (migration) but what do you need to do?

Places to look for data.

I am not just talking names and addresses, you are going to want to bring together

as much as possible in terms of transactions. Where do you collect data from source? You may not have considered all of these but there will be data there which you can bring to your new system.

• Spreadsheets; with data you have inputted
• Forms; have you asked beneficiaries, donors or anyone else to input their data?
• Payment portals; Just Giving, Enthuse, Stewardship, CAF, MuchLoved etc.
• Fundraising Platforms; Crowdfunder, Big Give, GoFundMe,
• Check your emails; has someone sent you a list of payments,
• Bank Feed; you want to be sure your income matches what is in your new system, so gather up all of that data

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

• Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
• What topics do you think you’ll write about?
• Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
• If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.