How To Make a Business from Your Hobby
Consider this. You wake up for work in the morning and it is before your alarm. You smile as it begins to chime, and you don’t press snooze ten times- there is no need. You can’t actually wait to start work. You roll out of bed, make a cup of tea and sit smiling out of the window thinking about all the great things you are going to do that day. That is what work can be like if you are doing a job you love. So why not? Here is how to make a business from your hobby.
Find Your Confidence
Do not let your brain or anyone tell you that you can’t do this. Or that it is a silly idea. The first person who charged people for surfing lessons probably got laughed off the beach – before they became super-rich with an empire of surf schools. The first scientist who decided that we would one day go to Mars probably got a few rolled eyes. But now we are doing it. The first person who decided that they would write a book probably had everyone saying what nonsense it was, and how they should just tell the stories out loud like everyone else. Well – now we have eBooks, self-publishing, traditional publishing,
screenwriting, audio stories, apps, games, films, etc... The majority of the people working in these fields love their jobs. And these are not unattainable dreams and fancies. These are real people who had the drive and self-confidence to go after what they loved in life.
Find Your Hobby
Choose the thing that you love to do. That you know you have the time for and that will not negatively impact your life. For example, if you love to fly aeroplanes but are a single parent to six children, maybe you might struggle to find the time to work as a pilot. This doesn’t mean that you can't work in the same field. Perhaps you could work on flight simulators or create an app related to this. Maybe you could sell aeroplane equipment or write content for aviator sites.
Another way to choose your business is to go for a different hobby all altogether. You might love to fly but also love to teach. Perhaps you could start your own online tutoring business? Or offer to proofread and help university students. Maybe you would prefer to get a CELTA qualification and teach English as a second language?
Do It
The final stage is to do it. Go for it guns blazing and work towards what you want. Each step that you take towards having your hobby as your full-time business should be positive and inch you ever closer to your final goal. It is also ok if that goal changes. Pursue what you want to get out of life, and you will always be having fun doing it.
Be realistic about time frames that you will need to get there and ensure you are financially secure even if you have to work a part-time job to support your dream before it takes flight.
Be a Brand
You should always create a brand around yourself. This way as you move forwards on your projects you can take your followers with you. Consider your favourite actor. You probably know what they look like and their real name right? Not just their name in one film that they were in. Business can be like this, so make sure you take your brand and your logo with you as you develop into a fully-fledged company.
You can do this. Go for it. You are your own best friend, hold your own hand and drag yourself over to a notebook and start making ideas. Research is your best friend as well as complete self-belief even when times are hard.
Cc: Cary Rhodes