Everyone at one point or another has looked at a hobby of theirs and thought; maybe I should do this for a living. After all, most people prescribe to the notion that if you love what you do you’ll never work a day in your life. While this is an honorable and great calling, there are a lot of first steps to embark on.
Asking the Right Questions
A lot of people find after turning their hobby into work, they no longer find the same joy they used to have in doing so. The added pressures of maintain a schedule, mixing financial goals, customer expectations and marketing has clouded the original fun of it all.
Starting a business is more than just doing what you like to do as a hobby. It takes an entrepreneurial mindset to see the hobby to business pipeline all the way through. These are then the questions you should ask yourself.
- Will you be able to deliver on time? Imagine whatever your hobby is has now turned into a deadline driven affair. Unless your work is completely long-term art or something else of the matter, you’re going to be rushing these things out faster than usual. Being able to operate on a deadline is an important aspect to consider.
- Are you ready to work even longer? Hobbies taken into a full-time business will not have the usual hours set by an employer. You may be waking up at the crack of dawn one morning and working until dusk. Inspiration hits at all times of the day and you need to stay focused.
- Can you combine business and play? One of the most important things to ask yourself is if you can adequately handle the financials with something that wasn’t originally about the money. This is an important distinction.
Staying Knowledgeable
For those that have made the transition from hobby to business owner know there’s kinds of things to stay knowledgeable on. For one, if you’re confident enough to make the shift it’s implied you may know a thing or two about your hobby. Whether it’s musical instrument lessons, cooking, or writing, all of these things can be taught to others. On the other end you can be taught to better your skill if you’re turning it into a business. Take seworbit.com as an example, a place where different types of sewing skills are taught through informative blog posts. Using extra knowledge on the web can take you to being better and more informed against new competitors.
Becoming A Source for Hobbyists
It sounds simple right, but being the best at whatever hobby or craft you have can make you a source for other hobbyists. This can be broken down into a couple different areas you can supply them with. That includes selling the best products to them, inventing a new source for them or creating a product or accessory that assists in the hobby.
Let’s take sewing again as an example. If you’ve come up with a foolproof method to sewing an important piece or stitching together something important, then turn around and sell how to do it or the actual product itself. In this one instance you act as a kind of supplier to the hobbyists.
In another way you can become a source as a teacher. Even while you’re in the transition of becoming a business, you can use this learning experience to teach others. There are marketing courses and plans that are everywhere on the Internet, some better than others. If you can capitalize on what works for you it may work for others, and if it actually works that means more people will come to you for teaching and advice.
Research the Industry
Whatever industry your hobby ends up putting you into, make sure to research everything about it. This is especially important to do beforehand. There are a lot of niches to even the smallest of markets. Sometimes your hobby may not be able to do that well in a business unless you tweak it into another iteration of itself. Who knows sometimes this could lead you into another hobby entirely.
Create a game plan of what you’re going to start to put into the market before actually placing it there. The final product should have gone through multiple versions before doing it. Overall, you want to be prepared to ask the right questions, stay knowledgeable and not be afraid to think differently about your hobby transitioning into a business.
