If we ask a child what he wants to be when he grows up; answers such as firefighter, astronaut and soccer player are the most common. Since we were little we showed an inclination for something different and fun. But with the passage of time, what we dream of changes and we end up trapped in an office working from 8 to 5. That is why it is important to know how to make your hobby work for a living.
The decisions that lead us to define what we are going to do for the rest of our lives; We don’t always take them because we really want to. Simply factors such as need, or taking advantage of an opportunity drive us to do it.
That is when we find ourselves dedicating most of our time to work. And in our free time, doing what we really like to do: our hobbies.
See also: Do you follow your passion or the money?
It’s natural to start thinking about how to make your hobby a job for a living. We optimists know that it is not easy; but the most important thing is that we know that IT IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE!
Therefore, if you think you still can, these are some of the things you should keep in mind to learn how to make your hobby a job for a living.
How to make your hobby a job for a living.
1. Look for related activities.
If your passion is soccer and you are 35 years old, defending the colors of your country in the next World Cup will be difficult. But what if you can teach children to play, write articles for a blog or newspaper, or export and/or import merchandise related to sports?
As in everything, the path is not easy, but the fact that you are doing something that you are passionate about and in which you have knowledge will make the journey much easier and, above all, it will make you happy.
2. Research, research and research again.
Making a business out of your hobby may not be easy at first. Nancy Collamer, founder of mylifestylecareer.com, recommends carefully researching people who have managed to monetize their hobbies and asking yourself the following questions:
- Does your income come from consulting services, videos, accessories, events, classes, or product sales?
- What is your mix of products and services?
- What is your pricing strategy?
Collamer says that by doing this, real models of monetization can be discovered. In addition, with the information collected, you can learn more about their prices and products.
3. Innovation is key.
It is quite likely that someone who shares your hobbies is already making money with something related. That is why it is important that you innovate from the product or service; right down to the way you show it to the public.
Dana and Brooks Tucker, founders of BELLA TUCKER DECORATIVE FINISHES, tell how since 2006 they have had to innovate on their behalf; the way to market your products; how to expand your database; and how to change the mind of users regarding the word imitation.
4. Learn to listen.
Whenever someone wants to undertake, they have people behind them telling them that it is not possible, that it is not worth the risk. Despite that we must be attentive and listen.
Many people around us have knowledge in areas that we do not and their way of seeing our business can help us open our eyes and analyze important things that we were ignoring.
Not all criticism is bad, so we must learn to listen and be objective enough to separate the good from the bad.
And remember, if you are really interested in creating your own business, you can read our book “How to create a company while working: Discover how to manage your time, manage your money and motivate yourself while creating a company and working for another” , where you will find all the information you need to found your own company, without having to leave your job.
