Thousands of people manage to transform their passion into a paying job each year. Some manage to hand in their notice to their current boss and make a full-time income from their hobby, while others manage to complement their everyday job with some extra pocket money.
But it’s not easy to make it happen. You often need to persevere, prepare for a period of instability and take the plunge. So, how can you turn your hobby into a small business or online job?
What Types of Hobbies Can Become Jobs?
There are so many hobbies that can become jobs if you have the skills or dedication to make it work. Some examples include:
- Playing sports (yoga teacher)
- Gambling at licensed UK online casinos (poker tournaments, blackjack etc.)
- Making ornaments, candles, pottery and crafts
- Selling paintings and other art
- Illustration (logo design, t-shirt making etc.)
In modern times, it is usually selling things that are handmade online or using skills to provide services to businesses that reap the most success.
Tips to Turn Hobbies into Jobs
So, what advice can we take from people who have really become professional gamblers, set up their own eCommerce stores or are freelancing themselves around the world?
- Save First
When starting any new venture and trying to sell your creations, you must prepare to make very little in the first months and maybe the first year. That’s because you need to build a brand, invest and build up a client base. It’s much easier to do this without money worries and cutting corners – so save before you commit to making it happen!
- Open Your Ears
When you start selling and making money from your hobby, you are going to get more feedback on what you do than ever before. Whereas your friends always compliment you on your work, customers may not be so biased. Try to onboard their feedback and use it to make more sales.
- Grow Steady
You might have loft aspirations to create the world’s best candle making company. But even the best in the market start small and grow steady. In fact, many business owners claim that the reason their business failed was that they grew too fast and put profits over quality, resulting in negative reviews and the beginning of the end. Always start simple and grow slowly!
This doesn’t mean you can’t jumpstart your new business!
But, Will You Still Love Your Hobby?
Sometimes it is better not turning your hobby into a job because there is a chance you could stop enjoying it as much. Scientific research in sport suggests that once we start receiving extrinsic rewards for something like money – as opposed to intrinsic joy and satisfaction – we stop enjoying the sport as much. This could be the same when trying to turn your hobby into a job!
