We spend a large majority of our lives working at our jobs.
Considering that much of our time is spent working, shouldn't
we make sure that our jobs are something that we actually enjoy
doing? Sure, there will be times that even jobs we love become
stressful, but it is safe to say that most people don't
consider their jobs enjoyable. Here are some tips for making money
doing something you love:
1. Write down your hobbies.
Hobbies are things
that we voluntarily do in our free time, so this is a great place
to start. We must really love something to do it regularly without
being paid or asked to do it. Think about it. No one pays us
to do our hobbies. In fact, we usually spend money on hobbies.
Scrapbooking, tennis, skiing, and golf are just a few common
hobbies that you can easily sink money into. We are also
usually naturally good at our hobbies (that's why we are drawn
to them in the first place). So, what if you could actually
make money from doing your favorite hobby?
2. List every possible job associated with that
hobby.
If your hobby is tennis you might list being an
instructor, managing a tennis club, getting into sales with an
athletic company, or simply teaching a few lessons to kids on the
weekends. Maybe you love to scrapbook and you can start selling
supplies at home parties (while making a few extra bucks and
getting a hefty discount on things you would buy anyway). If your
hobby is reading, then your possible jobs may be writing, editing,
copywriting, or proofreading reports and resumes. Better yet,
combine two hobbies. If your hobbies include both writing and
tennis, you may want to write for a tennis magazine. Really think
outside the box and list any job you can think of, no matter how
out of reach you think it may be.
3. Pick several of your favorite job ideas and
research.
Look for some job opportunities in your area
and list the qualifications. You may be surprised at the jobs that
you are qualified for. For example, you may know how to sew and
operate most any type of sewing machine blindfolded. A sewing
machine company may rather have someone like you, who has
experience with their product, to demonstrate it at trade shows
than to have someone who has a sales background (but no sewing
experience).
4. Start small.
If you can't find a job
doing something you love right away, start a side gig at home. In
addition to your regular full-time job, you can work on a part-time
hobby job for a few hours on nights and weekends. You may be
surprised at how fast your business grows. If you love to bake, you
could take orders for cakes on the weekend. Maybe knitting sweaters
or quilting is your thing, and you can take a few orders a month.
Making even a few extra bucks from your hobby each month will at
least give you money to put towards your craft, and will get you
well on your way to turning your passion into prosperity!
Brandi Hamrick
www.soulsuccess.net GET MY FREE
E-ZINE
How to Start Making Money Doing Something You LOVE!
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From the Community…
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Posted by Wed Sep 30, 2009 1:49am PDT
Report Abusebrandy thanks i love this business http://www.drop3sizes.com/thinandnow
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Posted by Fri Oct 2, 2009 5:35am PDT
Report Abusei want to start trading from other countries. like Suriname for phones, clothes, etc.
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Posted by Fri Oct 2, 2009 8:59am PDT
Report AbuseThanks guys, good luck to you all in pursuit of your passions! :)
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Posted by Fri Oct 2, 2009 9:20am PDT
Report AbuseThank you for the article! I am someone who turned her hobby into a thriving handmade jewelry business! It can be done- be prepared for more than your average 40 hours of work a week though.
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Posted by Sun Oct 4, 2009 2:02pm PDT
Report AbuseCongratulations twiggy!!!! Thanks for sharing with us! It is true, that you may have to work a few more hours (at least initially), but to me, when you are doing something you love it doesn't feel like work, so it's well worth it!
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Posted by Thu Oct 8, 2009 11:04am PDT
Report AbuseI've always been interested in starting my own business, but I don't know how to determine what I would charge for my product. I have made some comparisons and have done some research, but you know, with all the time it takes to painstakingly hand-craft something, by the time you factor in the cost of materials and the hours you spent creating... your profit ends up being less than minumum wage.
For now, I have limited myself to friends and family, and I do my work only for the cost of materials... just so I can build my portfolio and show people what I can do.
Oh, I suppose I should mention what I do! I make handmade wedding invitations and embellished favor tags.
I wish I knew how to make this a more lucrative opportunity.
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Posted by Mon Oct 26, 2009 12:16pm PDT
Report AbuseMandy,
Quit giving it away for free! That's one of the hardest habits to break that wannabe entrepreneurs start. I hope in your case, you tell your friends and family, that although you are charging for materials, that your labor is your "wedding present" or gift to the bridal couple.
The experience you are gaining will allow you to know how long it takes you to produce certain items, do not undervalue yourself and charge less per hour just because it takes you a long time to produce a one of a kind product.
Those items that are so unique may only be available financially to a very select few, but do you want to grow to hate what you are doing because you cannot make money at it? That is what is likely to happen if you do not charge enough.
Also find out what other people who are doing what you want to do charge for their product, tell them why you want to know (most people love to give advice) and ask them how they arrived at the prices they charge... make sure you talk with both genders for a balanced perspective on how to value your product.
With time, perhaps you will find ways to save time on various steps in your business, or certain steps or processes that you can sub-contract out to someone else, or less expensive sources for your materials, but in the meantime, from my own experience, you must be willing to charge for your time, it's valuable, and if you don't value, no one else will either!
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