Steps to Turn Your Hobby Into a Career
Earlier this year, I heard Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg speak to a Technology Forum at Brigham Young University and one of my biggest takeaways from his presentation was this: “Most people have something that they’re super passionate about, and I would just encourage you guys to find that thing.” A lot of us do the things we love after hours — after work, after school, after our responsibilities. But why not take your hobby, your love and turn it into a career? Here are some steps you can take to kickstart your hobbyist career.
Do What You Love. Do you like building model airplanes? Taking photos of babies? Making silkscreen T-shirt prints? Making delicious baked goods and caramels? Whatever it is that you love doing, if you’re good at it, chances are there’s someone out there who would be willing to pay for what you do. Instead of trying to find a job doing XYZ, why not flex your entrepreneurial muscle and do that thing on the side?
Talk to Someone Who’s Done It. Track down someone in your industry or community who has done what you want to do to get a feel for an average day. They can help paint you a picture about what’s involved to turn your hobby into a career.
Take a Business Class. When I started a jewelry commerce website a few years ago to sell my handcrafted designs, only 20% of what I was doing was making jewelry, while 80% of what I was doing was the busy activities that a small business owner does. That said, if my store had been on Etsy, the time spent on business tasks would have been less.
To be a successful entrepreneur, it’s smart to take a business or e-commerce class to learn a thing or two about how to succeed. Just know that turning your hobby into your career won’t involve doing your craft all day long.
Draft a Business Plan. Even if it’s just a simple framework, track how much your products will cost to produce, how much your time is worth, what other people ask for a similar product, and how much you plan to charge.
Start an Etsy Store. Etsy is a social commerce website that makes it easy for hobbyists to create a storefront and sell their wares to the world. While you can design your own website elsewhere, Etsy is far easier and affordable for the average start-up. They also have lots of resources available in the Etsy Seller’s Handbook.
So if you have chocolate, clothes, or cards that you can sell on Etsy, start a store and get going! If you need another reason to go through Etsy, consider the millions of sales that have been through Etsy. It’s where people go to buy. Tap into it today.
Even if you don’t want your hobby to be your full-time gig, spending a few extra hours a week can help make your part-time hobby profitable.
So give it a try! Even if you find out in a few weeks that being an entrepreneur isn’t for you, no worries! You didn’t quit your job. You didn’t spend $2000 on a website design. If you’re afraid of failure, I’ll leave you with a closing quote from Zuckerberg: “Fail Harder! It’s better to try big things and fail, then to not try anything at all.”
About Sarah Ward
Sarah is a social media manager and image consultant originally from Vancouver, Canada. In her spare time, Sarah enjoys practicing yoga, shopping on Etsy, and watching Grey's Anatomy.
No Comments
No comments yet.
Leave a comment