Can you turn a hobby into a career?

Karen White

28th May 2020

We all dream of finding a job that we love, and what better way to do that than to take a hobby and turn it into a credible career. But how is that possible? How can you take something you do in your spare time and use it to pay the bills?
Well, it is easier than you think…

Take for instance, online learning courses. These are a credible way to enhance your skills and transform your hobby into a tangible career. From photography to childcare to art to fitness (i.e. becoming a trainer); you can take these interests and find courses that will make you more employable.

Likewise, if the idea of becoming your own boss fascinates you, then you can use distance learning to develop your business know-how i.e. enrol onto a business management course and ensure you’re fully prepared to start anew.

How to get started:

Now, before you jump straight in, it is important that you take a moment to consider the implications of this decision, as well as review the following steps:

Assess your situation – how are your finances? Can you afford to change careers or enrol onto a course? We recommend that you pause to your short and long term goals, and how they may impact on your income.

For example, is it possible for you to continue working your current job until your new business is established, or do you need to quit it entirely? If it is the latter, then you need to sit down and examine your start-up costs/ funding requirements.

Create connections/network – earning money from your hobby requires making connections with like-minded individuals who wish to make money in the same way. By analysing how others in the same field are doing it, this can give you tips/shortcuts on how to make your own journey easier.

Tips:

Get involved in groups on social media;
Join apps where you can virtually engage and meet with people who will want to pay for your work i.e. Etsy and Instagram;
Be prepared to share advice as well as receive ideas – don’t lose your sense of right and wrong when dealing with competitors;
Research – before you start any business, it is important that you research your prospective market and get an idea of what potential customers’ want/expect/are willing to pay. This market research will prove a useful starting point for pricing your own products/services, as well as will show you how to correctly market/engage with customers.

Tip:

Read testimonials/customer reviews and take notes on what they complain about and what they praise;
Plan – once you’ve ascertained how you can use your hobby to make an income, you need to plan how to turn this idea into a real and credible venture – in other words, you need a business plan. This should include your monthly expenses, any anticipated risks (and how you plan to tackle them), equipment costs, membership fees and your expected income;
By taking the time to create a business plan, you can use it to prove how great a success your idea will be. In turn, this plan will help to attract investors and get you more vital funding.

Tip:

You will likely need an accountant to help you with your taxes;
Spread the word – thanks to the internet, getting your name out there is easier than it used to be. So once you’re ready to open, take advantage of social media and online sites, and use them to spread the word.

Tips:

Create your own site and fill it with regular posts/content;
Be mindful of your current job and contract – make sure there is no conflict of interest or clauses stating you can’t have an outside income.

As you can see – turning a hobby into a career doesn’t have to be a daunting task. With careful planning and research you can build up your skillset, and ensure that you do a job that you love.

To learn more about our online courses and how they can help to boost your CV, visit our website.