Hobby = Career?

Question:

How can I turn my hobby into a career?

Answer:

First, another question: are you sure you want to? Many hobbies are fun when you have only a few hours a week to devote to them. Will it still be fun when you do it 40 hours a week, and need to make it pay?

According to Alicia Malone, host for FilmStruck, the secret of happiness is finding the intersection between doing what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs and what you can be paid to do. Does that describe your hobby?

Would your hobby probably survive as a small business? If so, get in touch with the Maryland Small Business Development Center (mdsbdc.org.) They have many classes in every imaginable area of starting your own business and keeping it running.

Before you make the leap, do your research. How much money do you need to live on? What could you charge for that thing you create/do/produce? How long would it take you to do it? Think not only how many hours a week you’d have to work, but also how many months it will take to become profitable. Will this be your only source of income? Can you do it as a side hustle till it will fully support you?

If the answers to these questions support making your hobby your job, you’ll have a hard decision to make. Do you leave the relative security of the job you have? How risky is the alternative?

Assuming you’ve decided to go for it, create a business plan. (The Maryland Small Business Development Center can help with that, too.) Pluck up your nerve, and follow the steps. Don’t wait for the perfect set of circumstances; they will probably never arrive. Set goals and a deadline for yourself, and let nothing stand in your way!