People talk about building their own businesses all the time. Often, they are simply tired of working for someone else and lining the pockets of a CEO who may not even know their name. The first hurdle is to figure out what that business will be. Some people choose to take their area of expertise and go solo. It works well for accountants, folks who do service work (think mechanics, lawn maintenance, and home repairs) and people who can go into consulting work. For those that aren’t in those fields, or simply want to launch an entirely new career, we have to look to our hobbies and passions to find that thing that we can turn into a lucrative business.
Get Your Crafty On!
DIY crafts are a big draw thanks to sites like Etsy. A large part of the population loves to support the person creating items and posting them for sale online. They feel like they are giving back to a regular person rather than buying something similar at Walmart. A few crafty ideas are:
· Create jewelry
· Make your own graphic tee shirts
· Create greeting cards
· Make vinyl decals (reach out to companies like BREN Inc. for supplies!)
· Repurpose clothing
· Knit and crochet clothes and accessories
· Mixed media art
Whatever your craft genius is, it’s sure to be a crowd pleaser! Imagine being able to make what you love all day and making money at the same time.
Write to Your Hearts Content
If you already love to write, now is the time to consider starting a writing business! There are plenty of opportunities to write online and create a decent amount of income. As with most businesses, this one will take you awhile to get going and make a sustainable income. The first thing you must consider is what it is you want to write. That becomes your niche. You can start a blog and get ad revenue on your website. You can look for writing jobs in your desired niche. You can also write ebooks about your area of expertise and self-publish them. Post them on Amazon to create a bit of passive income! Network like crazy and get to know local businesses in your area. Offer to write their email newsletters and content for their websites. Have some writing samples ready because people will want to see how you write and if you are the right fit for them.
Cook Your Way to the Top
Lots of folks want someone who can come into their home and cook meals for them. Or prepare food for a party. If your passion is cooking or baking, then this could be right up your alley. You can start small and advertise signature dishes and pastries, made from your kitchen, to your local connections on social media. Once you know it’s growing, you will want to invest in some commercial grade mixers and stoves. The important step is to check with your local health department on laws and regulations about catering from your home kitchen. You don’t want to break the law and get shut down before you can get started!
Working your passion is a major benefit to working for yourself. Be sure you obtain all the necessary licensure and get business insurance. Seek out your local small business administration for guidance, and free workshops, to help your business move along. After the first year is complete, you will be so glad you did!
It’s funny because you actually can make money doing what you love, but there is a lot of uncertainty in it. I think that’s why so many of us (myself included!) gravitate to “safer” desk jobs because we’re scared of the failure of doing what we love.