Covid-19 has negatively affected all types of businesses. From small businesses to big corporations, we’ve all had to deal with the adverse effects of the pandemic. Many businesses have long shut down, and people are actively seeking other opportunities for sustenance.
For this reason, many people have chosen to start new careers or businesses due to being furloughed or laid off. From statistics according to PNAS, 41.3% of businesses reported that they were temporarily closed because of Covid-19.
As such, many people had no choice but to turn their passions into businesses. But even before Covid-19, many people have been turning their hobbies and passions into successful businesses.
If you need some examples for inspiration, here are a couple of people who turned their hobbies into businesses and became very successful. There is the guy behind Yankee Candle who helps you to fill your home with fresh fragrances.
Other examples of people who turned their passions into successful businesses include Samuel Adams, Craigslist, Budget Electronics, Harley-Davidson, and Mrs. Fields, just to mention a few. In other words, there is never a shortage of people who turned their passion into businesses.
So, the million-dollar question of the hours is: How do you take your passion and turn it into a successful business? In the next section, we show you exactly how. It’s a challenging feat, but very doable.
How to Turn Your Passion into a Successful Business
Turning your hobby into a fruitful business might seem challenging at first, but it is one of the most satisfying things you’ll ever do. For many beginners, turning a hobby into a career is hard because they don’t know where to start and what to do.
At the same time, there are careers that are easier to break into compared to others. Also, before you think about going into business for yourself, you need to cultivate some essential skills, such as:
- Communication and negotiation skills
- Time management
- Project management, including using project management tools
- Some computer skills
- Human resources management/leadership skills, especially if you plan to employ people
- Financial management
- Marketing, sales and customer service
- Networking
If you hone the above skills, you’re primed to take on any business and succeed. Remember, you must treat your hobby as a business going forward. If you don’t treat your passion as a business, your chances of success are severely limited.
On top of the money you will make, turning a hobby into a rewarding business is also an opportunity for self-development. You will learn so much and change your life altogether. You will also meet many people, which opens more doors for you.
With that out of the way, here are some more common/successful hobbies that are often turned into a business. Keep in mind that these are just examples to offer you some inspiration, since you can turn just about any hobby into a business:
Photography
Are you into photography? If so, you can turn your passion for photography into a fun and lucrative business. The best part is that photography is a huge field offering you a ton of opportunities to turn your passion into a money-making venture.
You can become a wedding and events photographer. If that’s not your cup of tea, you can sell your photos online and get paid up to $120 per image. I’m not even kidding; you can sell your best photos on many websites and make a killing today.
All you need to get started is a decent camera. If you’re unsure where to start, compare camera specs and prices online to see what you can afford.
Craft-Making
If you can’t shoot a photograph to save your life, you can take to craft-making and build a lucrative business for yourself. Can you knit better than grandma? Perhaps you can whip up the best honey jam in the world. Maybe you sculpt and do other great things with your bare hands.
If you’re good at craft-making, you can sign up on websites such Etsy and build a successful business doing what you love. Instead of working in your garage for nought, you can sell your crafts online like a boss. Check out Etsy for some ideas. You can sell anything you craft.
Read also: The Role of Passion in Business and How to Use it for Growth
Fitness
Are you a fitness aficionado? Do you work out and love staying fit? If so, there is an entire world for the taking. There are a million and one people looking to stay fit and healthy. You can use your skills and time to help such people.
You already love working out, so it shouldn’t be difficult to start. If you do it for fun but want to build a fitness business, you’ll need professional training and some hands-on experience to help you along the way.
Also read: 4 Fitness Marketing Strategies to Promote Your Fitness Business Online
Writing
I have been writing online since 2011, and it is – for lack of a better word – amazing! It is one of the easiest ways of turning a passion into a business.
I have always loved writing, and when the opportunity presented itself, I didn’t hesitate. I built an entire career writing for different websites.
And you can do the same, too, if you’re into writing and want to make money as a writer.
Many businesses are in need of writers, whether you’re starting out or already have professional experience. You can find great jobs on job boards such as Problogger, Upwork, and Fiverr, among others.
Read also: How to Make Money Writing: 11 Tips to Increase Your Freelance Income
Coaching
Coaching is a great career to pursue if you love helping people. Are you passionate about helping people make progress in their lives and achieve greater fulfilment? If so, you can turn your passion into a business as a life coach.
Becoming a life coach is a great endeavor. To become a successful life coach, you need the right training and industry certifications that will help you instill trust in your clients. There are many best-accredited options out there, so you’re sorted in this regard.
Read also: How Liza Went from Being Stuck to Starting a Successful Coaching Business at 23
Tutoring
Before I went into writing full time, I was a tutor. I used to help adult students ace their math and science exams, and just be awesome. It was quite rewarding and I just needed a highschool diploma to tutor students. It was a great gig, but I loved writing more.
If you’re an educator out of a job (because – Covid-19), or knowledgeable in a certain discipline, you can start a tutoring business because you rock. You can teach people in your neighborhood or go online. People are actively seeking tutors, so don’t let your passion and skills go to waste.
Collectibles
Are you passionate about collectibles? If so, you can make a load of money selling the same in your spare time. You don’t even need to set up a shop to buy and sell collectibles. Many websites will help you with that part of the process.
One great example is eBay. They have an entire section dedicated to collectibles. If you’re into collectibles, you can make money simply by buying and selling items on eBay. Just buy and flip, and then flip some more until you have enough cash for that holiday you’ve been eyeing.
Coding
In my spare time, I love building websites. I have a thing for software development, but I’m yet to start building cool stuff. There are many courses online, but since I’m writing all the time, I’m yet to take one. Then I will write code and build awesome apps for the world.
Remember the guy who created Flappy Bird? Yes, that guy. He used to make $50,000 per day before shutting down the whole thing. And he was just passionate about coding. If you love coding, you can become an overnight success and that’s a fact.
So, what are you waiting for? There are many ways to turn your passion into a profitable business. Are you ready to take the leap of faith and be awesome?
