One thing that I love about blogging and creating Squidoo lenses is taking things I enjoy doing (my hobbies), and making money from those hobbies.
One of the most popular ways to start a small business is to take something you love and build a business around it. But is it feasible to create a business around your favorite things, or hobbies? It is if you think outside the box!
Sometimes you have to get creative to build a business around your hobby, but it can be done. You might not be able to create a business crafting or drawing because it’s too time consuming to make much money at it (although I’m sure there are those out there who do).
Think outside the box with your hobby, here are a few business ideas using the crafting and drawing examples I used above.
- Instead of actually selling hand crafted pieces maybe you could create patterns from what you make and sell the patterns.
- Create a blog about your craft or art work. Teach others to create.
- Make crafting or drawing how to instructional videos and sell them in an online store, or have others sell them for you through Clickbank.
- Create a website to sell your favorite art and craft supplies. You don’t even have to stock the supplies yourself just find a good affiliate program to promote.
- Don’t have money for your own website? Start with a couple Squidoo lenses about your hobby, and make money selling the supplies through Amazon, ebay, or your own affiliate links. Promote your Etsy, ebay, or Zazzle store.
- Sell your crafts through Etsy.
- Sell your artwork on t-shirts through Zazzle, or Cafe Press.
- Teach crafting or drawing classes locally
- Create a membership site with learning resources for people who would like to learn more about your hobby.
Just substitute your hobby in for the crafting and drawing, many of these will work for different hobbies. If you like to play music, collect antiques, take photographs, etc, just take a look at the list and decide what might work for you. If you’re good at what you do share it with others, you should be able to create a small business around it.
Many business ideas can be tested these days without a big dollar investment. You can create a video and upload it to Youtube, set up a free blog or Squidoo lens, or patterns to be downloaded by your customer, and it will cost you very little, but you can make money from it with a little promotional effort.
Think outside the box, what type of small business could you create around your hobby? How can you promote that small business?
Image: istockphoto.com
