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Hobby into business

3 replies

Drabarni · 06/01/2020 13:23

Just wondered if anyone has done this? What did you do, and any tips.
I mean any hobby, not just practical stuff, could be service provider.
All sorts of income as well.
Interested as considering this myself.

OP posts:
viccat · 06/01/2020 15:18

Kind of yes, in that I've always enjoyed crafts and making things as a hobby and set up a creative business. It evolved a lot over time from the initial idea, though, so wasn't strictly a case of "I used to do X as a hobby and then started selling X".

I sold on Etsy and on my own website, and also had some wholesale clients. I've closed down that business now but it was moderately profitable - not megabucks but had some good months partly down to luck (a couple of my things got featured in gift guides on popular websites). I know others in the same field who make a reasonable income but also have to put in a lot of work.

If you want it to be a business then consider the profit prospects from the beginning. For example, if you set up a business selling knitted jumpers, it may be hard to make a profit from something so time consuming as no one will pay enough to cover even minimum wage for all the hours it takes you to knit it... If you want to make £X per month profit, how many items would you need to sell and how long does it take you to make them?

Second tip is related to the first - don't underestimate how much of your time will be taken up by stuff that is not the thing you love doing. As a business owner you'll have to wear a lot of hats from managing your social media to keeping up with bookkeeping and accounts... If you're selling physical products then packing and posting takes up a lot of time, as does initially photographing them and listing them online. If you're setting up as a dog walker or cat sitter, you'll probably spend a lot of time travelling to client's homes, or responding to initial enquiries from clients who never book with you. That sort of a thing...

And finally, I think often people stop enjoying the hobby they loved in the first place when it becomes a business! It's no longer a fun thing for you, now it's work.

2dogsand1baby · 06/01/2020 15:27

Yes. I no longer enjoy my hobby. It has become a chore.

Drabarni · 06/01/2020 16:41

Wow, thanks for the responses.
Definitely food for thought there, especially the hobby turning into a chore.
I'm hoping it will be ok as it's hopefully different projects stemming from the initial hobby. Not the actual hobby in its entirety.
An example would be product 2 book sale containing info from research into hobby etc.
The hobby would be separate from the offered products iyswim.

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