HELP: Want to earn a living from my passion (Healthy Indian Cooking) but no idea how!!

[multitaskmama]

I have worked for over 20 years as a Unix Systems Administrator for approximately but lost my job last year. Everyday, when I was working, I would come home and ensure hubby, my three kids and elderly father-in-law always had a fresh home cooked meal. People at work would always be eating out or getting takeaways and asked me how I managed to work, cook and do all the other jobs at home without any hired help. I told them that it was no big deal and in order to "have it all" you have to give it all!

My friends urged me to post some of my recipes on my website which I did. I used social media such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to get more interest which has happened. As I am no longer working, I am wondering if this passion could help me earn a living but not sure how? Do I write a book and if I do, what are the chances of anyone buying it, can I teach this type of cooking? I know I can use ads on my website but I would like something a bit more involved. Any ideas would be really welcome? Thanks in advance mumsnetters xx

Market stall, farmers markets (some have all the insurance and stuff to cover your home produce so a good intro), pop up restaurant, events catering, private dining/ dinner parties.

MisforMumNotMaid Thanks

write a Kindle book, get on Youtube, write to local papers with recipes and articles. get your name known, get on Twitter, set up a Facebook page. When things pick up, find a USP and get on local radio. i.e " local mum Molly started her own business and has even published a book etc "

Hi, I'm just starting a foodie business too - I've been working on it for about a year now. One of the aims is to connect all the brilliant foodie producers and products we have out there with the right discerning foodie market.

I'd recommend something like Monique Foodie Business Bootcamp (should come up on a google search) and I'm happy to share what I have learnt so far. If you do launch drop me a line and I'll see if I can help connect you too.

Thanks YouOldSlag (feels really weird typing that :)) thats great. Hubby suggested youtube and a KindleBook too.

I have a Twitter account with around 700 followers and a Facebook page with 750+ genuine Facebook Likes (not through any paid advertising). It has taken me two years to get to this stage but now I am not working I have some more time.

I am in the process of creating a simple Cookbook with some pics using Photobox which will be like a mini-book but this way I at least have a hard copy of something to show people. I have recipes and articles on my website, but never thought of contacting local papers which will now be next step.

Thanks EmNewMum I will look up MFBB and would be very grateful to get some ideas from what you. In an nutshell, I specialise in "cooking healthy indian food very quickly".
Here's my website : www.healthyindianrecipes.co.uk
Facebook page is : www.facebook.com/HealthyIndianRecipes
Twitter: Indianmeals

If you have a few minutes, please take a look and let me know your thoughts. I have a strong desire to put all this into a book, market it and sell it but I know competition is rife but I also know I am passionate and good at this so feel it will work. Also have had great feedback from friends and family.

I'd happily buy the book. We love Indian food but fret about the gallons of ghee.

Have you got into food festivals etc? the Abergavenny one is excellent and there are loads around the country that can really put your name on the map.

If you wanted to sell by post you could maybe make up spice kits that you can post, or spice pastes, seeing as you can't do curries by mail order.

ParsingFancy aw thanks. All of my recipes have NO ghee but just olive oil or sunflower oil, no butter, no cream, all healthy ingredients making the curries less rich than restaurant food, but the taste is great. All I deep fry nothing, my samosas are baked. Thanks YouOldSlag (I recpect you to much to call you that!) Spice kits with dry spices would work, but pastes might have a short shelf life. Thank you so much all of you for the ideas!

A couple of women near where I work offer meal services. They send out an e-mail each day, telling what next day's lunch will be, and people order. They turn up at a certain place at a certain time, and everyone turns up to collect their order and pay. You could start off by sending an e-mail to all your friends, who would forward it to their friends, especially if they're all in the same area or the same company...

Good post from Slanky- you could deliver low fat tiffin boxes to local workplaces.

Thank you all. To be honest Slank I don't think I could deliver cooked food regularly especially with three kids and elderly FIL (aged 92!) to look after. My friends are spread across London so wouldn't work, and my last workplace was in Canary Wharf, but too far for me to cook and deliver. What would work, is if I offer to teach Healthy Indian Cooking locally eg. Wandsworth. Having said that, I even posted on MN Noticeboard to teach for free or get paid whatever the cutsomer required, but didn't hear anything back. Now I am left with the option to put my efforts into publishing and marketing a book. My youngest is at playgroup so have afternoons free but not the whole day. Publishing a book is a dream come true but no idea how to market it! Looking forward to finding out!