Turning your hobby into a business
If you enjoy making things but have no idea if they would make you any money, test it out on your friends. I bet you have a social media presence, so take a picture of your craft and post it on social media to see how many people like the photo and offer to buy it from you. But be sure to have a price in mind before you post up the picture. The price should include shipping costs, packaging, insurance, and profit margin. Don't shortchange yourself in your pricing.
I can remember when I first started out, I had no money to buy any supplies, in fact, I never even imagined myself being an artist. It all started when my roommate at the time broke the glass that went on top of her fish tank and I suggested she clean the glass and do a painting on the glass. She screamed at me and told me she was too busy for that crap and to do it myself. Well, I hadn’t painted on glass since high school and I was 54 at the time, but I did have YouTube so I cleaned the glass off and taught myself how to do it. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the right supplies or the right paints to do it. Then I had a conversation with one of my Vietnam Veteran friends who lived in California and I mentioned the conversation to him. It turned out that his wife who recently passed away was an artist and he had all sorts of supplies that he didn’t know what to do with so he sent me a bunch of it and that started me off on my art journey. So actually, It is all his fault that I’m now a starving artist. Joking I’m not starving yet, but sometimes it feels that way. Anyway, equipped with the right paints, tools, and glass, I began testing my skills and after about a month, I sold my first piece of art. That’s when I realized there was a potential to earn some cash with art and so it began. (I was in college obtaining my degree so money was tight and so was time). The person who bought that glass art painting also sponsored me by sending me money to buy more supplies. I was off and running with creating art. It turned out that over the course of the next year, I was selling my art every month and was able to pay all my bills. I was able to obtain a website presence and sell a lot of my paintings. But then the pandemic hit and everything turned to nothing. So like any business, every artist out there is struggling to make ends meet. Let’s hope you have the savings in the bank to weather the downturn storm that is upon us now while you turn your hobby into a business.
What to do first, is check the market for your hobby to see if there is a need or niche out there that you can fulfill and make a living with your hobby? Do the research before you start out. Keep creating your hobby or craft, and never give that up but be smart in how you turn that hobby into a business and pay out of pocket for things that won’t give you a return on your investment. First of what will be your first-year costs before you launch your business? Then ask yourself if you will be able to sustain your lifestyle while starting your business?
Author Elizabeth Kilbride is a former political operative, author, scriptwriter, historian, and journalist. business professional, creative artist, and life coach consultant. Ms. Kilbride holds a Master's in Criminology and a BS in Business Management she stepped out of the loop for a while but is now back with a powerful opinion and voice in the direction of this country and our economy. As a life coach, she is available to counsel individuals to enjoy their dreams and a better life. Ms. Kilbride loves to travel, and photograph her surroundings and is also a gourmet cook who loves to garden and preserve food for the winter months.
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