The trick to combining business with pleasure is to see the business potential in your hobby and find out how you can make money at it. That’s what George did when he left corporate America after 35 years. He had always loved photography, and people told him he was good at it. Hoping for some extra income to supplement his pension and Social Security, he started a photography business.
He didn’t want to compete with the established companies in his area that did weddings and bar mitzvahs. Instead, he aimed for the smaller market, like family reunions, anniversary celebrations, and other events that people want pictures for but don’t want to pay top dollar. He advertised his service in the local Pennysaver and was able to control how busy he was by declining or accepting jobs as they came his way. His expenses were minimal (only his travel and the costs of the ads in addition to the film he developed in the dark room he’d had for years). Just about every dollar he brought in was profit to him.
The bottom line is to take what you love to do and find a way to make it pay off. There are lots of ideas you can use to turn your hobby into a business. Correlating Your Hobby With Business Potential If you’re this: Then you could do this: A craftsperson Sell your crafts at shows, church bazaars, or advertise A gardener Grow orchids or other exotic plants you can sell to local garden centers or directly to the public (walk-ins or through the mail) A musician Perform locally (for example, play piano at a local restaurant) or join with bands or ensemble groups A sailor Use your boat to give fishing junkets or tours of the area A traveler Become a travel guide (in your town or tour with companies for which you act as a guide)
