Turning your hobby into a business

There are various considerations you’ll need to make along the way and it’s not as simple as deciding to open shop one day. There are some potential pitfalls that you have to be aware of as well because they can really trip you over in the future if you’re not careful.

First things first – just because you’re good at something it doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to start a business around it. Some hobbies are just that, hobbies, and they don’t have a serious potential for anything more than that. You may be the best at making miniature houses from matches, but how many of those have been sold at your local Facebook Marketplace/eBay, etc., over the last couple of months? Do enough research beforehand to verify that there are actually enough people out there who would have an interest in buying your product or service in the first place.

If you’ll be taking people’s money for your work, you have to set up a proper business. There are many considerations to make here, especially if you’re going to produce something that’s more prone to liability issues. A Limited Liability Company’s benefits can be quite significant for someone with less capital, and setting one up can save you from all kinds of legal trouble. Sure, it’s not a magic shield that will automatically absolve you of all responsibility in such cases, but it can still go a long way towards ensuring that you are not on the hook if something goes wrong. 

Once the business is up and running, you’ll need to spread the word yourself. Don’t expect people to come rushing through your doors just because you’ve opened in the first place. Promotion is something that you’ll ideally start thinking about before you’ve even set up the company. It’s a highly individual process and depends on the kind of product you’re selling, your local area, as well as the resources you have available for your business. But no matter how much you can afford on promotion, it’s something that must always be a top priority until you’ve established yourself properly.

Once you’re there, things will start flowing more smoothly. But you’ll still have to keep your marketing game active because it’s easy to become complacent and get overtaken by your competitors if you’re not careful. Especially if you’re involved in a market where you were a pioneer – this is a huge advantage that many people end up squandering because they don’t know what they’re doing. Make sure that you are always pushing hard on that front and consider experimenting with some more recent solutions as well.

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