Turning a hobby into a business can be a fun and profitable adventure. We have outlined some of the advantages and benefits to taking your knowledge of a subject and profitting from it.
Many people have hobbies that they have done for years, some even since they were a child. We take the knowledge that we have gained for granted because we did not learn it in school or in a job.
Instead, it was all self-taught, organically just by diving deep into something we found fun!
Perhaps it was a simple coin or stamp collection, maybe we were into Star Wars or Pekemon, others have a deep knowledge of a particular sport. I've had friends that were into dirtbikes, fixed old cars, traveled to over 20 countries, or took up a hobby such as knitting.
Whatever your hobby has been, you are an expert in that area, whether you realize it or not.
So, how can we turn that hobby into a profitable business? Let's lay out the foundation and see where it leads.
Step #1 - Make a List of Your Lifetime Hobbies
This should be easy except for the fact that many things that we do for enjoyment may not be labelled as hobbies in our heads. However, make an extensive list, even if you've only started doing them in the past few years.
Some common ideas to jog your memory include:
Any sport you may have played growing up (tennis, soccer, football, baseball, basketball, karate, rugby, on and on...)
Things you've collected at any time in your life (figurines, posters, music, stamps, coins, board games.
Types of foods you have cooked (cuisines such as Thai, American, Japanese, etc).
Clothes and styles that you have purchased in the past.
Technical things you may have been tinkering with such as computers, software, computer games.
Building skills such as home renovations, woodworking, finishing a basement, adding a deck, building a garden.
Entertainment interests such as movies, music, theatre, playing an instrument, photography.
School clubs, sports and activities that you participated in during high school or post secondary (music, drama, student government, chess club).
Things you enjoy a variety of when you get to the chance to try different options (coffee, drinks, amusement parks, museums)
General interests that you want to explore in the future (travel, learning golf, playing darts, learning how to sew, etc).
Believe it or not, any, or many of these "interests" have made you an expert, or, if it's something you intend on trying, you can become an expert by doing research before you start.
Step #2 - Start a blog on Your Top Interest(s)
A blog, which you can start for free (on WIx.com, for example), will give you a place to write down your ideas on your knowledge and experience with a hobby (or what you will have learned during your research).
It doesn't have to be used for earning money at the start, but it will help you layout your thoughts and will lead to a business later on.
You will be surprised at how much you knw. Get your blog ideas by asking yourself questions that you think "someone from Mars" would ask, assuming they know nothing about the topic.
I'll give you an example at random. Take gardening (whether you've done it in the past or not). If I know nothing about the subject, I would ask so many questions, each of which can lead to a separate blog article (or post, same thing).
I would just brainstorm and come up with 10 questions to start, such as:
How much does it cost to make a backyard garden? (Startup costs)
What types of plants, vegetables, flowers grow best in my region?
Can plants grow together with vegetables and flowers?
What are the best materials for growing? Rocks, type of soil, wooden flower beds?
What if different plants need different amounts of water?
How to prepare the garden for the winter while waiting for next growing season?
Can I sell the produce I grow and where is the best place to sell it?
Are there ways to keep bugs out that are pesticide free?
What if I go on vacation? Which plants are the lowest maintenance?
Are all plants, flowers, and vegetables in my garden will be pet friendly?
So, you can see that there are so many questions that need to be answered by an expert, which will be you.
This can be done with any topic, but make sure you are interested in it. Again, it can eventually be monetized (be patient though), but that should not be your primary goal.
Interest in the area must be the number one reason for writing on a topic.
"Interest in a Topic Must Be the Driving Force Behind Your Writing or Research" – Blog Specialist
Step #3 - Multiply Your Blog Exposure
There is no disputing, that no matter how much you know on a topic, writing a blog post is a fair bit of work.
So, once the post is written, you want to get as much exposure from that "one blog post" as possible.
Here are a few suggestions:
Other Blogging Sites: Post that blog article on multiple sites, not just your own (free blog) website. There are other free alternatives, such as Substack, Medium, and others.
Podcasts: Turn that blog post into a podcast. A good podcast is not just simply reading your blog post, but it isn't rocket science either. It does require good podcasting equipment, some preparation and work (but certainly do-able). I will talk more about podcasts in another blog post.
E-Book/Physical Books: Once you have enough blog posts about a particular topic (say, gardening), you should consider combining them into an e-book or a self-published physical book (on Amazon or another self-publishing website).
YouTube Video Channel: If your post and podcast are complete and have great information, you might want to make a youtube video on that topic. Start a channel for free and begin with short videos so that 1 video covers 1 or 2 blog posts. This requires some work, again some good equipment, but can help to multiply the original information in your blog post. In terms of our example, gardening, you can show your viewers how your garden looks as you are building it.
Newsletters: You can also tie in your blog post information with a newsletter. Again, if you get some people who sign up for a newsletter from your blog post website, then you can launch a newsletter for free using your website. You can also publish a newsletter on other free sites which will spread it to an audience for you . But don't simply copy your blog to a newsletter, construct a newsletter and pull information from your blogs that could enhance the newsletter.
Some popular sites where you could publish a (most of the time free) newsletter include:
Step #4 - Create a Complete Platform for Your Hobby Content
After you have produced some great content and built an audience (email list, followers), you can build out your audience on a larger scale.
This is when you create a platform for your hobby. This doesn't mean it has to be large (such as a platform for ALL Collecting"), it could be a niche platform, such as "Backyard Gardens".
Your platform can then include (slowly over time) the following elements:
Blogs, Groups, Forums (all on your website to bring in people with the same hobby)
Newsletter
YouTube Channel
E-Book
Physical Book
Podcast
Online Courses
These items above will all complement your hobby or interest and will overlap each other somewhat, but will bring people together as you expand and build out your platform.
Step #5 - Monetize Your Content
After you have produced some great content and built an audience (email list, followers), you can monetize your hobby into a business on a larger scale.
Your platform can then include (slowly over time) the following MONETIZING elements:
Affiliate Advertising
Google Ads
Newsletter Memberships
YouTube Channel Monetization (after 1000 subscribers)
E-Book Sales
Physical Book Sales
Online Courses recurring sales
Podcast back Promotion (of book, newsletter, courses)
Selling products through your website (digital and physical)
Other forms of passive income
These items will all be discussed in more detail in other blogs, but there is definitely opportunities for monetization.
Remember, You Are The Expert On Your Hobby
So, start writing and exploring these different avenues to make your hobby into a business. Some may work, others may not, but you will be creating the business around what you love to do. Good luck!
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