nikola
Life is too short to slog through a semi-bearable job for forty hours a week, for years on end. If you have a passion, you should be able to make it a living.
While turning your passion into profit is challenging, it’s by no means impossible.
This guide is here to help get you started. Follow these five steps to move even closer to your dreams of entrepreneurial bliss.
Step 1: Determine a Need and Match it with Your Passion
Life rewards boldness and creativity. If you truly possess a unique talent or passion, there’s nothing you can’t do. However, making a living from your favorite activity still requires some strategy.
The best way to make money doing what you love most is by matching it to an existing problem or gap in a certain market.
Here are some examples to get those juices flowing for your own business:
- An avid knitter or embroiderer might find that their favorite TV show lacks quirky merch—they can fill that gap with themed crafts that they sell online.
- A talented writer could realize that their go-to home improvement website lacks effective web copy. They could reach out to the business owners and offer their skills in exchange for some base pay and connections to other businesses.
- If you’re a video game whiz, check to see if any popular live streamers cover your favorite game. If not, you could be the first (or best) one to fill that gap!
Step 2: Hone Your Skills
Just because you love what you’re doing doesn’t mean there’s no room to improve. The demands for your skills and talents skyrocket once you decide to make a living from it. While this may sound intimidating, just approach it as a great opportunity!
This new business is your excuse to dedicate yourself fully to what you love most.
If you’re serious about creating a fulfilling and lucrative life around your craft, then you’ll need to build on your raw talent through online learning services like Skillshare or Master Class. Whether you go high-tech with these websites or stick to old-school books, just remember the most important tip of them all: never stop improving.
Step 3: Create the Perfect Work Environment
To hone your skills, reach your desired audience, and adequately deliver your product or service, you’ll need to put together a motivational and focus-oriented workspace at home. For the optimal home office, employ both the tricks of interior design and the breathtaking technology of today.
To get your WFH setup started on the right foot, check out these simple strategies:
- Surround yourself by lush, mood-boosting greenery, motivational affirmations, and pictures of friends and family. These design elements will remind you of who you’re working hard for and keep you in a positive state of mind throughout the workday.
- Invest in a solid computer with stellar processing power and a ton of memory. Don’t neglect the importance of a robust keyboard and laptop mouse for optimal dexterity and comfort.
- Carefully select an office chair and desk that you’ll happily spend hours working on (it doesn’t hurt to make them stylish, too).
- If you’re a specialized artist or artisan, include all the storage and pegboards you’ll need to have your tools within reach.
Step 4: Familiarize Yourself With Management Software
Creating a business out of your passion requires you to wear many hats. These include those of accounting, management, client acquisition and retention, innovation, and production.
So how do you simultaneously work as a craftsman and captain of the ship?
The answer: technology.
Luckily for the young entrepreneurs of the digital age, there are plenty of top-notch (and affordable) software programs out there built to help you run your business, even if you’re the only human on the job.
To get more (virtual) hands on deck, check out these awesome apps and services:
- Trello
- Bonsai
- Toggl
- Coconut
Step 5: Build Your Brand
Once you have your billing, expenses, and client acquisition systems nailed down, your next step will be to build your unique, personal brand and get your name out there. This step is probably the most difficult, yet the most important.
To build a memorable and attractive brand around your business and grow your audience of committed customers, implement any and all of these strategies:
- Craft an eye-catching website with interactive features.
- Post regularly on various social media platforms.
- Start a YouTube channel or Instagram page to promote your brand.
- Solidify your online persona through on-brand messaging across all platforms.
- Attach narrative and pathos to your product or service.
- Invest in branded promotional products that you give out for free.
- Network through existing connections on LinkedIn or Instagram.
- Cold email or cold call potential mentors, investors, and partners.
- Invest in an automated newsletter or marketing service like MailChimp.
Let Your Passion Fuel Your Work Ethic
Even the things you love can become a struggle when you do it for money. Making a living from your passion takes discipline, grit, and commitment—more than a simple hobby or pastime will ever require. That being said, the life of someone who has dedicated themselves to their passion is fully worth the effort and uncertainty of it all.
No matter what your chosen path is, never forget the passion that sparked the fire inside. Let that flame fuel the work ethic that will take you where you want to go.
