Today as promised we have a guest article from writer Christy Strauch.  Christy is the author of  Passion, Plan, Profit: 12 Simple Steps to Turn Your Passion into a Solid Business which is now available at amazon.

Want to start a business based on your hobby or passion? Here’s what you should do.

The first thing you have to know when you are evaluating whether or not to turn your passion into a business is your level of commitment.

Having a hobby is a lot like being single—you can work on your hobby (i.e. go out on a date) when you feel like it, or stay home in your pajamas and watch TV if you don’t. Hobbies don’t demand anything of you (just like that casual date you had last night). You can work on your hobby every free minute you have, or put it down for a year, or change your mind and forget about it completely, with few repercussions.

A business, on the other hand, can be very demanding. Deciding to cross the line from hobby to business is like committing to getting married. If you decide you want to make your hobby into a business, you have to commit yourself heart and soul. If you decide to turn your passion into a business, you’ll be making the decision to go from happy-go-lucky hobby kid, to grown-up business adult.

You know what making a commitment looks like. There will be days when you don’t feel like working on your business. But since it’s now a business instead of a hobby, you’ll have to do the work anyway, or figure out how to delegate it to someone else. Your commitment will force you to take actions that scare you; take risks that might frighten you, or do things you don’t enjoy.

But just like with a marriage, if you pick the right work, the work you love, turning it into a business can be deeply fulfilling, not to mention fun and profitable.

It boils down to one question. Are you ready, willing, and able to commit?

Do you have what it takes to turn your passion into profit?

The skill of successfully owning and running a business doesn’t require a specific genetic trait, or possessing the set of secret rules from a small business society that only allows five selected people into their membership every three years. What it does require is:

• A willingness to learn, at a deep level, who your perfect clients are and how to market to them.
• The perseverance to keep going when things are tough.
• The training to understand what your business numbers are telling you.
• The ability to flow with change.

Gathering the necessary equipment

When it comes to turning a passionate hobby into a reachable business, having the right equipment is essential. If you’re an enthusiastic photographer, for instance, getting the most up-to-date camera and lenses wouldn’t be an optional expense. It could be the difference between capturing stunning visuals that draw potential customers in or dealing with blurry and poor-quality photos that could cost you sales. The same idea applies to other hobbies like music production or pottery. Investing in the right set of tools, such as Singular Sound Cable Management if music production is your hobby, gives you both the quality of product and piece of mind to help take your hobbying career to new heights. Don’t skimp on necessary gear–prepare yourself with the best before you embark upon building your own little enterprise.

If this all sounds too scary, then you should consider keeping your hobby a hobby.

But if you think these challenges sound interesting, stimulating and fun, you’re the right candidate to turn your Passion into Profit. Ask yourself these questions:

1. Do you love your hobby enough that you’d like to do it regularly, as work?

2. Would you like to become a professional at your hobby; to step up your level of skill at it so you would be considered one of the best in your field?

3. Would you be willing to spend time marketing your work?

4. Are you willing to work on it even on days you’re not in the mood?

5. Can you weather setbacks (a client firing you, someone not paying who promised to pay, a downturn in the economy, plus a host of other things that happen to every business owner).

6. Are you willing to learn new things; such as new ways to market, updated ways to do your work, etc.?

Christy Strauch is the author of Passion, Plan, Profit: 12 Simple Steps to Convert Your Passion into a Solid Business. In addition she is president of Clarity To Business and has worked with over 300 small business owners, from artists to real estate agents, helping them do what they are passionate about – and make a profit. Her book is available at Amazon.com at http://cli.gs/JhYQXG

February is Start a Business month.  This week I’m featuring a few posts to help our bloggy-friend business owners and would-be business owners out there.  Today I’m starting with an article that I wrote a few years back, detailing some business ideas for women because I think decided what kind of business you want to start is one of the most difficult things.  It’s sort of a long article, so I’ll just be sharing half of it today, and here in a couple of days I’ll be publishing the rest of it. Enjoy!

In today’s world of online business and internet marketing there are more people working from home than ever before in recent history and still more who would like to try it, and a large percentage of people who hope to start a home business are women, namely stay at home and would-be stay at home moms. One of the hardest parts to starting a home business is actually choosing what business to go into. A lot of people think to themselves, “I would like to start a home business, but what kind of business could I possibly start?” There are actually a lot more options than many people think. All you need is an idea, (and usually a product or service), and you can get down to starting a business. Once you have your initial idea and you begin planning and marketing it, the possibilities are virtually unlimited. Here are a few business ideas for stay at home moms who would like to be work from home moms.

1. Writing – There is a whole host of ways to make money from writing. You can produce content for sites like Helium and social networking sites that pay for content.  Poetry publishing houses are always looking for good writers. There is also money to be made from writing for your own blog, website, or newsletter. You can use these methods to market your writing, network, sell products, and make money from affiliate marketing. You can also make money from writing articles and ebooks. Additionally there are several sites available that post freelance writing jobs on the internet. Some of these job postings are for writing a single article while others can lead to a full time job producing website or blog content or articles for offline publications. It generally takes patience, persistence, and hard work to make money from writing, but for those women who enjoy expressing themselves and being creative, there are many options and methods to make money from writing.

2. Web graphics and design – For those women who are internet savvy and skilled with html/java script and creating graphics there is a lot of money to be made in web design. People search the internet every day for graphics and banners for their site, as well as layouts/templates/skins for their webpage or blog, and they are willing to pay for original, customized designs.

3. Cleaning and maintenance – Women can easily make money as a housekeeper. This would require you to leave the house, but it is an easy business to start, and it does not require a lot of start up money. There is also a high potential to make a lot of money working only a couple of days a week, and all you really need is a few clients to earn a decent wage. When I was young my mom did housekeeping work for a close relative. She was able to make some extra money and take care of me at the same time, which was a big plus. I also have a friend who earns $500 a week, working part time. In fact, a couple of her clients are dentist and doctor’s offices, which are fairly easy to clean and not at all time consuming. You can market your services online, and you can choose which households and businesses you work for and how much you will work depending on how much money you want to make.

For those who are skilled repairman, you could also start your own business doing household repairs. And there is a huge market for people who want to start their own lawn care business.  You can make a lot of money mowing lawns and doing landscaping work.  And if you know anything about pest control and extermination you could start a business like this commercial pest control company.

4. Babysitting/Daycare – Stay at home moms can make money by babysitting for other kids, and if you really like kids, you can get apply for a license to run your own home daycare. But you may want to find a partner before going into the daycare business. You also might consider sitting with an elderly or disabled person a couple of days a week. It is a fairly easy job for someone who wants to make a little bit of extra money, and the work generally involves things like cooking a meal, going the the store, some light cleaning, chatting with the person, and perhaps a little cleaning.

5. Craft and jewelry sales. You can make money by making and selling your own jewelry and crafts. You can sell items to family, friends, neighbors, and people from church. In turn these people will refer other customers to you. You can host jewelry/craft parties at your home to show off your wares and make sales. In fact, you can expand your business by getting a friend or family member to help you host a party at their home. They would invite their own friends and family members whom you may not be aquainted with, and you will have the opportunity to meet new customers. You can also make money by selling your items at a flea market or taking them to a consignment shop or boutique. The shop or boutique will get a percentage of your profits, but you will have an opportunity to reach a market that you could not reach on your own. Finally you can market your items on the internet. Make your own website or use sites like Etsy, Ebay, or Upillar.

6. Create corsages, baby wreaths, bouquets, and flower arrangements. The florist business is extremely profitable. If you’ve ever ordered flowers for a prom or homecoming, or if you’ve ever planned a wedding or purchased a wreath to go on the door when a baby is born, then you know what I mean. These items cost very little to make, and yet the cost can be outrageous. You can start this business by marketing to friends and family or coworkers of your spouse. If you do good work, then they will come and buy from you the next time they need flowers, especially if you charge a slightly cheaper rate for your items than your local leading competitors. Also, if the initial people who buy from you, like your work they will recommend your services to their friends.  This is also a great business to market on etsy.  And because you are in business for yourself, you have the opportunity to personalize the items far beyond what the local florist will do.

Come back for part 2 on Wednesday!

-Jerri