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How to Turn a Hobby Into a Career

Love to cook, make crafts, take photographs, repair cars? Like to tinker around the garage on weekend home improvement projects? How about sewing or knitting, planning parties, or troubleshooting your friends' computers?

These are all skills that can be successfully turned into full-time careers given the right amount of time, effort, and lots of passion.

"Love what you do, and the money will follow" is an old adage that still holds true. Legions of small business owners have taken the attitude to heart and eventually followed their dreams to greater and greater success. No reason you can't.

Turning your passion or hobby into a full-time business

Just up ahead, begin with more information in our guide to the most popular hobby-to-career topics offering tips, advice, and related resources about working your way out of your present job, and following the money ....by doing what you love:

How to Start A Career in Animal Care			How to Build A Carpentry Career
How to Fuel A Career As an Auto Mechanic			How to Start A Cleaning Business
How to Start A Crafts Business			How to Start A Career As a Chef
How to Start A Career in Fashion			How to Grow A Gardening Career
How to Start a Career in Interior Design			How to Start A Knitting Business
How to Start a Career in the Music Business			Start a Career In Nature Conservation
How to Start a Career in Photography			How to Start a Party Planning Business
How to Kick Off A Career in Sports			How to Start A Career in the Theater
How to Start a Career As a Tour Guide			How to Start A Career As a Writer

Discovering your career potential

A little creative thinking is all that's needed to begin breaking out from your 9-5 routine.

First, get down to the nitty-gritty economics by developing a small business plan detailing budget, time, and costs of starting up your own business. How big a budget do you actually need to begin? Where are your customers and how do you advertise and market to them? Who's your competition?

Next, find out about setting up shop, any applicable taxes, or if you think you will eventually need to hire employees. Ask friends or family for help. Also, don't hesitate to visit related online organizations and associations, or seek additional help in small business forums where you may find other interested people who share your same goals.

If you're not now in a position to open your own business, consider writing about it for industry or hobby magazines, or teaching your skill at local schools or community centers. This can also serve as a testing ground to see if your energy equals your passion —the two most necessary assets for a small business owner. It will also help build up your "cred" as you announce to the world that you're ready to strike out on your own.

More about turning hobbies into careers around the Web:

also see in Small Business -> Starting a Small Business

Starting a Home Business