Side Hustle: How to Monetize Your Hobbies - SimplVest

Side Hustle: How to Monetize Your Hobbies

Hustle

There is a lot of fear and doubt in monetizing hobbies as a side hustle. There are arguments about it stealing the magic and ruining the passion. However, is that the case? 

Some claim monetizing your hobby ruins the whole experience, but others enjoy it. It may be presumptuous, but if you doubt it, there’s a chance you didn’t do it right.

Do what you love, and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.

Mark Twain

When turning a hobby into a side hustle, two key things are perspective and balance. Turning your hobby into a side hustle means that you’ll get to explore its fascinating aspects. Also, you won’t be overwhelmed if you take breaks, which is something a side hustle affords you. 

How Do You Turn Your Hobby into a Side Hustle? 

Begin with Research 

You can only start researching when you know the hobby you want to monetize. Once you have decided on that, begin your research. It should include findings on

  • Whether there is a ready market for your hobby. 
  • If it is in high demand 
  • Who is your audience is 
  • Successful people in the field and how they’re doing it 
  • The best pricing strategies. 

Don’t let whatever information you uncover discourage you. Even if the market is saturated, you won’t have to worry if you are capable and have value to offer. Of course, you will also have to effect a working business strategy. 

Revamp Your Hobby into a Paying Side Hustle 

It applies to whatever hobby you’re trying to monetize. You’ll be getting paid, so you must ensure the quality is top.

Make Your Break into the Market 

Networking is vital in any business strategy. If you are starting, having a good network will do you great. 

Your network is your net worth.  

Porter Gale

Job searchers sometimes lament that they come across entry-level jobs that require five years of experience. How? Networking can help you overcome this barrier. 

Also, your friends are not always your target audience. So, even if you start your business, you can’t rely on just your friends to patronize you. You will need to connect with people that care about the value you have to offer. 

From here, you’ll gain the experience to apply for a job on LinkedIn or start your own business. It is the right step in the direction of monetizing hobbies. 

Turn Hobbies to profitable Side Hustle

Writing 

Number of US writers

Side Hustle: Writing
Source: Statista

The best part about starting a career as a freelance writer is that you barely need any capital. The most important things are a laptop and internet access. With these, you can begin your writing career. 

Yet, there are small investments you need to make to ensure you deliver quality work. You can invest in Grammarly Premium, which offers various plans, with some as low as $12 monthly. 

You can find a job relatively easily through networking, but you may initially have to accept cheap rates. Depending on experience, writers charge $0.01 to $0.50 per word and $15 to $150 hourly. 

However, if you decide to start a blog, it may take six months to two years before you start earning. It all depends on your work and how you monetize your blog. 

Also, there is no standard time you have to dedicate to your freelancing career. You may allocate time to your writing based on your availability and commitment. However, setting aside 5-8 hours a day or several days a week is advisable. 

Photography 

Another thing you will need is a portfolio. It is a curation of your best works showing your photography skills. A portfolio helps you look more professional and more likely to get gigs. 

The time you dedicate to this may vary widely, depending on how you conduct your business. Can you cover live events? Because then you will have to be free during such events. 

If you choose to sell your photos online, you can dedicate a few hours a day to marketing your photos. 

Photography is a saturated and competitive field, but what isn’t? Invest time and effort to build a career, and you could earn as much as $36,280 annually. 

Conclusion 

Identify that hobby you want to monetize, put in the work, and reward yourself with an extra income source. 

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