3 Hard Truths To Answer Before Turning Your Maker Hobby Into A Business
Everywhere online, you see people who took their hobbies and turned them into profitable businesses and you want it too.
Whether it’s to leave your full-time job or just bring in some side-hustle money, bridging the gap between hobby and business is no small feat. Social media makes it look effortless and like you can’t avoid winning big. Unfortunately, the reality can be much more difficult if you aren’t honest with yourself about what you’re getting into.
Let me save you some time and layout the 3 hard truths I wish I was honest with myself about before I turning my Maker hobby into The Maker Edge (formerly Southern Style DIY).
Hard Truth 1: Your Hobby Will Become A Job
You’ve heard the quote, “If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.”
It’s complete BS.
Everything worth doing comes with some cost you won’t love. Right now, your hobby is where you go to get away, zone out, or relax. Once you are relying on it to pay for holiday gifts, your next vacation, or worse food for your kids, the relaxing hobby can transform into an obligation that, if neglected, means you can’t do what you want or need.
Can your hobby-turned-business still give you fulfillment? Absolutely, but be honest with yourself that it will include things you don’t want to do too.
Hard Truth 2: Your Hobby Is About You. Your Business Isn’t.
You started your business because of something you love, so it’s still all about you, right?
Nope! Any profitable business is about selling something. You’re asking for people’s time to consume your free content, asking for money in exchange for a product, or both. Once you’re selling something, everything you do is all about the customer and audience, not you.
If you want it to still be all about you, leave it as a hobby. Otherwise, you can shift to the value you bring to others and turn it into a business.
Hard Truth 3: Your Problems Don’t Go Away, But Evolve
Even if everything goes better than you could ever have hoped, you’re making 10x what you were in your full-time job, and have never been happier, problems don’t disappear.
Even if you leave a job and are your own boss, you still have to “report” to your audience to make sure they are satisfied. You still need to be consistent with content and cannot go on a 6 month cruise without the business suffering. You might have piles more money, but now you’re trying to find time to spend with family and friends.
Different problems, maybe even “better” problems, but all businesses have problems, not just the “traditional” jobs.
