Turn Your Hobbies Into Innovative Business Ideas

Perhaps you're an avid photographer! You're never without your camera. You have scores of travel photos and pictures of your children's activities. People often comment on how awesome your photographs are. Maybe you love to cook! Your dishes are the first to be gobbled up at pot-luck suppers. People are always asking you for your recipes. Or perchance you were a pitcher on your college baseball team. You never aspired to play in the Majors but you still love the game and serve as a volunteer coach for your son's high school team. Most people have some skill they practice as a hobby. In these tough economic times, many are finding ways to turn their talents into extra cash. Your challenge is to find customers who can benefit from your skills and to offer your services at a competitive price. If you're an amateur photographer, ask yourself, What kinds of pictures do people need and what are they willing to pay for? Local businesses often need photographs for websites. Many pay $1 to $15 for stock photos that do not reflect the character of their respective communities. Consider creating a portfolio of pictures of life in your city, post proofs of them on your website, and sell rights to them for a nominal fee. If your website becomes popular, clients may start asking you to take custom photographs of their places of business for promotional use. If you're an exceptional cook, why not start a home-based catering business? You could specialize in cooking for in-home dinner parties. Make sure you check your local municipal codes. Many municipalities will not permit you to use your family kitchen to prepare food professionally. Were you a college athlete? Consider offering weekend clinics and private lessons after school. You might find some parents who would gladly pay a reasonable amount to give their child a competitive edge. Again, check local requirements and restrictions, particularly if you're planning to use public parks. Consider what liabilities might be incurred and investigate what insurance options are available. Sometimes your abilities are easy to identify. You might be proficient with a musical instrument or have a great singing voice. You could be an extraordinary interior decorator. You may have great teaching ability. Sometimes your most marketable skills are revealed in the things about yourself that you take for granted. You might be a snappy dresser. Your makeup is always impeccable. Perhaps you're a phenomenal bargain hunter. I once knew a woman who was quite the fashionista. She didn't follow trends; she set them. She was a bargain shopper to boot. She could walk into a thrift store and emerge with an outfit worthy of a runway model. She once offered to give me some fashion tips. I was single at the time and didn't have a keen feminine eye to monitor my wardrobe. She offered to accompany me on a shopping trip. She recommended several outfits and steered me away from and toward various color schemes. When I emerged wearing my new threads, the comments I received were immediate and positive. I would have gladly paid her for her services. If you're talented, don't think you're being greedy by trying to monetize your skills. We all do this in one context or another. When you can generate income by doing what you do well, you can usually expand the number of people whom you can help with your gifts. This creates more winners. Remember, when starting a business, always contact your state and local municipality and comply with all tax and licensing requirements. Copyright 2011, John Sam Wallace John Sam Wallace, InnovativeBusinessIdeasBlog.com, TeamMomentum.net, Helping You Develop and Promote Your Business with Little or No Money Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Sam_Wallace Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6678947