Almost everyone has something they’re good at outside of work. These hobbies can be turned into your main source of income if you’re passionate, resourceful and driven. You can even turn your hobby into a business in its own right. Depending on your skill you could freelance, become an affiliate, build a fan base or grow a large business.
Some profitable hobbies include writing, cooking, comedy, photography, illustration, design, crafts and gaming.
Do what you love as a job
Many side hustles start off as hobbies. Usually they’re done for love, not the money. This passion and joy will fuel your business more effectively than a notion that leaves you cold. If you want to be your own boss, consider taking your hobby to the next level. Once you’ve gotten your business up and running, it is important to make sure that it is insured. You’ve put your blood, sweat and tears into creating a business as well as significant amounts of money. With the right kind of insurance you can protect your business should the worst happen.
These days you don’t need to spend hours talking to different insurance brokers. Instead, you can head to www.bizcover.com.au to generate multiple quotes for your business. Insuring your small business has never been simpler.
Write
You do not have to become a journalist or write the next bestseller. You can use your gift to write articles in your field, start a blog to compliment your business, or use it to construct instructional articles. You can quickly establish yourself as an expert in your field.
If you want to make a quick buck while building your reputation as a content writer, you should consider selling your service on a freelance basis. You can use a freelance website like UpWork or even reach out to other blogs and professionals directly. Great content writers are always in demand and can make good money.
If you don’t want to freelance for others, you can create your own blog. It could focus on travel, tech, makeup, fashion or business. Be sure to pick a niche and build an audience by carefully curating your content.
Drawing and designing
You might have a knack for painting, drawing or graphic design. You can find clients who are eager to commission your work on platforms like Etsy and Fiverr. You might specialise in personal projects or commercial projects.
If you want more artistic control you can sell your favourite artwork as prints, on bags, T-shirts, mugs, canvases and more. Try and identify your target market and build a unique and identifiable brand.
You do not need to tie up a whole lot of capital in a large inventory. You can print your designs on demand. You will just need to produce one or two copies to photograph and show on your website. Once sales are well up and your business is established, you can switch to an inventory model if you want.
Comedy
Some people have a great sense of humour. If you’re the life of the party you should consider a career in comedy.
You don’t have to perform stand-up to launch your career. You can curate a Twitter, Instagram or even Facebook account sharing viral videos and funny memes. If you have your own unique brand of humour, you can take your social media page in that direction instead.
Once you’ve amassed a following and created a name for yourself, you can capitalise through collaborations, branded products, sponsored posts.
Cooking
Food is no longer something that people just eat to get through the day. Professionals and hobbyists spend hours perfecting their recipes and photography. You don’t have to be a classically trained chef either. Anyone with a keen palette, passion and talent can turn their food hobby into a career.
You don’t have to specialise in one commercial channel either. If you love face-to-face interaction you can consider opening a catering business or food truck. If you like videos, consider making a YouTube channel. If you’ve also got a flair for photography, you could start an Instagram page for your culinary endeavours.
You can also consider starting a blog or website to compliment your main business model. Many people cook from recipes that they find online. Many young people prefer to look at a recipe on their phone instead of purchasing an expensive cookbook. This is where your recipes can really shine.
Photography
These days you don’t need an expensive camera to build a successful career as a photographer. You can use an entry level DSLR camera or even a late-model mobile phone to snap the world around you.
A great way to get started is to sell your photographs online as prints, canvases, framed photos and more. Alternatively, you can post your photos on Instagram, your website or your blog. Brands are willing to pay a huge amount to work with professional photography accounts on Instagram. They are the second most profitable types of accounts on Instagram. Just be sure to pick a consistent tone that unifies your work.
If you want to become a freelance photographer after the COVID-19 crisis you will need to invest in a quality camera. You will also be restricted to local events. However, you can have lots of fun organising and styling wedding, fashion, baby and other kinds of shoots. If you are into events, you can go into event photography.
Gaming
Professional gamers can attain astonishing levels of fame and profit. Live-streaming platforms like Twitch have allowed professional gaming to take off. You can also make a name for yourself by posting game plays on YouTube. You can look into ad revenue, one-time and ongoing paid subscriptions to generate profit.
Commenting with humour and a putting a personal touch will help your videos appeal to a much larger niche. You should interact with your fans and followers. Even if you don’t make a huge amount of money, you can still have fun curating your channel as a side hustle. Be sure to choose a game that you are good at and let your personality shine as you play.
Best of all, you can game from the comfort of your home and with many people worldwide confined to their homes due to COVID-19, you can tap into a much larger viewership than usual.
Hand crafts
People are buying more self-care and discretionary products than ever. Now is the perfect time to launch your crafts career.
Whether you are great at needle-point or knitting quirky blankets, creating great-smelling candles or colourful bathbombs, you can profit off your hobby.
Many people prefer to buy homemade products as they know a high level of care and attention has gone into creating them. Many people also want to support small businesses or purchase a unique product they simply can’t get anywhere else.