HOW TO TRANSFORM HOBBIES INTO

A WAY OF EARNING MONEY

Good practise

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Table on contents

I. How to turn your hobby into your job

II. Turn hobbies into a money-making machine - what you can do in your free time in order to earn money

III. Facts about starting-up an own business

IV. Women Entrepreneurs

V. Good practise from: Poland, Belgium, Ireland

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I. How to turn your hobby into your job!

Hobbies: they are generally something you enjoy, love and are good at. All of

these things can be a recipe for a potential fun job or career...or something best

kept as a pastime. It's up to you but it's important to think about the realities

and practicalities of making it work.

Things to consider:

• Could your job/hobby be a full-time career or something you could

profit from on the side?

• Is there a customer base for your product/service?

• Is it feasible to finance this without an income or should you only

pursue it as a job on the weekends/evening?

• Do you have a business model? And could it create a profit?

• Do you need training/help in the marketing and selling of your

product/service?

• Are you ready to start looking after your own finances?

The Pros:

• Having a passion for your hobby/job will make it feel less like work

because you're enjoying it.

• If your hobby/job is something where you create something to sell or

provide a service, you could be your own boss which means lots of

flexibility and freedom.

• You get to do what you love and love what you do!

• With social media outlets like Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter, it's easier

than ever to build up a loyal customer base without having to splash the

cash.

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Source : http://spunout.ie/life/article/how-to-turn-your-hobby-into-your-job

The Cons:

• It can take a lot of time before you can make a steady income or profit

from being self-employed.

• It might be difficult to get financial backing for your ideas.

• Some hobbies don't always translate into good jobs. While you might

enjoy baking cupcakes for friends and family, the stress and pressure

to meet customer demands might take the joy out of it for you.

• Most important of all, make sure it's all above board. Strict regulations

and tax considerations are issues that you have to take into

consideration when starting a business- flogging a service or product

without notifying the tax man can land you in hot water!

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II. Turn hobbies into a money-making machine - what you can do in your

free time in order to earn money

The old education taught obedience towards authority in order to execute orders at the

working place: the factory or the office. The new education teaches that your inner fire,

your passion, is the greatest treasure you have and this is the starting point of your new

lifestyle.

Our mentality and our attitude were mocked and poisoned by the old models that are

no longer considered successful models. Nevertheless they are still present for some

unconscious victims.

How to earn money doing what you love

The key to success in life, and in earning money, is to do what you like. If you need extra

money, no matter what reason for - you've lost your job, you have to pay a debt or to

change your car, you can earn money doing what you enjoy. Do you make a plan to win

money from your passions? Start by making a list of what you love to do. Then write

how this hobby can bring you money. And we'll give you some ideas on how you can

make more money from what you love.

1. How do you make money if you like animals? If

so, you can provide an escort service for pets. You

can walk dogs or take someone else's pet to the vet

when owners are not available. There are many

people who love very much their silent friends but

they don’t have enough time for them. You can take

advantage of this to make some extra money.

2. How to make money if you like to do things / crafts?

You can do things manually, like scented candles, handmade jewelry, natural soaps, etc.

You can find online courses and tips on how to do things, and then you can sell them on

different web sites.

3. How to make money if you like to take care of the environment? You can start a

business helping the others to care for nature. You can sell organic products on the

internet or teach people how to live healthy in a green environment. From passion for

nature you can take care of gardens and green spaces of houses.

4. How to make money if you like to paint? Your paintings can bring you money or you

can offer your services to paint other items such as furniture, pottery or even clothes.

Find companies who need your services or create them the desire of selling hand

painted products.

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5. How to make money if you like children? You can take care of children when their

parents are away or they are busy. There are babysitter courses that train you for this

kind of activity. If you are a serious and reliable person, parents will want to leave their

child in your care for a few hours.

6. How to make money if you like the workout? You can qualify as aerobics of fitness

trainer. If you like to dance you can search for dance schools in order to settle

partnerships. Any hobby can become a source of income.

7. How do you make money if you like to travel? Obviously, the best thing you can do

for this passion is to become tour guide. Knowledge is needed but it could be acquired

during tourism courses. Then you can be independent or affiliated guide of any travel

agency.

8. How to make money if you like to cook and you

are pretty good at it? You can make your passion a

true micro-business. Many people do not have

abilities for cooking and employ others to cook for

them. Others prefer to go to the restaurant or to

appeal to caterers. They create networks from

people that will always appeal to their quality

services especially if they are at a low price

because once they have tasted their tasty

products, they will definitely return to that particular chef. You can make a video of you

cooking and upload it on social networks, like YouTube for instance. That way you will

attract readers to your website then you can make money on the internet from your

passion for cooking. Or, if you like to bake cakes, you can sell them to different

companies and office centers.

9. How to make money if you like sports? A hobby

that can make big money is children or adult

private training. If you are a sports person and

spend a lot of time at the gym, you can also

establish a team would it be a football, handball or

basketball one. Those who have completed

specialized courses that have a certificate in sports

or who have completed a university in this regard

can activate as coaches at various gyms or as personal trainers. If you have flair, you can

earn well.

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10. How to make money if you are good at makeup, hairstyle or manicure. For people

with a great aesthetic sense, activating in one of these areas or, why not, in all of them,

means a way to make money from home. It is not necessarily needed to have a diploma

in the field in order to perform this part-time job. It is important to get involved and to

try to make your advertisement through knowledge and a personal blog.

11. How to make money if you start a business in consulting. You worked for years in a

field and you can say with confidence that you're really good at any aspect of it? In this

case, you can start a business as a consultant, giving useful tips for those who do not

have much knowledge in your area of expertise. For example, if you are good with

computers, you can perform as IT technician. You just have to put ads on various

websites. In fact, if you're good at something and you offer advice, why not get money

for the knowledge you put at the disposal of others?

12. How to make money if you are a creative, crafty and

diligent person? Last years, one of the small businesses

that have flourished was the one that promotes

handmade products. For creative people, the idea of

business is ideal, because it allows them not only to make

money but also to put their passion into practice. You can

begin to make custom handbags, unique jewelry or

clothing created by you, if you love sewing and have a

sewing machine. You can turn old clothes into must have

pieces, if your passion is fashion. Decide what kind of

objects you want to create and visit a haberdashery or an

art store to buy your materials. If you're rather fond of

painting and drawing, you can buy ceramic pots or wooden objects that you can

decorate or paint in your own style using acrylic colors. For a person full of imagination,

there are many small business ideas based on handmade objects, and the good news is

that they still enjoy a lot of popularity.

13. How to make money if you are good at Web Design? Most people do not know

how to design websites. If you're good at this, you can earn money with minimal

investment in a computer and software, plus promotional materials and possible

marketing expenses. In this case, you must have a portfolio to present it to potential

customers. Start by creating your own website and offer to do some free sites for

friends, NGOs or small firms, which then be asked to write positive impressions about

the result of your work. Share cards at networking events and promote yourself with

advertising on Facebook and LinkedIn.

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14. How to make money if you love photography? This is a great way to earn extra

money from passion. If you make successful artistic photos, you can print on quality

photo paper, you can sell them framed on online shops or on your own website.

Another lucrative way to earn from photography is to take pictures at events such as

weddings, parties or doing portraits for business or families. For this, however, you need

a professional expensive camera.

15. How to make money if you know how to write and edit? If writing is your passion,

here are some ways you can make money. At the beginning, you can be a freelance

writer for magazines, websites or newspaper that need thematic articles for which you

can be paid. Another way is to make your blog, to attract more visitors and thus earn

from selling advertisements. The advantage is that you can earn money long after

writing a blog article because it will bring more and more visitors. If blogging does not

tempt you, you can offer your services to companies. They contract freelancers for

writing brochures, reports or speeches.

16. How to make money if you can play a musical

instrument? Many people have nostalgia related to

learning to play the piano, guitar or accordion. If you

are among the lucky ones who know to play a musical

instrument, you can take advantage of this and start to

teach lessons in small groups or through individual

tutoring.

17. How to make money if you have a developed aesthetic sense and are passionate

about shopping? If you like to go

shopping, you know very well that it is a

rather expensive hobby. The good part is

that you can still have it, but using

somebody else’s money. There are lots

of people who either do not have time or

cannot go shopping and they are your

potential customers. For example, you

can browse the shops looking for the

perfect dress for a gala, you can buy

drugs from the pharmacy or vegetables from the supermarket. Prepare your business

cards to share them whenever you meet a potential customer: busy mothers, elderly or

people with little free time. A beginner personal buyer earns 10-15% of the invoice

value.

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18. How to make money if you like gardening? If you like outdoor activities and you are

nature lover, then you can earn profit in a timely manner. In addition it can be a relaxing

and therapeutic activity.

19. How to make money from Blogging ? You can earn money from your own blog, if

you have enough traffic that allows you to have advertorials. Here you can include

advertisements for various companies who want to advertise online.

20. How to earn money from tailoring? This is the kind of business that combines

business with pleasure. If you have skills in terms of sewing a blouse, button

replacement or modification of a dress, you can earn money, because people always

wear clothes and most of them wear out over time.

21. How to make money if you like antiques? Buying and selling of antiques continues

to be pretty profitable. If you live at home and have one or two spare rooms, you can

turn them into showrooms. Many people are interested in antiques and choose to

spend time looking to buy unique antiques.

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III. Facts about starting-up an own business

More and more people are frustrated because of their stressful jobs, paternalism and

bullying at work. Thereby people lost pleasure and wish to transform their hobbies into

work. The benefit: your everyday business doesn’t feel like work to you and you’ll

become more satisfied even if you earned less money with it. Disadvantage: you don’t

have your hobby as an instrument of balance in your everyday life anymore.

When someone has decided to change his hobby into work, there are a few questions

which have to be posed and answered by him. Where do my customers come from? Is

there already a market and demand for my product or services? Do I have marketing

skills and can I distribute and enthuse about my product or service to strangers?

It is recommended and often necessary to start with a businessplan. There are

communities on the internet with other independend entrepreneurs and local service

center with consultancies who can help to start an own successful business. One good

example is the OCC (Open Coffee Club) where nascent entrepreneurs can meet each

other, exchange their experiences and talk in an informal way and relaxed situation.

Women found enterprises differently than men. The results from the GEM (Global

Entrepreneurship Monitor) in 2003 showed that: women found more carefully, they

have lower growth ambitions, more problems to get a bank credit and they are older

when their start their own business. Women's foundations are more stable and survive

longer than men's business. Women market rather on the regional level and run a small

enterprise. Women estimate their abilities and conditions more pessimistically and

there are more afraid of failures than men are.

More additional researches point out that the majority of women start a business after

they had worked for years as an employee and already know the ordinary working life

with its hierarchic system, increasing strain and stress level. Many women took this

decision when they were in parental leave and have a timeout from their job life. Some

women discover their talents and skills when they became ill. Starting your own

business means self-fulfillment, your are more independent and satisfied with your

work. Particularly the start-up phase is hard, because you have to make acquisitions,

convince strangers of your product or service and you have to emerge with your still

unknown business. Therefore it is necessary that people who want to start-up their own

business have a good idea and furthermore a concrete and tought-out businessplan and

last but not least passion for your intent. The most important competence you have to

learn is having the power of endurance.

It is worthwhile to make high-quality photos of the product or service you want to offer

to customers. The promotion and professional appearance on the right platforms on the

internet is important for your business' growth and expansion.

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IV. Women Entrepreneurs

Women tend

to be more

attracted to starting

businesses in

training and

consultancy

the services

sector

beauty

a range of

professional

and

therapeutic

services

design

Are less motivated by profit than their male counterparts

Are driven by their pursuit of independence as well as a sense of self-

fulfilment

Are in search of a work-life balance that suits their particular personal

and family situation

Self-employment is often viewed by women as a more flexible working

option when compared to traditional employment, providing more

free time and facilitating childcare responsibilities

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WOMAN FOUND ENTERPRISES DIFFERENTLY

Rresults from the „Global Entrepreneurship Monitor“ (GEM) in 2003 ( nearly 75.000

citizens and 850 experts were interviewed)

-Women's foundations are more stable, survive longer

-Women found more carefully, more often in the supplementary income

-Women have lower growth ambitions

Others woman start businesses in

retail

- fashion and clothing;

- arts and crafts,

- the provision of crèche facilities.

Furthermore, women-led businesses have a tendency to be small-scale

ventures; non-growth oriented; risk-adverse and under-capitalised.

Indeed, they have often been negatively categorised as ‘lifestyle’ or

‘typical women’s businesses.’

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-Women's foundations are particular located in these sectors: health, catering trade,

wellness, education, retail trade.

-Women market rather on the regional level, men rather national/ nationwide

-Women estimate their abilities and conditions more pessimistically than men

-Women are rather afraid of the failure than men

Women are older – because of the child education – by the foundation on an average

than men

-Women have lower capital requirements than men

-Women dispose of less own money than men

-Women procure the foundation capital more often in the family

-For Women it is more heavy to receive outside capital from banks as men

-Women more often found from the need

-Women rather found small enterprises

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IV. Good practise

BELGIUM

Asma’s Cake’s and Cupcakes

1. Profile - details about the woman who set up their own business, (interests, dreams)

Born on 28th February 1991 has a degree in commerce level

secondary education.

She works as an accountant in CAW in Ghent and also living in

Ghent.

She is happily married since 2012.

2. Presentation of own business

Baking cakes and cupcakes.

Asma’s Cake’s and Cupcakes

Asma Mohammadi

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I don’t have a website as the main objective is to keep it fun and something I do in my free time. Having a website is to keep it updated every time….

I do have a Facebook where I share my new creations, also on Instagram. I have noticed,

with the new technologies, that social media is a way to reach out to people. Everybody

is connected.

3. How did this come?

When I started secondary education initially I had chosen for a baker training, but I

never saw myself making of this a main occupation later in the future so I have changed

my direction to commerce.

After finishing secondary education I found out that my passion for baking had never

stopped. I started, in my free time, baking and experiment with cupcakes. I started to

present my creations to family and friends on special occasions or on coffee moment

The reactions where amazing and very positive. My entourage encouraged me to do this

for other occasions (wedding, birthdays, baby showers,….)

The publicity rolled by itself, people told to one and another. No I have a small client file.

As I work I have chosen to keep my passion a hobby for me. I love baking and it is nice

that I earn some extra money with it, but I don’t want to make of this my main

occupation as I am doing it with love and passion.

4. Did you experienced any barriers?

As it is a passion of mine I don’t experienced any barrier.

I do was scared and I am still scared that people wouldn’t like it.

5. Tips & tricks for starting women?

Stay who you are. Keep the fun and love in it so you don’t lose the passion and most important don’t do it to get rich.

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POLAND

Workshops and therapies for children with therapy dogs

1. Profile - details about the woman who set up their own business, (interests, dreams)

A student at the Faculty of

Educational Science at the University

of Humanities and Economics in Lodz

She has completed course for

Therapy Dog Instructors

Love children, animals, have good

contact with dogs!

Her dream is to work both with

children and animals

2. Presentation of own business

Workshops and therapies for children with therapy dogs

in nurseries in Lodz region

Katarzyna Siąkowska

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3. How did this come?

After I was studing education Faculty of Educational Science I found out that my

passion is working with children and also with animals. I was seraching for some

courses and I found a grat course form me – a therapy dog instructor. I compleded

this courses. Than I thought that I could lead some workshop like a dog instructor for

nursery in my region. The reactions of children and teacher after my first workshop

where amazing and very positive. It gave me so many positive energy and encouraged

me to do this for another nurseries. It is fantastic to look how children play with dogs

and express their feelings during all exercises.

4. Did you experienced any barriers?

I’m bery open and outgoing person that is why I don’t experienced any barrier. If your

business is your passion you do not think about barriers. Of course I had some

organisation problems but I wanted so much to realized my dreams that I managed with

it.

5. Tips & tricks for starting women?

Do not scared of realizing your own dreams, you must think in the positive way.

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IRELAND

Michellemadethis

1. Profile - details about the woman who set up their own business, (interests, dreams)

She has studied bag making, ceramics,

jewellery making, dress design, sculpture

to name but a few , in Central Saint

Martin's College in London, The Students

Art League in New York and Grafton

Academy of Dress Design in Dublin. She

has appeared as a regular "craft expert"

on the Irish magazine show, Four Live

and Nationwide on RTE1 and has had her

tutorials and business featured in the

Irish Interiors magazine House & Home

and Fashion magazine Prudence

2. Presentation of own business

W: www.michellemadethis.com F: www.facebook.com/michellemadethis

Michelle makes a range of home and fashion accessories which she sells in her shop

online and also runs various craft workshops from her cottage.

Michelle Fallon

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3. How did this come?

“I lived in London for 16 years and spent days dreaming about coming home, doing up

my granny’s cottage and teaching knitting and sewing. Now I live that dream”

Having spent years working in IT in London and New York, Michelle now runs workshops

at her kitchen table in what was her Grandmothers cottage!

Hers is a warm and lovely story that not only attracts people to her courses but also

accounts for Michelle ended up appearing on Irish TV after one of their researchers read

about it on her blog!

Michellemadethis is Michelle Fallon's cottage industry where she makes handmade

personalised gifts and also teaches various traditional crafts such as knitting, sewing and

cardmaking with a modern twist.

All workshops take place at Michelle’s cottage. Not only do you learn a new craft when

you visit but you also get to enjoy tea and homemade scones or biscuits served in china

cups!

Michelle's workshops are growing in popularity each year and people often remark that

a few hours spent in a workshop at her cottage is as good as any holiday.

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IRELAND

Roll it Pastry

1. Profile - details about the woman who set up their own business, (interests, dreams)

By profession, Mairead is a Chartered

Surveyor with over fifteen years

experience in Property Management. But

her passion has always been for food.

An accomplished home cook with a love

of good ingredients, Mairead Finnegan

has completed a number of cookery

courses, including an Intensive Course at

Ballymaloe Cookery School.

Mairead has always had an interest in

food and in 2007, was the overall winner

of the Kells recipe competition, which

was run by Supervalu during their “Real

Food, Real People Promotion”.

2. Presentation of own business

W: www.rollitpastry.com F: www.facebook.com/RollitPastry

Mairead Finnegan

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3. How did this come?

About Roll it Pastry

The opportunity to launch a new artisan food business in a baking market niche was

identified in 2010, when Mairead was unable to find a satisfactory readymade pastry

product on the market.

Mairead commenced home production and with the help of her local Environmental

Health Officer put strict production procedures in place which met the food legislation

requirements.

Roll it Pastry was launched in May 2012. Since then the business has been growing

steadily with Roll it Pastry’s two products now stocked in 30 leading food outlets.

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