Growing up I always heard the popular “if you do what you love you’ll never have to work a day in your life.” This is especially frustrating because it’s true. Most people would love to be able to take their hobby and run with it for their entire lives. Unfortunately, this isn’t always easy. I enjoy writing, but if I tried to write a novel worth publishing it would take years (and who has that long to hope something works out?). My brother enjoys playing basketball, but he’s only 5’ 7”. In other words, there are a lot of things that can discourage someone from taking their passion and turning it into a career.
However, many have discovered that it is entirely possible to take a skill and put it to good use. Consider the following steps to help ensure you never have to work again:
5 Steps to Creating a Job You Will Love
Step #1: Prepare to Be Part Time
Starting an entire career is difficult no matter what the industry. Be prepared to start your company as part time work. Quitting your day job to pursue your dreams is a little bit extreme. Although it has worked for some people, most people find that it’s better to slowly grow the business. This way you will always have a steady income in case something goes wrong and you need to change your approach.
Step #2: Think Outside the Box
If you want to turn a hobby or an interest into a business, you will likely need to think a little bit outside the box. If you love playing basketball but are already 30 years old and just don’t have the skills, consider starting a basketball blog, basketball retail shop, or becoming a coach. Although this may not be exactly what you dreamed, you will likely still love your job because it deals with the same subject matter. Once you can accept that you may need to modify your hobbies or interests in order to create a career, you will be able to start faster and stronger.
Step #3: Create a Professional Website
It’s important to create a professional looking website for your new business. A professional looking website will show that you are serious. Create engaging content about your hobby/area of interest, and make sure you keep the website updated. Major companies also utilize search engine optimization (SEO) practices once their website is set to go. This will ensure that your website will show up on Google search engine pages. Learn more about how to optimize your website for a search engine at Business Insider.
Step #4: Connect With Professionals via Social Networking
It is no secret that social networking is extremely important for any business. These mediums work especially well for home based businesses and small businesses because they’re completely free and easy to use. Most people are already familiar with social networking and already have a good number of followers or “friends,” so this is the perfect platform to start advertising your new business. Also consider making business pages on these social networks to help increase visibility and make connections. Go out and search for professionals who you think might like to help you jumpstart your business—you may be surprised who you can get on your side.
Step #5: Hire Employees and Begin Advertising
This step does not come into play until your business is making enough money to become your full time career. You may want to take out a small business loan if you feel your company has the potential to grow. This will allow you to hire experts to keep track of your business finances and help optimize your website using pay-per-click (PPC) advertising and SEO strategies.
No one ever said starting a business was easy—in fact it’s one of the more difficult aspirations most people hold. These five steps are simply the stepping stones to help turn your talent or skill into a career. There are many things needed to start a business and keep it on its feet, but you have to start somewhere, so why not here and now?
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