Guest Post: 3 Things You Must Do Before You Can Make Money Off Your Geeky Hobby or Passion

The thought has crossed your mind before, hasn’t it?

Source: eBaum's World

That you could maybe make some money from your geeky hobbies, passions, or interests?

Each time you think about it, you get a little giddy. It’d be amazing to make some extra cash doing something you love.

But the problem is you have those foreboding voices in your head from people who’ve said it’s impossible to earn from your favorite geeky hobbies. You may have heard that “advice” from so-called business experts, or from the news, or even (heaven forbid) from other geeks. You may have even convinced yourself that it’s not worth trying to make money.

Well, you’re all wrong.

You can definitely earn money from your interests.

You just need to be thinking correctly about your hobbies and passions before you can start earning some sweet, sweet bills.

Here are three things you must do to establish the right attitude about making money as a geek:

Understand the Real Possibilities

First of all, let’s get something straight.

One of the biggest objections I hear when it comes to making money from your hobbies and passions is, “But no one would pay for what I love doing.”

Really? Businesses like Design a Tea and The Game Crafter would beg to differ! I even know of a guy named Rick who helps indie game designers get paid to make video games.

So, yes! You can make money from what makes you happy and excited. With our global, internet-driven world, you’ll almost always find someone willing to pay for your goods or services.

The moment where you tell yourself “it’s not possible” is the moment you close the doors to ever making money from your hobby or passion.

If that’s you, you can stop reading this post now. But if you are determined to pull in some coinage from your interests, proceed to the next two points.

Source: Pop Sugar

Adopt a Business Mindset

Here’s the deal.

If you want to make money from your hobbies or passions, you actually need to stop thinking about them as hobbies and passions.

When you treat something like it’s “just for fun,” you don’t actually value it as a business opportunity. And while you don’t necessarily need to aspire to earning thousands of dollars a month, you do need to put enough effort into marketing your product or service and delivering a ton of value to customers so they view you as a professional.

If you can’t fathom the idea of treating your hobby as a business, you’ll have to find a different way to make money. However, this can still be related to your original idea, talents, and interests. For example, if your passion is cosplay, you probably know enough about sewing to charge people for custom clothing, alterations, repairs, and even cloth-based décor (like curtains).

So take that interest of yours, and start viewing it as a business.

Respect Your Own Abilities

This final point is closely related to the first one, because in order to start marketing your hobby or passion as real business, you need to stop underestimating yourself.

The truth is when you love doing something and so deeply involved in it, you often overlook just how much you actually know about the topic. You assume your knowledge is just average or commonplace, and that others already know what you do about your hobby. So no one would pay for access to your smarts, right?

But the majority of the time, that’s just not the case.

Let’s say you specialize in making geeky baked goods like justJENN recipes. You might assume everyone who knows how to bake could make the same treats you do. However, I can guarantee you there are local moms in your area who would be glad to shell out some cash for you to create a cake for their kids’ Star Wars-themed party. And there may even be local companies wanting to hire you to whip up some snacks for their superhero-themed business retreat.

When it comes to your hobby or passion, you know more than realize. Embrace it!

Now that you have these three points firmly lodged in your brain, you’re far more prepared to start marketing your hobbies and passions to earn some cash.

Sure, you know it’s going to take some real work. And you’re not so presumptuous to assume you could make a full-time living off your beloved pastime (yet).

But at least you’re on the right path to earning your first buck from your hobby or passion, with hopefully even larger dollar amounts to come!

Guest Poster Bio: Bree Brouwer is a staff writer for Tubefilter.com, freelance writer, and owner of Geek & Prosper. To learn more about starting and building an online business as an entrepreneurial geek, grab your free “Blastoff Kit” packed full of videos, a checklist, and a mini roadmap to help you earn that first dollar!