Opportunities for expanding your hobbies are everywhere on the net. Want to make a website? Buy yourself a domain name and get a hosting account and go to town. Sometimes you don’t need to buy anything at all. There are dozens of places to get webspace for free.

You don’t need a lot of money to get programs to make websites either. Or to design graphics, or to make a book. Programs like Gimp will take care of that need for Photoshop and Open Office will do to get your book into a Word document.

For hobbies, these things are fine. The tools offer just enough flexibility you can get reasonable results.

But what happens when people start to tell you your work is so good you should sell it? Maybe a few have hired you to do a website banner or small graphic for their site? Now you find yourself entertaining the idea of going into business for yourself.

Good for you if you do have the talent and the passion to take a bold step like this, but running a business takes so much more than talent alone. Not everyone can take a hobby and make it a successful business. And not every hobby should be a business.

However, if you are set on making a go of this, here are a few tips to help you on your way.

Do Your Homework. Right at the top of the list is research. Before you set foot in the start up business arena you need to find out who your audience is and if there’s really a market for what you have to offer. Is the market already flooded with widget designers or do you truly have something fresh and new to offer? That’s not to say you can’t start a business in a market where there’s a lot of competition, but it’ll be exactly that—a lot of competition. You don’t want to make that first year even harder than it is trying to keep your head above a sea of people doing the same thing you are.

Use Your Resources. Networking is a big part of the start up experience. Your network will help you spread the word of your services and provide something else: Experience. Look around you for others in your field who have already made a success of themselves. Pick their brains, find out what it took for them to make it.

Make a Plan. Every successful business starts with a plan. Mapping out your ideas and what you need to do at what stage is very important. When you can see the big picture in front of you, you stand a better chance of reaching your goal rather than floundering about wondering what you need to do next. Make your goals small and reasonable, they’ll be easier to handle and you’ll find it so satisfying crossing them off as you’ve completed each one.

Funding. How are you going to fund your new business? Do you need to invest in new equipment or software? Those freebie programs aren’t going to hold you over for very long. You’ll need to stay competitive with everyone else in your field. Do you need to go back to school to learn more skills or sharpen old ones? Will you be producing a physical product? If so, how will you manufacture and distribute it? Even more important, where will you store all the supplies and product?  That’s a lot of stuff to consider and it’s only the beginning.

Legalities. Look into the laws and required permits for where you live. Find out if you need to incorporate or if you can start with a DBA (Doing Business As). Legal Zoom is an excellent resource for setting up the paperwork for a new business and they’ll help you every step of the way. Get your taxes and such settled right from the start so you don’t trip yourself up later on.

These are only a few of the things that go into turning a hobby into a business. If you’d like to discuss your dream in more detail, we’re always available. We’ve been there ourselves and we’re more than happy to help.

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