Turn Your Hobby into a Genuine Work from Home Job

Finding a genuine work from home job can feel like a minefield if you're trying to avoid the countless scams bouncing around on the internet. Why not turn something you love doing into your dream work from home job? Check out our tips on what you might need to consider before taking the next steps!

Examples of Work from Home Jobs

1. Music Tutor

   For those of you who love music and have mastered an instrument, or two! Pass on your knowledge and make the most of flexible hours that could work around you! Plus, did you know you can list services on Preloved? Become a business member and

   

2. Pet sitter/walker

   Paw-fect for the person who is obsessed with all things canine, or loves getting out and about on their feet!

3. Wedding Accessories Crafter

   If you love getting crafty, why not start your own business making wedding decorations? Or whatever takes your fancy! Preloved's wedding section has over 67,000 visits a month on average, so offers a perfect platform to get selling on!

   

4. Upcycler

   We know that the Preloved community loves given second-hand furniture a second life, so why not turn your love into a business? Plus, you can source pieces to upcycle for free using Freeloved, then list them back on the site once they're done!

5. Cake Maker

   Can't get enough of Bake Off? Always called upon to bake for family events? Why not take it professional? Get yourself some professional equipment and get baking for a living!

   

6. Tourguide

   If you love your town and are full of interesting facts about it, plus love getting out and exploring it's tourist traps, why not make the most of it and share your knowledge? Your hours can be as flexible as you want them to be!

7. Knitting

   With slow and sustainable fashion getting more and more popular, why not turn your hobby of knitting into a full-time job? Create unique scarves, blankets or whatever inspiration strikes you to make - plus you can sell them right here 

   

Tips for Your Work from Home Business

1. Don’t Quit The Day Job

   When you start out, there's going to be certain costs you'll need to cover (stock, merchandise, marketing etc.) so be prepared to reinvest most or all of what you make when you start off!

   So, don’t quit the day job just yet. Doing your 9-5 at the same time as trying to turn your hobby into a new career will be tiring and hard work but make sure you have a steady income to rely on while your venture finds its feet. Plus, it's worth checking whether your company allow a second job, some don’t – especially if your new business is in the same sector.

2. Have a financial plan

   There’s an app for that! There are plenty of financial management apps for businesses on the marketing, either for free for a basic package or relatively affordable. Do your research as to which one will be best for you.

   Think about what your expenses will be. What will you be charging for your product or service and how much profit will you be able to take from that? Consider how many customers do you need to have in order to make the money you’re wanting

   Be prepared for your work from home income to fluctuate, it’s normal, a good month can carry you through a bad month. Working from home helps keep costs down – but be sure you have the room you need, especially if things pick up and you get busy quickly!

   Also be sure to take into account insurance costs, especially public liability and the costs of a CRB check if you're going to be working with children.

3. Build up an online presencePhase 1: Use social media;

   Check out your competition and think about what’s your USP? How are you going to stand out? Being cheaper isn’t always the way to go as offering a higher quality product or service sometimes means much more to someone buying.

   Research if there’s a local SME networking group, get advice from folks in the know.

   

   Create a page to promote your business, showcase your product/service with some great engaging images.

   Post in local community groups, make sure your potential customers know your business exists and that you’re nearby and responsive to their messages/queries.

   Phase 2: Create a website

   Have a website; there are agencies who can create/maintain this for you.

   Make sure it represents you and the brand you want to put out there, but make sure you spend some time considering what this is before you begin.

   Include amazing photos - ask your friends if they have a decent camera to take pictures with/lend you, or find a photographer who’s portfolio inspires you