Search Ashworth College
You've got a comfortable routine at a regular, steady job, but you still feel unfulfilled. You appreciate what it provides for you and your family, but your skills and talents aren’t being put to their best use, leading to boredom and frustration. How do you get out of this professional rut? If you’re looking for a career you’re passionate about, consider turning to your hobbies. Combining what you enjoy with some professional knowledge like marketing and business can lead you on a path towards a job that brings you a sense of purpose, increasing your overall happiness and job satisfaction.
One of the most important steps to take when starting any business is to check out the competition. Is there a market for your business? Look around your local community to see if someone is already doing what you plan on doing (and if they do it as well as you). If your hobby is based on crafting like jewelry, carpentry, or design, check out sites like Etsy, Artfire, and Amazon Homemade to scope out not only who else is doing something similar, but to familiarize yourself with potential selling options.
While you’re researching, make the effort to reach out and befriend other crafters and small business owners. Some of the best sources of support for creators and businesses is from within their own community. They can offer you inspiration and even collaboration on your own work, but also advice when it comes to turning your hobby into a career. They’ve done it already and can offer insight into what works and what does not.
If you’re not in a management role, you’re likely used to having someone tell you what to do, how to do it, and when to do it. If you’re starting your own business, you need to prepare yourself to be the boss. It’s your responsibility to make all the important decisions, but it doesn’t have to be scary. If you choose not to open a brick-and-mortar store and focus your sales online exclusively, sites like Etsy and Artfire make it a fairly straightforward process. It also brings a level of practicality, eliminating the need to worry about finding location, staff, rent, and salary money. Ashworth College offers a Small Business Management career diploma course featuring classes like marketing, business concepts, and planning to help you get started or brush up on the ins and outs of running a business, so you don’t have to do it alone.
No business can succeed without knowing how to market itself. You can offer the best product or service around, but if you don’t know how to advertise and get the word out that you exist, you won’t bring in the customers needed to succeed. Nowadays it’s much easier to take on the task of marketing yourself thanks to social media. Build a website using a content management system like Wordpress, self-advertise that site on Facebook and Twitter, and highlight your items or services with Instagram and Pinterest. Utilize your network of friends, family, acquaintances, and existing customers to expand your customer base to help your sales increase. There are certain tips, tricks, and rules to follow, so taking a marketing course can help you hone the skills needed to effectively use the tools available to help your business grow.
Even if you’re the best at what you do, boosting your credentials not only gives you more experience, but it adds to your credibility. Back up your event planning flair or jewelry making talents with a course from Ashworth College. There are also a variety of career diplomas for other creative careers offered completely online and at your own pace to help you improve your resume. Affordably improve your skills in a few months to ensure you’re on the path towards being one of the best at what you do.
Starting your own business can be really hard and the last thing you want is something you love, like your hobby, to become a burden. We all know failure can sting, but when it comes to something as personal as our own creativity, it can hurt even more. However, if you’re running your own business, it’s important to remember that while not everyone will love what you do, there are plenty of others who will. You just need to have patience enough to persevere. Equally, success can mean you face more challenges. Keeping up with rising demand will lead to business changes like hiring more staff, delegating duties, and more work in general. It’s important to prepare yourself mentally for both the positives and negatives of starting your own business. Once you do, you’ll be one step closer to turning your hobby into a career.
With all the benefits of technology like social media and internet sales, there are plenty of opportunities to turn your passion into something more. In 2019, Etsy saw more than 2.5 million sales across 234 countries. With statistics like those and a little help from Ashworth College, you can make the leap into turning your hobby into your career, too.
Let's talk about your educational goals. Call 1-800-957-5412
