Money never starts an idea; it is the idea that starts the money.
- W. J. Cameron

Hobby Isn’t Just For Kids...
A hobby is something constructive that we pursue in our leisure time. It is a crucial activity we need to do regularly just for fun. When we get engrossed in an activity we enjoy, we experience a state of being in which the brain is in a near-meditative state, thus helping the body, mind and soul to relax.

A Hobby:
·Is fun.
·Is an avenue to self-expression.
·Relieves stress.
·Is creative.
·Engages us in learning.
·Enhances and awakens our senses to appreciate life in a better way.
·Relieves isolation and connects us to a larger community.
·Connects us to ourselves.
·Spans time and space.
·Expresses our commitments and intentions.

A constructive hobby keeps our minds ticking and our body active. But make sure your hobby is not to sit and watch TV all the time!

To cultivate a hobby
A hobby could involve ‘collecting’ or ‘creating’ something. A mutual hobby with a friend, a spouse, a colleague could create a bond worth its weight in super glue.

Career or business
By the way, do you know that there are many people in this world who have turned their hobbies into a successful career or business? You can consider turning one of your hobbies into a business. You can make the knowledge of your hobby a product. Earning money from a hobby is a nice way to get paid for doing something you would do anyhow.

Here are some ground-rules for making money from your hobby:

1.Focus on something you love
Pursue something you’re passionate about. Choose a hobby you enjoy, and find a way to make money from it. Dive into it with an aim in mind. Do it because you love it; any side-income should be secondary. Keep it fun. Don’t let it become a chore.

2. Be creative
Think outside the box. Ask yourself, what skills do you have that others don’t? Define the term ‘hobby’ broadly. Find something that you can do that most others cannot, something for which other people might be willing to pay.

3. Don’t force it
Your hobby will not make you rich. In most cases, it won’t even net you enough to allow you to quit your day job. It’s quite possible. However, to earn enough money to make the hobby self-sustaining, keep yourself alert to new tools and equipment.
Often when you try to take your hobby to the next level, the joy goes out of it. Suddenly the extra income just isn’t worth it. There’s a balance to be achieved, and if you can find it, you can have fun while earning extra income.

4. Don’t under-estimate your ability
It’s easy to discount your abilities. When you truly love something, your prolonged experience can give you skills and knowledge that you don’t appreciate. Don’t sell yourself short.

5. Define an apt market
Defining the appropriate market is important, as you get in touch with the right people who will most likely be ‘your consumers’ in your hobby business.

6. Market yourself
This can be difficult. In order to actually earn income, you need customers. But just as most people have a tendency to underestimate their abilities, they also tend be uncomfortable with self-promotion. Marketing can be subtle, but it’s an absolute necessity if you hope to earn money from your hobby. People need to know you’re available before they can hire you.

7. Hone your skill
Practise! Practise! Practise!. The more time and energy you devote to your hobby, the better you will be. The better you are, the more likely that you’ll earn money from it. Some people are born with natural talent. Most of us have to work at it.

‘Hobbying’ your business
·A couple had a hobby of rearing dogs. They bought a plot of land on the outskirts of the city and started a dog club. hey now rear, train, take care of pet dogs, organise ‘dog shows’ and earn in plenty.
·A man had a hobby of gardening cactii. He has built a huge nursery of rare species of cacti and even exports them. Some of the varieties are priced even for a few lakhs of rupees!

‘What I know is, that if you do work that you love, and the work fulfills you, the rest will come.’
- Oprah Winfrey
Talk show host and business woman