Hobbies don’t usually become a source of income. But for those of you who’ve done it for quite a while and you’re pretty confident about your skills, they can make you a pretty penny, if you know what to do with it. So in this article, let me guide you through how you can finally cash-in on your expertise at doing home improvement projects.
Start a Blog/ Vlog
If you don’t want to move from your current home and you simply want a steady gig that will hopefully give you good returns one day, then this is a good way to do it. However, I am by no means saying that blogging and/or vlogging is easy. In fact, it takes a lot of hard work and patience to become a social media personality.
You should have a lot of ideas and learn how to communicate that well to your potential audience. Clear and concise words are a must, plus, you should know a thing or two about how to grow your audience and how to actually earn through vlogging. This requires having the confidence to see yourself out there in the public and market yourself to other people.
Plus, you need technical knowledge about Adsense and even SEO. Either that or you hire someone who can help guide you through this process.
Offer Consultancy Services
If you’re not that into being a public figure, you can still offer your services through consultancy work. Even just by charging for consultancy work on how neighbors and other relatives can improve the look and feel of their home, that’s good enough cash in itself.
But I am not going to discourage you if you think you can do a bit more than just be your neighbor’s home interior consultant. It’s a taxing but definitely fulfilling job. Just be sure to brush up on the requirements you need to take if ever you really want to seriously offer to become a consultant and take in actual organic clients.
Write a Book About It
This one’s a lot trickier than just posting blogs or vlogs on multiple social media sites. You may be fairly exceptional at one skill, but that doesn’t mean you can actually write a book about it. In fact, even seasoned professionals can’t just bring themselves to write a book about their profession at just a moment’s notice. It takes a different kind of skill to start becoming an author.
Sources say, getting a publisher to release your work isn’t really the hardest part. Instead, it’s actually being able to write that’s fairly difficult. Ever heard of writer’s block? Well, what if you’re not even a writer to begin with and you get a case of writer’s block?
Of course, you don’t really have a specific deadline on when you will get the book done. But do set limits and tell yourself just how long you will write every chapter so you can have something to show for it after a few months or maybe even a year.
Train to Become a Professional
While you technically can’t cash-in on your inherent expertise in home improvement immediately, becoming a professional (which means actually learning all the aspects of home improvement from interior design to repairs) will earn you more out of this skill.
You can choose to be an architect or become an engineer to take your home improvement skills to the next level. It may take a few years before you can have a return on this specific investment, but it’s an investment that will guarantee a big reward if you simply stick to it!
By learning more about home improvement theories and techniques, you can also deliver a better output for your client satisfaction, regardless of if you choose to become a consultant or actually do the work. Plus, becoming a professional will also give you credibility for whenever decide to actually start a vlog or write a book about it.
Become a Contractor
Now if you don’t really want to be an interior designer or become an actual engineer for this, you can get a license to be a contractor in your area, so you can make a business out of your hobby. This may be a big jump from simple home renovations, but if you’re really serious and dedicated to home improvements, and you have enough capital, you can do this, too!
Just be sure to get a license within your service area so as not to get troubles with the law. For example, if you’re living in Portland or Salem, you’ll want to get a contractor’s license in Oregon.
Turning your hobby into a source of income is not always a bad thing. Indeed, you may experience more stress, anxiety, and burnout from this but doing what you love while getting paid for it is already a step closer to having a happy life. And personally, I’d choose that any day.
