You probably have a thing or tow that you are deeply passionate about. it doesn't matter what it is, maybe it’s making soap or writing, dancing or even browsing the Internet to explore new things. If you have a true passion for something, it’s worth your time to go deeply into that passion and see if you can turn that passion and talent into some additional income and even make a career out of it.
Here are eight (8) tips to funnel that passion into something that can earn you some additional income. Although; all might not apply to any given idea you might have, three or four should apply to pretty much any concept you can think up.
The first step is always to make a decision and get started straight away. The day you make a commitment to follow something you’re passionate about is the first day of the rest of your life.
Blogging
Are you passionate about a specific topic? Blogging offers a lot of opportunities for you. The time you need to work on it is flexible, plus you can easily do it at home with just a computer, for starters, and by placing a few ads on it, you can earn some extra dollars while exploring areas you’re passionate about. I founded Chess Subsea Engineering because I was passionate about Subsea Production Systems. Within eight (8) months; I realized I didn’t have to work for any company to get by.
You can write about pretty much any topic you can imagine. Plus, it’s pretty easy to get started, with sites like WordPress and Blogger ready-made to help you with the beginning steps.
Teaching and Tutoring
Teaching and tutoring work well if you have a particular skill that can be taught to others and you have patience. If you have an aptitude for a musical instrument, for example, teaching can be a very good way to expand on that passion and share it with others while earning a bit of money. Another possibility is to look for community art centres where you may be able to earn a small fee by teaching a particular artistic skill to a group of people.
Most of my passive income online and offline comes from teaching and mentoring. If you have any skill that others admire and sometimes attempt to learn and you have a good deal of patience, teaching or tutoring can be a great way to explore it.
Providing Services
Are there any tasks that you really enjoy that others find mundane, like mowing, fixing computers or graphic design? You probably have an opportunity right there to provide a service to them, one that will put cash in your pocket for doing something you naturally enjoy. With some basic equipment and some reliability, you can easily transform a task you enjoy doing into some cash just by asking around and seeing what’s available.
Creating Videos
If you have a digital camera capable of taking videos, you can likely turn your passion into some money online by making videos and uploading them to a revenue-sharing video site. MetaCafe, for example, has a Producer Rewards program that pays $5 for every 1,000 times your video is viewed.
Let’s say, for example, that you’re a gymnast. You could make videos of your neatest-looking routines out in the yard and upload them, or show how anyone can do some basic techniques, like an instructional video on how to do a cartwheel (I’d watch). You can follow similar logic for almost any passion you might have. The best part is, once a video is done and uploaded, all you have left to do is market it a bit by pointing people to it. Make sure you title it well. Send the link around to friends you might have, asking for comments. Send the video link to bloggers who may be interested in your topic.
If you have the basic video equipment and something interesting to show off, this can be a great way to earn some side money, and it can earn some very good money if your content is compelling enough to get others to watch. Since you can make videos in your spare time and there’s little additional effort once the video is uploaded, this can be a great way to sit back and earn a few bucks.
Writing freelance articles / books
Another option (besides blogging) if you have any skill with the written word is to write freelance articles (and perhaps books as well) on whatever topic fills you with passion. Passionate writing is the best kind of writing, especially if the author has even a sliver of talent – the enthusiasm and love just comes right through the page.
The only problem is that it’s often difficult to break into writing at first. Your best approach is to look for local independent publications and see whether you can work out an arrangement, even for no pay, to help you get some stuff into print. Then, you can use those printed publications as leverage to fuel you on to bigger things – and bigger pay.
Freelance writing like this is a great spare time activity, especially if the time you have to commit to it isn’t highly regular. While the threshold for entry can be difficult, once you’re in, it’s a great way to use a few spare hours and your own creativity to produce something of value.
Developing a connected project through work
Many workplace environments offer some latitude for self-motivated and creative employees to suggest ideas for new workplace initiatives. This can be a great area to fuel your passions and give yourself some real-world experience in that area.
For example, one person I know who worked for a large company wanted very much to get involved with social work. She talked up a workplace outreach project at work as a way for the company to show community involvement and charity and was eventually chosen to head up this initiative. After a while, she was able to transform at least part of her job into following her passions for social work and, eventually, was able to leap into that area as a career change. Many people also use this kind of opportunity to drum up business for their side passions.
Taking classes / starting over
Another possibility is to simply start over with a new career, starting off with taking classes. While this won’t earn you money from your passion in the short run, it could easily lead to a new career in a field that fills your belly with passion, fire, and drive.
I am reminded of another friend of mine who spent his Saturdays attending classes to earn an MBA, simply because he knew he was an effective team leader (and he relished leadership) but he also knew that without the degree there were some glass ceilings he would never break through. Once he completed the MBA, he switched jobs, joining another organization and quickly moving up through the ranks. He earned a lot of extra income for himself by taking classes on the side.
When you really discover your passion, it’s usually the right choice to follow it, even if that road initially has costs. Taking classes is certainly a cost, but if it puts you in the right place to really chase after your dreams, the cost isn’t really that great after all.
Volunteering / working at low end jobs
If there’s an area you’re passionate about but you don’t have any idea how to break in, volunteer – or take a very low-end job. Go to the person that you hope to learn from (a potential mentor) and tell them that you’re willing to work for peanuts for a while in order to learn the tricks of the trade. Devote your Saturdays or your weeknights to this and you’ll learn a great deal about what it takes to succeed.
If you’re in college, this is a great way to experience areas of interest. Look for minimum wage or volunteer work for professors on campus who are in areas that might be of interest to you. You might be cleaning lab equipment or photocopying things at the library, but if you do your work diligently, ask intelligent questions, and pay attention, you’ll get far more out of it than that minimum wage income. You’ll likely discover how the field works and how deep your passion goes for the area.
Remember, what you’re earning here is not money, but knowledge and connections. These can prove far more valuable than an extra dollar or two an hour over the long haul.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment