Turning What Your Passionate about into a Business

For years, I thought about starting a blog. Yes, years! I thought I could help people with what I had to share. But I didn’t start one right away, because of fear. Fear I wouldn’t be able to figure it all out and fear no one would want to hear what I had to say. Fear that I would fail. But what I was really doing was failing by not starting.

My husband kept saying just do it and finally I listened. After getting started, there were things I never expected would be so hard. There were some things I did wrong. But the one thing I did right was to share my passion. Centering my business around what I was really passionate about. Because when your business is about something you are passionate about it really shows and can not only make money for you but truly help others also.

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I recently finished reading Money Making Mom by Crystal Paine, after receiving a copy to review. I love that the book contains really practical advice on building a business but also focuses on being generous too. The balance in the book between making money and giving back is really refreshing to read.

Here’re a few points I took away from the book that can help you take your passion and turn it into a business.

Start with What You are Passionate About

Start with things you really love, your talents and your passions when thinking about starting a business. Think about those things you really love to do. If you have trouble coming up with ideas, talk to friends and family. Often they can help to reveal talents you never really considered. Then ask yourself if this is something I could make money at? Is the skill I possess something others would pay money to learn more about or have you do for them?

Once you know what your talents are and where your passions lie you can make your plan. Having a plan and knowing who you are serving is so necessary to doing well in business. How can you reach your business goals if you don’t know what they are? So once you know what your business will be and who you will be serving, start planning your path to succeed.

Compare But Don’t Get into Comparing Others to Yourself

Once you have your business idea or ideas that you are really passionate about, look around to see what others have to offer similar to your idea. Don’t be discouraged if you find someone doing something similar. After all there is really nothing new under the sun. But your unique take on the idea will be what makes you stand out and be different. Concentrate on your uniqueness to make your business yours.

It’s easy to get caught up in looking at others and feeling insecure. When what is really needed is to focus on what you are building. Making it the best you can for those you are trying to serve. Comparison can steal your joy and your enthusiasm, steer clear of comparing yourself to others.

Find a Cheerleader Who Shares the Truth

You’ll want to find someone who can help keep you focused and help you when times get tough. In the beginning, there will be lots of hours spent building your business with possibly not much in return. It takes time to find an audience or clients. You need to have someone who can help cheer you on. Someone that believes in what you are doing. But also someone who can tell you the truth and really help you along the way.

I know over the last few years I’ve had times when I have felt discouraged, ready to just throw in the towel. Times I felt I’ve given my all with so little in return. But when I express those things to my husband, who knows me so well, he can help me turn it around. He can help me see the truth and renew my passion for continuing on.

Keep Focused on Your Why

Building a business is hard work. It can take a long time and it’s easy to lose focus. I know the second year of my blogging, I got caught up in posting deals. Lots of deals, which was never my intent when I started blogging. But I had lost my focus of why I was starting my blog.

My why is to help others learn what they need to live a great life on less. When I strayed from that focus, the blog became more of a job and not something I loved to do each day.

As you are building your business and times are tough or hard, focusing on why you started in the first place can help you get back on track and find your zeal again.

Keep at It

Building a business takes perseverance, hard work, and the willingness to continue to learn. Having passion is where it all starts but it’s just the start. There will be days you just don’t feel like working on your business, I know I have had plenty. But showing up even when you don’t feel like it is part of being a business owner.

Putting in the hard work is what is really needed to build a business. If it was easy everyone would have their own business. It takes dedication and perseverance to see it through. But I have to say it is so worth it. I’m to the point where I’m earning a small but regular income and all the hard work is just starting to pay off. Plus I love to get comments from readers telling me they have learned something new or were successful for the first time using one of my recipes. That just makes my day and is worth so much to me.

If perseverance, hard work and showing up when you don’t feel like it wasn’t enough, there is one more thing you have to be willing to do, and that’s learning. Things are always changing and to succeed you have to be willing to learn new things and change as needed. That’s one thing I’ve found in working an online business, there are many things that can affect your business that are constantly changing. So a willingness to read, learn, and take classes as needed to learn what is needed is so important.

I’m still on this journey in building my own business. It’s funny saying that because when I started the blog I didn’t really think of it as a business. But I’ve changed my mindset and goals. I want to build something great so I can have the ability to really make a difference and help others.

If you are thinking building your own business is something you want to try, I would really recommend picking up Crystal’s book Money Making Mom. It’s full of wonderful and encouraging stories of other women who have built their own businesses. She offers real practical advice in the book and even includes how she learned from her failures. It’s great for someone just thinking about starting a business and you don’t know where to start. But equally good the person who has a business and needs some advice to keep it growing.

Do you have a something you are passionate about that you could grow into a business?