Doing what you love can set you up for an enjoyable life. In the early days of running your solo or small business, it can feel like an fun hobby.
Treating it s such, however, can can lead to a number of problems and most certainly will not lead you to earning 6 figures.
If you are considering turning your passion into a paycheck, completing a series of steps and acquiring some skills will put on the path to success.
Here are some guidelines for determining if you’re treating your business as a hobby and why you need to make some changes in order to grow.
Build Your Brand
Branding is very important when it comes to recognition. You need to have a brand name and a logo that conveys your personality and looks good in your marketing strategies.
You do not need to be an expert in graphic design to create your logo and brand. Tools like Canva offers tons of templates and guides where you can get inspired and choose from.
Organization
When treating your business as a hobby, you’re likely to become increasingly disorganized.
This is manageable if you only have a few clients, but you’ll quickly find yourself spending time trying to get all of your paperwork in order.
To make your work into a business, you’ll need to develop a system for managing your bills, receipts and other paperwork, and you’ll want to store it in a centralized location.
Fortunately, digital programs make it easier to do so and it’s best to start as soon as possible.
Even if you are in the early stages of your business, you’ll still need to deal with taxes and other expenses, and organization can streamline the process.
Check out the guide below to find some easy (and FREE) tools you can implement today in your business.
UPDATE
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Setting a Schedule
Running a small business means unexpected events will pop up on occasion and some flexibility is helpful.
However, one of the keys of a business is setting and keeping a schedule as much possible. Make sure to budget time each day for handling business elements, and make sure to turn this practice into a habit.
Again, you may need to improve on occasion, but setting a schedule and sticking to it ensures you’ll be able to operate in a professional manner and deliver appropriate services.
It’s also worth tracking your time early in the process. If a particular task takes up an inordinate amount of your time, outsourcing it can help you spend your time more effectively.
Communication and Advertising
If you only have a handful of clients, contacting them through your personal phone might be an acceptable option.
As you transition from hobby to business phase, however, setting up more formal lines of communication can help tremendously.
Make sure to have a dedicated email address and keep it separate from your personal inbox.
Furthermore, if you are not tech-handy, outsource the setup of your website to make it look professional and optimized will create a positive experience to visitors.
Word-of-mouth advertising can be enough, specially if you have a solo business and a full schedule. However, reaching out to your audience through online and offline advertising can be essential for growing your business and generating sustainable income.
New here? I also have the following blogs to help you in your entrepreneurial journey:
And, of course, you should get your hands on one of my popular downloads available to help you boost your productivity and get more done in your business.
Entrepreneurship is living a few years of your life like most people won't, so that you can spend the rest of your life like most people can't.
Separate Work and Business Life
Making the move from hobby to business often entails taking steps to ensure your business life and professional life don’t mingle too much.
Bringing your work home with you can make it difficult to unwind and relax, and it can make family life more challenging.
If your business generate enough revenue, a great option is to rent an office space, even if it’s in a co-working environment.
Otherwise, setting up a dedicated home office can help ensure you’re able to mentally separate yourself from your business.
Taking a break from work ensures you’re able to be at your best while focusing on your business tasks.
Work Smarter, Not Harder
You have the tools for growing your business to six figures and you have the desire to do so, but do you have a guide to get there?
It is very common struggle for solopreneurs to feel like you don’t have enough time in your day.
There is a much smarter way to run a business: Automation and Delegation!
Knowing what tasks should be automated and what tasks should be delegated will give you more time in your day to focus on your clients needs.
You can do anything, but you can’t do everything!
Keep in mind that no matter what stage of business you’re in, you can find tools at all different budget and difficulty level.
Check out my post where I tell you 4 systems you can automate what will save you tons of time and help you grow your business.
Are you ready to start saving hours in our day?
Get the done-for-you email sequence that will help you turn prospects into clients.
Grab your templates below:
The First Impression Counts
Make sure to welcome new leads with these email templates ready for your to copy, paste and personalize it!
Final Thoughts
Turning your hobby into a business might be challenging specially if you are considering leaving your day job and putting time and effort into a new venture.
Be persistent enough to define your success goal and break that goal into several mini-goals so you can continuously work to fulfill each challenge.
You will go through moments of self-doubt and fear of failure.
I am not going to lie, you will face many problems and a few mistakes. Learn with them.
Be consistent and show up more than you don’t. When you hit a roadblock, keep your mind open to resources that will help you overcome challenges.
For those who are willing to go the extra mile, here are some extra tips that have helped me in the past:
- Figure out your path
- Make plans
- Discuss ideas with peers
- Persist
- Throw yourself fully into it
Are you ready to go the extra mile? Let me know in the comments below!
About Me
Hi, I'm Bianca!
I’m a productivity specialist helping overworked and overwhelmed entrepreneurs ditch the long and repetitive to-do list by optimizing systems and simplifying the way they run their business. Learn how to get rid of steps or tasks that don’t contribute to your business bottom line.
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