For those of us who aspire to do something we truly love for a living, turning a passion into an income is probably the dream!
And actually, I truly believe that the skills and hobbies many of us possess are very much ones we could turn into a full time freelance career or even just a side hustle.
Now of course, turning your hobby into a pay day isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. After all, there’s always the risk of falling out love with a hobby or passion if it starts to become about paying the bills.
But for those of you keen to put your creative skills and passions to use in paying the bills, here are 7 useful hobbyist skills you could turn into a freelance income.
1. Photography
Whether you’re professionally trained or self taught, if you’ve got an eye for the perfect shot you could absolutely make money.
You could sell your images on stock photo banks or sell photography services as a freelancer.
These are in demand services.
There are over 600 searches per month in Google UK for “product photographer.” And that’s a relatively small search. Check out some of these:
- 17,900 searches per month in the UK for “wedding photographer”
- 1,500 for “headshot photographer”
- 380 for “landscape photographer”
If you don’t have your own website yet (or yours isn’t visible for searches like that) you can start by listing yourself on other freelance sites. The likes of Upwork and People Per Hour may be a good place to start. And a quick Google Search will show loads of directories specifically for photographers too.
2. Singing
If you’ve got skills in the vocal department and can hold a tune, then this has the potential to be more than just a hobby too. There are 4,900 searches a month on average in the UK for “wedding singers,” and thousands more for other variants.
You could also take paid gigs in local venues near to you.
Again if you don’t have a website of your own yet, start by listing yourself on a directory of wedding singers like this one or in other similar platforms. Speak to any local venues you know (even your local pub) that are hiring singers on a weekend and find out whether you can get a foot in the door.
3. Writing
The demand for freelance copywriters is astronomical. But even if you don’t fancy writing commercial copy, you can also look at monetising your more creative writing skills.
Amazon is one of a number of platforms that now allows you to self publish easily. So perhaps you could make an income selling fiction without having to jump through the hoops of finding a publisher.
4. Cooking
If you’re a bit of genius kitchen then perhaps you could put this to use in filling your bank account as well as your stomach!
One growing area of opportunity for side hustlers and aspiring entrepreneurs is in meal prep services, creating healthy, balanced and tasty meals for those who have no time (or skill!) to do so!
5. Social Media Skills
If you’ve built a social media following of any kind and have been having success in generating views, engagement and a loyal following, they’re skills you can use.
There are 1000 searches per month for “social media consultant” and 810 a month for “freelance social media manager.”
And let’s not forget that you can also focus on monetising your own profiles too.
So there are plenty of ways to turn your social skills into an income.
Hobby to Business
There are so many other skills too. Anything from gardening to building websites can help you earn a side income or move into a full time freelance career based on something you love doing.
