How to Transform Your Hobby into a Side Hustle: A Beginner’s Guide

At the time of writing this article, I’ve been running a side hustle for 8 years. 

Rachel Off Duty started as a hobby. A way of writing and expressing myself outside of corporate humdrum. But what started as a silly little personal blog evolved into a website and community aimed at helping people like you to travel more and build careers that don’t hold you back from living your most adventurous lives. 

Within a couple of years, this little blog went all-in, from hobby to side hustle. I still remember the day I walked home from the bank after opening an account under my business entity. It was surreal. Rachel Off Duty consumed – and still does consume – every moment of my day outside of my 9-to-5. And to think it was finally making money? Enough to pay a team? 

Well, that was just crazy talk. 

The road from hobby to side hustle isn’t an easy one. I have made so many mistakes, from not charging what my work is worth, to not reading the terms & conditions of my contracts correctly, to hiring the wrong people, to experiencing painful and creativity-crushing burnout that severly stinted my mental health. 

There’s so much to learn about creating a business and making it successful, and often times, we have to learn it alone. Especially if your day job doesn’t celebrate hobbies or side hustles (mine didn’t), the sheer idea of building something can feel daunting and isolating. 

From identifying your most marketable talents, to setting up a business, to promoting your work and generating income on the side, I will share everything I have learned along the way with the goal of helping you make less mistakes than I did and realize your potential sooner. 

If you’re thinking of transforming your hobby into a side hustle, I hope this guide gives you the push you need to get started!

How to Go From Hobby to Side Hustle

First, What Is It that You Do? 

When I was starting out building Rachel Off Duty, I didn’t know the first thing about building a business. I started Rachel Off Duty because I loved to write, I was surprisingly good at it from a very young age, and I needed an outlet. 

I had a copywriting background and worked in social media and marketing at the time, and I knew I could channel that experience into something that made me happy – creating content to connect with other people. 

The rise of blogging platforms and social media made it possible. I found my outlet. This was around 2016. Since then, I’ve seen tons of bloggers and content creators come up. I’ve witnessed friends transform small Instagram channels into massive projects that have enabled them to quit their jobs and hire teams. 

Beyond this, I’ve seen friends – and even my own mom – start Etsy shops making everything from macrame to hand-poured cement plant holders to custom dog dresses. I’ve met people whose skills led them to do everything from teach yoga on the weekends to do freelance financial audits of small businesses. 

I am sharing all of these examples because while so many people stress about what they should do, often times the answers are right in front of us. What are you good at? What makes you different? What’s your story or expertise, and how can you weave that in and create something that the world can use or appreciate? 

While it helps to have a hobby that has a known business path (like being a yoga instructor, or today, being a content creator), you can create a business out of endless skills and talents and particularities. It just starts with you and your commitment to see it through. 

So ask yourself this – what do you do? What are you particularly good at or already committed to? 

Not sure where to start? In addition to some of my favorite travel side hustles, some other popular hobbies that can make money include: 

• Crafts, such as creating jewelry, crocheting/knitting, or painting
• Content creation
• Vlogging
• Blogging
• Photography
• Writing
• Taking care of pets
• Cooking or making drinks
• Consulting 
• Copyediting

What Do You Want Out Of It? 

Most people start hobbies for fun or for an outlet. But for those considering turning a hobby into a side hustle, odds are, you’re looking for more. 

It can be helpful to ask yourself upfront what you are seeking from your side hustle. Is your primary motivation financial, and you are looking for ways to make more money? If so, in what way? Do you want to quit your job? Make enough side hustle income to simply help pay down your mortgage or fund your travels? 

You’ll want to consider what your bandwith allows, and whether you want your side hustle to be a passive or active income source. Passive income means you create a product or service once and people buy it over and over. It requires work upfront but then you don’t have to create the product repeatedly. You can spend time marketing it and promoting it instead. 

For example, creating a digital product and selling it or doing affiliate marketing are passive income sources. An active income requires consistently maintaining work and creation, such as crocheting and selling hats or maintaining a blog. 

Not every side hustle needs to be financially motivated. Some people pursue side hustles to gain experience or build a portfolio for a future goal, like getting a new job or pivoting towards new opportunities. Others use side hustles as a proof of concept project for new ideas or endeavors. 

Even if you don’t know all the answers right away, it can be very helpful to start asking yourself these questions upfront. I had no idea what I wanted when I started this blog, and honestly, that probably cost me tens of thousands of dollars. 

I waited way too long to build income streams, charged less than my work was worth for many years, and delayed setting up the systems I needed in order to make my business more passive as my full-time job grew more demanding.

Research the Market

In addition to the soul-searching above, do a little market research to get a pulse on the side hustle you want to pursue. Here are some suggestions to help you get started: 

• Google your hobby as a service – search terms like “handknitted clothing” or “travel blogger based in Seattle” or “gluten-free personal chef” to see what kinds of competition currently exist, what words they’re using to describe their value propositions, and how they’ve set up their businesses. 
• Do the same on social media channels – identify some “goal” people or businesses and follow them online so you can start to get a sense of their promotional strategies. 
• Look into what platforms the businesses you’re after are on, who their customers are, how much they charge, and how they price or package their products or services. 
• Get to know the demand – what are people searching for? What exists and what doesn’t within the realm of your hobby or the service you provide? What void could you fill, or what existing avenue could you improve upon? 
• Start to map out the kinds of startup costs or recurring expenses that could be required for your side hustle to exist. Is your competition on a specific platform (like Etsy, Fiverr, etc) that takes a fee for each purchase? Do you need to be on a platform that requires a subscription? Do you need to invest in one-time expenses like equipment or tools?

All of this will help you learn about the landscape before you invest your time and money. It can also help you come up with your own marketing strategies and set your prices competitively to position yourself strategically in the market from the very start. 

With any side hustle, it’ll take some trial and error as you settle into a structure that works for you. But with the right understanding of the market, you’ll save yourself from some rookie mistakes and give yourself a leg-up!

Find the Right Platforms for Your Hobby

The best thing about pursuing a side hustle today is that a platform exists for virtually everything and anything you want the world to see. 

Depending on the product, service, or business you’re pursuing, you might even find that multiple platforms or avenues exist for you to showcase your work. Ultimately, it will come down to a couple factors, like ease of use, customer service, pricing, and reach. 

As you do your research, you’ll want to explore platforms others in your industry are using successfully, and see what works best for you. Don’t be afraid to do some trials until you find the right match, or even list your business on a couple of different platforms to increase your visibility if it makes sense.  

Here are some popular platforms depending on the side hustle you’re pursuing. Though these are by no means exhaustive lists, they can help you start to get familiar with the possibilities, and options, available to you and your business. 

For Selling Products: Offline and Online Marketplaces 

• Etsy: Etsy is a marketplace for makers, and you can find everything from handmade jewelry to custom furniture. It’s perfect for those creating unique items, whether phyiscal or digital, especially if they fall into the category of gifts, home decor, customizable merchandise, fashion, or costumes. 
• Amazon: Amazon is a global online marketplace offering a vast variety of products, from electronics and books to clothing and groceries. It’s ideal for anyone seeking convenience, great selection of products, and competitive prices, whether you’re shopping for everyday essentials or unique finds. 
• eBay: eBay is an online auction and shopping platform where users can buy and sell new and used items, ranging from electronics and collectibles to fashion, beauty and home goods. It’s perfect for bargain hunters, collectors, and those looking for unique or hard-to-find items.
• Community Selling Platforms (Facebook Marketplace, Instagram, Craigslist, Nextdoor, Offerup): These platforms work as online marketplaces where individuals or small businesses sell items directly to consumers, often emphasizing local or niche products. These platforms are perfect for those seeking distinctive, handcrafted, or locally-sourced products, and for sellers aiming to engage with targeted communities or specialized audiences.
• In-Person Selling (Local stores, boutiques, craft markets, etc): In-person selling entails face-to-face transactions, typically conducted at physical stores or events. It’s ideal for items like handcrafted goods, perishable products, or those that need hands-on demonstrations and instant feedback. 

For Selling Services and Skills: Gig and Freelance Platforms 

• TaskRabbit: TaskRabbit is an online service that connects users with local freelancers to handle various tasks, including home repairs, and furniture assembly, deliveries and other home-related agendas. It’s perfect for those seeking assistance with practical and technical tasks and who prefer hiring skilled professionals on demand rather than doing it themselves.
• Fiverr: Fiverr is an online platform for freelancers offering diverse services, including graphic design, writing, digital marketing, and programming. It’s ideal for individuals and businesses needing cost-effective, specialized services for specific projects, providing access to skilled professionals without long-term contracts. 
• Upwork: Upwork is an online platform that connects businesses with freelance professionals for help with specialized services including writing, design, and consulting. It’s well-suited for companies and individuals seeking skilled freelancers for ongoing projects or specialized tasks.
• Toptal: Toptal is an online network that connects businesses with top-tier freelancers for projects related to software development, design, and finance. It’s ideal for companies and startups seeking highly skilled professionals for complex projects, offering access to a talent pool with proven expertise and high performance.
• Freelancer: Freelancer is an online platform that links businesses with freelancers specializing in diverse areas such as writing, design, and programming. It’s perfect for those needing flexible, project-specific support.
• Flexjobs: FlexJobs is a job board focused on remote, part-time, and flexible work opportunities in multiple industries. It’s perfect for professionals looking for improved work-life balance and flexible schedules, and for employers seeking to hire talented individuals for adaptable work arrangements.
• 99designs: 99designs is an online platform that connects businesses with freelance designers to create custom logos, websites, and other design projects through contests or direct hires. It’s ideal for startups, small businesses, and individuals looking for diverse design options at different price points.
• Codeable: Codeable is a platform that links businesses with vetted WordPress developers for custom development, maintenance, and troubleshooting projects. t’s perfect for those who need expert WordPress services, whether for minor fixes or complete development tasks.

For Selling Digital Products: Digital Products and Tools Platforms 

• Ultimate Bundles: Ultimate Bundles is a company that provides curated collections of digital resources, such as eBooks and online courses, on a range of topics at discounted rates. It’s perfect for individuals looking for extensive, affordable resources on subjects like health, business, and personal development.
• Teachable: Teachable is an online platform allowing users to create and sell their own courses and coaching services. It’s ideal for educators, entrepreneurs, and experts who want to share their expertise and generate income through easy-to-use course creation tools.
• Gumroad: Gumroad is an online platform that enables creators to sell digital products, like eBooks, music, and software, directly to their customers. This platform is ideal for independent creators, artists, and entrepreneurs looking for a simple way to distribute and profit from their work.
• ConvertKit: ConvertKit is an email marketing platform that helps creators and entrepreneurs build and manage email lists, automate campaigns, and connect with their audience. It’s perfect for bloggers, online course creators, and small business owners who are looking to enhance their email marketing strategies. 
• Udemy: Udemy is an online education platform that provides a diverse selection of courses on numerous topics, created by instructors from around the world. It’s ideal for individuals looking for flexible and affordable learning opportunities, as well as educators looking to share their knowledge with a broader audience.

For Creating a Shoppable Website: All-in-One eCommerce + Website Builders 

• Shopify: An e-commerce platform enabling individuals and businesses to set up and run online stores. It’s ideal for entrepreneurs, small to medium-sized businesses, and larger companies seeking an easy-to-use solution for selling products online and managing their e-commerce operations.
• WordPress (+WooCommerce): WordPress – with WooCommerce – is a powerful platform that enables users to build and manage their custom websites and online stores. Ideal for individuals and businesses seeking a flexible and scalable solution for content management and e-commerce, offering extensive customization and functionality.
• Squarespace: Squarespace is a website builder that provides tools with customizable templates and integrated features for creating visually stunning websites. It’s ideal for individuals, creatives, and small businesses seeking a user-friendly platform to design and maintain a professional online presence.
• Wix: A website builder featuring drag-and-drop editing options and customizable templates for creating unique websites. It’s perfect for individuals and small businesses who want a simple, easy-to-use platform to create and maintain a professional online presence with ease.

For Building Awareness of Your Side Hustle: Promotional Tools 

• Social Media: Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, and beyond can all be powerful promotional tools for your brand or business. Some platforms, like Facebook and Instagram, even have shoppable marketplaces for you to list your products. 
• Portfolio Sites: A portfolio site can be a massively impactful tool for showcasing your work, case studies, testimonials, contact information, and more. You can build one easily on platforms like Squarespace, Wordpress, Shopify, and Wix. 
• Online Forums (i.e. Reddit): Depending on your niche, engaging in online forums and chats can also help you center your side hustle within discussions relative to the value or service you provide. 

As you can see, the sky’s the limit. However, keep in mind that the more platforms you’re on, the more maintenance is involved which can be a time-suck. My recommendation? Start small. Some people find that they are content with the side hustle income they generate from just one platform.

Establish a Schedule for Your Side Hustle

Most of you will be growing side hustles while working on another ‘main’ hustle, like a full-time job. 

Be honest with yourself about your schedule – from work, to travel, to childcare and other commitments – and the time you’ll have available to see this project through. 

Try to block out time in your calendar solely dedicated to working on your side hustle. Picking a specific day during the week and carving out some time during your existing routine will help you stay on track.

In my early days of blogging, I was able to write and work on my brand almost every evening. These days, I’m happy when I can get two solid evenings in a week. I won’t lie, some days the lack of time can get to my head and I have often found myself spiraling, comparing myself to others who do my side hustle full-time. 

Give yourself some grace and adapt accordingly depending on what’s realistic for you. It will help you approach your side hustle more sustainably in the long run.

Price Your Offering

Knowing what to charge can be tricky because you want to balance attracting business and new customers with making sure you get the value you deserve. This was one of the biggest mistakes I made when I was getting started. 

My first paid project for Rachel Off Duty paid $100 for a deliverable that I would today charge upwards of $1,200 for. The worst part? I didn’t even think to charge for anything at all for the first couple years leading up to this moment! 

There’s a delicate balance between building up your portfolio and doing free work and charging what your work is worth. It can be scary, but once you have enough of a portfolio and even just a handful of happy customers, trust me – it’s time. 

See what other people are charging in your niche or industry to get a ballpark idea of what people will pay. You also should ask yourself how much you want to earn to make your side hustle worth it and how much materials or startup costs are. 

Last but not least, get a gauge on how much your time and expertise are worth, how much your side hustle will actively or passively involve your time and effort, and evaluate any other intangibles that you need to bake into your per-product or per-service rates. 

Once you have all of this, you can also give yourself a monthly or annual revenue target to strive for, depending on whether you want to make enough side hustle income to be profitable or to simply cover your overhead costs and break even.

Set Up Your Business 

Establishing your side hustle as a legitimate business is an important step but also can be confusing. 

There are a bunch of different business structures or entities out there, but the two you’ll probably need to familiarize yourself with and select from include: 

• Sole Proprietorship: A Sole Proprietorship is a simple business structure where the business is owned and operated by a single individual, and there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business. In a sole proprietorship, the owner is personally liable for all business debts and obligations.
• LLC: An LLC, or Limited Liability Company, is a U.S. business structure that offers liability protection similar to a corporation while providing the tax flexibility of a partnership or sole proprietorship. The owners, called members, are shielded from personal responsibility for the company’s debts and liabilities, making it a favored option for small to medium-sized businesses.

Do some research on the different business structures, and decide which is best for you depending on tax implications, legal requirements, and more. Once your business is established, open a separate bank account to help keep your finances clean. 

While you might not need to do any of this right away, especially if your side hustle is starting off small, it may be something to look into after you start bringing in larger amounts of money or hire someone. I personally didn’t even have a business entity or separate bank account for years, which muddied up my taxes and made things quite confusing once I began making consistent money. Of all the ‘mistakes’ I made establishing my side hustle as a legitimate business, this was probably one of my biggest and most easily avoidable.

Decide If and When to Hire Help

It’s a huge misconception that making money from your side hustle requires doing it alone. In fact, it’s actually more important for those pursuing side hustles to outsource and hire help sooner rather than later if they have the means to. With less time available to turn your hobby into a side hustle, having extra support can be critical in reaching your goals faster. 

If you find yourself struggling with limited time, or wasting too much time doing things that you’re not good at in order to grow your side hustle, it might be a good idea to seek help. What kind of help you hire is completely up to you, and doesn’t have to be as daunting as it sounds! 

From hiring a virtual assistant to help you out a couple hours a month, to outsourcing admin and other tasks that don’t play up your strengths, to hiring a formal team with dedicated roles, you can customize your support based on your bandwidth and your budget. 

It took me 4-5 years to hire my first outside help, which was a web designer for RachelOffDuty.com. It took me even longer to hire a full team of contractors to help me transform Rachel Off Duty into a more robust business. 

Today, I have anywhere from 2-5 people helping me keep Rachel Off Duty running. Most months, I’m able to cover this with revenue earned from the business. But sometimes, I subsidize contractor pay with my own full-time job salary. If you have a full-time job as well, you might want to save up some money to give your side hustle a running start and create the support systems you need for it to succeed before it begins making consistent money on its own. 

Come Up with a Marketing Strategy

Even the smallest hustles can flourish when paired with an effective marketing strategy. At the bare minimum, you’ll want to look into having a social media presence or a portfolio website to showcase your work and your unique skillset. 

Some core marketing strategies to transition from hobby to side hustle could include: 

• Creating a brand: It’s important to first identify your brand – its mission and vision and who your target audience will be. You need to create a strong, recognizable brand identity that resonates with your target audience and what the pain points are.
• Building a website + learning SEO: Work on your website that articulate your brand, your origin story and what it is you do. You will need to understand search engine optimization (SEO) so that you can optimize it for search engines and attract organic traffic. Every sentence should be written mindfully in order to attract your audience and be seen by your audience online.
• Establishing a social media presence: There are tons of social media platforms out there, you need to identify which ones works well for your brand – are you going to use more videos or still images? Once you figure out the best platforms for your brand, create a profile and start posting content to engage with your audience and promote your products or services. 
• Exploring content marketing: You will need to create valuable content, such as blog posts or product videos, to help you attract and engage potential customers. See what your competitors are doing and conduct research to understand how you can create content that will keep you unique and fill in the gaps in the market.
• Reaching customers through email marketing: You will need to build an email list to continue to engage your customers further to drive sales and nuture leads.
• Collaborating with creators or tastemakers: To further your reach, it could be a good idea to partner and collaborate with other brands or influencers to reach their followers and spread awareness about your brand. You could host an event, have live videos and other creator get togethers to enhance your brand.
• Networking at events: Attending industry events is a great way to meet brands and other influencers for future collaborations and partnerships.
• Other offline marketing efforts: Even though most things are online, don’t forget to utlize traditional marketing methods, such as business cards, or local advertising, to reach your audience. 

The combination of these tactics will ultimately be up to you and your unique side hustle. 

Marketing a side hustle takes time and a series of trial and error, experimenting with different tactics and strategies until you arrive at a formula that’s effective and sustainable. Fortunately, in the early stages of your side hustle, you can have fun with it! 

Additionally, some elements of marketing are commonly born out of collaboration with outside experts, like branding specialists or web designers. Don’t be afraid to consult with someone if branding and marketing are outside of your wheelhouse.

Start Small & Be Patient 

Last but not least, the most important part of transitioning from hobby to side hustle is to be kind to yourself. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither will your side hustle. Manage your expectations. You probably won’t make your first $1,000 overnight, and that’s okay. 

Elevating a hobby into a side hustle can be tricky and lonely. You’re figuring out every aspect of a business on your own, often with limited time and a divided focus as you juggle several different facets of your career and personal life. 

To stay motivated, come up with different goals and milestones that can help you enjoy the journey. These can be big (‘I want to earn $30,000 in one year’) and small (‘I want to create an Etsy account this month’). Check-in with yourself regularly and be patient. While side hustles may take a longer time to get off the ground, the risk will be worth the reward once you find your unique way of bringing your hobby, passion, and skill set to the world in a way only you can.

Bonus: Growing Your Hobby to Side Hustle Journey into Something Bigger 

Of course, once your hobby becomes a successful side hustle, you might reach a crossroads where your business could actually sustain you full-time. 

For some, having a side hustle and generating extra income on the side is enough. But for others, there is no sweeter dream than being your own boss and making money doing what you love. 

So, how will you know when you should take the plunge? 

This answer will vary for everyone (I know, this is the worst answer ever!), but you might be surprised when I say that the decision should not purely be based on financial gains. Even if you aren’t making more than your day job with your side hustle yet, what it ultimately comes down to is proof of concept, the potential to be bigger, and your willingness to see it through. The only thing I’d recommend is to make sure to add your personal and business savings to give you the runway you need to grow your side hustle without grinding your bank account to the ground. 

Whatever you do, I challenge you to dream big and avoid playing small! 

Enjoy the journey and remember why you loved what you do so much that you dreamt of turning it into something more. If you let that motivate you and propel you forward, odds are you’ll be able to find a way to transform your hobby into a side hustle in no time.

What hobby to side hustle journey are you looking to pursue? What other questions do you have about generating side hustle income and monetizing your hobbies? Let me know in the comments below!

Read This Next:

• Tips For Successfully Balancing a Side Hustle and a Full-Time Job
• The Best Travel Side Hustles to Fund Your Wanderlust
• How (and Why) to Include Travel on Your Resume

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