Can My Hobby Turn Into A Career?

Hobbies are activities that we enjoy doing when we are free. Imagine indulging in our hobbies all day long and without any feeling of guilt. Such luxury can happened only if the hobby has become our vocation. I bet this is everyone’s dreams. But how many of us can do that? In reality, most of us dragged our feet daily to a place or activity that we dread and hope the day will be over soon so that we can return to the activity that we enjoy doing. That’s why we have “Monday blues” at the beginning of the week and “Thank God it’s Friday” when the work week is finally over. The line between work and play is thickly defined for most of us.

But in recent years, we witnessed a wide range of jobs churning out from hobbies and not only that, these vocations has the potential to provide good career security too.  In other words, it’s possible to have pleasure, fun and money at the same time.

So, what are some hobbies that had turned out successfully to great careers or businesses?

• Crafts/Design/Painting to Designers/Artists/Gallery Owners
• Cooking to Chefs
• Gardening to Landscape Designers/Nursery Owners
• Keeping pets to Pet Groomers/ Pet Shop Owners
• Outdoor games/sports to Professional Sportsmen/women
• Photography to Professional Photographers
• Singing/Playing musical instruments to Music/Voice Instructors and Pop Singers
• Journaling/Blogging to Full-time Writers
• Playing and Spending time with kids to Child Care Center Owners

But before you ditch your day job and jump into your “hobby-vocation”, it would be helpful to run through a check-list such as the following:-

• Are you really passionate about your hobby? For instance, a person may think his hobby is keeping pets but in actual fact, the time spend with his pet is lesser than his time watching TV series. In this instance, the person’s “real” hobby is probably watching TV more than taking care of pets. You got to be honest about your true passion. Some hobbies are merely for therapy purposes and you have no wish to indulge in it on a regular basis.

• Your hobby has to be “employable” or “marketable”? In other words, there must be a demand for your skills, services or products that you made.

• Can it give you the income to meet all your current commitments like putting food on the table? This is a crucial point and that’s why many who already had a family with kids to feed may not even think about entertaining such notion. A solution to it is to start out on part-time or freelancing basis first. Some photographers started out that way. When they first began, it was merely shooting for their friends on weddings and special events but as their work slowly speaks for itself, the demand for their services grow and suddenly the idea of a full time business became feasible.

If it has to be a business venture, do up a business plan first. And make sure you have enough cash to sustain for at least six to nine months. And if you wish to be employed, be ready to start at a lower salary than what you are getting right now. A Project Manager in IT wanted to switch her career to being a Make-up Artist would have to be willing to sacrifice her five-figure income initially. There is no guarantee that you are able to earn similar income in the future. So be ready for monetary sacrifices. But if this is what you are willing to risk, go for it!

Do your homework. Research the pros and cons of your vocation. Talk to people who are already in the industry. You may like pets but to be a pet groomer, how prepared are you to have a full schedule of appointments on your weekends and public holidays? There might be things that you cannot compromise such as your family time during weekends. In such situations, your hobby probably should remain as hobby.  

Patience, patience and patience. Endurance and perseverance are traits that you need to have because the primary reason of turning hobby to career or vocation is usually not due to the economic feasibility but the desire of doing things that you enjoy. Therefore, money is never the main motivator and as such, success may take a while to savor.  Having said that, the old adage, “love what you do, and the money will follow” may still come true.

So, how crazy are you about your hobby? Enough to turn it into your career? For those who had weighed the pros and cons and have decided to take that plunge are indeed the happy lot that can truly experience the wisdom of this quote, “Choose a job you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.”

So You Think You Want To Be Self-employed?

It was some time ago now that I chucked my job and became self-employed. Why do I become self-employed? Is it for better money? Is it because I wanted to escape the stress of climbing the corporate ladder? Well, it’s certainly not because of the money for many who are employed earn much better. I often say it’s because I hated to be told what to do by someone else...:)

You probably have a good reason why you wanted to consider self-employment. But like any career move, it’s good to take the time to think deep and wide for this one. Unlike employment in which you can give up by handing a resignation letter, the stakes are higher when running your own business.

Well, besides having to slog it out during the initial period (ranges from months to even years) learning and doing things that perhaps not your strengths such as handling financial figures and going out making contacts with strangers, I felt there are some primary stuff that you need to consider before you take the plunge - stuff that will determine whether you have the package to make it or not.

1. What is the world you want to create? It simply means a vision and without a clear picture of what you want to achieve, you won’t last very long. When things did not turn out as expected, you would simply give up. Well, not everyone wants to make a million and going into self-employment may simply means you get to do what you love. Yet, you still need to visualize the world you wish to create.

2. Do you have some reserves? You can plan and budget well but sometimes things just don’t fit nicely according to your schedule. A hint: most of the times they don’t anyway. So, do you have enough reserves that you can rely on? Are you ready to go without pay for a few months?

3. Can you handle uncertainties well? In other words, do you have the mental strength? The uncertainties can be daunting. The market is changing all the time and you need to change and adjust that includes getting your hands dirty, charting into unfamiliar territory and taking risks. When the money is not coming in, what do you do? Sit and sulk? Mental strength is so crucial for there might be a lot of naysayers telling you that you won’t make it.

How do you stay positive and focused all the time? Speaking from experience, it’s easy said than done. I certainly experienced times when I have my doubts and to tell you that I can always perk myself up is a lie. I felt one of the things that had helped me is to surround myself with positive people. You need that as it takes a lot to stay motivated so that in turn, you can motivate and inspire your team. In this case, I’m thankful to my spouse. The fact he is also running his own business helps much. His empathy, support and encouragement during the tough times mean a lot.

Laughter, humor and other positive elements such as an inspiring book help too. You need to learn to stop and think, evaluate and restrategize and above all, not to take yourself too seriously. When things failed, you can basically say, "ok, it's a mistake. Learn from it and let's move on..." I must say experiencing failure is part and parcel of the whole deal and it's not a bad thing anyway. You get the opportunity to stretch your creativity and to know you are capable of doing so can be a very fulfilling experience.

I cannot stress enough the uncertainties you might face. So, if you are employed and happened to rank stability as one of the most important things in career or life, I can tell you right way that self-employment is not cut for you. I have friends that started with much excitement but the unpredictability stressed them out so much that they have to call it quits within a short span of time.

If you are unsure whether self-employment is your thing but seriously thinking about it, perhaps going part-time may help you to test the water. Guess what, some businesses continue to stay as part-time businesses and that might be the better option and probably what you are looking for.

Popular Part-time Jobs In Malaysia

7 Most Popular Freelance Jobs

Part-timers or Freelancers?

A new clause in the Employment Act 1955 is introduced in Malaysia that will take effect from Oct 1, 2010 in which part-time workers’ benefits and rights are protected. They will be entitled to EPF contributions, Socso coverage and medical entitlements based on a pro-rata basis. (Read more here)

I applaud the initiative in giving protection to part-time workers but I’m not too convinced on its ability to lessen the country’s dependence on foreign workers by increasing the participation of the latent workforce that amounts to about 6.5 million people mainly consists of housewives, disabled citizens, students and undergraduates.

If we are to ask any of the 6.5 million people who had decided not to work part-time, I fear the majority answer is not because they do not get the benefits like EPF and Socso. That probably had never even crossed their minds.

The reality is that most do not get into part-time jobs because they either simply do not need the extra income or they have other priorities that are more important in their lives at this juncture, i.e., family with young kids or studies. Using benefits to lure them to work may not be the right tool to use.

And this regulation may not augur well with employers. It simply costs too much to hire a part-time staff now.

I agree 6.5 million untapped talents are a waste but there is a better way of getting them to be involved in being part of nation building. Take housewives, for example. Their priority is their school-going children through spending time at home, cooking, building relationships and chauffeuring them to schools and places. They may have some free time in between these activities and they can be put to good use by earning some extra cash. The best work option has to be home-based, work that probably can be done via a laptop and an internet connection.



And this is the new trend and companies see the benefit of outsourcing work to freelancers – pay per job arrangements. Their freelancers are their contractors and not employees and therefore not subject to the Employment Act regulations. Now, if you are an employer, which option would you prefer?

It’s food for thought , don’t you think so?

Click here to find freelancers in Malaysia

Getting Freelancers - The Pros and The Cons

3 Things I learnt From My Dad and Mom About Work

My dad and mom were involved in a small food business. They were fish-ball makers. Work then is not about doing what you are passionate about. With five mouths to feed at home, work is all about getting food on the table. The business was home-based and hence, everyone in the household was involved in the business one way or another. You can say I started my working life rather early in life.

Due to the amount of time spent with dad and mom, I learned a lot from them. It’s not so much from the advice that they gave but more so, from the way they handled their work and people.

1. There is no short cut to success

Keys to success – two words: Work hard! It means sweat, discipline, self-driven and dedication to the work at hand. I remember when my dad attempted to save cost by using another type of fish to make fish balls, he tried many methods and failed many times before he finally conquered. He would spend many hours deliberating and working with his hands. And my mom by his side would contribute, gave her best ideas and never once ridiculed my dad. She knew what it takes to be successful. It’s hard work and you got to work hard to achieve it!

2. Do not sell your integrity for that extra penny

Food business is cash business. Customers came to our house to collect their fish-balls and they in turn distribute to restaurants, shops, hawkers and etc. It’s a normal sight to see cash changing hands and in the nights, my dad would be busy counting money and balancing his accounts. There were times when he realized somebody had paid more by mistake. The extra were always returned. As children, we were taught never to take what that do not belong to us. Honesty is always the best policy.

3. Sharing is giving

We are not that wealthy but dad and mom had never failed to give to relatives or friends that were in need. My mom believes we can still be generous even when we don’t have much. And it’s not just about money alone. My dad was approached by people that wanted to learn the secret of making fish-balls. He had more than once took in “disciples” and train them without any fee. He had even written his recipe down and sent it to newspapers for publication. He doesn’t believe in keeping what he knew as a secret. To him, good things should always be shared.

They are now happily retired. Their principles on work are the best legacy they had passed on to me and my siblings. Precious gifts indeed, superseding any material wealth.

A big THANK YOU, dad and mom! I love you guys!

Related article:-
A Day's Work For A Day's Pay

Freelancing - Getting Popular

Of late, more people are getting into the freelancing bandwagon. Some opted to freelance immediately after graduation and some decided to give it a shot when they are being laid-off, and some freelance merely for the sake of supplementing their fixed income. Whatever the reason one gets into freelancing, one fact remains….it’s getting increasingly popular.

Why freelancing is getting more popular?

• Companies are wary of hiring full-time workers due to the economy uncertainty. Instead of having to bear the cost of a fixed head-count during slow times, engaging a freelancer helps to keep the overhead low.

• The increase of jobs that are pc or laptop-based makes it easier for employers to outsource to individuals. A lot of work nowadays can be done if you have a laptop and an internet line. Correspondences can be carried out online free of charge and work can be easily transmitted through emails. Besides, owning a PC or laptop has become relatively cheaper nowadays making it easier for individuals to opt for freelancing mode.

• A change of mindset - freelancing as a new working lifestyle is being embraced more positively than before. In the past, you get frowned at if you do not have a full-time job. But now, people envy the freedom and flexibility of those that tread on this path.

• Many freelancers had also testified true job satisfaction and this had persuaded many wannabes to follow their footsteps.

• Freelancing allows people to work from the comfort of their home. With the crazy traffic jam especially in Klang Valley, the idea of earning a living from home is an attractive idea.

• Websites that advertise for freelancing jobs or allowing freelancers to advertise their services had also encourage the trend.

Any freelancers out there – wish to share your experience?

Employment Landscape Is Changing

The market place as we speak is changing very rapidly. I came across an article, “The Next American Frontier” written by Michael S. Malone and I felt his insights on the new age is so spot-on that I believe this is not going to happen only in America but all around the world.

Newspapers are dying, networks are dying, and if teenage boys playing GTA 4 and World of Warcraft have any say about it, so is television. More than 200 million people now belong to just two social networks: MySpace and Facebook. And there are more than 80 million videos on YouTube, all put there by the same individual initiative.

The most compelling statistic of all? Half of all new college graduates now believe that self-employment is more secure than a full-time job. Today, 80% of the colleges and universities in the U.S. now offer courses on entrepreneurship; 60% of Gen Y business owners consider themselves to be serial entrepreneurs, according to Inc. magazine. Tellingly, 18 to 24-year-olds are starting companies at a faster rate than 35 to 44-year-olds. And 70% of today's high schoolers intend to start their own companies, according to a Gallup poll.

An upcoming wave of new workers in our society will never work for an established company if they can help it. To them, having a traditional job is one of the biggest career failures they can imagine.

We do not have to wait for another five years to see this phenomena taking place locally. This fundamental shift as I blog is happening right beneath our feet whether we like it or not. One clear evidence is that never before had I witnessed fresh graduates that confessed they are “unemployable”. What do we expect when half of their time was involved in creating content for their Facebook pages. Unconsciously, that experience had produced many entrepreneurs in the making. In a way, the internet phenomena has indeed turned our world upside-down and if everyone now has equal footing to access of information, customers and expertise, it looks like making it on my own is not a far-fetched idea anymore. Twenty years ago, no youngster can dare to even dream this far.

With such a shift in behavioral patterns, the employers may have to rethink their hiring and manpower planning strategy. For a while, the idea of outsourcing work to freelancers or contractors do not look very appealing and the solution seems to be a temporary one than anything else. But note this: this temporary solution might as well be your strategic long term plan. And the concept of getting people to work for you needs to be quickly changed to getting the right partner or people to work with you. We are experiencing a water shed moment, and like it or not, the wind of change in the employment landscape is taking place now and the question of whether we will be affected by it or not is mute. More likely, the pertinent question is whether or not we should quickly embrace and take the lead or resist and get crushed by it later.

Blogging - your career after retirement?

More and more people are getting into the bandwagon of blogging. Some blog for the sake of expressing their thoughts, but most blog because they see the money generated from blogging. If you want to know how to make money from your blog, read this article – though a bit old and long but worth reading if you are serious about making blogging a serious endeavor. Some even regard it as a real career.



Being a newbie in blogging, I won’t be able to comment much about the money making part. So, I can’t tell you to quit your job and become a full-time blogger but I do have a message to all my friends who are in the corporate world right now, perhaps in their late 30s to early 50s and…worrying about, “What will happen after I retire?”, “How do I get some income without relying on my children allowance or EPF?”

Most people I came across said they would not want to end up like their parents (who are in their 60s and above) who literally have nothing to do but loitering at home watching TV most of the time and waiting for their children to fend for them. Ok, if you are not a Malaysian reading this, let me tell you this is a typical scenario of an Asian family – the pressure is tremendous on the Gen X people (like me) , unlike the Gen Y (hmmnnn...) especially whereby most of us have 4 mouths (parents and in-laws) and a couple of smaller mouths (depends on how productive you are) to feed. No kidding! Of course, some more educated old folks would have found some ways to get extra income and may not rely on their working children to help them (err…not mine).

But now, with better education, those in their late 30s to early 50s do not have to end up watching TV and waiting for their children to support them during their golden years. Some shared with me on what they plan to do such as:-

• Direct selling
• Financial Consulting (insurance, unit trust, etc.) or any consulting work
• Lecturing

Now, I add blogging to this list. Blogging by far is the easiest –work from home and flexible hours. With the many years of experience behind you, surely there is something that you had built up and are really good at – why not share it with the masses? Besides some income (a word of caution though: not all bloggers earn big bucks), one great benefit I found that worth your every effort is: BLOGGING KEEPS YOUR MIND ACTIVE! And with that, I don’t think you need any other reason to convince you further.

And if you are thinking…”Oh, I can’t do that. Blogging is too techie for me. I will never be that IT-savvy.” Ya know what, it’s really not that hard. With a click of a button, you’ll get all the guide you need. And better still, get your kids (oh yes, it's peanuts for them) to help you to set up one - trust me, I'm quite sure they are more than willing to help (they probably thank their lucky stars - oh, alas, they are doing something with their lives!).

5 Things To Check Before You Get Into Self-employment

With the economy slow down, it had affected the performance of many companies. The morale among employees in such companies is generally low and many may felt frustrated with their job and some fearful of losing their jobs. A handful may take this time to toy with the idea of self-employment. But before you leave your day job, it’s good to pause and check these 5 things before you take the plunge.

1. Do you have enough cash to last for the next 12 months? You read success stories of self-employed people who made it. Most would tell you to let go your fears and pursue your dreams. It’s not as simple as that. Self-employment means you won’t enjoy receiving your steady monthly pay check. It usually takes some time to build your client base, longer to send out your first invoice and do not be surprised that the payment does not come in within the agreed time frame. In between, remember you still have your bills to pay and commitments to honor.

2. Do you have a business plan in place? A lot of businesses failed because there was no business plan. When you fail to plan, you plan to fail. As clichéd as it sound, this is the first thing that you need to do. Check your motivation of getting into self-employment – is it merely due to frustration in your employment? If it is something that was decided at the spur of the moment and not something that you had been thinking for years, your business is unlikely to succeed. Working for yourself takes a lot of motivation – perseverance or staying power is easy said than experienced.

3. Are you willing to get your hands dirty? You will be the boss and every penny counts. If you can save, you will save. That means if you can save the cost of hiring an Electrician to pull the wiring, you would go for it. Are you willing to multi-task and learn to do the menial work as part and parcel of starting out on your own?

4. Are you willing to work long hours? If you think you are already working very hard and spending long hours in your employment, self-employed would demand more of that. Do not be deceived by what you see or hear about self-employed people having a lot of free time. For any starter, there is no free lunch. Even if your hands are not working, your mind is and you can’t help thinking and exploring new ideas to make your start-up worked.

5. Are you the type that can take risks and ready to lose everything? Every business that started out does not necessarily ends with profits and success. If anything, there are more failures than success. Is that something you can handle?

If you are not 100% sure self-employment is for you but your heart tells you strongly to go ahead, perhaps you can consider another option: part-time. Test the water first by giving yourself time to try out your business idea, without getting completely cut off from your day job. It usually works better this way!

8 Reasons Why You Should NOT Work From Home

More and more people are joining the bandwagon of freelancing nowadays. It’s an attractive idea – tempting in every way especially if that means not having to wake up early in the morning and stuck in traffic jams.

Nobody Bosses Me Around

Freelancers conveniently work from home though not all work from home have to be freelancers. With all the hype and advantages bragged by freelancers, are you tempted to consider this option? I like the idea of working from home and had tried it before. Now, let’s turn to the other side of the coin and consider 8 good reasons why you should NOT work from home.

1. You wake up later and later – and being deceived that it was time saved from the traffic jam. When there is no fixed routine, discipline became an issue. Not everyone can handle that.

2. Not having meals at proper times– in office, you automatically know when to have lunch because there is the usual buzz at certain time of the day. At home, you need an alarm clock to alert you but who would do that?

3. Talking to yourself – and you don’t even realize until it hits you one day. Why took so long to realize because no one was there to tell you!

4. You count your friends in Facebook, LinkedIn and what not – but cannot even name a friend that you can call your lunch buddy. So sad…

5. All the nice dresses are collecting dust – waiting to wear them ONLY when you got invites for some functions. What a waste!

6. Domestic crisis – when your in-laws or kids are in the same house, most likely you will spend more time fixing something in the kitchen and helping with their homework than completing the work you set to do.

7. Work from home almost equates to working alone – you want to test out some ideas but cannot reach out to a colleague right away to share it. Though this can be compensated through msn or yahoo chats, nothing beats having a real person in front of you debating some sticky issues.

8. You may not get your pay check on time. This applies to almost every freelancer I know. When the money is not coming in and the bills need to be paid, that’s when you would envy all the full-time wage earners.



Source: Comics from Allyhunt.com