Are you considering taking your passion to the next level?  If you’re thinking about turning your hobby into a business there are several important things to consider.

• START SMALL-Decide on just a few products to start with and test the market.  Open an Etsy shop or Ebay shop and rent a booth at local fairs, etc.  This will give you a much better idea of which products customers are most interested in.  Don’t overwhelm yourself in the beginning.  It’s better to start with a few products that work and then expand as needed.
• FIND YOUR NICHE-Once you’ve discovered what products move the quickest, perfect those products.  Figure out what/if you can do to make them even better and do it.
• SET GOALS-Create a budget planner and a projected income sheet.  Calculate how much you would need to bring in per week/month, etc to be able to commit yourself to your business full time.  Give yourself something to reach for but remember to be realistic.  If you’re going to take this all the way you need to prepare yourself to work around the clock and be ready to handle the ups and downs of beginning a new business.
• GET SUPPORT-You need both the physical and emotional support of the people around you.  Recruit family members, neighbors and anyone else who is reliable and willing to help.  Learn to delegate the responsibilities.  Get the whole family involved; older children can file paperwork, younger ones can sort products and be sure to involve your spouse in all of this.  It’s no fun watching you embark on a new adventure while they stand on the dock and watch.
• GET ONLINE-Don’t underestimate the power of the www.  It’s worth investing in an eye-catching and informative website.  Tell a little about yourself and your products and list an e-mail address or telephone number so customers can contact you with any questions or orders.  By having your own site you increase your potential customers indefinitely.  Be sure to use keywords and phrases to increase your search engine results.
• NETWORK-Get out there and network!  Meet other people with common businesses, products and interests.  If you have a product that is targeted towards stay-at-home moms bring samples to your kids’ schools, games, etc.  Get online and find a yahoo! group that is for moms, join groups such as Mom Bloggers Club, MySpace, Facebook, etc.  Give free samples if possible.  Every woman loves getting something for free!  Give your products as teacher gifts, appreciation awards and whatever else you can!
• BELIEVE IN YOURSELF-Through the roller coaster of ups and downs that you will surely experience with beginning a new business, you mustn’t give up.  If you believed in yourself enough to get this started then you need to believe in it enough to see it through.  Like the old saying goes, “if you think you can, you will.  If you think you can’t, you won’t.”  If something doesn’t work find another way.   And most importantly, have fun!