Both are a labor of love, both are SUPPOSED to give you joy, and both have potential to make money. So how do you tell the difference? How much does it really matter? In this article, I’ll explain why this distinction of “business or hobby” could make or break your success.
This may strike you as a strange question. Depending on how much energy you’ve invested into your hustle, it may even come across as insulting. Knowing what sets the two apart, however, is vital to the survival of your business!
After answering some of the questions I ask you below, you may begin to reassess your entire business structure. You could even drastically change your priorities.
Online business owners – and even coaches – can easily “open their doors for business” without a firm business plan in place. Some may test the waters to see if they attract any clients.
They start out doing this online work as a side gig while still working their full-time job. So, if this is how you opened your business, do you have a business or a hobby?
Business or Hobby… Which is it? How can I tell?
Traditionally, a hobby is an activity that brings you pleasure that you do in your spare time. A business, on the other hand, provides a service or products to clients.
Aside from that, it has regular business hours and strives to make a profit. Here are some questions to ask yourself to determine if you are working a business or a hobby:
Are your business hours firm and well-planned, or are you working sporadic hours whenever your family or full-time job allows?
Do you make the most of your business hours or work time, working as efficiently as possible, or do you get distracted by social media or other behind-the-scenes tasks?
Do you have a business plan, even for one year, which includes expected profits?
Are opportunities something that you make happen, or do you wait for them to come to you?
After clients pay, do you withdraw every little penny? Or, do you give yourself a pay structure and reinvest some of your profits into software, training, or other business expenses?
You should have an idea now about if your business is truly a business.
Hire a Business Coach to Guide You
Not everyone needs a business degree to start a business; sometimes a unique product idea or a strong desire to offer services is enough to get started. However, hiring a business coach is necessary to set up your company to grow and generate profits.
You don’t know what you don’t know. Without a business coach, you will make many trial and error mistakes, some of which could cost you substantial money.
Instead of closing your eyes and hoping for the best, a business coach will create a business plan with you and will guide you through the next steps of the plan with tried and true business advice and strategies.
A good business coach also serves as your accountability partner. You need someone who wants to hear from you about your progress, and who will have the guts to call you out when you don’t do as you promised.
Often, knowing someone is expecting results is enough to spur people into action because they don’t want to let down the coach.
So, if you want to turn your hobby into a true business, let’s chat!
I like how you made the distinction between having a ‘hobby’ and a business and how hiring a business coach could help you turn your hobby into a business. Its like dancing is my hobby but writing is my business.
I LOVE the idea of hiring a business coach. My blog is the main part of my business, but it started as a hobby. I still see it as a hobby because I genuinely love and enjoy what I do. I learned to make it more of a business over the years. I love this post and it is a great way to distinguish business from hobby. Thanks xx
These are great questions to be asking yourself. I see many bloggers who are trying to make a business out of their blog, but are lacking the discipline of treating their blog as a business. People also need to be told that it’s perfectly OK to just have a hobby blog.
I agree, to have the thing that like doing as your business would really be a big edge, and having a coach to guide your perspective and boundaries is a good point too.
I always thought one should never make their hobby as their business as then you would not have anything to turn back to! but times are changing and I think an idea of business coach is great.
I think there’s a line between the too, but sometimes there can be a grey area. I think its good to love what you do – if your passionate about something, you’re more likely to make a success and work hard at it.
This is good food for thought. I have two home-based businesses, both of which produce products for clients/customers, and generate income. However, not so much on a consistent basis! My freelance business with writing and educational services is still inconsistent with providing an income (and fortunately I don’t need to rely on it alone, since my hubby has a full-time job with weekly pay), but still does result in a profit every year. My other business, however, is custom quilting and other fabric-based items – and I have a loss every year with that. I still have to report income from it, as far as I know – but still wonder if it would be better considered a hobby than a business, at this point!
Dr. K. Lee Banks recently posted…Do You Need an Attitude Adjustment? My Dad’s Legacy of Gratitude
Great points here. There is a difference between a hobby and a business. My blog started as a hobby and is now a business.
These are certainly questions i need to ask myself about blogging. Love the idea of business coach.
I really need to think of a way to keep myself more accountable and organized for the things I do. I do get distracted but I have a ton of work, and not really a lot of time to do breaks. A business coach seems like an interesting solution.
David Elliott recently posted…Tuesday’s Tally – 28 Self-Love Things To Do This February
I think you can do your hobby a business. So you can enjoy everything about your business. And i would love this business coach.