Has anyone turned their hobby or passion into a business or is thinking of it

I don't have a business as such, although I do occasionally have a stall at local craft fairs to sell my crafts. I don't make a profit as crafting is my hobby.

What do you do Nicola?

Have you looked at Etsy? Lots of craft people sell on there. You might be better to try a website like that or Ebay rather than make one of your own. If you enjoy gardening you will be surprised how many people will buy plants. I have sold plants on Ebay even though loads of garden centres sell on there.

I make cards , I did start selling them but it took all the fun out of my hobby , I now just make my cards to send to family and friends
I guess I was lucky not to need to sell them for financial gain as it definitely cost more to make than to sell , same for any hand craft , it’s impossible to factor in the cost of your time

Some years ago I dumped the job I was getting fed up with and turned my card making hobby into a bespoke wedding stationery business. I did it for about 10 years then retired completely when I was 48. It was sometimes hard work but great fun being involved in happy occasions. Competition was huge, and as Aggie says it's almost impossible to account for the time spent making handmade items without pricing yourself out of the market. But when it came to weddings many people were prepared to pay for handmade quality and design for a once in a lifetime event. Eventually demand began to decline due to rocketing postage rates and a more casual approach to wedding formalities.

If you're thinking of turning your hobby into a business, do your research, lots of it!
Is there a market and demand for what you make?
Is your craft of high quality, quality always sells.
Is your craft sufficiently unique to stand out from the crowd?
How will you finance your business - materials, equipment etc?
Do you have a back-up fund to pay the everyday bills until you are making a profit?
Would you be eligible for any grants?
Will you need business premises either for production or retail?
How will you promote your business, advertising can be expensive.
And most importantly do you actually have the time to devote to it?
This is just the tip of the iceberg, there are so many things to be considered.

If you decide to give it go, Good Luck, it's exciting!

Is the OP a journalist?

Quite possibly!!

I started a business based on my passion in my 50s Nicola and if you are thinking of doing the same I'd be happy to share my experience. What are you hoping to achieve from this.

I read that the best way for an older person to make money is to sell things. For that you need a website or you can use Ebay or other sites. (Not that you are very old, I hasten to add). The internet is the way to go. Decide what to sell, perhaps something in a bit of a niche market, learn to take good photos and then it's easy once you get the hang of it. You'll make mistakes but only at first.

What kind of business were you thinking of NicolaAnne?

I write poetry, sometimes for occasions for people. I just love it though. Keeps the mind going and if anyone wants one just ask X

I made a lot of bags once the first lockdown came and really enjoyed it. Then I registered with Etsy several months ago. There is so much competition I've only sold one. This picture is of a zipper bag I made which is lovely, so its not that they're not nice enough. So it looks like I might need advice too. Good luck though and I hope it goes well for you.

Are you hoping to recruit people NicolaAnne?

Someone writing a dissertation maybe?

Or selling something ?

Chat or connect, you say, NicolaAnne. But you are being so quiet!