Sunday, April 30, 2017

CAREER / HOBBY SPECIAL ........How your hobby can be a lucrative career option

How your hobby can be a lucrative career option


To convert a passion into a money-making venture, one must invest in acquiring skills and experience.
Can you turn your hobby into your profession? Farhan Qureshi, one of the 3 idiots, thought so and gave up engineering to become a wildlife photographer. In real life, Delhibased Ashish Massey dropped out of engineering college to pursue his love for cooking at the Institute of Hotel Management in Lucknow. Today, the 31-year-old chef is the proud owner of three restaurants.
However, the road to living your passion can be tricky. Your hobby may keep you engrossed for hours, but it may not earn you big bucks. As author, educator and entrepreneur Shiv Khera says, “Converting a passion into a commercial venture takes a lot more than spirit alone.“ To turn your hobby into a money-making venture, you need to be skilled. For that you have to train yourself before you can succeed.


Learn and explore
One way of gathering valuable hands-on experience is to work in a related field before striking out on your own like Mumbai-based travel consultant and blogger Rutavi Mehta, 30. After completing a course in hotel management, Mehta worked in the sales and marketing department of a five-star hotel in Mumbai before venturing into full-time travel blogging. Today she travels the world and shares her experiences on her blog. She is also a consultant for tourism boards and hotels. Mehta recognised the need for experience early on. And the time she spent with the hotel also gave her the opportunity to explore various options in the travel sector.
If working for others does not appeal, start out small. Shiamak Davar, dancer and choreographer, says, “Test the water with a pilot enterprise while you continue in your existing profession. If your passion enterprise does start churning out the desired results and has scalability, you can then decide to make the switch.“
Opting for courses that complement your hobby is a good idea. The course will not only enhance your knowledge but also introduce you to other aspects of the subject. For instance, Massey not only studied hotel management, but also followed it up with a stint in the industry to gain experience. It was only after that did he feel confident enough to open his own restaurant.


Find a mentor
Seek out professionals. A great way of learning the ropes is by working with an established name in your field of interest. Vikrant Pande, Provost, TeamLease Skills University, says, “Take out time to pursue your hobby with professional help and see if it can become a career. Work as an assistant to an expert and analyse opportunities while working in the field.“ That was the route childhood friends and music composers Rohan Utpat, 30 and Vinayak Salvi, 31 took before they founded Rohan Vinayak Music Production LLP in 2010. Utpat had been playing the tabla since he was 11 and Salvi picked up the guitar at 19. After graduation, the two worked at a knowledge process outsourcing firm to take care of expenses even as they kept their love for music alive by playing at live gigs in their free time. “We realised it was important to assist some expert in the field and learn about the music industry on-the-job. So, we quit our jobs and began assisting a composer friend in his music assignments.“ That stint opened their eyes to the immense opportunities that existed for composers in advertising, tele-serials and radio.
The two have so far composed the score for several television shows, films and commercials. “Seven years ago we didn't know that so many opportunities existed. We found the right mentor and it paid off,“ says Salvi.


Create a niche
Before setting up shop, figure out who your prospective customers could be. To market yourself better, offer something different but of value at the same time. Says Khera, “Know your target customers. How much will they pay for your service? Develop your special style or skills to create a niche identity.“
Pune resident Nupur Shikhare, 31, had always been a fitness freak and it was but natural that he would want to build a career around his passion. However, when fitness instructors are a dime a dozen, Shikhare knew he had to offer something different to attract interest. He trained himself in a variety of fitness disciplines and in 2009 set up Fitnessim, where capoeira, an AfroBrazilian martial arts form, is taught. A consultant to beauty pageants, Shikhare has kept up his learning. “I keep learning new things and keep improving on my form,“ he says.
Like Shikhare, Mumbai resident and yoga enthusiast Haresh Solanki, 29, always wanted to be a yoga trainer. He dropped out of college and landed a few temporary jobs, but never gave up learning yoga. To perfect his skill he did a few courses before starting out as a freelance trainer. He then developed yoga regimes for different kinds of sport like cycling and running, and today offers tailored exercise regimes for his clients.


Be ready to fail
Struggle, failure and setbacks are inevitable when you are trying to do something different. Says Davar, “You have to be very sure that you are good at what you want to do. It is important to evaluate your failures from time to time, learn from your mistakes and do a reality check. The hobby is yours and that should be your only driving force.“ When Massey first started as a chef, he failed miserably. The same thing happened when he opened his first restaurant. “I didn't lose hope. I didn't want to lose. I tweaked things and listened to suggestions and everything fell into place. Hard work and perseverance are the two pillars of success,“ he says today.


Arrange the money
If you think your hobby has the potential of being a viable business idea, get going on arranging finances to start off. Gurinder Singh Bhatti, CMD of recruitment consultancy services, ESS Global, says, “Get your project report ready with a clear vision of how you are going to scale up, the expenses involved and earnings. Then seek assistance from friends and relatives by giving them stake in the company.“ You could also approach a venture capitalist with your idea if it is innovative.
Those who are working can approach their employers for help.

HIRAL THANAWALA

ETM24APR17  

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