“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” - Albert Schweitzer

Do you have a hobby that you are really good at and enjoy immensely, yet a lot of other people seem to dislike, or struggle with it?

Perhaps you could turn this skill of yours into a successful business! From a side hustle to a fully operational small business, and even beyond, there is value in starting your own concern from home nowadays.

Get started with your hobby-business in 5 simple steps:

Step 1: Register your domain
Once you are serious about turning your hobby into a small business – register the domain. Doing this secures the name you want to use for your business on the internet. On the flip side, if the name you thought of is already taken, at least you can play around and look for something else.

TIP: If the name you want isn’t available with a .co.za try something different that could be relevant like .joburg, .durban, .capetown, .africa, .net, .store, .online, .design, .party etc. The options are endless.

Step 2: Run your small business on the side first
Building up a steady stream of customers takes months, often even a good couple of years. So whatever you do, don’t quit your day job (yet). Getting started also tends to require additional financial resources for supplies, tools, and equipment; so having your day job can help you save for these.

The key is to run your small business on the side for as long as possible and to save as much money as you can in those starting years. This will help you test the longevity of your business and take it to the next level when the time is right.

Step 3: Do freebies and give discounts to build a portfolio
If there is a demand for the skill you want to sell, you won’t have a hard time lining up a few customers (friends and family at first), who would be willing to commission you for a “project”. Give away a couple of freebies, or run decent discounts to hook your first 10 customers and build a photographic portfolio complete with a testimonial for each project.

Step 4: Get the word out
Use social media and WhatsApp to share your projects and market your small business. Join local Facebook groups that allow advertising and try nearby schools for marketing opportunities. Expect a slow, organic reach at first, but be consistent and post something at least once a week and share this content everywhere you possibly can.

Step 5: Build the website
Get a professional web page up so that people who are looking for the service you offer can stumble across you without you having to lift a finger. Your web page can also serve as an information portal where people, who find you via your marketing efforts, can go to learn more about what you are offering.

With our DIY website builder called Sitebuilder, you can have a great-looking website (domain name and web hosting included*) for as little as R109* per month. Our effortless Drag & Drop functionality makes it easy to add Plugins and Copy and Paste the content into place.

10 Types of hobbies that you can easily turn into a profitable business

• Handyman, Fixer-upper, Woodwork-genius
• Seamstress
• Personal Trainer, Pilates or Aerobics Instructor
• Landscaper
• Photographer
• Baker / Personal Chef
• Interior Designer
• Event Planner
• Make–Up Artist
• Artist

Just do it! We believe in you!

At Domains.co.za we are passionate about entrepreneurship and offer startups and small to medium-sized businesses all the products they need to get online quickly, securely and affordably. From the right domain to the best web hosting, a Drag & Drop website builder, SSL and Hosted PBX in the Cloud – you’ll get it all right here.