Whether you’re saving for an exotic vacation or to buy your first house, you’re not alone in looking for ways to make more money. So get that inexpensive hobby you love off the ground – if you’re good at it and know how to market yourself, you could be in for some extra cash.

Baking

Take advantage and make some money out of your love for baking. Start out by offering your baked goods at small fairs or nonprofit events for free, dish out your business cards and ask for recommendations.

Sell your goods on the weekends at local farmers’ markets. Stick to one or two items and make them really well, invest in a creative logo and packaging, and set up a plate of samples.

Organising

If you’re good at and enjoy organising things, use your talent to help the hopelessly disorganised. Put up ads on community boards, offer your services to friends of friends and have business cards made that you can hand out.

Market your skills to local real estate agents as an unpacking and organisation resource to new homeowners. And don’t forget to ask your clients to recommend you to their friends – word of mouth marketing is free and powerful.

Writing and Editing

Use your talent and passion for writing to make money. Web sites, magazines and newspapers pay freelance writers for articles. Some web sites also pay based on page views or advertising clicks. Start a blog and sell ads on your site.

Sell your skills to businesses and corporations as a writer of proposals, brochures, and even speeches. Set up interviews with local businesses and take writing samples with you. Market your skills to local graphic designers, who can recommend you to their current clients.

Photography

Photography is a great way to make extra cash doing something you love. Sell your work at local arts fairs and to local boutiques. If you can’t afford printing and framing, sell your work online.

Brush up on copyrights to make sure you’re not selling yourself short. Become a freelance wedding or portrait photographer – the upfront equipment and marketing costs are higher, but the payoff can be excellent.

Web Design

There is little to no overhead in web design– any money you spend up front is for the software and computer and for marketing and promotional materials. Establish an online portfolio, start with your own site, then move on to your friends, non-profits or a small local retail store, and offer to build a few for free if necessary.

Get them to give you with a great review that you can include on your own site. Pass out business cards, network at events, and advertise on your facebook and LinkedIn pages. Your work speaks for itself in Web design, so word-of-mouth marketing is the key to your success.

Home Repairs

Do you fix the washer so it runs, re-hang the screen door, paint a room, install a garbage disposal and many other things just because you like to? It doesn’t matter if you are male or female you can market yourself as a handyman! Professionals charge a lot of money just to show up, so if you can do it for half the cost or less and still make a profit you’ll be helping the divorced, the widowed, and the elderly.

Gardening

You love to garden and your green fingers ensure that you always end up with more veggies, fruits or flowers than you can use. They either go to waste or you end up giving them away. Get a tin can and label it “Donations” – then people can make a donation in return for your fresh produce. How about running a mini course in how to grow your own garden?

Work It

Use your talents to earn a better living. If you haven’t got a hobby yet, get ideas from old magazines, the internet, books, chat to a mentor or look into a family tradition that could become an income-producing hobby.

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