Baby Boomers - Turn your Creative Practical Hobbies into a Business

by Anna D. Banks, GCDF


The retired life

The baby boomers are those who were born in the mid 1940s to the mid 1950s and are now retired and living the cozy life. But is it cozy? If you were to ask any one of these retired individual how they are enjoying being retired, you would get a response saying they enjoyed it initially but now they are bored, with lots of free time and nothing to do. Adjusting to a retired life can be difficult for some, especially those who are used to being active and working. How much golf and sailing can one person do any way?

One of the biggest disadvantages of being retired is the fact that there is a problem of money. You are retired and do not have a monthly income coming in, so playing golf, sailing or just going shopping may not be an option to those who have money constraints.

Pick a hobby

Every single person, man, woman, teenager or child has a hobby. Something they enjoy doing when they have free time. It could be reading, singing, swimming, dancing, painting, gardening, shopping, and decorating…. the list is endless. Hobbies help people relax and distress. When we get involved in our hobby we forget all our troubles and worries.

Each one of us is talented and enthusiastic about our hobby. Wouldn’t it be great if our hobby could help us make money? This is what most of the baby boomers are doing. They are converting their hobby into money making ventures. But do not confuse this with a quick money making scheme, because it is not that simple. It involves hard work and dedication.

Make your hobby work for you

Once you have decided that you are going to use your hobby to make money and get an extra income, then comes the time to make your hobby work for you. Before you start with earning money through your hobby, you have to evaluate whether or not your hobby is marketable. You need a hobby that is marketable or you need to think of a way to make your hobby into a marketable resource.

If you enjoy collecting books, open up a small library with a monthly subscription. If you are a woman who enjoys shopping and is aware of the latest styles and trends then become a personal shopper for those who need it. If gardening is your forte then write a book on gardening or create a website that generates money on gardening. If you like writing, then work with a magazine or a local newspaper.

If you love kids, open up a crèche at home or start teaching or helping out at the local kindergarten. If you enjoy cooking, start a small catering business or work with a restaurant. If you are poetic, then get in touch with a greeting card company and help create the copy for greeting cards. If photography is your passion, make that work for you. If you are interested in tarot cards, then become a tarot card reader. There are so many options and so many avenues open for you.

© 2008 Anna D. Banks, GCDF
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Author's Note:
Do you have any questions about career development or lifestyle changes for Baby Boomers, which you think others, like you, would want to know the answers? Email your questions to me at Anna@AnnaBanks.com.