Do You Have a Hobby or a Business?

Once upon a time you dreamed of a carefree life as an entrepreneur. You saw the vision of a business where you would satisfy all your clients needs, make tons of money and live the lifestyle of freedom and joy..wait a second, stop the pressesthe reality is hauntingly different.

Now don’t get mad or upset. I know that you are working your tail off sometimes 12-14 hours per day to turn that dream into a reality. You eat, sleep (when you do) and think about your business 7 days a week with little return on the investment and a ton of anger to show for it. But let’s take a step back and really look at what it takes to turn that hobby into a business so you CAN have the business you always dreamed of.

Today Is That Day

Right now in this moment you have a wonderful opportunity to closely examine what it takes to have a successful business. Here are five action items that you can implement right now so that you can make the transition from a hobby to a business:

1. 1. Develop a Business and Marketing Plan

When you decide to start a new hobby you don’t need to sit down and write out what you’re going to do and how you are going to do it; you just go out and get your supplies, set up a card table in the basement or spare room and start. If this sounds like how you started your business, let me explain why this was a BIG mistake.

You want to be successful don’t you? How will you know if you are? By writing out your business plan you are taking the necessary steps to plan out your course of action; to identify the goals that indicate you are on the right track. Without the plan how will you know that you are making the necessary gains in your business that you desire?

So many business women hate marketing but I am sorry ladies it is necessary to develop a marketing plan. Pick two or three marketing activities and make the commitment to do them consistently. The activities can range from attending at least one networking event each week to writing a newsletter. No matter what activities you choose do them consistently to see results.

2. 2. You Act Like You Are In Business

There are a couple of really important issues that fall under this heading ofacting like you are in business. The first I would like to point out is you have a business email that is tied to your website or domain name. For example, maureen@daretobephenomenal.com instead of using a generic email address such as yourname@gmail.com. See the difference? In the first example you know I have a legitimate business, the other, well you’re not so sure.

Second issue is you have branded yourself. You have a distinct look and feel. When you brand yourself with colors, taglines and logos you begin to stand out in the crowd. All of your marketing material must have a cohesive look and feel to them, if they don’t, begin to work towards branding yourself. Finally, you are treating your personal and business financial accounts as separate; you are not mixing your money. If you are not doing this now, please go and seek the help of a quick books expert or bookkeeper who can help you separate your accounts so that you clearly know what you are spending and taking in on your business.

3. 3. Show Me The Money

Here is the plain hard truthif you are not making any money than you have a hobby and not a business. Your business needs to be making money or at least be on its way to profitability. You can continue to live on your savings account forever and racking up credit card debt to run a business is extremely risky particularly if you own your own home. Your business won’t survive for very long if you can’t bring in clients and turn a profit.

4. 4. You Have A Support Team

Part of the trap that many business owners fall into is they spend many hours a week working in their business instead of on their business. They do tasks that would be better done by someone else. You have special talents and skills that bring in the revenue for your business. If you are spending your time cleaning the house, managing the books, or managing your data base then you have less time to go out and procure clients. Find a VA, housecleaner or personal assistant to help you; learn to delegate!

5. 5. Learn, Learn, Learn

As I mentioned in my opening article investing in yourself is the biggest gift you can give yourself. I have two coaches and belong to a mastermind program with a different group of people. I made a commitment to myself that if I wanted to make my business successful I knew I would have to make the time and monetary sacrifice to make it happen. If you are struggling with your business or know deep in your soul that all you have is a hobby, I encourage you to consider hiring a coach, mentor or joining a mastermind so that you can turn that hobby into a thriving business.

My challenge to you this week is to take a good, hard look at your business and pick one area to work and improve on. Make a goal and outline the steps that are necessary for you to achieve success.

Maureen Campaiola, known by her clients, asthe DARE Coach
is President of DARE To Be Phenomenal. As an accomplished business coach, author, speaker and entrepreneur Maureen spends her time in the trenches working on solving the unique problems of women business owners and entrepreneurs. She can always be counted on to deliver smart , innovative solutions to turn a hectic and draining business into a thriving, highly lucrative,smooth running, and fun money making reality. In addition, she is the founder of

the wildly successfulSuccess Minded Women’s Business Network where like-minded and highly motivated women connect, support and engage in joint ventures. To learn more about howa you can step into your greatness, accelerate your business, AND achieve all the personal and business success you desire visit: www.daretobephenomenal.com or email: maureen@daretobephenomenal.com