Turn Your Hobby Into A Business

by Karen Barnes, IAHBE Staff Writer,
Each year many people earn a living from their hobbies. Hobbies are one of the most under-used income opportunities around. Many people have realized that the skill and imagination they have developed through their hobbies are invaluable to those who appreciate and seek them out. Hobbies range from woodworking to crocheting to fishing to writing. Your hobby is not only relaxing to you but it also can be a source of income when you sell it to other people who are unable to make or find it themselves. With time constraints for many people these days--and the inability to find the time and energy to make these projects or learn these skills themselves--many will pay for such items and services from individuals who have the skill and know-how to produce what others are wanting.

A classic example of a hobby that earns individuals a nice income each year is woodworking. Woodworking projects can range from something as simple as planter boxes to items that are as complicated as furniture pieces. I have known individuals throughout my lifetime that have made a part-time income from building small wooden lawn ornaments and lawn furniture. With their part-time income from their hobby, they have taken trips and cruises that they would normally have been unable to do with their regular paychecks from their jobs. I have known other hobbyists who have not only done the same as the woodworker I mentioned but also have been asked to work on consignment for their pieces. I know of a few ladies who crochet doilies for their pastime who have been asked to crochet doilies and tablecloths for other crafters for their display tables and cases with payment for their services. Bead work is another craft that can be very lucrative. Many beaders find it more lucrative to have their crafts displayed for sale in consignment shops that will take care of the selling part of the hobby. While selling your hobby pieces to those who visit arts and craft shows in your area, consignment shops, and to other crafters are common and popular ways to market your crafts, creating a network of friends and family who have your projects around their homes is also a great way to gain more customers for you. With this type of word-of-mouth advertising, your income earnings could be surprising. If you haven't yet ventured into the sales world with your hobby, you probably have many questions about what you need to know to make this happen. Let's get into this a little bit deeper with some typical, yet simple, questions and answers: 1. Where would you find places to sell your crafts? Arts and Craft Shows--Many communities have Arts and Crafts shows in all seasons by setting up Arts and Craft Fairs at community buildings, such as armories, 4-H buildings, county fair grounds, and any other civic buildings. Check with any local city office for days and times that they are having these shows. The city clerk's office usually will have a list of these events because the sponsors of these shows will have to go there to get permits for holding their events. Check with the sponsors for any fees they may charge, such as booth rent, sign-up fees, deposits, etc. These charges may be tax deductible. Consignment Shops can be found in any of your local telephone books or newspapers. Call or go by these shops and talk to the owners about using their shops to sell your items for you. You will also need to ask the owner how much they charge you for selling your crafts, renting a booth, etc. These charges can be tax deductible. 2. When is the best time of year to sell your crafts? Arts and Crafts shows are mainly held in two seasons. The first season is in the spring when the general public is looking for new home decorating and lawn and garden ideas to revitalize their homes. They may even be looking for summer holidays decorations. The second season is in the fall. In the fall, many are looking for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas decorations for their homes. Arts and crafts will also be bought for gifts for family, friends, and co-workers. 3. Where can I find materials? There are many places that cater to hobbyists where you can find and purchase your materials. Hobby Lobby, for example, carries a wide variety of materials for every hobby under the sun. Michael's is another large chain with arts and crafts supplies. Think about what craft you are making and search your phone books, newspapers, and the Internet for stores that cater to your specific hobby. 4. When does my hobby qualify as a business and not just a hobby? When you can show that you are making a genuine and professional effort to earn money from your hobby, you can support the claim that it is a business and not just a hobby. To do this, you must keep meticulous records of both your expenditures and your earnings, and you should do everything possible to keep your business monies separate from your personal monies. Supporting evidence that would help the Internal Revenue Service believe that you are really trying to run a business would include business cards, copies of ads or flyers that you have used to promote your business, mileage records and descriptions of the business-related events you have attended, and of course, invoices and customer information for those to whom you have made sales. IMPORTANT: You do not necessarily have to make a profit from your business, but you have to show that you are TRYING to make a profit! Don't let Uncle Sam scare you away from your dream job. When it comes to filing your taxes each year with the IRS, any accountant can help you with the records you need to keep for your tax purposes. As scary as this may sound, this can be the easiest part of turning your hobby into your dream job. There are publications, articles, forms, and much more that can aid you in dealing with your taxes. We have included some excellent links in the "Sources" section below. With the continuation of an unstable economy and loss of jobs, using your hobby as an extra income can help you in many other ways. Use your earnings for your retirement account or to help pay for college tuition...the possibilities are endless! SOURCES Anthony, Joseph. "Your Hobby Should Be A Business: Here's Why." Money Matters BCentral.com. http://www.bcentral.com/articles/anthony/225.asp Godwin, MCC, Leslie. "Should I Turn My Hobby Into A Career?" BusinessKnowHow.com. http://www.businessknowhow.com/homeoffice/hobbycareer.htm IRS Publication 535: "Deducting Business Expenses." http://www.irs.gov/publications/p535/ch01.html IRS Article: "Is It A Business Or A Hobby?" http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=99239,00.html SBInfoCanada, About.com. "I Make A Few Bucks From My Hobby. Do I Have To Declare This Income?" http://sbinfocanada.about.com/cs/taxinfo/f/hobbybiz.htm Stern, Linda. "Turning Your Hobby Into A Business." Boston.com http://www.boston.com/business/personalfinance/ articles/2003/09/24/turning_a_hobby_into_a_business/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ © Karen Barnes, March, 2004. All rights reserved worldwide. IAHBE Writer ( http://www.moreinfo247.com/93983.939/IAHBE )and SFI Affiliate ( http://www.moreinfo247.com/93983.3101/free ). For more articles like this go to http://articles.1sta.com

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Buy a Cordless Drill

by James Brown
If you have never had the luxury of using a cordless drill you may want to look into purchasing one for your next project. Cordless drills come in a number of different makes, models, and sizes. Each one has their own set of features that offer both advantages and disadvantages to the user.

The number one overall cordless drill is the 15.6 volt Panasonic EY6432GQKW. This drill out performs the competition in almost every area. Its main selling features are the power that it offers, and the lightweight package that it comes in. It weighs in at only 4.8 pounds, but outperforms both 14.4 and 18 volt cordless drills. The EY6432GQKW is also at the top of the class when it comes to battery life. You can put in a lot of work with this drill without ever having to recharge it. This is a very convenient feature for those long projects. As far as cost is concerned, the Panasonic EY6432GQKW will set you back approximately $200.
If you are on a budget, and feel that you cannot afford a cordless drill, you may want to reconsider your thinking. Even though budget drills are not as powerful as the top of the line models and lack the features, they are still very capable performers. At the top of the budget cordless drill class is the 14.4 volt Ryobi SA14402KF. For approximately $80 you get your money’s worth. Even though it will take two hands to get maximum performance, this drill provides decent power. This drill comes with a two year warranty to ensure that you will be set for at least the next couple of years.
When you are searching for a cordless drill there are many places that you can look. Most people start out at their local hardware store where they will have a lot of selections available. This will allow you to test out a lot of different models to ensure that you get what you need.
If your main concern is price, you will want to go online to shop for the best deal. There are hundreds of online stores that sell cordless drills. By comparison shopping you will be able to find the drill that you want, at a price you can afford.
A cordless drill is a great addition to any tool collection. Start your search today by checking out the two recommended models listed above.
About Author:JAmes Brown writes about Hardware Tools and hardware coupons http://www.hardwaretoolsonsale.com
Article Source: http://www.bharatbhasha.com/

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You Must be an Artist

by Colette Kelso

“...Meet this solemn question with a strong, simple ‘I must,’ then build your life in accordance with this necessity; your whole life, even into its humblest and most indifferent hour, must become a sign and witness to this impulse.” - Rilke
We are, all of us, meant to create. We are creat-ures, thus it is evident in the world around us that as a spider spins a web, a bird builds a nest, humans are possessed of a spiritual and biological mandate to spin and build a world of beauty and function. The human distinction is the ability to make symbols. Symbolism is the art of investing the world around us with meaning by expressing the invisible or intangible through visible or sensuous representation. This is the simplest, the least unsettling definition of art and creativity. From this definition, we have come to believe and to thoroughly accept without question that art belongs to those who paint the paintings, write the words, and mold the clay, into those representations of the intangible and the invisible. Art has therefore been divided into those who do and those who don’t.


The reinstatement of art into every one of our lives, both in our ability to receive and to recreate it, is to return to living with meaning. Creativity is, like evolution, like all growth and change, an irrepressible force in nature. Thus far, only humans have attempted to turn away from this call, and a case can be made that it is this turning away that is the cause of so much of our pain, suffering, and longing. This suffering, however, is the result of confusion and misdirection, not hapless circumstance.
Art, like science, philosophy, and civility, is our best defense against the insupportable weight of all that we don’t know. If we could disperse the weight among us citizen artists, come up with a more inclusive outlook, we could lighten the formidable load of ignorance. In the broadest sense, art is a response in whatever form it takes--an expression of the love and beauty and terror as it is given to us through the visible bounty of Nature—that pulls us further out of the mire. Creativity is anything that fosters that indwelling spirit, any creation or activity that advances the progression of the unimpedable energy of growth that is life. The replication of that love and beauty, the balm that soothes the terror, or the release provided by the recognition of that terror, is our task, is the way of art and creativity, a whole-some response to existence.
Whether you are a fireman, a pathologist, a babysitter, or a banker, you must be an artist. Must be means, first of all, the recognition of this as your identity, as in, “Oh, you must be an artist...” Secondly, must be makes it imperative. You must respond to the dignity evolving out of creaturehood toward a greater man, toward God, and remain fearless as well as awe-struck by the vast implications. In the meeting of this challenge, you will be recognized by a light in the eye of those you encounter, as extraordinary.
The commitment to creativity, like any other commitment, will become an integral, necessary, part of our life once we realize that not only does our art spring from and define the core of, yes, our own identities, but more importantly, that it is an expression of that which is greater than ourselves. Thus who we are becomes linked with the world, and it is given meaning and purpose by what we do with this link. Creativity is the purveyor of meaning.
We begin with a sense that there is something within us that must act and express. We begin by going beyond the sadness we have experienced at having this something repressed, discouraged, buried. We begin with the thin person with the fat body, the sober, healthy being underneath the addict’s skin, the lover inside our neglected hearts. We begin with the hope and the longing of the creative force within ourselves.
About Author:Colette Kelso's book, Who's a Loser? ultimately emphasizes bringing creativity into your life. It can be viewed at http://www.whosaloser.blogspot.com. And if you're in the job market, view her job blog at http://www.ineedajobyouneedajob.blogspot.com. Her profile can be found at http://www.blogger.com/profile/18338185.
Article Source: http://www.bharatbhasha.com/

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