“Follow your heart” seems to be common advice for everything these days, from romantic relationships to career choices. Still, many people wake up each morning and commute to jobs that pay the bills but don’t necessarily feed their passion.

While there’s nothing wrong with taking a job for the sole purpose of taking care of yourself and your family, it’s also okay to acknowledge that you want something more out of your career.

To fulfill the passion burning in their hearts for a meaningful career, some may start a hobby or side hustle in their spare time to do what they love. For others, having a hobby just isn’t enough, and they long to turn a side hustle into a career. While this is no easy feat, it is possible. Learn about the steps you should be taking if this sounds like a dream come true to you.

Phase I: Planning Your Transition

Learning how to turn a hobby into a career takes a lot of careful planning. Don’t skip these steps, or you may have a much more difficult time getting your business off the ground later on.

Find Your Purpose

Take some time to think about why you want to start a business. If you simply want to get away from your mean boss or make a little money, you may need a stronger, more solid reason to keep you going when the road gets hard. Before you make even one move toward your dreams, make sure you have a strong “why” and the benefits are clear.

Get the Right Tools

You may need to take a few courses or get mentoring to help you develop your craft to a professional level or learn the skill of marketing a product or service. You may even need to get a license to legally practice your passion.

Whatever knowledge or experience you need, take the time to acquire it before you attempt to do your hobby as a job. It will make your path much quicker and easier.

Phase II: Acting on Your Dreams

Planning is important, but it won’t yield any results without action. Here are six important things you must remember as you begin working toward your goals.

Research the Market

Spend time analyzing your competitors and getting a sense of their offers and price points. Read forums, reviews, and even social media comments to understand which demographic you should go after and what problems your product or service can solve. Knowing this information will help you properly target your marketing and garner a better response from your audience.

Don’t Go All Out

Don’t invest all of your money into this new career right away, and don’t try to offer too many products or services at first. Keep your regular job for now and invest your time in developing one offering. Put some marketing behind that offer and see if it sells before you fully dive into your hobby as a job.

Find Like-Minded People

Use LinkedIn, Instagram, and even your local small business association to find people in your niche to connect with. Though not everyone will be willing to answer questions, some will. The advice you get from others who have already put in the work to turn a side hustle into a career can help you overcome challenges and keep going when things get tough.

Create a Business Plan

If you want to apply for a business loan, a plan is required. To create one, you should come up with a mission statement, write down the products and services you will offer, detail your market analysis and marketing strategy, and state your near-term and long-range revenue targets.

Even if you don’t apply for a loan, this plan will help you create a roadmap for how to turn a hobby into a career.

Market Your Product

With the advent of social media, all it takes is a post to start getting the word out about your product. Make sure to post often and engage with others to grow your following and build a community of loyal customers who will then tell others about your offer. As you grow, you might consider building a website, purchasing advertising, or even hiring staff to help you.

Reassess Your Goals

If you want to keep your hobby as a career over the long term, you will need to stay on top of your business analytics to ensure you are meeting your business goals. As you check each goal off your list, set new ones so you are always working toward improvement.

Put Some Action Behind Your Plans to Turn Your Dreams Into Reality

Taking your hobby from a side hustle to your main source of income will not be easy, but it will be worth it if you truly love what you do. While dreaming about your future career is nice, you must put consistent action behind your plans if you expect your business to flourish.

Success is rarely linear, and you may have to face failures, setbacks, and bumps in the road. However, the key to enjoying your hobby as a career lies in your willingness to persevere long enough to see your passion become your paycheck.