Discover Your Passion, Turn It Into Business

I've come to believe that each of us has a personal calling that's as unique as a fingerprint - and that the best way to succeed is to discover what you love and then find a way to offer it to others in the form of service, working hard, and also allowing the energy of the universe to lead you. - Oprah Winfrey

Came across some ideas from Jennifer Schiff . . .

Tips for turning your hobby into a business:

1. Really ask yourself, "Is this something I really enjoy doing and can sustain, or am I just swept up in the latest craze?
2. If you think your passion or hobby still has potential as a business, try to find out if lots of other people are doing it - who or what the competition is. What is it about your offerings that are unique or hard to find? Is this something people really want?

3. If you are planning on selling online, make sure you have enough money to invest in creating and maintaining a decent e-commerce site - and make sure your site is being picked up by the major search engines (which may require some advertising).

4. Remember, the customer is king (or queen). Don't underestimate the power of customer service or how a lack of customer service can cost you sales.

5. Network with other hobbyists or dealers.

6. Have fun. Once you lose your passion or drive, what made you go into this in the first place, you're going to lose business.

Turning a hobby or passion into a business:

You have to be honest with your customer. You have to sell a product that has value. You have to offer customer service. You have to be fair."

You've also got to have heart.

Heart + Dedication = A Successful Business

So How Do You Make Money?

"There are a lot of different ways (to make money)," says Walter. "One is if you find a niche market. There's nothing special about the coin business. It's like any other industry out there. You have to find items that somebody else wants to buy. Or you have to find an item and tell people why they should buy it. All you have to do is find that niche."

You also have to really know your business - and how much people are willing to pay.

The Secret to Success

The secret to Sam Sloat Coins' success, says Walter, "Is that we try to treat people the way that we'd like to be treated ourselves. We've never pretended to be the lowest priced store. We've never pretended to be the highest buyer. We've always given everybody a fair deal, a fair shake. We always take time with our customers. We try to make sure they're getting the right item. It really just comes down to customer service - whether it's in our store, on the telephone, or on the Internet."

Jennifer Lonoff Schiff (www.schiffandschiff.com) writes about business and technology and is a contributor to ECommerce-Guide.com.