Follow Your Passion, Not the Money

by Leslie Truex

Home Business / Other Business Opportunities Articles

Published on this site: July 6th, 2010 - See more articles from this month

There are many ways your work-at-home option can go awry, but one that I see frequently is a lack of interest. Too often people get caught up in the hype of making great money with a turn-key home business system that they don't take time to consider whether or not they like the product, company, or business methods. This happens a lot in direct sales, in which someone gets excited about big compensation and an easy to manage system, but once they join and start working discover that it's "not for me". It doesn't matter how much money can made in vitamins, make-up, cooking utensils or whatever program that sounds profitable. If you don't like health, beauty, or cooking, you're going to struggle.

The trick to finding work-at-home success comes from first identifying your passions and interests, and then finding ways to turn it into money. Here are some tips. Identify your passions and interests:

1. If you didn't have to work, what would you spend your time doing?
   
2. What activities give you energy?
   
3. What did you dream about as a child?

When answering these questions, don't censor. Instead write everything that comes to mind even if you think it won't lead to working at home. For example, if you wanted to be a rock star as kid, write down rock star. You may not be able to become a rock star, but you can start a website with rock star news or music reviews, become an audio editor, or maybe you can become a rock star. Justin Bieber started with a YouTube video and look where he is now.

Once you have your passions, you need to determine how can make money from it. This is the tricky part, but if you open your mind to possibilities, you should be able to find multiple income methods from your passions. The basic ways to make money are to sell stuff, sell your skill, and sell your knowledge. Do you make something related to your passion such as a non-toxic, non-stinky bug spray (if so let me know). Or perhaps there is a company already making product related to your passion and all you need to do is partner with it. Do you speak a foreign language and like to help people? Translation and tutoring may be a good option for making money with those skills. Are you good at feeding a family of four for only $25 a week? There are many people willing to pay money to learn how you do that.

If you're still struggling for ideas, do an Internet search on your passions and see what others are doing. You'll find a host of examples such as blogs and websites making money through advertising, people selling their skills through a service business, or selling their knowledge through books and coaching.

There is a saying that if you do what you love, the money will follow. While it also takes commitment and a plan, doing what you love is an important part of achieving work-at-home success.

Leslie Truex is the author of The Work-At-Home Success Bible (2009 Adams Media). She has been telecommuting and running home businesses for over 15 years and helping others to work at home in jobs or home businesses since 1998. Get work-at-home jobs and other resources with her free newsletter at http://www.WorkAtHomeSuccess.com.