Making the effort to learn a skill, trade or develop a hobby takes time; so why not make some money from it?

Whatever it is, whether it be just a pure idea or a hobby you have picked up, you have probably put quite a bit of effort into it.  Now that you realise the potential, you are looking to make money off your effort.

So, it is time to start working out the legal aspects and the business model.

Let me help you get started:

1. Determine a need

People are not interested in things they do not need, right? Consider why your product is needed – what does it improve, what will make it desirable?  You will need to develop an angle for marketing that demonstrates to your audience what makes your product interesting and worth their money.

2. Narrow down your market

Once you have figured out why your product is worthy of being purchased, consider who will purchase it. Is it meant for the average housewife? Or maybe it is meant for the elementary kids who are bored at home when school is out.

Either way, to effectively target a specific audience, there has to be a clear profile of the audience that will be targeted.  Then, that is when you begin figuring out how to target them.

What do they like? How do they see most ads – television, magazines, the newspaper?

3. Perfect your methods

So, since you put a tremendous amount of effort into your idea, you probably have come close to perfection. But, there is always room for improvement.  Analyse your product or idea and brainstorm how to make it better. The better it is, the more money you make.

4. Strategise the investment

Unless you have a large lump sum in your personal savings just waiting to be spent, you will need a way to generate the money for your capital investment. Or, you will at least need an investor.  Consider how much you will need and how long it will take you to make the money back – in the case that you search for an investor, they will want to know how long it will take you to pay them back.

5. Make a business plan and start marketing

Now that you have all the beginning stages completed, draw up your business plan with all your ideas and how you plan to execute them and then get the process started. Turn to social media, friends, and local media sources to help get the word out there and start getting people excited for the next big thing.

It is no mystery that making money is a major part of life. You need it to survive – for housing, food, transportation, and more.  So, it makes sense that you would be looking for more than one way to generate some income.

If you have a hobby or idea that takes up much of your effort, consider using these tips to make it into your next money maker!

What effort have you started capitalising on? Let us know in the comments.

David Smith is the owner and founder of China Universities and China Study Abroad. He is a blogger, an avid traveller and someone who values education above all else.