On the other hand, beware of the mistake and temptation many people who have tried to turn an avocation into a career or vocation have experienced. This is particularly true of someone who shows promise in one of the creative arts such as drawing, painting, knitting, writing, photography, or the performing arts like singing, playing an instrument, acting, or dancing. You may be good but not good enough to earn a livelihood. A talent that is adequate to provide enjoyment but is not sufficiently developed to take to the marketplace should not be forced to do what it cannot deliver. It is one thing to use your talent to draw, paint, write, or play an instrument to earn some money while in school, but quite another to go out into the real world, earn a living, and compete with others. It can be done if your talent is exceptional, but before you embark on possible training toward a career in an artistic field, make sure you really have the potential to succeed. If the answer is no, consider yourself lucky to have a good avocation!
WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY?
Most young people have a hobby. What is yours? Do you collect stamps, make models, build birdhouses, take photographs, cook, save baseball cards, sew, play tennis, or what? Did it ever occur to you that you might turn your hobby into a business and thus have fun and profit? Hobbies enjoyed during high school days have later become careers for many men and women.
If your present hobby is not one that can become a business venture, there is no reason why you cannot choose another that could. Consider your friends' hobbies and study those covered in this chapter. Perhaps you will find one that never occurred to you before but would be lots of fun to try.
The difference between the businesses described in this chapter and those in previous chapters is simply this: these businesses are based on special interests or skills that you would not normally think of developing into moneymaking activities. For example, many young people enjoy raising tropical fish, but as you will see later in this chapter, two enterprising teenagers turned their hobby into a much larger business than just raising tiny fish. As you read on, try to decide how your hobby could be developed into a profitable venture. Better still, perhaps you can come up with an original idea of your own.
WHAT IS A PROFITABLE HOBBY?
You will readily agree that hobbies such as saving pictures of movie stars from cereal boxes, playing chess, and collecting rocks or dolls are not easily turned into moneymaking ventures. There is no market for the movie stars' pictures unless you happen to find someone who saves them and wants yours badly enough to pay for them. It's fun to play chess, but who is going to pay for the privilege of playing against you? Collecting rocks or dolls is interesting, but what can you do with them except to exhibit them?
You might say the same about collecting butterflies. But James Cummins of Brooklyn, New York, built up a collection of butterflies and moths that are common to New York City. His work came to the attention of the National Science Center of the American Museum of Natural History, which put his butterflies on exhibit and offered him a summer teaching position. At fourteen, Jim became the museum's youngest instructor.
Some hobbies are easily turned into businesses. Those who like to make things with their hands will find a market for their product if it is useful or ornamental or both. Stephen Boden enjoyed constructing shoe-shine boxes, for which he found a ready market. We have already met Norma Lincoln who likes to cook and specialize in making fudge. Rodney Curry whittled tiny angels, complete with wings, which he then painted. When he displayed his angels, he sold all he could make.
There are also "doing" hobbies that involve no product but can be turned into money. A piano player may find a job playing in a band or teaching. A good tennis player, golfer, or swimmer might get a summer job teaching younger boys and girls the sport. If your hobby is camping, perhaps you could organize day or overnight trips for younger campers. Again, use your imagination and see if you can make your hobby become a business.
Study mail order and gift catalogs for ideas. When you pass a gift shop, look carefully at the window display and perhaps browse within the store. Note that everything for sale has some purpose; although many articles may seem unnecessary to you, there undoubtedly are people to whom they appeal. Whatever you decide to make and sell must appeal to a number of people; otherwise it would not pay you to make it.
MARKETING YOUR PRODUCT
Making your product is only half the battle. If you are going to have a business and realize a profit, the product must be sold. It might be well at this point to review Chapter 5, Salespeople Are Business Independents, because whether you make a product or provide a service, you are going to have to sell it.
There are four markets for your products:
- Your friends. Friends at school and around the neighborhood may prove your best prospects if you are making articles that appeal to them. Before and after school you can show samples and take orders, but remember not to transact any business while school is in session. You don't want to let anything interfere with your studies or those of your friends.
- Door-to-door in your neighborhood. Your product may be the type that can be sold easily by this method. Be sure to study your market-don't attempt to sell an item that no one will want. Most handmade products are "luxury articles" since they are not necessities and we can do without them. Thus, a prospect may admire your product but not be in the mood to buy or not have the cash on hand. Don't let a few turn downs discourage you. However, if you find that it is almost impossible to close a sale, consider showing your product to a gift shop, since that is the place where most people go to find gifts and small "luxury articles."
- Gift shops or stores. The advantage of selling your products through these outlets is that once you have convinced the shop owner to offer your product for sale, you do not have to spend further time selling.
Offsetting these advantages, however, is the commission you must pay the store for each of your articles it sells. This varies from 25 to 50 percent of the selling price. The actual percentage will depend mostly on the policy of the store. If your price to the store is $2.00, and the store marks up every article by 100 percent, it will charge the customer $4.00. This means that you should try to make your products as inexpensively as possible so that the cost of materials does not eat up all your profit. Talk with one or two gift shop owners before you price your product so that you will have a good idea of what you should charge.
If interested, the store owner will probably offer to take a half dozen of your articles on consignment. This means that if any are sold you will receive your money (sale price less the store's com-mission), but the store will not buy the articles from you outright. If nothing sells after an agreed-upon period of time, you take everything back. The store has risked nothing if your article did not prove salable, but neither did it charge you for displaying it and using shelf space.
- Craft groups. In many states you will find craft groups that were formed to provide a common meeting place for those interested in handicrafts. A few have sales outlets that will take your products on a consignment basis, provided they meet certain standards set by the groups. Or you may display your articles in craft shows (see below).
Some young people find that it is one thing to paint, do wood carving, or sew fancy articles for sale just for the fun of it, and quite another to undertake the same activity on a mass production basis as a business. You should not risk killing your artistic urge by forcing yourself to do something you don't like. That's what happened to Henry Ward.
Henry was thirteen when he made fascinating tiny models of sailing vessels. None of them was more than two inches long and each was fully rigged and took about four hours to make. Everyone who saw them wanted to own one. Henry's parents, acting upon the advice of the local gift shop owner who thought she could sell all the ships Henry made, urged him to construct them in quantity for sale through her shop. Henry was not enthusiastic and no sooner had he started on the first model intended for sale than he lost interest altogether. He never finished that model nor undertook another not even for fun.
Your hobby may be enjoyable while you are doing it to amuse your-self, and that is really all you should expect from most hobbies. If you suspect that turning your hobby into a business will not prove a happy experience, give up the idea and seek another way to make money. There are plenty of suggestions in this book, and you shouldn't do anything that will turn you against a hobby you enjoy.
MAKING AND SELLING A PRODUCT
We stopped at an attractive gift shop in San Francisco. After explaining the purpose of our visit, we asked the owner if he would care to pass on any advice for young people interested in making and selling their crafts.
"Yes, indeed," he said without hesitation. 'Tell them that they must be sure to make their craft items, whatever they might be, the very best finished products possible. There cannot be any rough edges, no imperfect paint application, all joints and hinges must be carefully placed so movable parts work perfectly, and the whole article must be as appealing to the eye as possible. The other day a young man brought in two miniature cable cars he had made, cute and authentic in every detail, but what do you think?"
We had no idea.
"The paint was smeared in places, and that spoiled the whole effect. It was a shame. I told him if he could repaint the cars he had a sale. You can't expect the public to take anything that isn't finished. And, believe me; I see a lot of imperfection, especially from individual craftspeople."
"What about craft shows as an outlet for a student's work?" we asked.
"A good idea," he answered, "but tell them there are two kinds of shows: juried and non-juried. To exhibit and sell at a juried show, you must submit your article or articles to a jury of craftspeople who must approve them before the promoter will accept them for the show. Anything that does not meet their high standards is refused. In most non-juried shows anything goes, the promoters are more relaxed and not fussy as long as you pay the entrance fee. It is true, though, that some will want to see what you have to sell before they admit you."
"What do they usually charge?"
"Oh, they range anywhere from five or ten dollars up. In juried shows the promoter may also take a percentage of the sales, perhaps ten percent or more, but I don't think this is true of most non-juried shows.
"An important thing to remember is that items must appeal to the public. A lot of eager craftspeople come in with odd gadgets I don't think anyone would ever want, so I don't take them. That's a waste of everybody's time and even at craft shows the public is choosy. But," he added, "In all fairness I must say you cannot account for people's taste, and I'll admit some items I'd never sell here, do sell!"
"One final question," we said. "Suppose there are no craft shows or gift shops in the area. How can young people market their creations?"
"Through church fairs and bazaars, going house-to-house, or organizing their own craft shows and inviting friends and students in other grades or nearby schools to exhibit their crafts, too," the shop owner recommended.
All the crafts suggested here require manual dexterity and artistic skill. They should be considered only by those who are talented along these lines because none of these projects are easy to undertake. However, if these hard-to-make articles are expertly done they can be marketed. And if you don't sell them, perhaps they would make fine Christmas presents. See the Suggested Readings at the back of this book for books on crafts.
Make Wood Carvings
Do you enjoy whittling on a piece of wood? If you have exceptional talent along that line plus the proper knives, you might turn out attractive cats, dogs, birds, cows, horses, pigs, angels, little children, and so on.
Stencil Trays
Stenciled trays, cups, match boxes, furniture, and other objects have great appeal, and there is a market for this work if expertly done. Stenciling is not easy; it calls for time and patience.
Make Ceramics
This is a popular craft activity requiring use of an electric oven and instruction by an experienced ceramist. You would do well to consult your art teacher before undertaking this one.
Make Jewelry
Making wire jewelry is a fascinating hobby that calls for simple tools and inexpensive materials, but it requires ability. If this interests you, give it a try; you never know when a hobby can turn into a career.
Make Toys
Inexpensive toys are always salable in neighborhoods where there are lots of children. Study the toy displays in local stores and in mail order catalogs and consult one of the books listed in the Suggested Readings at the back of this book. You can probably sell directly to the parents, unless you have an unusual item that would interest a store.
Build Birdhouses
Birdhouses are especially popular with suburban home owners, and at little cost you can build several, paint them attractively, and market them yourself or perhaps sell them through the local hardware store or a gift shop. Directions are available in many "how to" books.
Decorate Eggs
If you have an artistic flair, you can make money decorating eggs for special occasions. Take an egg, poke a pin hole in either end, or blow out all the liquid; or you could also hard boil your eggs. Eggs with liquid removed are fragile but will last indefinitely. Hard-boiled eggs will not keep as long. Next, sketch a face on the egg, add hair (cotton, wool, thread, or a few straws dyed black), and make a cardboard hat and a collar that can also serve as a stand. The number of faces you can make is limitless.
Although decorated eggs are traditional at Easter, there should be a market for appropriately decorated eggs at Christmas and other holidays. Parents of small children faced with an annual birthday party are prospects. Egg heads make unusual table favors, and it is possible that local gift shops would be interested in carrying attractive and unusual egg heads.
Make Christmas Decorations
There is a good market during the Christmas season for decorations. See the Suggested Readings at the back of this book or consult one or two of the many magazines that usually have articles on the subject just before the Christmas season.
Publish a Newspaper
How would you like to be the editor and publisher of a newspaper? There are three types of newspapers you can edit and publish, as the following actual success stories show.
Family newspaper: Paul and Howard Jamison, who lived in a small town in southern California, started a weekly two-page family newspaper. It contained news of their immediate family as well as distant members, too. Grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, and even some family friends subscribed. At first they typed numerous carbon copies. As circulation grew, they found it faster to make photocopies at the library where there was a copy machine. They charged 500 a copy to cover their costs and make a small profit.
Neighborhood newspaper: Ron Smith of Katonah, New York, started the Neighborhood News, in which he covered news about families living within an area of several blocks. He also obtained a few ads from local stores to help cover his costs.
Village newspaper: Editor Richard Van Schaick was only nine-and-a-half when he started the Cape Vincent News in the Thousand Islands area of New York State. He published every second Saturday, issuing a two-page newspaper (both sides of an 8V2" x 11" sheet), which he reproduced on an inexpensive copy machine. He had a circulation of more than 250 and gave all the town news; lots of personal items; ads; notices of church, school, and club activities; and even the dates of subscribers' birthdays.
Dick told us, "Some of my success, I think, was due to the fact that the paper was always out promptly at 9:00 A.M. Many of the ads came in by phone and mail; others I had to go out and get myself. By the time I was fourteen I employed three boys and two girls to deliver the newspapers."
Would you like to have a newspaper of your own? Which will it be? A family, neighborhood, or town newspaper?
Make Models
Some young people have a knack for constructing tiny models of houses, trains, boats, airplanes, cars, in fact almost anything you can mention. If that is your hobby and your school offers a course in mechanical drawing and arts, talk with your guidance counselor about the advisability of taking it.
As for using your hobby to make money, model makers will find the best market for their craft among their friends. Pass one or two of your best products among your friends and see if any interest is expressed. You can either take orders in advance or try to sell each model as you finish it. Some models might serve as toys for young children, and there may be a market among parents, especially before Christmas. Magazines devoted to model making will help you.
If you are able to construct accurate models of homes that are true to scale, you may find real-estate agents and builders interested in contracting for some. You often see models of homes in real estate offices.
Make Name Signs
To guide visitors and friends to their home, many people erect small name signs at the entrance to their driveways or by the front walks. Usually the letters reflect light when a headlight shines on them.
Such signs are easy and comparatively inexpensive to construct. Make a sample, using your own last name. At your hardware store you can purchase the individual letters you need. You will find that they come in different sizes, the 2" or 2Vi" height being best. Using a piece of pine or other inexpensive wood, cut it long enough to allow for spacing the letters, plus a little room at each end. Paint the board with black paint, and then varnish it before tacking on the letters. The sign can be hung by wiring it to a mailbox or lamp post, or by nailing it to a tree or stake.
UNUSUAL ACTIVITIES
Collect and Sell Stamps
Stamp collecting is often the very first hobby many children take up and some even continue this activity through their teens and into their adult years. Because prices are fairly well established and published by recognized stamp dealers, it is easy to price your product in this business.
If collecting stamps is your hobby now, you undoubtedly need little or no advice. Start your business by making lists of stamps you will offer at bargain rates-this should attract customers. Also consider the wisdom of offering stamp assortments for new or younger collectors just taking up the hobby. Tell your friends that you are in business to supply their stamp needs.
Collect and Sell Coins
Coin and stamp collecting seem to go together but it should be remembered that stamps are often obtainable for nothing from envelopes, whereas every coin has some value and must be paid for in cash.
If you are a coin collector, perhaps you can interest others in the same hobby by offering to help them get started and showing them how to go about it. Sell your surplus, duplicates, or extra coins to those new collectors who need them, and offer to find rare or hard-to-find coins. You might hold a monthly coin collectors meeting in your home to stimulate trade.
Cook
Cooking can be a hobby for both young men and women. Look at what Julia Child and Justin Wilson have done with their hobbies.
People who are too busy or tired to bake will be your best prospects for cakes or cookies, once you have convinced them that your products are tasty, appeal to the eye, and are easy on the pocketbook. Cookies are easy to make but profit is less than that realized from the sale of cakes.
Using your family's favorite recipes or one of the better cook books, figure out the exact cost of each ingredient and then add whatever you believe would be a fair profit for your time and work. To get your business going, bake and frost a cake, make cookies, and take a sample of each to the prospects upon whom you call. Other popular items you might consider making are doughnuts, brownies, marmalade, and don't overlook fudge.
Write
Do you like to write poetry, short stories, or articles? Writing is another kind of craft. Although you cannot peddle it door to door or to gift shops, you may find a limited market among some of the magazines.
For example, Seventeen (850 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022) buys stories and poetry from teens. For other possible markets consult the 'Teen and Young Adult" section of the Writer's Market, which is published annually and will be found in many public libraries. Some magazines accept poetry for publication, although they may not pay for it. Nevertheless, a poet has to start somewhere.
Ask your English teacher and school librarian for the names of magazines where you might submit short stories or poems as well as for information about any writing contests you might enter. Remember that whenever you send a manuscript to an editor, you must include a stamped self-addressed envelope. See the Writer's Market or other directories for instructions on typing and submitting manuscripts.
Draw a Town Map
Are you artistic, and if so, could you draw an accurate and attractive map of your town and include a few tiny sketches of important buildings and landmarks? Could you go one step further and also sketch a small drawing of a customer's home in the correct location? With an attractive border and a few touches of watercolor you should have an extremely salable product.
Prepare a finished map with a sketch of your home to use as a sample.
Photograph Children and Pets
Are you a shutterbug who likes to take pictures and may even do your own developing and printing? Did you ever think of offering to take snapshots of your neighbors' children and pets?
Parents are usually good prospects because as their children grow they want to have pictures showing how each child changes. Children love to have pictures of their pets and you may find it good business to suggest taking pictures of the children alone and also with their pets.
When seeking business, take a few enlargements with you to show the kind of work you have done. Tell the prospects there is no obligation to buy the pictures. It would be unreasonable to expect a person to promise to buy photos that might not turn out well-or at all. Never take a child's picture without first obtaining the parent's permission.
Teach Your Favorite Sport
What's your favorite sport? Did you ever consider the possibility of teaching it to others? Young boys and girls are often anxious to master the games they see others playing, and you can perhaps find some pupils eager to learn or improve their skill in the sport you like best. Tell your coach about your plan because he or she may be able to refer prospects to you. You might also call on parents of children you think might be interested. (See also "Recreational Assistant" in Chapter 4.)
USING YOUR SPECIAL SKILLS
Play a Musical Instrument
Paul Curtis of Los Angeles took up the saxophone when he was a young boy. By the time he turned fifteen, he was so proficient he decided to organize a small band. It was not difficult to interest four friends who were eager to play and earn money. Thus the Lonesome Five was born.
"Our only real investment was sheet music," Paul said. "We had to buy a fairly good library of music arranged for an orchestra of our size. Each of us managed to borrow money from our folks, and we quickly paid it off once we started to get work."
"How did you line up jobs?" we asked.
"We got a couple through friends," he replied. "At first we did a couple of dance jobs for nothing just to get ourselves known around the neighborhood. From then on we had no trouble keeping busy, because if people like your band, they remember you when their club or school needs music."
Don't overlook the possibility of starting a family orchestra or band. Perhaps Mom and Dad can fill in with the piano or violin. Is there a cousin, aunt, or uncle who might be interested in joining up for the fun of it?
Sing for Your Supper
At the age of eleven, Larry Collins reached the top of the entertainment world, singing and playing his double-neck guitar as a star of television and radio. Like his sister, Lorris, who shared his act, Larry was unable to read a note of music and had never taken a lesson.
If you too have a pleasing voice and can sing, you may be able to pick up a job now and then singing at weddings, social gatherings, or with a dance band. Speak to the pastors and rabbis of nearby churches and synagogues because they are in a position to recommend soloists for such occasions. Although choirs do not pay their members, soloists are often hired, and you might obtain a job in that capacity as a substitute now and then.
Be a Magician
Magic never fails to entertain and amaze young children. If you are an amateur magician who can put on a good half-hour show, why not work up a business among parents of small children who would welcome having you entertain at birthday parties and other special gatherings? Vary your program so that you don't use up all your tricks the first time you appear before an audience. Chances are that you'll be giving shows before the same children many times.
Limit your performance to twenty-five or thirty minutes. That is about as long as you can expect to hold the attention of a young restless audience. It's better to leave while they still want more than to bore them with too lengthy a performance.
You might consider expanding your service to providing all the entertainment for the children at birthday parties. This suggestion is discussed at greater length in Chapter 6 under the heading "Planning Children's Parties."
Test Soil
Soil testing is gaining in popularity as people spend more money on fertilizers to make their lawns greener. It is important that the right combination of fertilizers be used in order to supply the soil with those chemicals that are lacking. A soil-testing kit will tell which elements are lacking in a sample of earth taken from a lawn. If this interests you as a hobby and a business, you can purchase an inexpensive but adequate soil-testing kit at most hardware stores.
After you have learned to use your kit, you can offer your services to home owners who are anxious to know which minerals their lawn lacks. Charge two to three dollars depending on the amount of chemicals you must use.
Collect and Sell Cactus Plants
Cactus plants are popular throughout the country because they are unusual and require little care. If you live in desert country where cactus plants grow in abundance, you may find it profitable to gather plants and sell them. Contact your county agent, the local chamber of commerce, or the agriculture department at your state capital, and ask where you might sell the plants and if it is legal to gather them in your area.
Perform with Puppets
Simple puppets are fun to make and operate. You can sell your puppets; better still, you may be able to work up a good business in your neighborhood giving puppet shows for children's parties and special entertainments. If a friend or two teams up with you, it will be possible to make and operate a greater number of puppets as well as have other voices, almost a necessity when it comes to performance time. Another reason for enlisting partners is to have help in writing a script for your shows. Good luck with your puppets!
Raise Berries and Vegetables
Do you have a green thumb and enjoy working in the garden? Berries and fresh vegetables are always a favorite in every home. Unless you live in an area where everyone grows their own, turn your gardening hobby into money by raising enough berries and fresh vegetables to sell.
The best sellers are strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, tomatoes, corn, peas, string beans, lettuce, carrots, beets, and broccoli. Berries will require a couple of years to become established and yield, and the vegetables will all produce the first year you plant the seeds.
Market your products door to door or open a stand by the road, unless you can get a good price at a local store. When selling door to door, price your products a little under those at the store. Then you can point out that your vegetables are not only fresh but also cheaper than those sold locally.
Raise Parakeets
Parakeets or budgies, as they are also known, are interesting to rise and in many places there is a continued demand for them. With a pair of parakeets and luck you may have as many as fifteen baby birds a year. They eat little and cost practically nothing to feed. Good breeders are expensive to buy; therefore, purchase baby birds, and as soon as they are fully grown, they can be bred.
Raise Livestock
Thirteen-year-old Jay Peterson of Mount Valley 4-H Club, Elko, Nevada, whose steer was judged grand champion of a recent Great Western Livestock Show at Los Angeles, received a wristwatch and a cash award. Fifteen other teenagers received trophies, savings bonds, and other prizes for the steers, lambs, and hogs they entered in the show.
Members of 4-H clubs know that raising livestock is an important part of the club's program, and they should obtain all available 4-H literature on the subject. If you are not a 4-H member you could, nevertheless, undertake the project on your own. Here are three suggestions:
- Ask for advice from your parents or an experienced farmer. That way you will avoid raising an animal for which there is a poor market.
- Learn all you can about raising the animal you decide to buy.
- Discuss with your parents the various means of financing your purchase.
Keith Mervis of New York City liked fish so much and had so many aquariums that his mother decided he would have to take them out of the house. Teaming up with Nicholas Komaridis, whom he met at school, Keith found an empty basement shop and set up business. Hours were 4:00 to 7:30 P.M. weekdays, and 10:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. Saturdays. Not only did the boys sell aquariums and fish (which they guaranteed for life if they serviced them, three months if they did not), but they undertook to locate and deliver any hard-to-find bird or animal. A dozen rare birds and a five-foot poisonous snake were among their tougher assignments.
Unless you have the equipment for raising tropical fish and know something about it, you should be warned to look carefully into this business before diving into it. Perhaps you can market them through a pet store, otherwise do it directly from your home.
AND FINALLY
If you have a hobby not mentioned here, by all means consider whether it might be turned into a moneymaking venture. You will never know until you think about it and perhaps discuss your ideas with your parents, a teacher, or other adult.
