Turning a Hobby into a Business
Turning a personal hobby into a profitable business is more achievable than many young people realize. Aspiring entrepreneurs have the possibility to monetize their passions utilizing strategies to manage start-up costs, balance entrepreneurship with school, and growing a client base.
Andrew Lai
Boston College High School
Most of us probably have a hobby, whether that’s painting, graphic design, or, in my case, photography. You probably think of hobbies as activities that you complete specifically in your free time, but what happens when that hobby becomes something that people are willing to pay for?
Several years ago, I launched an independent photography business, and I’d like to use this blog to share practical tips fellow young entrepreneurs might use to monetize the things they already enjoy doing.
Starting a business may sound intimidating, but research conducted by professors at Babson College found that roughly one quarter of youth in the United States are running one. Another 21% of young adults reported interest in starting a business within the next few years (Brush et al.).
Based on my experience, I suggest prioritizing several things before launching. The first thing to consider is whether you have the equipment you need in place to scale your business. For me, that meant a specific editing browser and camera equipment. Next, time management is essential. As young adults, it is important to have a plan in place for how you will manage the business alongside your school work and other extracurricular activities. In my experience, using the weekends to photograph events and make connections with clients has been a reliable strategy. Finally, a successful entrepreneurship model involves branching out, which can be accomplished through social media, referrals from existing clients, or forming new partnerships in the community.
Launching a business does involve costs, especially at the beginning. It is worth strategizing about how you can finance this step. Registering the business and purchasing platforms like Google Workspace costs money. It may help to get a trusted adult involved or ask for a loan that you can then pay back once the business is up and running. A typical small business will cost anywhere from a few thousand dollars to upwards of $12,000 or more to launch, depending on the nature of the company and services provided (QuickBooks). In my case, I spent about $3000 to get the business started, which primarily involved financing a camera and a couple lenses. I also pay a monthly subscription for Adobe LightRoom and Adobe PremierPro, so it is important to consider routine expenses that will come along even once the business is running.
There are a lot of great resources out there for anyone looking to get started. For example, VentureLab has free digital toolkits and planning guides, and both SCORE and the Small Business Administration offers free small business counseling and mentoring (Venture Lab; SCORE; Small Business Administration). They also host workshops.
So next time you set aside time for your favorite hobby, it is worth asking yourself whether you might already have a strong foundation for a small business!
Sources:
Brush, C.G., Corbett, A.C., Daniels, C., Kelley, D.K., Majbouri, M., & Shay, J. (n.d.). Younger Generations Continue Starting Businesses at Highest Rates, According to Latest GEM USA Report. Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, https://www.gemconsortium.org/news/younger-generations-continue-starting-businesses-at-highest-rates%2C-according-to-latest-gem-usa-report
Mondry, M. (2026, September 29), Americans think it takes $28,000 to start a business. Owners say it's less than half that. Intuit Quick Books, https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/starting-a-business/how-much-does-it-cost-to-start-a-business/
SCORE. (2026). Expert Help for Every Stage of Your Business, https://www.score.org/
U.S. Small Business Administration. (n.d.) Counseling, https://www.sba.gov/counseling/
Venture Lab. (n.d.) Youth Entrepreneurship Resources, https://venturelab.org/resources/