There's an interesting article in the
New York Times regarding the risks and benefits of turning a hobby into a full-time job. Specifically, they interviewed a number of
Etsy sellers, who to the outside world, seem to have hit the jackpot - having transitioned a side job or hobby which they loved into a full-time, profit-turning business.
However, many sellers tempered their enthusiasm with what seemed like sheer exhaustion. Doing what you love and being an entrepreneur seems like the perfect situation, but as with anyone who owns their own business can tell you, the amount of sweat equity one puts into it can be enormous, far more than a typical 9-5, 40 hour/week job. Calculate into that the time spent thinking about new products, ways to improve your business, and a million other items and one can easily spend 90% of their waking hours on their business, not to mention shouldering a ton of anxious, sleepless nights and tremendous amounts of stress.
Of course, many people will tell you that the gratification that comes with being your own boss and doing something you're passionate about far outweighs any of the downsides associated with it. I've thought long and hard about taking the risk to start my own business, but realized that it's easier said than done, and that it will take more than just a good idea to make it successful - am I willing to make my job my life? Yes...but only for something that I truly enjoy and I'll be willing to put 110% of my effort into. And at the end of the day, that what it looks like some of these Etsy sellers are doing.
To read the full NY Times article, click
here.
