Who doesn’t dream of turning their favorite hobbies into a business venture? Who wouldn’t love to make a living doing something they truly enjoy? As a bonus, wouldn’t you be thrilled to have your furry friend by your side while you do it?
Capitalizing on your hobbies and being able to involve your pet doesn’t have to be a dream. If you’re an animal lover and you want your four-legged companion with you while you work, there are plenty of jobs to consider. Many of them can stem from hobbies you already have or things you enjoy.
The workplace, in general, is becoming a bit more pet-friendly. As of 2019, about 7% of employers in the U.S. allowed pets in the workplace. But, since remote working has become more popular, many workers can stay at home and spend time with their pets all day while getting the job done.
But, if you want to directly involve your pet in your job and make money from existing hobbies, all it takes is a bit of dedication and creativity.
Let’s cover a few popular hobbies you might already dabble in, and how you can involve your pet to capitalize on them. Whether you’re looking for a side hustle or a full-time career, your pet could be your key to success.
Seeing the World with Your Best Friend
So many people have been bitten by the travel bug. Unfortunately, traveling has been out of the question for quite some time thanks to COVID-19. But, now that things are starting to re-open, you’ll soon be able to see the world again. So, why not turn your passion for travel into a way to make money with your pet?
No one likes leaving their pet behind when they travel. Putting them in a kennel or having someone watch them just isn’t the same as the love and attention you give them. So, consider taking on some ideas that will allow you to travel together – and make some money in the process!
There are plenty of ways to make money while traveling, including:
- Selling items you make
- Working as a travel blogger
- Serving at hostels
- Performing music in the street
- Teaching other people with skills you have
You can probably already tell how any of those “jobs” could capitalize on your hobbies. Do you like making things from scratch? Then you can make money anywhere. Are you so passionate about traveling that you want to write about different destinations? Create a blog! You can even specialize in a travel blog to talk about seeing the world with a pet.
Or, you can take your passion for journalism and hit the road. If you have a smartphone, you can try your hand at mobile journalism. Mobile journalists publish relevant news content in bits and pieces, as it happens – typically on social media. It’s a great way to explore and inform, all at once.
The great thing about these hobbies is that if you plan to make money from them in different parts of the world, you’re probably going to be staying in one place longer than a day or two. So, you’ll need a more semi-permanent housing solution. Long-term housing is typically more pet-friendly.
Getting Active With Your Pet – and Others!
If you want to stay closer to home, there are plenty of opportunities to do what you love with your furry friend and still make some money. For example, if you love spending time outside and being active, there are endless possibilities for you. As a bonus? If you have a dog, they’ll love every second of it.
You can take your love for activity well beyond just spending time with your dog at the local park. If you’re willing to take care of other people’s pets, you can stay active and healthy, spend a lot of time outside, and do something good for your canine friends in the process. Some examples of pet activities that can turn into a career include:
- Dog walking
- Obstacle course training
- Obedience training
- Socialization training
- Dogsitting
Some of these hobbies might require a little training on your part or even some kind of certification. But, if you’re truly passionate about doing something good for people’s pets, you love being active yourself, and you want to be able to bring your own canine companion with you to work, the experience and training you might need are well worth it.
When you decide to turn one of these hobbies into a job, one of the biggest hurdles you’ll have to initially face is building up a client base. You can advertise what you’re doing locally on job boards, or put it out there on social media. But, you’ll start to really see some client traffic and consistent revenue when you focus on customer service.
If you provide a superior service, offer good rates (or even deals and incentives), and make yourself easy to reach, your clients will start to advertise for you with their friends and family. Over time, you can build up a client base that helps to turn your hobby into a way to make extra cash.
Working at Home and Showing Off Your Pet’s Life
Remote working has become hugely popular in recent years and has seen an even bigger boost thanks to the pandemic. So, if you have an existing job that you already love and you also have the option to work remotely, think of creative ways to get your pet involved. For example, if you’re a teacher and you’re conducting your classes through Zoom or another virtual platform, incorporate your pet as often as possible.
Even if you have a specialized skill or knowledge, you can opt to teach your own training courses or classes and use your pet to inspire others. They can enrich your lesson plans, motivate students, and improve their attention.
Even if you don’t already work remotely, there are ways to stay home while earning an income from the things you love. Not sure where to get started? Try making a list of your hobbies. What are you truly passionate about? Once you have a list, you can start to think of different ways to involve your pet, and how it could become lucrative.
For example, if you dabble in photography or even if you consider yourself a professional, there’s an easy transition. Pet photography is huge right now since so many people view their four-legged friends as family. Advertising yourself as a pet photographer will allow you to spend most of your time at home with the occasional shoot. You can use your own pet to practice, or in your marketing/advertising.
Do you love to cook? Does your pet love to be with you in the kitchen (even if they’re just waiting for you to drop a piece of food)? Take that hobby to the next level by making gourmet pet treats and selling them at your local farmers’ market or even online.
The possibilities are truly endless when it comes to capitalizing on your hobbies. Plus, it’s easier than you might think to keep your pet involved in your endeavors. Consider some of the ideas here, or get creative and think outside the box when it comes to which hobbies you want to further explore. Whatever you decide, you can take comfort in knowing you’ll have your best friend by your side.
About the Author:
Indiana Lee lives in the Northwest and has a passion for the environment and wellness. She draws her inspiration from nature and makes sure to explore the outdoors regularly with her two dogs. Feel free to follow her on Twitter @indianalee3.
