Changing careers can be a daunting task, especially if you’ve been in one field for a long time. However, pursuing a passion project is extremely fulfilling and can bring positive change to several aspects of your life, from reducing stress to earning a bigger salary. In order to make the leap successfully, you’ll need to start with a solid plan for everything from higher education to branding. For the latter, consult a professional who understands your goals; Brittney Gaddis Design can take your ideas and turn them into a spectacular website, logo, and advertising. When you’re ready to think about laying out a formula for your making your passion project into your next career move, consider these ideas.

Educate yourself

You might be surprised at how simple it is to go back to school these days. Taking online classes will allow you some flexibility while you earn your degree, and there are plenty of courses and programs to choose from. Information technology, data analytics, and cybersecurity are popular options for individuals in the business world, as are IT management and software development. Taking advantage of higher education is a great way to boost your new career because it will provide networking opportunities and will give you a leg up on the competition.

Assess your marketability

While earning a degree can help you gain the knowledge you need to successfully run and protect your business, it’s important to have a good grasp of your marketable skills in order to create a business plan. How in-demand are your skills? How can you give them a boost? Higher education is certainly one step, but you should also take a look at your competition. What can you do differently to stand out from the crowd? Take advantage of trade seminars, networking opportunities, and conventions so you can stay up-to-date on the latest tech and news in your field. This will allow you to expand your passion into a sustainable career.

Set some realistic goals

Pursuing a passion project can be highly rewarding, but it can also be stressful if you don’t have realistic goals. Create a backup plan and consider holding onto your current job even after you’ve gotten started. This way, you’ll have some padding in the event of a setback. Then, come up with some objectives for the first few years of your new career; for instance, you might want to eventually expand an online business to a brick-and-mortar store, but you’ll want to create a timeline of steps first. Establishing community support, planning a viable financial setup, and forming an LLC, or Limited Liability Company, are two realistic goals you can meet beforehand.

Spread the word

Once you understand more about your abilities and goals, you can put together a business plan that includes marketing tools. Even if you’re not quite ready to accept customers, you’ll need an easy-to-navigate website full of useful information, business cards, a logo, signage, and ideas for an ad campaign. These will help you spread the word about your business and get your name into the world so that you already have a strong foothold when you are ready to take on customers. Take a look at existing local companies to get a feel for trends and to make sure your ideas are unique. Browse my portfolio and find inspiration!

Hire a Professional

Changing your career to pursue something you’re passionate about can take lots of time and energy, so it’s important to garner support from friends and family who can help you through the process. Hire professionals to assist with the beginning stages so you can boost your new business the right way from the very beginning. Do you have questions about a website or graphic design? Contact me today.