3 Tips to Turn a Profit with Your Outdoor Passions

The 2014 State of the American Workplace survey by Gallup found that nearly 70 percent of U.S. workers are disengaged in their jobs. Stated more bluntly, a vast majority of Americans hate the places they’re forced to be for 40-plus hours per week to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table.

Few people are privileged enough to wake up every day and do a job they also consider a hobby. Avid outdoorsmen have many opportunities to turn their favorite activities into money-making endeavors. Granted, it’s likely to take several years and a lot of commitment to turn those passions into careers lucrative enough to support the family. That being said, here are three tips to start earning part-time cash from your hobbies.

Gun Cleaning & Assembly

A 2014 General Social Survey by the University of Chicago found that American gun ownership reached lows not seen since 2010. Despite the downward trend, Pew Research Center data found that more Americans think protecting gun rights is more important than controlling gun ownership. First-time gun owners are aplenty and continue increasing in numbers as Democrats have made gun control their capstone issue since Obama took the White House in 2008.

Gun maintenance is important to ensure reliable firing when that emergency moment arises. Disassembling, oiling and reassembling your personal firearms is a simple process when you’ve done it several times before. But new gun owners, who have a 9mm in their nightstand drawers to protect their homes, are likely not as diligent with maintenance. In fact, many first-timers let their firearms sit around and gather dust for years without ever moving them.

Offer your gun cleaning and assembly expertise to newbies. Use Craigslist, Facebook and other social media platforms to inform friends and locals of your services. A great way to make continuous, residual income is by setting up a simple WordPress website. Make instructional videos about cleaning guns, and post supplemental written instructions. Add royalty-free music backgrounds to make the videos more professional. Free WordPress plugins like Wishlist allow you to charge members for this premium content.

The amount of money you make is determined by how much you charge and how frequently you update content on your website.

Fishing Clubs

Let’s face it: pride sometimes interferes with a man’s ability to ask for help when needed. But there’s a lot more to gain from joining a fishing club than advice from other fishermen.

Join a local B.A.S.S. club by contacting the president of your state’s Federation Nation chapter directly. Members are allowed to participate in tournaments with cash prizes. Some have buy-in fees, but it takes money to make money no matter the type of business.

Club members have the opportunity to make and sell their own lures, jigs and weights, too. Anglers are always looking for the newest, most-effective bait. Fishing clubs give you an instant customer base to sell high-demand items.

Coaching

USA Archery, the Olympic governing body for the sport, experienced a 77 percent increase in membership from May 2013-14. Though the organization credits the efforts of several archery associations for the surge, movies like “The Hunger Games” and “The Avengers” have also contributed.

The same techniques used to advertise gun cleaning services can be used to promote your coaching availability. Make certain to highlight your years of experience and even show off photos of all the trophies you’ve accumulated. The more you can demonstrate your competency and proficiency in the sport, the easier it is to secure clients.

You’re unlikely to get rich by turning your hobbies into part-time jobs, but it sure feels good to make extra money doing something you love.