| Many people dream of owning a business, and turning | | | | can be more lucrative but more difficult. You have a |
| a hobby into a profession can seem like the ideal | | | | paycheck waiting for you at the end of the project |
| way to realize that dream. If you like to build and fix | | | | and may collect some of the money up front. |
| your own Harley Davidson, you could turn your | | | | However you are now held to someone else's ideas |
| passion for motorcycles into a lucrative opportunity. | | | | and timetable. |
| The subject of starting a business is beyond the | | | | Transitioning from Hobby to Business |
| scope of this small article, but here are a few tips to | | | | Turning your love of custom Harley bike parts into a |
| get you started. | | | | profession may seem like a terrific idea, but there are |
| Dream Big, Start Small | | | | pitfalls. The most important attitude adjustment you |
| One of the reasons that a custom bike shop is such | | | | will have to make is to understand that this is a |
| a good opportunity is that your startup costs don't | | | | business now. One of the leading reasons home |
| have to be large. You can start off working in your | | | | businesses fail is that their owners can't make the |
| own garage on one project at a time. You won't | | | | adjustment. Many of your motivations will have to |
| need to keep a large inventory of Harley bike parts | | | | change. |
| on hand as you can order just what you need. | | | | This change means that some of the fun of bike |
| You can either build a custom bike of your own | | | | building will disappear. Many people who own custom |
| design then try to sell it, or you can take | | | | motorcycle shops find that they are less interested in |
| commissions and build someone else's dream bike. | | | | working on their own bikes now that it is their job. |
| Both have advantages and disadvantages. Using your | | | | The fact that you can start small means you can |
| own design means you can build according to your | | | | test the waters of self-employment and see if you |
| strengths and order just the Harley bike parts you | | | | can make the adjustment. You could start with a |
| need. You aren't on a deadline so you can spend as | | | | weekend project without quitting your job, investing |
| much or as little time each day on it. The problem is | | | | in only the Harley bike parts you need as you need |
| that once you have the bike done, you have a | | | | them. After a couple of these kinds of projects you |
| significant investment in it and you have no idea how | | | | can decide if it seems like something you can commit |
| long it will be before you find a buyer. | | | | to and if the income is worth the time you invest. |
| Getting customers first and working on their design | | | | |