Turn a hobby or passion into a money making micro business!

I heard about Jonathan Hilton at a graduation party where I met his mother.  She told me how Jonathan made money from chess. “Do you mean prize money?” I asked. “No,” she explained, “by writing magazine articles and books.”

Jonathan was selling his knowledge about chess and people are willing to pay for what he knows!

As a 19-year-old college freshman Jonathan held the title of National Master from the United States Chess Federation.

He wrrote articles relating to his experiences at playing chess abroad and co-authored  “Wojo’s Weapons: Winning With White,” with International Master Dean Ippolito.

For those who might be interested in learning about chess but fear it just isn’t “cool,” Hilton has these thoughts: “Chess is something that transcends all ages and cultures. I’ve been in situations where I didn’t speak the same language as the other player, but yet I was still on such good terms with them because we could play, we could analyze and we could learn some things. Chess unites people because you have a common experience and a common passion.” http://www.uc.edu/spotlight/student/jonathan_hilton.html

You may not hold a national title, but you may know something about some thing, right?

Start writing it down!  Start a blog, write some articles and see if magazines are interested in paying you for your knowledge and perspective on life. Maybe even consider writing a book. Other teenagers have done it, why not you?

If you need help getting started, my book, Starting a Micro Business, is a great resource to get your micro business off the ground!

Pick up a copy today.

Carol Topp, CPA