Jublo Guest blog: Turning your hobby into a business
We caught up with this month’s guest blogger, Managing Director of Jublo, Joshua Atkins, to talk us through how he has turned what was initially a hobby into a multinational business.
If you’re thinking of starting your own business but don’t know where to begin, or this post has inspired you to find out more, you can head to the FutureGoals website for useful tips and guidance: Click the below button.
The best way to be successful is to love what you do. That’s why turning something you’re passionate about in your personal life into a business venture can return astounding results.
Just ask the Managing Director of Jublo, Joshua Atkins, who set up his company back in 2008, aged only 14. It started as a project between two online friends who enjoyed developing code and open source software, as a way of contributing their knowledge to the digital community.
A few years later, Jublo added translation services to their offerings, as Joshua’s business partner at the time was German and had another passion: languages. Fast-forward to today, and managing Jublo is not just Joshua’s hobby, but also his career.
Jublo is now a successful digital consultancy services company, working across 39 different countries to provide a range of translation services and optimise digital development. They have a global network of over 160 partners – translators, project managers, developers –with many ongoing projects around the globe.
The secret to their success? A genuine love and enthusiasm for the work they do, and an ambitious, innovative approach to working in the digital industry.
So, we asked Joshua – how can anyone turn their hobby into a business?
- “Look for a niche.”
It might be that your interest is in an industry that’s a bit of a crowded market. If that’s the case, look at what others are doing well and not so well, and how outside influences (such as a global pandemic) might be changing it. If there’s a gap in the industry, fill it!
- “Don’t be afraid to take risks. It’s a bit cliché but it’s true.”
I took a risk in leaving school at 17 to pursue my career without a degree qualification, and it paid off: I learnt the tricks of the trade from real people in real jobs. There’s also the added bonus of no debt and gaining work experience quicker than your peers. I’m not saying don’t go to university: just explore your options and don’t feel pressured to go down a particular route.
- “It’ll never be the ‘right’ time.”
I had always wanted to work for myself -and knew that one day I would – but taking the plunge to invest in myself and my business full-time was hard. I wouldn’t change it now though. I look forward to going to work every day and genuinely enjoy it – and I really think that’s an important part of life. There’s no ideal time to start a business, but you’ve got to start somewhere.
- “Avoid your comfort zone.”
Setting up a business in itself is probably out of your comfort zone, but as a business owner you also have to control all areas of your company, and that can be daunting at first. For me, talking about myself and my journey doesn’t come naturally, but I’m the face of the brand – I had to deliver a speech for a conference recently which really pushed me outside of my comfort zone, but I’m finding it easier each time. It’s difficult to progress and be successful unless you do things that make you uncomfortable.