You hear people talk a lot about following your passion; but most of them fail to realise that passion alone is not enough to build a business. You need the right knowledge, skills and attitude. Apart from that, a business can only exist for as long as it is profitable. In other words, you must have value to offer, something that people are willing to pay for.

So the most suitable business for you is a business that lets you do:

1. What you love

2. What you’re good at and

3. What people are willing to pay for

Now, if you love something and you’re good at it but people are not willing to pay for it, can you build a business out of it? The clear answer is “No”, until you figure out how you can make money from it. Otherwise, you would be building a charity or non-profit instead of a profit-making business.

Conversely, if you have something that people are willing to pay for but you probably don’t love it or you’re not good at it, can you make a business out of it? The answer is “Yes”, as long as you understand the process and can get people to get the job done. A building contractor for instance doesn’t need to know how to build houses but he makes more money than the builders themselves.

That's why web design is such a money spinner right now and will continue to be for a very long time, provided you know how to go about it. Every serious business owner recognises the need for a decent online presence and most of them will gladly pay for it. The economic recession has created even greater opportunity. Many people have lost their jobs and have to start their own businesses as freelancers or independent consultants. They will need websites to give their business a face and connect with prospective customers. So even if you don’t really love building websites but you simply need another stream of income that will take you closer to financial freedom, web design business will give you that opportunity.

Are you still wondering if starting a web design business is right for you? I’ll say an emphatic “Yes!” as long as you’re ready to give it what it takes.

Here are seven reasons I’m encouraging you to start a web design business:

1. You don’t have to quit your job, you can do web design after work and on weekends.

2. You don’t need to learn how to code. You can use an established platform with pre-made themes and templates.

3. You don’t need an office; you can work from home or anywhere as long as you have your laptop, electricity and internet access.

4. Web design business gives you control over your time; the important thing is meeting agreed timelines. You can work when you choose without having to rush into traffic early in the morning and return late at night.

5. The market demand is high. Every serious business owner understands the power of the internet and more people are willing to invest good money in a decent web presence.

6. You don’t need much money to start. Your most expensive tool is your laptop – and you don’t have to buy a new one. You can borrow from a friend or use the one you already have. Apart from your laptop, you only need a domain name (from N1300 – N4500), web hosting account (starting from around N6500) and a premium theme. A good premium theme costs around N12600 to N21700 but it is optional, at least when you’re just starting out. You can get a lot of free themes that do an excellent job.

7. You enjoy high profit margins. As you learn to maximise your time and resources, you’ll be able to make more money without necessarily doing more work.