Labor of Love: Microbusinesses take their pastimes to professions.

• Author: Biton, Adva
• Position: SPECIAL REPORT: MICRO BUSINESSES

Is your job your passion? Or is your job just that: a job, a thing you do for money, a thing you do to support your passion--which, otherwise, certainly couldn't support itself. But what if it could? For some entrepreneurs, hobbies and passions outgrow their post-work, leisure-time hours and grow into something a little bigger. Most of these small microbusinesses haven't sprouted to the point where they're the entrepreneur's first focus or allowed them to quit their day jobs. But for these entrepreneurs, these side projects take time, skill, planning, marketing and love--everything a larger enterprise needs and more.

"How many hours am I not thinking about it?" laughs Marcella Hill of her own business, Love Woolies. "I'm up to 1 a.m. doing it, and it's the first thing I think about when I wake up."

Overgrown hobbies

Alan Peck has always liked the idea of being a "maker." He works for Adobe, has an art degree, and loves to paint and illustrate. He likes having projects, several things running at once--it helps his ADD, he says, and it feeds his creative drive. "Ever since I was a little kid, I was always making things," he says.

In 2011, Peck wanted to create an interesting handmade holiday gift and happened upon the idea of homemade vanilla extract. "I wanted to design the label as well. It sounded like a natural fit, fun and really cool," he says. He read recipes online and made batches of vanilla extract for his friends, who responded with great enthusiasm. So great, in fact, that Peck was inspired to try selling his vanilla extract at holiday boutiques. Today, Peck makes two different vanilla extract strengths and two different types of vanilla-infused sugar, which he sells online and at conventions.

This seems to be a running theme for microbusiness owners: their side-project suddenly outgrows its hobby status. Aaron Chapman, owner of The Organ Grinder FX Studio, has loved making Halloween props, masks and sculptures since high school, but he put his hobby aside for years as he focused on his career in law enforcement.

"I wasn't real secure in what people thought about my work and my art. I never thought it would make it out there in the public," says Chapman. "But after the time where Facebook and [social media] got popular, I made the decision to put it out into the public and see if I can make some money doing it."

Hill happened upon her own venture when a family member began making mittens out of old wool sweaters, inspiring her...