Whether you are unemployed or need to supplement your income, chances are you have gained a wealth of knowledge on a particular subject that others are interested in learning. A good way to gauge interest is to write and publish a concise how-to article on the Internet for which you own the copyright. Print out your article and use it as a guide for setting up a how-to workshop.

Workshops are a lucrative business. Home centers and craft shops have been doing workshops for years. Their salespeople have been answering the same questions so often that workshops are set up to give customers hands-on training in their field of inquiry. Attending one or more of these workshops is a good place to start your own research into what it takes to run your own workshop business or apply to them for a job as one of their instructors. If you are self-employed, being a workshop instructor gives you additional exposure to a group of leads that may need your services for projects they can't or won't take on themselves in the future.

On-the-job exposure workshops are a new trend for parents to enroll their young adult children to spark interest in particular areas as future employment. Often run by individual contractors (painter, plumber, electrician, carpenter), parents pay the contractor to take their child through a period of on-the-job projects explaining tools and procedures as they go. If the child shows promise, an internship or apprenticeship may be offered. These workshops take the Career Day at school to the next level.

Simple workshops are demonstrations. The instructor demonstrates how something is done step-by-step from showing what is needed through project completion. Charges run about $25/hr. Attendees get a pamphlet of the project.

There are eco-workshops starting at $50 and up that begin with instructional training followed by hands-on projects like rebuilding the historic colonial stone walls that New England is famous for or identifying and removing non-native invasive species from public use properties.

Nature walks are popular workshops starting at $25/hour. Learning to identify habitat flora and wildlife are sought after workshops. Identifying and collecting wild edibles especially mushrooms followed by cooking and eating them satisfies the survival skills needs in case of disaster.

Construction project workshops are a two-fold win-win procedure. Low income and elderly home owners that could not normally afford a contractor are given the option of letting their project be used as a workshop. The home owner provides the necessary supplies and workshop participants learn by doing the project under the guidance of a reputable contractor. These projects span from walkways, decks, stairs, roofing all the way up to building additions and homes.

A Crafting workshop business pays off better in teaching than in selling finished products. Three hour workshops usually range between $75-$250. The attendee learns about and uses the tools and supplies needed to complete a project. The workshop usually supplies everything needed. The attendees go home with their creations.

Workshops abound from art classes and jewelry making to gardening and landscaping and even making your own golf clubs. The field is open for sharing your expertise through your ownworkshop business.