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Updated October 25, 2026

The Sims 4 Businesses and Hobbies guide

Sims 4 Businesses and Hobbies explained: how to open a small business, the new skills, Nordhaven, the price, and whether the pack is worth it.

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What is The Sims 4 Businesses and Hobbies?

Businesses and Hobbies is an expansion pack for The Sims 4. It came out on March 6, 2025. Your Sims can run a small business from home or from a business lot. The pack also adds the Tattooing and Pottery skills and a new world called Nordhaven.

Wikipedia lists it as the 18th expansion pack. Wikipedia also says that the pack "focuses on entrepreneurship and craft-based hobbies." The main idea is simple. Your Sim takes a hobby and turns it into a shop, a class, or a service.

We opened the EA pages, the Steam page, Wikipedia, and several guides on October 25, 2026. The facts below come from these pages. We did not play the pack for this post.

When did Businesses and Hobbies come out, and how much is it?

The pack came out on March 6, 2025. Steam lists it at $39.99. The EA page shows no price, so check your store before you buy.

FactBusinesses and Hobbies
Type of packExpansion pack (the 18th, per Wikipedia)
Release dateMarch 6, 2025
Price on Steam$39.99 (US store, October 2026)
PlatformsPC, Mac, PlayStation, and Xbox (Dexerto)
New worldNordhaven
New skillsTattooing and Pottery
Items212 Build Mode items and 162 Create-a-Sim items
RatingESRB T (Teen)
Metacritic70, per Wikipedia

Dexerto says that the pre-order gave the Set Up Shop Digital Content. It had a Priscilla statue, a display case, and a lamp. To compare this pack with the others, read every Sims 4 expansion pack.

What is Nordhaven like in The Sims 4?

Nordhaven is a small coastal city with a Scandinavian style. Sims Community says that it has two neighborhoods and 12 lots. The art team took ideas from Stockholm, Copenhagen, and Oslo, plus some London and Berlin.

What are the neighborhoods of Nordhaven?

  • Gammelvik is the old town. It has cobbled streets, canals, and old buildings. It has 6 lots, such as the Konst Modern museum and The Rouge Note lounge.
  • Iverstad is the old industrial area. Many factories are now homes. It has 6 lots, such as Inked Inlet, Terra-Potta, and The Old Foundry.

A train connects the two neighborhoods. Hobby meetups and markets take place in the central square of Gammelvik and on the central island of Iverstad. Destructoid says that Nordhaven is smaller than many earlier worlds. The same review says that one third of the lots are empty.

How do you open a small business in The Sims 4?

Choose a lot, zone it, register the business for §750, and then click Open. Sims Community gives these steps:

  1. Choose an idea. Examples are a cat café, a gym, or a pottery shop.
  2. Choose a lot. Use your home lot, a community lot, or a Small Business Venue lot.
  3. Build the areas that you need. Add seats and a bathroom for the customers.
  4. Zone each area. Mark the shop floor as public and the counter as employee only.
  5. Put a Ticket Kiosk near the door, so that customers can pay.
  6. Register the business. Use the phone, the computer, the Ticket Kiosk, or the Owned Businesses tab.
  7. Set the name, the logo, the activities, the entrance fee, and the price.
  8. Select Open in the business menu at the bottom of the screen.

What can a Sim sell or offer in a small business?

The EA page names bars, pools, gyms, painting studios, and music venues. Sims can also sell pottery and other crafts. To sell items, add the "browse and buy items" activity and put out shelves or racks. Sims Community says that you can also set target customers by traits, career, skill, or money.

How do you set prices in a small business?

Use the price modifier. Sims Community says that it goes from -50% to +100%. A high price earns more money, but it can keep some customers away. The entrance fee can be one time, by the hour, or off.

How do you hire employees for a small business?

Open Manage Employees in the business menu. Hire a Sim that your Sim already knows. Set the pay to low, average, or high. Sims Community says that low pay can make an employee angry and quit.

Can you sell a small business?

Yes. Use the business menu or a computer. The game shows the value of the business. Sims Community says that you cannot undo the sale.

Businesses and Hobbies is not the only way to earn money. For other ways, read how to make money in The Sims 4. The older retail shops come from Get to Work.

How do renown and business perks work?

Renown is the reputation of your business. Good reviews raise it. Higher renown gives perk points, and each perk costs one point. Destructoid explains the system.

What raises small business renown?

Destructoid lists the price, the activities, the treatment of customers, the quality of the goods, and a clean lot. Customers show live reviews above their heads. Sims Community says that you get detailed reviews after you close.

What are the renown levels?

Destructoid names five levels:

  1. Hopeful Hustle
  2. Striving Startup
  3. Neighborhood Gem
  4. Community Staple
  5. Local Legend

What are Dreamer, Schemer, and Neutral perks?

Each perk belongs to one alignment. A dove marks Dreamer perks, and a raccoon marks Schemer perks. Destructoid says that Neutral perks have few or no downsides. Dreamer and Schemer perks have bigger upsides and bigger downsides. Destructoid counts 21 perks in total. These are six examples from its list:

PerkAlignmentWhat it does
Sway to BuySchemer, level 1Sims persuade customers to buy items for sale.
Going ViralNeutral, level 2Simfluencers visit the business.
Muscle MemoryNeutral, level 3Skills grow faster while the business is open.
Chug the WUTANTDreamer, level 3A drink boosts energy and slows needs decay.
White-Collar RobberySchemer, level 3Sims can steal objects, also from other businesses.
Customer Appreciation DayDreamer, level 4Goods, services, and fees are free while it is on.

Spend perk points in the business menu. Most perks are active, so you select them in an interaction. A few perks are passive and work on their own.

What hobbies and skills does Businesses and Hobbies add?

The pack adds two skills: Tattooing and Pottery. It also adds hobby Meetups, Classes, Lectures, and mentoring. The pack does not add a list of new hobbies. It lets Sims turn their hobbies into a business.

How does tattooing work in The Sims 4?

Sims with the Tattooing skill give tattoos to other Sims and earn Simoleons. Sims Community says that Sims can give pre-made, custom, and dedication tattoos. Tattoo Paint Mode lets you draw your own design. Higher skill levels unlock more stamps and stencils. You can share your designs in the Gallery.

How does pottery work in The Sims 4?

Sims shape clay on the Pottery Wheel and fire it in the Pottery Kiln. They can make tea sets, planters, and incense burners, and add glaze. At high levels, Sims learn Kintsugi. This repairs broken ceramics. The EA page says that Sims can charge for pottery lessons.

What are Meetups, Classes, and Lectures?

Meetups are events where Sims meet others with the same hobby. Sims can find a mentor there. Sims with high skills can host Classes and Lectures. Sims Community says that these can earn Mastery Perks. For all the skills of the game, read the Sims 4 skills guide.

Does the pack add new traits and aspirations?

Yes. The EA page lists new traits, new aspirations, and Business Alignment. The EA page does not name them, so we do not list them here.

What did the Businesses and Hobbies patch change?

EA released a fix update on March 20, 2025. Its title is "Quality of Life Fixes for Businesses & Hobbies." The versions are PC 1.113.297.1020, Mac 1.113.297.1220, and Console 2.11.

What changed in the base game?

  • Sims now get paid by the hour for Paid Mentoring. The pay depends on the skill level, and not on your packs.
  • Burglars no longer steal items that cannot go back to the household inventory.
  • The camera no longer locks on bracelets in Create a Sim.

What changed in the pack?

  • Group meals no longer sell at the price of a single meal.
  • Sims can no longer enter a Small Business lot after it closes.
  • Employee classes on the Hobby Whiteboard no longer reset after you travel.
  • Ghosts visit only when you set them as Preferred or Required customers.
  • Tattoos with custom content show a "Modded" label in the Gallery.
  • Players with only the base game and this pack can turn Small Business Events on or off.

We could not find the official notes for the base game update on the release day. If you use mods, read about MC Command Center after each update.

What do you need to play Businesses and Hobbies?

You need The Sims 4 base game and all game updates. The base game is free. Read is The Sims 4 free for the details.

Steam lists these minimum requirements for PC: 64-bit Windows 10, 4 GB of RAM, DirectX 11, and 26 GB of free space. The processor must be an Intel Core i3-3220 or an AMD Ryzen 3 1200, or better. Steam also asks for a broadband internet connection. For the full list, read Sims 4 system requirements.

The EA page says that some features need other packs. Dexerto lists PC, Mac, PlayStation, and Xbox. To install the pack, read how to install Sims 4 packs.

Is Businesses and Hobbies worth it?

This part is our opinion, from reviews and player posts. The pack is worth it if you want your Sims to run a shop, a class, or a tattoo studio. It is less useful if you already own Get to Work and only want retail.

The reviews are mixed. Wikipedia lists a Metacritic score of 70. Destructoid gave it 7.5 out of 10. The review called the tattooing and pottery skills its "favorite part." It also said that there are few business furniture items. It found the behavior of employees and customers "sometimes finicky."

Wikipedia says that Dexerto and Digital Spy each gave 3 out of 5. Dexerto liked the links to other packs, but it wanted more new skills. Digital Spy called the pack "disjointed."

Before the release, Sims Community ran a poll. About 77% of the voters planned to buy the pack. About 17% wanted to wait for a sale. Some readers called the pack an expanded version of things that the game already had. To pick a pack for your style, take the pack picker quiz.

Where does LifeSim fit?

LifeSim does not fit if you want the business tools of this pack. It has no packs, no business menu, no renown levels, no perks, and no skill bars to grind. If you want those systems, play Businesses and Hobbies.

LifeSim fits a different wish. It is a free life simulation game in the browser. You live one slow life on a real map of Earth. You write what you do in your own words. You can write that your character opens a small pottery shop. The people around you talk back and remember what you did.

To see how it works, read how to play. For a comparison, read LifeSim and The Sims or games like The Sims.

Questions

When did The Sims 4 Businesses and Hobbies come out?

On March 6, 2025. Dexerto lists PC, Mac, PlayStation, and Xbox.

How much does The Sims 4 Businesses and Hobbies cost?

Steam lists the pack at $39.99 in October 2026. Prices change during sales.

What world comes with Businesses and Hobbies?

Nordhaven. It is a Scandinavian-style city with two neighborhoods, Gammelvik and Iverstad.

Can a Sim run a business from home in The Sims 4?

Yes, with Businesses and Hobbies. Zone the living area as residential and the shop area as public. Then register the business.

How much does it cost to register a small business?

Sims Community says that registration costs §750 one time.

What new skills come with Businesses and Hobbies?

Tattooing and Pottery. High Pottery skill unlocks Kintsugi.

How many small business perks are there?

Destructoid counts 21 perks across Dreamer, Schemer, and Neutral alignments. Each perk costs one perk point.

Are there cheats for Businesses and Hobbies?

We did not check pack cheats for this post. For general codes, read the skill cheats or the career cheats.

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Sources

New to life sims? Read what a life simulator is.

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