How did you handle your portfolio and business when starting out?

I am considering turning my portrait (families, kids) photography hobby into a more serious hobby in order to see if I'd like to turn it into a small business for myself. So right now I'm just spreading the word among close friends that I'm available for photo sessions to get a wider range of shots that doesn't just include my kids and own family over and over This is the most logical next step, right? Giving me sessions for practice and grow my portfolio? I'm not sure how to handle the next step after that in terms of the actual pictures - should I turn over the images to my friends for printing or explore some options for me to practice this part of a business? Would love to hear from others how you went from hobby to business! I've tried researching online quite a bit but most people just talk about practicing the skill and voila! and don't get into the details of the actual steps.