Gift Basket Questionnaire: Fill & Download for Free

The list is not exhaustive but I believed you can pick an interest in one or two of the businesses listedCONSULTANCY SERVICES: - This is the foremost of the small businesses one could ever think of; one can basically consult on almost anything and everything. Just think of any special skill in your possession and pronto, you can make a reasonable income from it. E.g. marriage counseling, business consult, legal consult, property consultancy, educational consulting, media consultant, etc. One do not have to possess any capital to start consulting, just some contacts on your phone, email addresses and referrals from family and friends, you are good to go.RESTAURANT: - No matter how poor people may be, food still remains the number one basic necessities of life before clothing and shelter. If you can do it right, it’s one of the surest way to crossing the poverty line. If you are still in doubt, please visit Equal Right in Somolu, Amala Sonola in ogba Aguda, Ewa-Agonyin(Beans) palace in Unilag etc. With a capital between N10K – N50k, you should be making a residual income from it.FASHION AND TAILORING SERVICES: - From time immemorial fashion business has been dynamic and ever present. From Paris to New-York, Milan to Lagos, Beijing to Joburg, fashion statements defies national/ethnic boundaries. Different occasions demand special outfits, one can easily take advantage of the trend in fashion consciousness of the people to earn a decent living. You can start with as little as N30K-N100K.REAL ESTATE AGENCY: - By finding properties for prospective clients, you perform a valuable service to both owner of properties and prospective tenants. Advertise that you have listings available for houses, apartments, flats, rooms, offices, etc. You can either charge a one-time fee for finding accommodations or work on a commission. In this line of business, capital or professional qualification is not really required as a start-up, you can belong to groups in the real estate NICHE or get briefs from family and friends, just have the right information and you will always smile to the bank. In addition, you can also be a property manager to your clients and earn steady income from management fees.RENTAL BUSINESS: This has mushroomed into an attractive new business opportunity. People like to borrow, do-it-yourself rent professional equipment. Many people are doing well these days by acting as rental agents for all manner of things - power tools, trucks, cars, electric generators, etc. Just look around your environment and conduct a research on items that could be of rental value to your community. For example, if you live in an area where property development is just springing up, you can decide to venture into giving out building tools such as, wheel-barrow, head-pan, shovel, trowels, drums, ladders, scaffolding, sledge hammers, pick-up trucks, etc.LAUNDRY/IRONING SERVICE /CLOTHES CLEANING: Everyone has dirty clothes for laundry and ironing, but many working class and career individuals do not have the time to tend to their laundry themselves because of the busy schedule of work or business, this is where you would come in and make money by doing a professional laundry service, especially in areas where power supply is erratic. If your backyard/compound is spacious enough to accommodate washer-men and pressers who will do justice to the clothes, hire them and start making money, This business could just be for you if you have a knack for cleanliness and corporate cleaning services. With a capital between N20K – N100K this business could turn you to a millionaire over a period of time.HOUSE CLEANING SERVICE: Many home-owners and apartment dwellers will welcome help at "house cleaning'. Charge a flat fee for the amount of work that must be done. Make arrangements with firms that provide labour for tidying up office environment , cleaning carpets, dusting the furnitures, polishing, etc. and collect a commission from them. Tell your friends and family who are moving to a new house or changing offices, with the help of fliers or handbills you could reach out to a large audience.MAKE AND SELL CUSTOMIZED JEWELLERIES AND BEADS: Homemade costume jewellery sells, sell directly to jewellery outlets, gift shops, hairdressers shops, clothes boutiques, and by selling on e-commerce shops such as Jumia, Konga, Payporte, OLX, Facebook Shopify, Gtbank smemarkethub, etc. It is possible to start with limited capital of N5K- N20k.GAME CENTERS: The game center concept is good, both for those who have jobs and those who want full time involvement. A game center is a place where people mostly young come to play computer basic games like play station, Nintendo, Atari, etc. You can also provide space for refreshments like ice cream, snacks, soft drinks etc. Gaming centers charge customers who come to their outlet between N100.00 – N500.00 depending on the area, and the type of customers you are dealing with. If you start small, you can make between N5k – N20k per day. There is a classical game center at Mende by Maryland, it is built with a portal cabin and looks beautiful as well. You can as well provide a MOBILE GAME cabin for birthdays and get-together parties, this arrangement can fetch you good money if you get high-end clients in areas such Ikoyi,V.I, Lekki, Ikeja G.R.A, etc.FISH FARMING: If you have been contemplating on a small business and haven’t heard about fish farming, then you are missing something. Over the years, quite a few people have made fortunes from fish farming; as the population is swelling and protein needs are far outstripping the available supply, fish meal is always a winner if done well. Fish farming is a sure bet business if you put the right structures in place. More and more people like fish due to its low cholesterol protein, All you need do is to get a space, buy or construct tanks, buy finger lings for between N10 to N20 and feed them for 4 to 6 months, then sell from between N1500 to N2000 depending on weight and size. But you need to have a basic knowledge of fish farming to start this.WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT: Experience, training or licensing may be needed. Many courses exist (many of which, logically, are offered online) where you can learn the language of website creation and can learn about the details, like how to set up shopping cart systems, security concerns, etc. But lately we have seen ready tools on some hosting site like Godaddy, Bluehost, Wordpress, ipage, simplesite and so on; many of these hosting sites have ready tools for even the newbie in web design. You will, of course, need to learn about each company you want to design for. What is the atmosphere of the company that you need to reflect in the website design--is it wild and contemporary, meaning brilliant colors and fun graphics? Or will more classic colors like black, navy blue and maroon be more appropriate? Many small businesses in Nigeria does not have a web presence, even the bigger corporations only possess a web banner or billboard, you can propose an interactive website to small businesses at a cheaper rate of say N10k or more and start building your client lists from there. This business requires little or no capital to start.DAY CARE: If you are the type that naturally loves kids around, this is an opportunity for you to tap into. Perhaps you have children of your own and the idea of taking care of a few more for part of the day appeals to you. Child-care needs continue to soar in this part of the world as the task of professional career seems to be more demanding. Many people prefer the option of their child being cared for in a home environment while they are at work, opposed to a more institutional-like setting. These things mean that a home based childcare business can get off and running immediately. If you are living in at least a 3bedroom apartment and there is an extra room unoccupied, please don’t let rat and cockroach take advantage of the extra rooms in your house, talk to friends in the neighborhood who might need such services, with a simple handbills and short message advert it will surely pay to have kids around.GIFT BASKET/PACKAGING SERVICE: Finding a niche is the best way to start out in the gift basket business. If you had flare for gifts and souvenirs why don’t you look for clients who you could put together baskets that hold the things that people with this interest would like too! You can create a product that a gift basket could be built around, I saw a fruit basket designed by First Bank Plc presented to a customer at Alausa secretariat Ikeja Lagos, it was a piece of creativity as everybody was taking snapshot of it. With a capital of N50k-N100k, you can start this business. Marketing your gift basket service is not an arduous task, just talk to friends, families, congregational friends and colleagues, and if you have a little budget for advert and proposal it’s all well and good for publicity.BEAUTY SALON/HAIRSTYLIST: Hairstyling is a popular business that can be quite lucrative. Generally, with the trend in fashion statements nowadays, hairstylists are usually busy. If you already have your apprenticeship training and experience, and loads of friends especially ladies under your belt, you probably have prospects that will follow you right home without any hesitation. You can have a unisex salon under one roof, get some boys and girls from cotonou, they are very good in weaving and braids, place them on salary or commission and your life will not remain the same!MUSIC LESSONS: Some people are naturally gifted in music and sound instruments, either as a result of being in the choir, or family background or personal interest in music and sound could be an inspiration. You want to stick to the instrument(s) you know, but you may be skilled enough a musician to offer lessons on different instruments, or those in a particular class, e.g., stringed or woodwind. You can decide to take on individuals or classes, depending on space and availability of instruments. Public/private schools are continually reducing their commitment to art and music classes for students, so you can try to work with the public school system to supplement their efforts in those areas. I have a friend, Adeshina, he has been taking advantage of his deep knowledge of the musical instruments to make extra income way back school days, even as a comfortable person today, he still plays organ for his church AVM in GRA and private personalities when occasion demands. Here, your hidden talent could be your buried treasure.PHOTOGRAPHER: Previous experience and formal training may not be needed to venture into this line of business as there are ready tools available in the market to perform different operations such as editing, printing, framing, styling, Photoshop software, etc. Making money as a photographer can be done in a number of different ways. You can specialize in one area, the most common being weddings and social functions. All you require is a professional camera, a mobile printing device and your call cards, visit any social function dressed as corporate as possible so as not to be bounced by the security guys, take one or two snapshot of guests most especially ladies, quickly find a safe place to plug your printer and extra batteries for charging, before the show wound up, look for people you have snapped and give to them at N100 or more, you can make as much as N20K-N50K at a particular event. There are other niches you can explore for photography: portraits of people and their pets, families and homes; photographs of holiday events, birthday parties or model photo shoots, film makers, students, religious gatherings, etc. The possibilities are endless and the capital to invest is not a cut-throat.WEDDING PLANNER: Before I got married I visited a wedding planner shop on Aromire street Ikeja and I was impressed at how much people pay for the services of a wedding planner, anyway I didn’t make use of their service but I learn one or two thing from them which helped in making my wedding event a success. However, the rich and busy type of people in the society doesn’t really have all the time going to the market to shop for this and that, they prefer to give the service to a wedding planner. You will need to be up-to-date on wedding trends and fads, dress styles, color trends--almost everything under the sun! Offer your customers an ala carte menu of services, from helping pick flowers, the wedding gown and bridesmaid dresses to picking the venue and hiring the caterer. Before you open your business, shop at all the wedding shops, and even pretend you are a bride-to-be to see what kind of service the wedding gown shop provides and how they treat potential customers. You need to know every detail of the business to give the accurate impression that you are the go-to person for anyone planning a wedding. For you to succeed in this line of business, I advise you to just do one perfect wedding job and others will keep coming like a virus.COMPUTER TRAINING: If you have a basic knowledge in computer training and applications you are on your way to becoming a teacher to many people. It will amaze you to know that only about 20% of Nigerian population is actually computer literate. My brother once offered to train people for free on Sundays after lecture at NASFAT in Ipaja Lagos; he confessed that there was a large turnout, even the working class people attended. You can offer training in desktop computers and mini computers such as laptops, palmtops, I-pad and tablets. You could probably make a living helping seniors learn how to use the internet and e-mail to keep in touch with their loved ones, send applications, online exams/TEST, etc. Make the training as much fun as possible; people do not want to know all the details about what makes a computer work. If you overload them with information from the beginning by explaining bits, bytes, and megapixels, they will stick to their paper and pencil forever. You can start this venture with fairly used computers which you will find scattered all over Computer village in Ikeja Lagos. Talk to people in your neighborhood by printing an advert for a free computer lesson, get their database and give those basic trainings afterward and introduce more complex ones.ELECTRIC FENCE WIRE INSTALLATIONS: Fences are everywhere and they also add beauty to the structures and buildings in the society. The quest to protect from external invasion, burglary, theft and encroachment has necessitated the need for a more technical way of protection. The electric fence wire is really the vogue now, and the training is not hard to comprehend. Just undergo the training first and the materials for executing your job abound everywhere with installation guide and manuals. The start-up cost is basically the training fee and tools like cutting tools, hand gloves, measuring tapes, plum, etc.GRAPHIC DESIGN: One major landmark about the computer is, you could probably become a professional in any field by accident. Graphic design is one of the “Experts by Accident” job am talking about. At least with the little time I have spent on the computer in the last 2 years, I can create a simple design for anything I want to do. Despite the proliferation of the internet, print media is still relevant to the foreseeable future! Fliers, newsletters, magazines, information sheets, letters and advertisements are just a few of the type of print media that business outfit hires Graphic Artist to create for them. Websites and online advertising need graphic design services as well. Even if your expertise is only in design, offer the works for potential clients, friends, and small businesses. So many softwares abound in the market to help you through. I know of a guy who designed my wedding invitation cards, his business name is KUKUGRAFIX, as a student, he does good graphic jobs using just his laptop and pay-as-you-go internet connection.INTERIOR DECORATION: Market your talents to building contractors. People purchasing new homes can often be overwhelmed with the choices and possibilities in home decoration. Design some questionnaires for each major element and each major room in the house. Find out how the homeowner will use the home--are there children? Pets? How will each room be used? Suggest color separations for the painting of the rooms, try and explore the use of wallpapers in room areas where traffic is high. Get hold of catalogs showing architectural masterpiece, develop an interior model that suits your clients' budget, give them options and freedom to express their views on what you intend to do. Referral will definitely come your way if you get it right. This business does not really requires much capital, with a good marketing skill and creativity you will succeed.RECHARGE CARD PRINTING: If you have not heard of recharge card business before, perhaps you are still living in the cave of KUVUKI land. A recent study shows that the average monthly money spent on voice and data in Nigeria amounts to N445Billion. Even the GSM companies attest to the fact that Nigeria is a Goldmine when it comes to Telecoms business. You can actually start with capital as low as N10k and make a profit of N2k if you do your networking well. There are 3 categories of recharge card business anyway, you could either be a Retailer, wholesaler or Dealer. Whichever category you chose, it’s a good venture because as long as people still keeps subscribing and making phone calls you will never be out of business, also it is not a seasonal business.BUSINESS PLAN SERVICES: Just this month alone I have received an Offer to develop a business plan for five clients in the areas of NYLON BUSINESS, ICE BLOCK MAKING, CAR WASH BUSINESS; EVENT CENTER and TRAVELS AND TOUR PACKAGES. At least, I receive an incentive of N100K alone on the NYLON BUSINESS PLAN. Choose an area of business you have expertise on, include a market research on it, and write the business plan narrative and the financial statements. Plan your fee around the main one which the client will want, and offer the others as add-on services. You can give clients an electronic file and allow them to take it from there, or you can keep the business plan on file and offer the service of fine-tuning it whenever necessary. Have business plan samples to show clients--and make sure to include your own!.You can also start with little or no capital as Google is always your friend on research.A CYBER CAFE/BUSINESS CENTER: Prior to the era of deregulating the telecommunication sector, the cybercafé cafe or business centers used to be the only place ordinary people could visit to carry out some task such as checking/sending emails, Fax, Internet calls(VOIP),Typing of documents, scanning, binding, graphic works, etc. But now, most of these tasks could be done in the comfort of your house, however, due to the economic growth and the competitive nature of modern day business the Cybercafé/business center had refused to go into oblivion. The fact remains that in a business center outfit, you could basically perform all I.T related functions at a glance and with precision. Therefore, it is not going to be a wild goose chase venturing into this line of business as it can be undertaken by anyone. I have a complete business plan for anyone who wishes to go into this line of business. You can start with as little as N200K-N500K.FOOTBALL VIEWING CENTER: In the contemporary African setting, having a satellite dish system at home used to be a luxury but with the emergence of DSTV, GOTV, STARTIMES, MYTV and other free-to air satellite stations, watching foreign Television programs has never eluded the Nigerian viewers again. Soccer being a unifying sport has created an avenue for prospect in viewing centers, people love to watch football where they could shout, argue and make fun or jests of other club supporters. Although it is not an everyday business but the weekly income from viewing center could take care of the basic necessities required in the family, all you need is space that can accommodate up to 50 viewers, get a DSTV Dish and decoder, set of TVs and speaker unit for public attention. You can add refreshments such as biscuits, gala, soft drinks to balance the equation. You can start with as low as N200K-N500K capital.SECOND HAND MATERIALS : Second-hand materials either from abroad or locally sourced can often be bought cheaply at private sale, from markets and side-street secondhand market like GATA NKOWA in Abule-Egba Lagos, Lawanson, Computer Village, Vespa market, Alaba Market, ASPAMDA, etc. and through classified advertisements in E-commerce website such as OLX, TRADESTABLE, NAIRALAND, etc. The goods/items can be displayed on free advert platforms, it could also be displayed in a Vehicle whether stationary or moving-across-town, the goods usually comes with lower price value compared to brand new ones. You can start this business with a little capital such as N10,000 or less.PROOFREADING: A lot of publishing houses, independent writers seek the service of proof readers; some of them will prefer the service of part-time proofreaders since they cannot afford to pay the monthly salary of full-time proof readers. Make sure you have lists of script-writers, Article writers, story-book writers for children in your database, and get in touch with publishing houses; it is important that you advertise your service in a local newspaper, on social media, in an electronic medium, etc. All you need to get started is your skill in proofreading scripts.A SMALL POULTRY: Poultry is a business you can start from your backyard with 50 to 500 bird, which cost between N10, 000, to N100,000 depending on cash at hand, these amounts include cost of bird, the pen, feed and medication, Get somebody who is experienced to help you set up the pen. You can source woods directly from sawmill to lower the cost. Waste management in poultry is very vital, if not properly handled it will affect the growth, production, and bird performance whatever aspect of poultry you intend to go into is profitable. A single bird can give you an average of 730 eggs within 2years before you sell it off for say N500 or N600. Target your harvest towards the festive periods such as Easter, EID-il-Kabir, Eid-il-Fitri, and Christmas and New Year celebrations.CANDLE STICKS PRODUCTION: With erratic power supply in the country, there is no doubt that production of candlestick is a money-spinner. A sizable group of Nigerians still relies solely on candle sticks to battle the erratic power supply. With N10, 000 you can have a candle mold, which produces 16 candle sticks at a time and go about 50 times a day translating into 800 per day. This is a situation when you are starting with N20, 000-25,000, to produce the 16 pieces does not take you more than 10 minutes; throw in another wax, which you must have melted. While the previous one congeals and go on and on. So instead of starting with N100,000 - N200, 000, you can actually start with N25, 000.The startup requirements are mold, which cost N10,000, wax N1,000, Thread N1,000, heart source N600, Packaging Nylons N1,500, Ceiling Machine N2,000 and logistics.SNAIL FARMING: Snail meat has been generally affirmed as a very safe and nutritious delicacy. In these days of increased coronary implications and other health issues, snail –producers are certain to hit it big because many people are shunning away from beef or red meat. It is also pleasing to note that snail production venture could be kick-started with a little initial capital of N15,000K. The best period to commence snail rearing is the raining season however if you have access to borehole or nearness to swampy environment, snail can be reared anytime of the year. You can get these snails from the market throughout the country, or from snail farmers. Snails prices depends on the sizes, the bigger ones are sold for between N1, 500-N3, 500 per bunch. It is better to buy the big ones because they can hatch after about 35- 45 days. About N15, 000 should get a new entrant started in the businesses. Visit Hotels, eateries, bukkateria, corporate offices, schools, catering schools, Government offices, etc and advertise your produce through pamphlets,handbills,fliers,etc.ESATE MANAGER: Owners of apartments and houses are most often willing to pay 5% of the rent as commission to agent who will collect monthly rents, place income in the bank, superintend maintenance and show people over vacant flats. Some people make good income from this arrangement, managing several blocks of serviced apartments/flats in private and commercial areas such as Ikoyi, Lekki, Victoria-Island, Ikeja GRA, Abuja, Port-Harcourt, Lagos-Island,etc. You can leverage on referrals, family and friends who have properties but doesn't have the time managing the estate themselves. You also do not need to have any capital to start this venture.PLANTAIN CHIPS: Plantain chips are probably the fastest moving consumer goods in Nigeria after Bottle water and Sachet pure-water. After removing the skin/peels, the unripe or ripe plantain fruit can be sliced/diced (1 or 2 mm thick) and fried in oil to produce chips, packed in polythene and bagged for distribution. If the chips are made from sweeter fruits, they are cut vertically to create a variation know as plantain strips. Just make sure you put your label which will have your contact address, phone numbers, name of your venture. The more you produce the more money you make, because majority of Nigerians love plantain chips. This business can be kick-started with N10,000.START AN AQUARIUM BUSINESS: An aquarium business is a great backyard-based business idea. Two common directions taken by people here are fish breeding and aquarium maintenance services. An aquarium business is not just a skill-based business. It requires a decent investment in equipment because most people who want to buy an aquarium will want choices. You need to present to the client various options such as a small, round or rectangular aquarium that has a corner of a room or a small aquarium that can be fitted into the wall, and others. You can charge as much as N20, 000 to N100, 000. Pick an idea now, execute your plan, and earn money with a business you love. You can liaise with furniture showrooms, horticulturists, landscapers, Interior Decorators, Building contractors, etc about your service. With an initial set-up cost of N100,000K, you will never regret venturing into an Aquarium business.SPECIAL EVENTS/PARTY ORGANIZER: Pubs are more frequently offering entertainment these days, but the Owners don’t always have the time or inclination to organize it. So, your business idea is this. Find an attractive pub or event arena, and offer to organize a weekly party or live shows such as comedy, Talent hunt, Exhibitions, etc. The arrangement would be that you organize the show and charge admission/gate fee. The Owner of the outlet rents you the space/hall/ground/facilities for either a fee or for free, but he keeps all the profits from the extra food and drink sold. Once the agreement is made, the work is easy. Provide music, etc, perhaps by a good DJ. Promote the event as much as you have the capacity and have tickets sold. The facility owner would, no doubt, be happy with the extra takings. A friend of mine once packaged a VALENTINE GROOVE in Feb 2015 already, the facility owner agreed to give out his Hall out for free, my friend also arranged all upcoming artiste in the environ to come showcase their talents, different service provider like ASUN BERBEQUE,FISH BERBEQUE, SMALL CHOPS, SHAWARMA, POPCORN, ICE-CREAM Vendors volunteered to take part in the publicity for the show. It therefore means that my friend was able to organize this show with next to nothing in terms of capital. This event could be a regular show or seasonal, and it could also be a one-off at very little risk to see how it goes. It undoubtedly works because it is merely a way of sub-contracting something out to the mutual benefit of all stakeholders.CAMPUS/SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPHY: This is a good idea for anyone with an interest in photography, or someone who knows someone interested in photography. Quite simply, campus/school photographers are still very popular till date. As a part time business, you can offer to do it cheaper than the regular Professional photographers reason being that many students will want to keep memories of their campus activities. Contact schools, both private and Government owned in your area of proximity and put your proposition to the Directorate of Student Affairs. Once you registered with the School management with an intent to operate in the school, you will be required to pay some fees and complete an application form as an operator of such business in the school premises. Usually students enjoy as much as 50% discount as against what is obtainable outside campus. Through repeated sales and turnover, you can graduate to real professional photographer whereby you apply for bigger jobs outside. You can equally apply to private Crèche, Nursery, Primary and Secondary schools for an arrangement to be their school photographer once there is need for such. Luckily, if you have the knack for photography, this is a sure bet business, even without capital to invest in professional cameras you can rent or borrow.VIDEO COVERAGE SERVICE: Offering a video coverage for special occasions is a profitable venture. Many young brides lately want a living memento of their wedding-day. N100k-N250k can be realized for 1-6 hours work if you get packaging right. Get acquainted with the latest Video graphic programs and technologically-advanced ways of creating a 'movie like' video service. You can borrow a Camera for a fee of between N10K – N25K depending on how latest its technology is. Just start with family and friends at the initial stage of the business then gradually progress to the big market using your previous experience.TOY MAKING: The local toy industry is becoming keenly interested, gone were the days when 99% of toys are imported from overseas market, recent study has shown the strong initiative in developing local contents in toy productions, our local toys are also in high demand both locally and abroad, the humor in African folks and tricks favors this genre of technology, games, game boards, masks, educational toys, models, puppets and other types are fancifully created to serve as income earner. Visit the beach side, amusement parks, Stadium complex, Trade-Fairs, Swimming pool side, etc. and see many attractive toys produced locally. With little capital of about N20K you can venture into this business.GSM PHONE REPAIRS SERVICES: This is another highly profitable small business. Some I.T firms even offer to train people on GSM repairs for free. Also there are different software on how to repair, fix and troubleshoot any phone, your ability to handle simple working tools is all its needed to excel in this field of endeavor. As GSM is widely used in Nigeria with almost 100million GSM phone users across the country, so is the income potential is unlimited. Alternatively, GSM repairing course is offered by some professional engineers, why not enroll for the training and start making steady income daily.HOUSEHOLD ELECTRONIC REPAIRS SERVICE: Hardly would you come by a household in Nigeria which does not possess an electronic gadget. Electronic Items such as T.V, Radio, Electric cooker, Fan, blenders, microwave oven, mower, vacuum cleaner, etc abound everywhere. As a matter of fact, many of these items will develop a fault at one point or the other, if you are the type that always derive passion in repairing gadgets like these it is a good spare-time business as there are useful manuals on the subject or enroll for the training under a trained electrician.INSURANCE BROKERAGE AGENT/SELLING INSURANCE POLICIES: This is growing enormously and the future market is very great. Most insurance companies have training facilities for agents who are mostly paid on commissions. Men and Women act as sole proprietor, operating their own business in their own time, the opportunity to earn is limitless as long as the policy is still active and the premium is paid you will continually receive your commission as agent. Many Insurance firms are willing to put you through their working operations in order for you to succeed as the arrangement is a mutually benefiting one.

Need a Business Idea? Here are 55NEXT ARTICLEThe 15 Most Profitable Small-Business Industries in 2016Next ArticleImage credit: EntrepreneurThe Staff of Entrepreneur Media, Inc.•Entrepreneur StaffThis article has been excerpted from 55 Surefire Home Based Businesses You Can Start for Under $5,000 by Entrepreneur Press & Cheryl Kimball (2009).Today, tens of thousands of people are considering starting a home based business, and for good reasons. On average, people can expect to have two and three careers during their work life. Those leaving one career often think about their second or third career move being to their own home. People who have been part of the traditional nine-to-five work force and are on the verge of retiring from that life are thinking of what to do next. The good news: Starting a homebased business is within the reach of almost anyone who wants to take a risk and work hard.$1,500 or less to start up1. ACCOUNTANTExperience, training or licensing may be neededCreate a flier outlining your services. Before you do that, you need to know what those services will be. Do you want to simply do bookkeeping for a small business? A more involved level of accounting would be do actually work up balance sheets, income statements, and other financial reports on a monthly, quarterly, and/or annual basis, depending on the needs of the business. Other specializations can include tax accounting, a huge area of potential work. Service companies like Due.com assisted freelancers with payments. Many owners don't mind keeping their own day-to-day bookkeeping records but would rather get professional help with their taxes.2. BICYCLE REPAIRIn many parts of the country, this business tends to be seasonal, but you can find ways around that. Rent a storage unit and offer to store people's bicycles over the winter after you do a tune-up and any needed repairs on them. If you want to cater to the Lance Armstrong wannabes, you can have business all year round. These road race riders are training through snow, sleet and dark of night. Some of them work on their own bicycles, but many of them don't, so you can get their business all year. And if you keep Saturday shop hours, you can be sure you will have a group of enthusiasts coming by to talk all things cycling.3. BOAT CLEANINGExperience, training or licensing may be neededBoats that are hauled out of the water for the winter or even just for mid-season repairs will need the hull cleaned. And depending on the type of boat, it is a good time to give a major cleaning everything else too--the decks, the sleeping quarters, the head, and the holds. Start by approaching homes that have a boat sitting in the yard. Or you could market your services to the marina to contract you to do the boat cleaning it offers to customers.4. BUSINESS PLAN SERVICEHas expansion possibilitiesOffer a soup-to-nuts business plan, including market research, the business plan narrative and the financial statements. Plan your fee around the main one that the client will want and offer the others as add-on services. You can give clients an electronic file and allow them to take it from there, or you can keep the business plan on file and offer the service of tweaking it whenever necessary. Have business plan samples to show clients--and make sure to include your own!Read This: Write Your Business Plan by The Staff at Entrepreneur Media | Amazon | eBooks.com | Barnes & Noble5. CHIMNEY SWEEPLearning to be a chimney sweep may mean nothing more than apprenticing with someone already in the business. By becoming a chimney expert, you can combine a chimney sweep business with a chimney inspection service--covering more than just whether or not the chimney needs cleaning but whether the chimney is in good working order or in need of repair.6. CLEANING SERVICEThere are many directions you can take this business. If you want to work during hours when no one else does, you can focus on office clients. You can focus on retail businesses and keep your customers clumped into one or two blocks. Restaurants are in great need of daily thorough cleaning and can be a great source of steady clients. Perhaps you would be more interested in house cleaning. Many times with cleaning services you don't have to spend lots of money on advertising or marketing because your customers will come by word of mouth.Read This: Start Your Own Cleaning Service by Entrepreneur Press and Jacquelyn Lynn | Amazon | eBooks.com | Barnes & Noble7. COMPUTER REPAIRExperience, training or licensing may be neededStudy the main types of software that system users will want--word processing, photo manipulation software, mail merge, spreadsheet, design and especially security software. Investigate all the components--monitor types in all their varieties; keyboards, from wired to ergonomic to wireless; mouse types; as well as peripheral components like printers and scanners. Become completely familiar with all the ISPs (internet service providers) available in the market area you plan to cover. Establish yourself as the guru who can meet the needs of the personal computer user, the small business or a larger corporation.8. CONSULTANTHas expansion possibilitiesTo be a consultant, you need to have an expertise in something so you can market yourself as an advisor to others looking to work in that area. Perhaps you managed several large warehouses in your career with a drugstore company, you did all the marketing for many years for a large shoe manufacturer or you set up a chain of beauty supply shops or take-out restaurants. You can use this experience to help others do similar things without making the same mistakes that you made along the way.Read This: Start Your Own Consulting Business by Entrepreneur Press and Eileen F. Sandlin | Amazon | eBooks.com | Barnes & Noble9. DOG WALKINGExperience, training, or licensing may be neededDog walkers take pooches out for their daily constitutional one or more times a day, either individually or in small groups. In some cities across the United States, like New York, dog walking alone can be a booming business. But it's actually more common for dog walkers to offer additional services, including playing with and feeding pets, bringing in newspapers and mail, and turning lights on and off.Read This: Start Your Own Pet Business and More by Entrepreneur Press and Eileen F. Sandlin | Amazon | eBooks.com | Barnes & Noble10. EBAY ASSISTANTDo you have items lurking around your household that you could sell on eBay? Figure out your asking price and decide whether to auction it or put it in your eBay store. Then decide if you want a minimum bid and how long you want the auction to last. You will want to establish a PayPal account to use for transactions. The eBay website provides all the information you need to know to get up and running with an eBay business. Chatbots are offering creative new ways to help businesses with these functions.Start Your Own Freight Brokerage Business, 5th EditionBy: The Staff of Entrepreneur Media, Inc.Buy FromEntrepreneur Voices on Strategic ManagementBy: The Staff of Entrepreneur Media, Inc.Buy FromEntrepreneur Voices on Effective LeadershipBy: The Staff of Entrepreneur Media, Inc.Buy FromStart Your Own Etsy BusinessBy: The Staff of Entrepreneur Media, Inc.Buy FromStart Your Own Nonprofit Organization, 2nd EditionBy: The Staff of Entrepreneur Media, Inc.Buy FromStart Your Own Freight Brokerage Business, 5th EditionBy: The Staff of Entrepreneur Media, Inc.Buy FromEntrepreneur Voices on Strategic ManagementBy: The Staff of Entrepreneur Media, Inc.Buy From12345Read This: eBay Business All-in-One For Dummies by Marsha Collier | Amazon | eBooks.com | Barnes & NobleFrom Editorial Services to Household Organizer11. EDITORIAL SERVICESHas expansion possibilitiesHere are some of the editorial services you can provide from the quiet of your own home:Copyediting. This is where fact checking takes place, and where grammatical, stylistic and typographical errors are caught.Proofreading. This is the last stop for a "finished" piece. The proofreader makes sure the copyediting changes have been properly made and no new errors are created in the process.Indexing. There are indexing courses available and you can get indexing software.Developmental editing. A developmental editor works with a manuscript on big-picture things like organization and content issues.Book doctoring. This is an editorial service provided for manuscripts written by experts. They create a manuscript as best they can and then a book doctor puts it into publishable shape.Ghost Writing. As a ghost writer, you actually do the research and write the book and someone else's name is attached as the author.Copywriting. Also known as business writing, this is writing that promotes a product or a service.Book writing. Do you have an expertise in something professional, such as accounting or interior decorating? Or personally, like knitting? Why not write a book about it?Magazine article writing. Magazines and newspapers are a great way to get your writing published before tackling the daunting task of writing a whole book.Web page content provider. Providing content for a web site is a good way to make some money writing.Read This: Start Your Own Freelance Writing Business and More by Entrepreneur Press and George Sheldon | Amazon | eBooks.com | Barnes & Noble12. ELECTRONICS REPAIRHas expansion possibilitiesThis business is similar to the computer repair business, but you will take on all sorts of electronic equipment besides just computers. With smaller electronics, you will need to be prepared to have customers bring their repair projects to you, as you would have difficulty recovering the cost of driving around picking up broken equipment and returning it. You may also want to encourage people to give you their old electronics so you can use them for parts.13. EVENT PLANNINGHas expansion possibilitiesOne of the first things you need to do is visit every potential event location with which you plan to work. Work with the marketing manager to tour each site and learn what is available at each location. Start a database that will allow you to sort venues by varying features--the number of people each site holds, if there is AV equipment available on site, will you need to arrange for rental chairs, etc. Then when you are beginning to plan an event with a client, you can find out what the key parameters are for the event and easily pull up the three or four sites that meet the basic criteria. and engagement parties, etc.Read This: Start Your Own Event Planning Business by The Staff at Entrepreneur Media and Cheryl Kimball | Amazon | eBooks.com | Barnes & Noble14. EXPERT WITNESS SERVICEExperience, training or licensing may be neededOne way to make money in this field is by being an expert witness yourself. If you have an expertise that could be useful in legal cases, you can market yourself to attorneys to act as an expert witness. Another way to be active in the expert witness field is to play a sort of matchmaker, matching attorneys up with expert witnesses for their cases--either for the defense or for the prosecution. Expert witnesses for big money cases can be expected to fly anywhere to testify. There's no reason your database of witnesses can't be from all parts of the country.15. FINANCIAL PLANNERExperience, training or licensing may be neededTo start, you should go through the certification process so that you can label yourself a CFP (Certified Financial Planner). Your certificate shows that you have expertise and credibility, and this differentiation will help people choose you as their financial planner.16. FLEA MARKETHas expansion possibilitiesPeople love to spend weekends rummaging through tables full of other people's unwanted items, looking for treasures. Make sure to change your layout and put new stuff out for sale often. You want people to come back time and again to see what's new. You don't even have to have that much new stuff to make things look new. Just moving an item from a table to the top of a bookshelf might get it noticed, even though the item has been in your inventory since you first started having sales.Read This: Flea Market America: The Complete Guide to Flea Enterprise by Cree McCree | Amazon | Barnes & Noble17. GOLF COACHExperience, training or licensing may be neededLet the local public courses know about your coaching business. Cultivate relationships with the staff and encourage them to recommend you as a coach. Another place to look for customers is the corporate world. Golfing is a game that business people use to develop relationships outside the office. You do need to be a better than average golfer to develop a reputation as a golf coach. You also need to be a good teacher, know how to be motivational and be willing to work with many different types of people.18. HOME ENERGY AUDITORExperience, training or licensing may be neededAll homeowners are always on the lookout for ways to save on their utility bills. You can come to their aid by providing them with an audit of their house and giving them a breakdown of how they could accomplish real savings in heating, cooling and electrical use. You can go one step further and do the implementation and installation of some of your suggestions in their home yourself. Do a complete appliance audit, with efficiency ratings and calculations based on the age of the appliance. And don't forget the water heater!Read This: Toward a Zero Energy Home: A Complete Guide to Energy Self-Sufficiency at Home by David Johnston and Scott Gibson | Amazon | Indigo.ca | Barnes & NobleGetty Images | David Sacks19. HOME INSPECTIONExperience, training or licensing may be neededIn order to be successful, you will want to establish contacts with real estate agents who can recommend your services to customers. The home inspection field is one where you will need to do constant updating of your education and knowledge. New products are constantly coming out on the market--if you only know about decks made of wood, you will not know how to inspect and assess the new materials on the market, such as composites that are made to look like real wood. Also keep apprised of all safety updates of materials and issues with things like off-gassing, carbon monoxide production, and other chemical precautions.Read This: Start Your Own Home Inspection Service by Entrepreneur Press | Amazon | eBooks.com | Barnes & Noble20. HOUSEHOLD ORGANIZERHas expansion possibilitiesStart Your Own Freight Brokerage Business, 5th EditionBy: The Staff of Entrepreneur Media, Inc.Buy FromEntrepreneur Voices on Strategic ManagementBy: The Staff of Entrepreneur Media, Inc.Buy FromEntrepreneur Voices on Effective LeadershipBy: The Staff of Entrepreneur Media, Inc.Buy FromStart Your Own Etsy BusinessBy: The Staff of Entrepreneur Media, Inc.Buy FromStart Your Own Nonprofit Organization, 2nd EditionBy: The Staff of Entrepreneur Media, Inc.Buy FromStart Your Own Freight Brokerage Business, 5th EditionBy: The Staff of Entrepreneur Media, Inc.Buy FromEntrepreneur Voices on Strategic ManagementBy: The Staff of Entrepreneur Media, Inc.Buy From12345You can choose either to do the organizing work or to come in to a home and consult on the things the homeowner could do to better organize. Have a portfolio of different organizational scenarios in different rooms in the home and talk with the homeowner about the style he or she likes. Create checklists and questionnaires to understand how the family uses the home. Are the kids wildly busy with after-school activities? Or are they usually home after school and want access to their toys? Do they share rooms? All of these things will help you tailor an organizing plan and become the family hero.From Import/Export to Solar Energy21. IMPORT/EXPORT SPECIALISTExperience, training or licensing may be neededIf you don't already have work experience with importing and/or exporting, you will have a longer learning curve. You can start by learning the basics and hosting educational sessions to teach others what they need to know to get started in import/export. That alone would probably gain you your first couple of clients. If you keep going with educational seminars and expand your reach to outside your immediate region, you could probably develop a sufficient and ongoing customer base very quickly, but be careful not to outpace your learning curve!Read This: Start Your Own Import/Export Business by Entrepreneur Press and Krista Turner | Amazon | eBooks.com | Barnes & Noble22. INTERIOR DECORATORExperience, training or licensing may be neededMarket your talents to building contractors. People purchasing new homes can often be overwhelmed with the choices and possibilities in home decorating. Design some questionnaires for each major element and each major room in the house. Find out how the homeowner will use the home--are there children? Pets? Does the woman of the house wear high heels? Do the home's residents neglect to remove shoes? How will each room be used? Where might task lighting and ambient lighting be most appropriate?23. JEWELRY MAKINGExperience, training or licensing may be neededThere are many different ways of getting into the jewelry business and many different types of materials with which you can work. Working in metal will probably require the most in the way of specific tools. You need to be able to heat the metal to manipulate it, and you need metalworking tools to cut and engrave it. But there are many other materials that you can work with to make jewelry--glass, plastic, beads, feathers, even wood, to name just a few.Read This: Start Your Own Fashion Accessories Business by Entrepreneur Press and Eileen F. Sandlin | Amazon | eBooks.com | Barnes & Noble24. MARKETING COPY WRITERExperience, training or licensing may be neededIf you can write copy that gets people excited about purchasing what your client has to sell, you can make good money in this business. Unless you are highly experienced from working in the copywriting field, take a course. There are online courses or classes at community colleges and universities that can give you a leg up in getting savvy at writing copy for brochures, catalogs, advertising and, of course, marketing copy for the web.25. NOTARY PUBLIC/JUSTICE OF THE PEACEExperience, training or licensing may be neededIn most states in the U.S., a notary public is a state officer who is authorized to witness and attest to the legalities of certain documents by signature and stamping a seal. Most states require that you pass an exam and a background check. It costs very little to become a notary and your income from notary work is negligible. A justice of the peace typically performs wedding ceremonies. States have varying rules and procedures for becoming a JP and performing services. Becoming a JP and/or notary public does not cost much money. And it is not a big moneymaking venture! Many states set the fees you can charge for JP services. JPs can add additional fees, and often do, including travel and hourly rates for additional meetings such as rehearsals, other prep time and any special requests.26. PERSONAL CONCIERGEThis business is for someone who is supremely efficient and has the ability to make things happen. People who hire you will expect things when they want them and you need to be able to come through with not only what they want, but with a personal touch and a smile on your face. The most likely clients for a personal concierge service are top executives who find themselves at the office by 7 a.m. and are there most nights until 9 p.m., leaving them very little time to do all those things that often need to be done during those very hours.Read This: Start Your Own Personal Concierge Service by Entrepreneur Press and Ciree Linsenman | Amazon | eBooks.com | Barnes & Noble27. PERSONAL TRAINERExperience, training or licensing may be neededAdvertise your services in places where everyone goes, like restaurants and grocery stores. Having a website is a good idea--people want some privacy in their decision-making when it comes to getting fit. They can go to your website and determine if your approach to personal training is an approach that would work for them. It is important to emphasize the safety aspect of using a personal trainer. You can help clients get fit and avoid injury.Read This: Start Your Own Personal Training Business by The Staff of Entrepreneur Media and Cheryl Kimball | Amazon | Indigo.ca | Barnes & Noble28. PROPERTY MANAGEMENTYour job, in the case of rental units, will be to make sure the property is running smoothly. For seasonal properties, you will most likely spend your management time making sure the property is ready for seasonal visits and well-maintained when no one is around. If the owners go away for six weeks in the winter, the property manager makes regular checks on the property. You will be the contact number if the security system operator needs to contact someone about a breach in security.29. SMALL ENGINE REPAIRExperience, training or licensing may be neededMost community colleges offer some level of engine-repair courses. Another way to learn would be to take a part-time position at a repair shop or a rental facility where you could learn on the job, although you will want to be open about your plans. You should be prepared to work on push-behind lawn mowers, riding lawn mowers, generators, garden tools such as rototillers and edgers, chainsaws, wood chippers and snowblowers. You need to decide whether you'll want to take on bigger jobs, such as tractors, snowmobiles and ATVs; space may be your decision-maker.30. SOLAR ENERGY CONSULTANTExperience, training or licensing may be neededHas expansion possibilitiesAs a solar consultant, you can basically conduct a home inspection and give clients a report on their solar options for their particular home and site. This can range from full-fledged general solar installations that generate electricity to simple solar walkway lighting. You might want to start by working in a solar products company to become knowledgeable in the solar energy field. However, to be a consultant, it is often best not to be affiliated with any one company or product and be able to recommend products and options across the field of solar energy.Start Your Own Freight Brokerage Business, 5th EditionBy: The Staff of Entrepreneur Media, Inc.Buy FromEntrepreneur Voices on Strategic ManagementBy: The Staff of Entrepreneur Media, Inc.Buy FromEntrepreneur Voices on Effective LeadershipBy: The Staff of Entrepreneur Media, Inc.Buy FromStart Your Own Etsy BusinessBy: The Staff of Entrepreneur Media, Inc.Buy FromStart Your Own Nonprofit Organization, 2nd EditionBy: The Staff of Entrepreneur Media, Inc.Buy FromStart Your Own Freight Brokerage Business, 5th EditionBy: The Staff of Entrepreneur Media, Inc.Buy FromEntrepreneur Voices on Strategic ManagementBy: The Staff of Entrepreneur Media, Inc.Buy From12345Read This: Solar Energy: Technologies and Project Delivery for Buildings by Andy Walker | Amazon | Indigo.ca | Barnes & NobleFrom Tax Preparer to Graphic Design31. TAX PREPARERExperience, training or licensing may be neededMost tax preparation franchises offer courses, seminars, and training to get you ready to work for them. You will learn a lot about tax preparation while working for them before going out on your own. There is a lot of educational support out there to learn tax preparation and all its complexities. And there are lots of individuals and businesses willing to spend a few hundred dollars a year to have someone else prepare their taxes and keep watch for tax breaks or tax burdens on their behalf.32. TAXIDERMISTExperience, training or licensing may be neededToday's world of taxidermy isn't exclusive to preserving real specimens. Taxidermy also refers to recreating a specimen using completely artificial materials. Taxidermy schools where you can learn the trade are located almost throughout the country, typically as courses over several weeks specializing in certain levels of expertise, from beginner to master's level. Like any enterprise, there are taxidermy conventions that you can attend and learn about the latest techniques and materials.Getty Images | Jetta Productions33. UPHOLSTERINGIf you have a knack for sewing, upholstery repair might be a perfect business for you. One of the best ways to learn how to upholster is to get some discarded upholstered furniture and start tearing it apart. Many books and some videos are available to help you learn this trade. Often furniture ready for upholstering will also need repairs. Have a list available of furniture repair people you can recommend to your customers. Or you can take the piece in, have repair people you work with do this work for you, and add it to the overall cost. You can also learn to do this work, especially minor repairs, yourself.Read This: Spruce: A Step-by-Step Guide to Upholstery and Design by Amanda Brown | Amazon | eBooks.com | Barnes & Noble34. USED BOOK SALESAlmost everyone has a few boxes of books stashed away in the house somewhere. Why not make a business out of them? In order to gain customers--especially repeat customers--you will need to have some regular shop hours. Make your shop known for something-a specific category (or two) of books, having some first editions for sale, all paperbacks a dollar and all hardcovers two bucks, and/or a swap program. Maps, illustrations, postcards, greeting cards and magazines are good sidelines to include in your shop.35. WEDDING PLANNERYou will need to be up-to-date on wedding trends and fads, dress styles, color trends--almost everything under the sun! Offer your customers an ala carte menu of services, from helping pick flowers, the wedding gown and bridesmaid dresses to picking the venue and hiring the caterer. Before you open your business, shop at all the wedding shops, and even pretend you are a bride-to-be to see what kinds of services the wedding gown shop provides and how they treat potential customers. You need to know every detail of the business to give the accurate impression that you are the go-to person for anyone planning a wedding.Read This: Start Your Own Event Planning Business by The Staff of Entrepreneur Media and Cheryl Kimball | Amazon | eBooks.com | Barnes & Noble$1,500 to 3,000 to start up36. APPLIANCE REPAIRExperience, training or licensing may be neededEvery household has a number of appliances, large and small. You can work on your own or on contract with appliance stores to cover their warranty service calls--or, best of all, you can do some of each. Plan to start slow and build your customer base on recommendations and referrals based on work well done. Consider developing relationships with contractors to be the go-to person to install appliances in newly constructed houses.37. COMPUTER TRAININGExperience, training or licensing may be neededHas expansion possibilitiesIf you are proficient in both Macintosh and PC, you should offer training in both types of computers. You could probably make a living helping seniors learn how to use the internet and e-mail to keep in touch with their loved ones, who are now commonly spread around the country. Err on the side of caution in this business. People do not want to know all the details about what makes a computer work. If you overload them with information from the beginning by explaining bits, bytes, and megapixels, they will stick to their paper and pencil forever.38. DESKTOP PUBLISHERExperience, training or licensing may be neededYou can use desktop publishing software to create newsletters, magazines, books or even marketing materials. You can create the content for your desktop publications, or you can pay a writer to create the content for you. Alternatively, you can advertise your desktop publishing services to design and create newsletters and books for others with their content.39. FENCE INSTALLATIONSFences are everywhere. And they don't last forever, so they need to be repaired and replaced with a certain amount of frequency. The most common fence material is wood. However, vinyl has become a popular fence choice due to its longevity and relative freedom from maintenance. Wrought iron is another common fencing, especially in urban environments. You can have fun shopping for vintage wrought iron fencing at salvage yards.40. FREELANCE GRAPHIC DESIGNERExperience, training or licensing may be neededDespite the proliferation of the internet, print media is here to stay for the foreseeable future! Fliers, newsletters, magazines, information sheets, letters and advertisements are just a few of the types of print media that business hire freelancers to create for them. Websites and online advertising need graphic design services as well. Even if your expertise is only in design, offer the works for potential clients, including the editorial creation and the printing and even mailing of the final piece. You can line up regular freelancers for those parts of the job you can't do.Start Your Own Freight Brokerage Business, 5th EditionBy: The Staff of Entrepreneur Media, Inc.Buy FromEntrepreneur Voices on Strategic ManagementBy: The Staff of Entrepreneur Media, Inc.Buy FromEntrepreneur Voices on Effective LeadershipBy: The Staff of Entrepreneur Media, Inc.Buy FromStart Your Own Etsy BusinessBy: The Staff of Entrepreneur Media, Inc.Buy FromStart Your Own Nonprofit Organization, 2nd EditionBy: The Staff of Entrepreneur Media, Inc.Buy FromStart Your Own Freight Brokerage Business, 5th EditionBy: The Staff of Entrepreneur Media, Inc.Buy FromEntrepreneur Voices on Strategic ManagementBy: The Staff of Entrepreneur Media, Inc.Buy From12345Read This: Start Your Own Graphic Design Business by Entrepreneur Press and George Sheldon | Amazon | eBooks.com | Barnes & NobleFrom Gift Baskets to Rug Cleaning41. GIFT BASKET SERVICEHas expansion possibilitiesFinding a niche is the best way to start out in the gift basket business. Are you a dog lover, horse lover, or exercise guru who could put together baskets that hold the things that people with this interest would like? Do you already create a product that a gift basket could be built around? Have you made your own soaps for the past 10 years? A gift basket that included one or two of your soaps, hand lotion, a scrub brush and manicure kit could be a lovely basket to receive.Read This: Start Your Own Gift Basket Service by Entrepreneur Press and Cheryl Kimball | Amazon | eBooks.com | Barnes & Noble42. GRAFFITI REMOVALCreate an arsenal of cleaning products that can clean almost every kind of product (paint, chalk, markers) from every kind of surface (cement, wood, pavement). The best way to conduct a graffiti service is to offer a subscription-like arrangement. Once a month or whatever interval makes sense for your clients, go around to their property and clean off the graffiti. Charge them a monthly or quarterly fee and make it simple for everyone--they don't have to think about graffiti, and you just do your job.43. HAIRSTYLISTExperience, training or licensing may be neededHairstyling is a popular business that can be quite lucrative. Generally a home based hairstylist business is likely to be started by someone who has already has a cosmetology career and wants a change. If you already have your cosmetology training and license, and loads of experience under your belt working in a hairstyling salon, you probably have a following that will follow you right home without any hesitation.Read This: Start Your Own Hair Salon and Day Spa by Entrepreneur Press and Eileen F. Sandlin | Amazon | eBooks.com | Barnes & Noble4. HERBAL FARM STANDYou need to decide whether you will sell your herbs as live plants, picked or cut in bunches and packed, or dried. If you plan to market to cooks instead of gardeners, you will want to sell your herbs either fresh cut and packed in sealed bags, or dried and sold in baggies. You can also consider a "pick-your-own" arrangement; however, be aware that herbs are more delicate than most P.Y.O. products. You may save your garden a lot of strife and your plants a lot of wear and tear if you do the picking.45. LANDSCAPERExperience, training or licensing may be neededIf you have a knack for this type of work, a degree won't be necessary. Most people want their yards tidied up in the spring, their lawns mowed in the summer, their leaves removed in the fall, and their shrubs and driveways ready for winter snow. You will also want to offer garden work such as spring planting of annuals and perennials; vegetable garden preparation, planting and fall cleanup; pest control and watering. You can offer tree care service. There is plenty to do in the yard that has nothing to do with plants: stone wall restoration, fencing, irrigation system installation.Read This: Start Your Own Lawn Care or Landscaping Business by The Staff of Entrepreneur Media and Cheryl Kimball | Amazon | eBooks.com | Barnes & Noble46. MASSAGE THERAPISTExperience, training or licensing may be neededYou will want to become certified in massage therapy to be able to effectively market your services. Courses that lead to certification include not only information on human anatomy and physiology and the effects that massage has on both, but also on how to make a business out of the field of massage. You could do either a certification program or an associate's degree and stay within the $5,000 scope of this book.Read This: Start Your Own Day Spa and More by Entrepreneur Press and Preethi Burkholder | Amazon | eBooks.com | Barnes & Noble47. MOVING SERVICELots of people who are moving want to hire someone to do the heavy lifting for them. You can leave the large-scale, long-distance moving to the big moving companies. Your work can be the local, moving-across-town or to the town-next-door jobs. These are the ones that people start off thinking perhaps they could do themselves, and it will be your job to convince them otherwise. Your signs around town will tempt them to let you take care of that part of the move, while they are busy taking care of those other 500 items on their list.48. MUSIC LESSONSExperience, training or licensing may be neededYou want to stick to the instrument(s) you know, but you may be a skilled enough musician to offer lessons on several different instruments, or those in a particular class, e.g., stringed or woodwind.You can decide to take on individuals or classes, depending on space and availability of instruments. Public schools are continually reducing their commitment to art and music classes for students, so you can try to work with the public school system to supplement their efforts in those areas.49. PHOTOGRAPHERExperience, training or licensing may be neededMaking money as a photographer can be done in a number of different ways. You can specialize in one area, the most common being weddings. There are niches you can explore for photography: portraits of people and their pets, families, and homes; photographs of holiday events, birthday parties or Christmas cards; the possibilities are endless.Read This: Start Your Own Photography Business by Entrepreneur Press and Charlene Davis | Amazon | eBooks.com | Barnes & Noble50. RUG CLEANINGStart Your Own Freight Brokerage Business, 5th EditionBy: The Staff of Entrepreneur Media, Inc.Buy FromEntrepreneur Voices on Strategic ManagementBy: The Staff of Entrepreneur Media, Inc.Buy FromEntrepreneur Voices on Effective LeadershipBy: The Staff of Entrepreneur Media, Inc.Buy FromStart Your Own Etsy BusinessBy: The Staff of Entrepreneur Media, Inc.Buy FromStart Your Own Nonprofit Organization, 2nd EditionBy: The Staff of Entrepreneur Media, Inc.Buy FromStart Your Own Freight Brokerage Business, 5th EditionBy: The Staff of Entrepreneur Media, Inc.Buy FromEntrepreneur Voices on Strategic ManagementBy: The Staff of Entrepreneur Media, Inc.Buy From12345You will need to learn how to work with all kinds of carpet fabrics, from synthetic to wool carpets. Decide whether you will take on valuable antique carpets and family heirlooms; if so, you will want to get specialized training in how to handle these carpets and the specialized ways of cleaning them. Learn how to get tough stains and odors out of carpets--such as dog and cat odors--and your services will be in great demand.From Websites to Pet Sitting51. WEBSITE DEVELOPERExperience, training or licensing may be neededMany courses exist (many of which, logically, are offered online) where you can learn the language of website creation and can learn about the details, like how to set up shopping cart systems, security concerns, etc. You will, of course, need to learn about each company you design for. What is the atmosphere of the company that you need to reflect in the website design--is it wild and contemporary, meaning brilliant colors and fun graphics? Or will more classic colors like black, navy blue and maroon be more appropriate?Offer: Get a 10-day free trial to Lynda.com and learn web development – among many other topics and courses – anytime, anywhere.$3,000 to $5,000 to start up52. BED AND BREAKFASTDo you have a room that has its own bathroom and is private from the rest of the living space? Are you near attractions such as a tourist area, sports stadium or venue for a large annual event? Or is your home in the country with spring peepers, summer crickets and crisp fall nights that could give a city-dweller a weekend of peaceful living? Say you can rent the room for $150 a night for Friday and Saturday nights 48 weeks a year--that's $14,400 in revenue! Utilize what you have and create a unique experience.Read This: Start Your Own Bed and Breakfast by Entrepreneur Press and Cheryl Kimball | Amazon | eBooks.com | Barnes & Noble53. CHRISTMAS TREE SALESIf you want to start a Christmas tree farm, you need to plan ahead. It takes approximately seven years for a Balsam fir--perhaps the most traditional Christmas tree--to grow from a small sapling to a 5- to 6-foot tree. Selling your trees yourself is the best option. Consumers come to the property, pick the one they want, and you harvest it for them. The other option is to buy your trees from a wholesaler and sell them either in your yard or in a vacant lot that you rent from Thanksgiving to Christmas.54. DAY CAREExperience, training or licensing may be neededPerhaps you love children. Perhaps you have children of your own and the idea of taking care of a few more for part of the day appeals to you. Child-care needs continue to soar in the United States. Many people prefer the option of their child being cared for in a home environment while they are at work, opposed to a more institutional-like setting. These things mean that a homebased childcare business can get off and running immediately.Read This: Start Your Own Child-Care Service by The Staff of Entrepreneur Media and Jacquelyn Lynn | Amazon | eBooks.com | Barnes & Noble55. PET SITTINGExperience, training or licensing may be neededStarting a pet sitting service requires almost nothing in start-up costs. You do need some general credentials that will cost little or nothing to acquire. Your list of credentials should probably include personal pet ownership--if not currently, at least in the past--as well as other pet-related experience, including working at a pet food store, an animal hospital or other animal-related business. You will need to spend a little to become "bonded." This is known as "honesty insurance," and ensures your clients that you won't get their house keys and make off with their valuables (or that they'll get their money back if you do).i hope that could be more help

Let’s see you want some failed startup stories and lessons? I have quite a few of those! Let’s do chronological order.Fujitsu Nexion in 2000The company had just been acquired when I joined. They had a networking ADM that would aggregate and convert various protocols to use in an ATM ring. I found out after I joined that the product had been 5 years in development and my job was to find fit form replacements for over 200 components. They had been in “shipping in 3 months” mode for so long that it was a mess of band aid. But we were all excited because we had found out that our options had been converted to Pre-IPO shares of Fujitsu. Less than a year later we were told that Fujitsu decided to move all R&D out of North America and they were shutting down all 3 R&D groups. At least I got to keep my signing bonus.Lessons learned: Make sure that release to meet your market window. Options don’t mean anything if you can’t exercise them.Verilink in 2000-2001The startup was a spin-off of the parent company doing a FTTB solution. We had some additional financing from BU so we were in the Photonics Incubator. I was the first employee hired and I started the same day as the director level hires. It was great. We built a proof of concept and we were getting good press and the team went from 4 people to 50 people in 5 months. We were on fire and killing it. Then 9/11 happened. There was something that happened after 9/11 most people don’t know unless you were in the business; they banned the export of certain technologies. Our parent company built equipment so cellphone towers could connect to optical rings and had built up about $50 million in inventory for an order to China that they could not ship anymore. The president flew into Boston to tell us that we were shut down immediately other than 3 people to archive the research and shut down the office (I was one of the 3).Lessons learned: You can do everything right and still have a start-up fail do to a Black Swan.As anyone can tell you the job market sucked in 2002-2003. So I decided that I was going to make my first grab for the brass ring with my first time as founder. So I started working nights at a local Border’s Bookstore so I had money and health insurance and startedWaitronSystems from 2002 to 2004This was my first time as a Founder. I had the concept for a wireless POS system for streamlining order taking and food preparation as well as allowing for Big Data style data mining. I was developing the hardware and transition protocols and I had found a network guru for the server communication and a software guy to write our code. We split the equity in thirds and started working our butts off. For about 5 months when the network guy got offered a really lucrative contract and said he could split his time between us and the contract as it was only for 3 months and we could use the cash infusion. So we were cool with that. I started talking to potential customers and investors. Even had VCs interested at one point (if we got a functional prototype together). But then the software programmer decided that his relationship was getting serious and was thinking of settling down and wanted something more stable. So he took on a full time job. Then the contract the networking guy was working on converted to a full time job so he took that as well. So all of a sudden I was alone without the skills I needed to finish off the prototype.I moved in with my parents to conserve money and buy time to find new cofounders. Then the other shoe dropped. I only owned 33.3% of the company as we did not do founder vesting and the other co-founders would not give up their equity if I was still using any of the work they had done. I could scrap the company and start over from scratch or I could just stop working on it all together. So I tried to restart. But after working for 2 years I needed a break and I needed cash as I was in a relationship that was getting serious. So I let it go, got married and took on a full time job at another startup. I tried to restart working on it again a year later, but my heart wasn't in it anymore.Lessons learned: Makes sure that you Co-founders are as passionate about the company as you. Make sure that you do Founder vesting.(EDIT: ADDED MORE STORIES BY POPULAR DEMAND)The Petisserie in 2006: This is a little bit more of a small business then a startup technically. After our settling in period my wife and I got a puppy. She loved to make treats and toys for him and her cat. She decided that she wanted to start a gourmet organic pet gift basket business online. She had created over 20 custom treat recipes (some for dogs and some for cats) and I had built a business case that showed how we could be profitable and I filed the Trademark and LLC paperwork. We sold a bunch to friends and family and had just started to sell online in our local area (Albany, NY). We wanted to expand to flea markets and farmers markets when we hit a wall. To sell pet food in NY you had to have the Dept. of Agriculture review each of your recipes at a cost of a little over a thousand dollars each. You also had to have a certified kitchen. So it was gut check time. We talked it over and decided that we were not passionate about the business enough to spend the time or the money to make it economically feasible. We were both working days at separate startups and she decided that I should make a go of Waitron Systems again rather than get the Petisserie off the ground.Lessons Learned:Always know what regulatory bodies govern the space your startup is in. Make sure that your startup is something that you are passionate about before starting to pour a lot of time and money into it. A hobby is fine, but don’t think of it as a startup.Way Systems in 2007-2008: Do to wanting to start a family we left our respective startups to relocate to Boston, MA. I took a contract-to-hire position as a Sustaining Eng. Lab Manager for a company that was making a mobile PoS system (yes like Square) built into a mobile phone. They were well funded and had an impressive executive team. While working there the Founder (who was replaced as CEO) tried to have a shareholder revolt that removed the entire board of directors. For a week most of us had no idea what was going on at the top level. At the end of the week we were told that the founder had been barred from entering the offices ever again. I also discovered that there we a LOT of executives and that the burn rate was much higher than I thought and they had a much shorter runway than I thought. When my contract ended they offered me a full time position, but I declined to take a more “stable” job as a Sr. Engineer at Nortel Networks. (Yes my more stable company went bankrupt while I was there. Yes I was laid off. Just to show you never can tell.) Way Systems went under and had there assets bought for $9 million in 2010 by Veriphone (They raised over $50 Million).Lessons learned:VCs want to swing for the fences, not get base hits. If you take on to much dilution you become just another employee. Beware companies with too many chiefs and not enough Indians.Your Way Vitamins in 2008: My manager at Way Systems was a guy I got along great with and we both had the entrepreneurial bug. After my stint at Way was over he suggested Co-Founding an online subscription service that would have you fill out a few questionnaires and then build a custom vitamin profile just for you and then send you those vitamins by mail every month. I knew tech and had the domain knowledge. Came up with a logo and bought the domains first thing. Our wives also joined the team as my wife had HTML experience and customer support experience and his wife was a fitness instructor. We split up some of the starting duties with us wireframing the website and questionnaires while he worked up some common vitamin profiles for common issues. We had been talking and working for about a few months when we decided to have a big meeting to go over the work we had been doing (keep in mind I am the only who has put money in for domains and software to the tune of about $500.) I start looking over his vitamin profiles. Some of them have over 10 vitamins. So I ask how we are going to get someone to make a pill with all those in one pill. It turns out he intended to use vitamin packs and not get custom vitamins. Looking over the rest of his profiles I realize that there are some basic combinations that had over 20 pills a day in them! (Lack of energy and Weight loss together was something like 30.) So I start crunching the numbers after the meeting and realize that to make money that the subscription service would be something like $50-$100 per month for most people based on the test surveys. I bring this up to him and he says he spends that much a month on his vitamins and that he finds it to be perfectly reasonable. I have a gut check moment and site down with my wife to see if this is a business model we can really get behind. It’s not because we don’t think there are enough hardcore health addicts to support the business model. So we tell the other founders that we no longer have the time to work on the company and that we feel we don’t know the target market well enough. We all part on good terms.Lessons Learned: Make sure you and your Co-Founders are envisioning the opportunity the same way. Don’t be afraid to cut your losses early if you’re not 100% positive this is the right opportunity. Don’t be afraid to say no to something you think is a good opportunity, but not the right opportunity.And just so you don’t think it is all doom and gloom:GlobalSpec from 2004-2007: Vertical search engine for engineers. Acquired by HIS for $135 Million in 2012. The team was great there and they deserved it.Centennial Technologies in 2000: Memory OEM where I worked on a Bluetooth module for the Handspring Visor PDA. Acquired by Solectron 3 months after I joined. I was made redundant and it was by far my shortest stint at a company.