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followguide — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 07:12:07 +0000

Worker’s Compensation Consultant

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 09:16:21 +0000

Investment: $5,000 to $7,000

Salary: $45,000 to $65,000

Rates: $1,500 to $3,000

Advertising: Website with information and tips, business associations and periodicals, networking and referrals.

To Qualify:: Ability to get the best Worker’s Compensation rates for your clients, experience in the insurance field.

Equipment: Cell phone, computer, printer, office furniture, business cards, stationary.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Insurance and membership dues.

Description: A worker’s compensation consultant is someone who helps companies reduce claims and ensure that the work place is safe for it’s employees. Worker’s compensation claims are often invalid or inflammatory, a worker’s compensation consultant is someone who investigates the claims to determine their validity as well as the company to ensure that proper safety policies and measures are in place. A worker’s compensation agent also reviews policies to make sure that they are effective and that the employees and company are properly covered. Insurance companies often will inflate worker’s compensation rates so a consultant will review these rates and find the best deals for the company and their staff.

Essentials: To start this business you will investigation tools and the ability to generate reports. Your office will need to have a computer and proper office furniture, printing equipment and necessary software. You will need to process reports for the company that are easy to read and understand and clearly show where the company can make improvements and organizes their rates and claims. You may be hired on retainer to manage all disability claims and payments. This is a great job as you will be assisting the company and helping them not be taken advantage of by insurance companies and dishonest employees. This job is also good for the employees who have legitimate claims as it help speed and assist the filing process.

To Succeed: In order to gain the reputation and experience needed for this line of work, you will need to have worked with other worker’s compensation consulting firms or with a larger company, before you start working independently. When you do have the expertise to branch out on your own, you will need to be able to craft understandable reports, conduct thorough investigations that produce results which serve the client’s need to reduce their claims and find fraud. You many not be liked by everyone, because you will be giving recommendations to both sides the compensation fence, as you find improvements for companies to implement and deny fraudulent claims. On the positive side of the business you will be helping truly disabled workers get their benefits, reduce rates for their employers and make the work environment a safer more productive place.

Word Processing Service

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 09:15:35 +0000

Investment: $5,000 to $15,000

Salary: $30,000 to $45,000

Rates: $5 to $10/page

Advertising: Yellow pages, direct mailings, college bulletin boards, website with services and rates listed.

To Qualify: Be able to type fast and accurately around 65 to 75 words a minute

Equipment: Computer, word processing software, high speed internet, printer, copy machine, fax, scanner, telephone.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Equipment and software

Description: Many companies, college students and publishing houses will need word processes to create documents and take over flow work. If you can type fast, efficiently and meet deadlines, word processing will be a great job for you. You may also want to offer data processing, such as spread sheets and cataloguing information. Companies are scaling back their administrative work forces and freelance, on call word processing staff are often vital to document production. College students, especially law and social arts students have term papers and dissertations to create and often use word processing services to professionally transcribe hand written or disoriented notes into clean professional papers.

Essentials: If you already own a computer and laser printer your only real start up expenses will be advertising and getting the word out about your services. You will be charging $5 to $10/page so look for work that will be profitable for you in the long term. After you have done a few jobs, you will know which ones are the best suited for you and your time schedule.

To Succeed: Word processors run the risk of under pricing their work, so make sure that you charge more for hand written documents and difficult spread sheets. If you love to work on the computer are fast typist and enjoy connecting with various written projects, word processor will be a great way to either make extra money or earn a fulltime income.

Window Treatment Specialist

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 09:14:59 +0000

Investment: $1,000 to $5,000

Salary: $25,000 to $35,000

Rates: $20 to $30/hour

Advertising: Market to interior designers, fabric and drapery shops, online and local classified ads, local phone directory, coupon mailing and direct mailing to residents.

To Qualify: Sewing skills and the ability to measure window spaces.

Equipment: Commercial sewing machines

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Expensive materials

Description: With new housing developments, home buyers and interior designers, window treatments are always in demand. You can make a career of sewing drapes, valances and swags, that are custom made to suit your client’s needs. If you also learn to fit blinds, shades and screens, you will have a full service window treatment business. How you choose start your business is up to you. If you partner with drapery and fabric shops as well as local interior designers you may find that you have more than enough work. All you need is an industrial sewing machine and the space with work with large amounts of fabric. The best idea is carry a swatch book, portfolio and design catalogue with you when you are meeting with clients and together you can create a look that will fit the window and room style.

Essentials: You will need a professional sewing machine and advertising to get started so expect your start up investment to be in the $1,000 to $5,000 range. You can put ads in the local yellow pages, coupon mailings and classified ads, you will also want to reach out to local interior designers and offer to do their custom draperies. The more detailed and beautiful your work the more you will be known for your unique specialty business.

To Succeed: Create brochures and business cards that reflect your expert abilities as a drapery designer and place them in fabric shops, coffee houses and local gathering spots you will never know who needs draperies made. If you are creative and love to sew, you will be able to make beautiful drapes, swags and valances and arrange them in a way that makes a statement. After the first year, you should start to see steady income from your craft and labor.

Website Developer

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 09:14:12 +0000

Investment: $2,000 to $3,000

Salary: $15,000 to $150,000

Rates: $500 or more per website

Advertising: Website with an amazing presentation of your skills, word of mouth, banner ads on other related websites, trade journals, bulletin boards, online and local classified ads.

To Qualify: Knowledge of HTML, computer graphics and design skills, marketing experience.

Equipment: Computer, high speed internet, web creation software, digital camera, scanner, graphics design software, telephone, fax and printer, business cards.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Keep in with your website and marketing.

Description: Today a website is an absolute essential for most businesses and web designer has become one of the hottest jobs on the market. The web and graphics technology is rapidly advancing and so if you are web proficient and can work HTML to great dynamic, interactive web experiences, then website design is for you. This is highly creative and technical field that has infinite possibilities. You will meet with your clients and find out their web needs, it may be as simple as a description of their business and contact information or as complex as creating different marketing links, chat rooms and forums, streaming video and photographs etc. You should be prepared to create a website for a whole range of web needs.

Essentials: The most important investments when starting a web designing business is a high end graphics computer, high speed internet access and graphics and web design software. You will also need to market your services, so create your own visually enticing website that truly reflects some of your design capabilities. Marketing and finding clients, may be a challenge at first, but understand that most businesses and often people, such as writers, lawyers, quilter, need websites, so it is only a matter of finding the clients to service. As soon as you have, set your fees at a competitive rate and try offering an updating and maintenance contract to keep you earning money on the website.

To Succeed: To succeed in the web design business, you will need to be cutting edge, keep up to date on new software and technology as well as stay creative and energized. Today most web designers are just trying to out “wow” each other, but also be able to listen to your client’s needs; fancy, spinning, graphics heavy web sites with long introduction pieces don’t always work for every company or individual so have the skills to tailor your work to fit your client’s needs. The best means of success in the web design business is continually be professional and innovative, you will make more money if you are simply the best.

Videographer

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 09:13:29 +0000

Investment: $5,000 to $10,000

Salary: $30,000 to $95,000

Rates: $50 to $75/hour or $1,500/day

Advertising: Website with event videos, films etc. brochures and flyers, wedding consultants, shows and bridal magazines, direct mailings to event planners and corporate publicity and marketing departments.

To Qualify: Must have extensive knowledge of cinematography, editing and current editing software.

Equipment: HD or 3-chip video camera, lighting and sound packages, graphic computer with DVD creation, video and sound editing, DLS internet, phone, fax machine, printer, cell phone.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Errors and omission insurance, maintaining and updating your software and equipment.

Description: Whether it is a wedding, Bar mitzvah, corporate sales meeting or info web piece, videographers are a necessity. Almost any event that needs to be memorialized needs a videographer. You will be required to shoot the event from many angles and capture as much as possible in a professional and interesting way. It is helpful if you have an eye for framing and tracking movement as you do not want your videos to look shaky or spin, as this will be very unsatisfactory to your clients. You must have expert abilities with your camera and be able to carry it for hours. The camera is often heavy and the lighting equipment cumbersome, so be prepared to be on your feet most of the day. Since most events are held throughout the community, be prepared to be on the road a lot and to put in long hours as some events, such as weddings with reception and good byes, can last up to 10 hours.

Essentials: You will need a high end or high definition video camera, that is a professional quality, which will cost anywhere from $2,000 to $8,000. You will also need an Mac or high end graphics computer and professional editing software as well as a lighting package and large boom microphone. Depending on the number of videographers in your area you may or may not have a lot of competition in this field as it is a highly specialized industry and takes cinematography and editing skills.

To Succeed: Upgrading your software and equipment is really important as you will want to stay current to stay competitive. This will mean you that you have to keep track of the industry and the current software and equipment trends. Also you will need to be highly creative as getting people to open up at parties and events can be a challenge and your job is to preserve the fun or informative nature of the event. Another form of videography on the rise is producing How To Videos for How To websites. This can be fun supplemental money to your event videography business. Remember that this is a physically exhausting job that takes many hours shooting and many more editing, so do plan some down time as this kind of job is one people tend to burn out on, so pace yourself.

Vending Machine Service

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 09:12:47 +0000

Investment: $1,000 to $20,000

Salary: $20,000 to $35,000

Rates: $100 to $500/month per machine

Advertising: Direct mailing, ads in local yellow pages, solicit facilities managers of companies and large buildings.

To Qualify: Vending machine maintenance and sales ability.

Equipment: Vending machines and products to fill them, cell phone.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Payment of 10% commission to property owners.

Description: You will need to solicit facility managers to see what vending services they may need. For example a large business with a 24 hour staff may need a vending machine with “real food” fruits, salads, soups and sandwiches, or the break room of a smaller company may just need snacks and soda. Talk with the managers about their vending needs and survey the location to find the best spot to place the vending machine that will get the most foot traffic. You will be servicing and repairing machines as well as stocking them, so you will need a cell phone to stay in contact with facilities personnel who call with problems. Consider where you will purchase your stock to save the most money and schedule stocking days with the buildings you service.

Essentials: You have to purchase vending machines which will be a costly investment at the start up with each machine costing in the $1,000 to $3,000 range unless you buy them used, but make sure they are in good, clean working order. Once you have purchased your machines and service buildings there will be little added expenses outside of stocking and labor. You may want to change your inventory of snacks and vending items as often the staff will get bored of the same offerings.

To Succeed: The best places to put vending machines is in large factories and remote companies with little access to quick dining. If you do service a large facility, keep in mind that you will have to maintain the machines everyday and once a week for smaller locations. The vending machine business is a bit costly at the start up to buy your inventory of machines and snacks and you will have to make sales calls and market to the business industry, but once you have established your machines and they are all up and running, this will be a five day a week job that you will basically only need to maintain to generate a continuous income.

Vacuum Cleaner Repair

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 09:12:09 +0000

Investment: $5,000 to $15,000

Salary: $25,000 to $40,000

Rates: $45 to $150/repair

Advertising: Local phone directory, newspapers, online and local classified ads, community bulletin boards and direct mailing.

To Qualify: Knowledge about vacuum repair and machinery

Equipment: Vacuum parts, systems, casings etc.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Shipping

Description: Vacuums can see a lot of wear and tear, especially if their owners have pets or children. Instead of replace expensive vacuum cleaners, it is better to have them cleaned and serviced. This is a good marketing angle for you to take as the low price of some vacuums these days may have your clients wanting to purchase a new vacuum instead of fixing the old one. In your mailers, coupon ads and yellow pages ads, tell your clients that cleaning and repair extend the life of your trusty vacuum. Offer a free diagnosis and maintenance check up for new customers and carry a supply of vacuum bags and parts, such as rubber rings, wheel casings and bumper guards so that people can buy directly from you, when having their vacuum serviced.

Essentials: You can either set up shop in your home or in a store, there are advantages to both options. In your home, your overhead will be low, but so too will your visibility, so you will have to market heavily and decide if you want people dropping off their vacuums to you or you picking up and delivering them and at what charge or offer both options. If you open a store front you will have to pay for rent, but if you find a high traffic location, you may save on advertising and you will have a general location for vacuum cleaner drop off and pick up, also it may be easier to sell your supplemental products for added income.

To Succeed: Offer routine cleaning, service and repair of vacuums and you will have an endless stream of customers as vacuums are a necessity and replacing them is often more costly than cleaning or repairing them. You may want to buy used vacuums and refurbish them for sale. This might be a nice supplemental income as well as selling vacuum parts and accessories. However you choose to set up shop, you will want to be friendly and trustworthy with your clients as they will give you repeat business year after year. You also might want to create a customer database and send out Christmas cards with cleaning reminders on them or other seasonal promotional items to your customers.

Vacation Rentals Broker

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 09:11:22 +0000

Investment: $500 to $1,000

Salary: $45,000 to $60,000

Rates: 10% to 15% commission

Advertising: Ads in real estate magazines, online and local classified ads, ads in the local phone directory, a website with vacation rentals, booking options and pricing.

To Qualify: Experience in real estate rentals, communication and organization skills.

Equipment: Office furniture, computer, internet, website, fax, printer, telephone, cell phone

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Insurance

Description: Many people buy second, vacation homes and use them only a few weeks of every year and rent them out the rest of the time. However, the hassles that in are intrinsic to renting properties are something they would better leave to you. As a vacation rental broker you will be finding renters, handling the rental agreements and making sure that everything is ready for the renter’s arrival and not damaged or destroyed upon their departure. Rental brokers also collect the rent and arrange for cleaning, gardening and linen services to maintain the property. You will make a commission on each rental property you represent. The best way to present your business is to have a website with pictures of the property inside and out and a description of the area where the property is located as well as rates and an online booking option.

Essentials: You won’t need to invest too much money other than advertising costs to start your vacation rental business. You will want your website to be updated and create an enticing look at each property, during slow periods you may want to offer discounts or other incentives as people may choose a vacation rental during a slow time of the season if they can get a deal they may chose to rent the property and renting at a discount is much better than having the property sit empty.

To Succeed: If you live in an area with a lot of vacation homes, like a small resort town, think of posting flyers with pictures of the best properties you represent with a contact number and website information around town in café windows, grocery stores and boutiques. As soon as you have developed a reputation, vacationers will probably come back year after year. It is up to you, but the more accessible and friendly you seem to renters, the more they will want to rent from you. Often it is not only the location but the experience that vacationers are looking for, so the better you make their stay, the more apt they are to return.

Used Computer Sales

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 09:10:40 +0000

Investment: $5,000 to $15,000

Salary: $5,000 to $100,000

Rates: 50% of the sales price

Advertising: Telemarketing, word of mouth, website with estore of used and refurbished computers, online and local classified ads.

To Qualify: Sales skills and computer experience

Equipment: Computer, internet, website, fax, printer, office furniture, business card and stationary.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Buying and refurbishing computers

Description: Because of the rapid advances in technology, business often will need full system upgrades, which means selling their used computers for new ones. Your job will be to broker the used items and act as a liaison between seller and buyer. Your first challenge in starting this business is identifying computers for sale, the next is selling them. This is a business that you can operate entirely online. You will need to know how to fix computers and understand glitches and hardware issues, since the used computers may be in various states of repair. Since most of the computers are still in working condition and will be sold at a greatly reduced rate, they are good for students, individuals who are not looking to spend a lot of money and small businesses. This can actually be a very profitable business for you if you are able for find a steady stream of sellers and buyers.

Essentials: You will need to consider the expense in advertising, storage space for all of the inventory and buying the used computers. Your start up investment will be at least $10,000 to start this venture. This, however, would be a great business if you are connected to companies that are constantly upgrading their systems and have good computers for sale often, then you can build a reputation of being the go to person for great refurbished products. If you have tremendous sales and marketing skills you can build a name for yourself and your business. Since you are receiving a percentage of the sale, what you negotiate as a selling price will greatly impact your income.

To Succeed: Most people don’t just want to throw away their computers just because they need to upgrade them. So in running this business you are actually providing a valuable service, especially for individuals who can’t spend thousands of dollars on a computer. Since computers and the internet are vital lifeline for most people today, they are a necessity but with new computers sell at over $1,500 a piece they can be cost prohibitive. Your company then, offers large companies an option of making money on their old computers and new buyers an opportunity to purchase a computer at a reasonable price. If you are able to find and work with both customer streams, you will find a lot of success in the used computer business.

Upholsterer

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 09:10:00 +0000

Investment: $150 to $1,500

Salary: $45,000 to $125,000

Rates: $75 to $400/piece

Advertising: Online and local classified ads, direct mailings, networking with furniture stores, interior designers and antiques dealers.

To Qualify: Upholstery skills, sense of design

Equipment: Upholstery tools, fabric books, workbench, telephone

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Spending too much time on one piece, tools and materials.

Description: When that couch has just seen it’s last days of wear or your Grandma’s favorite chair has just been passed down to you but is tacky and out of date, you call an upholsterer. Upholsterers breath new life into old furnishings, taking off the old materials and replacing them with new. Some items are worn and in desperate need of a new look. As an upholsterer you will be removing old upholstery, batting and glue and replacing it with new fabric of your client’s choosing. This can be a fun job seeing old items become new again and a lot of people choose to reupholster versus buy a new piece because the item either has sentimental value or is in good condition other than the fabric being worn.

Essentials: All you need to start your business is the know how and the tools, outside of those items you will want to advertise your services. You should also have reference materials in case your client want to have their item reupholstered to look like the original. You may consider partnering with antiques dealers and reupholster items for them to sell.

To Succeed: Your main challenge in starting this business is reaching your clients. Spend money in classified ads and online ads under the “services” banner. Also put up flyers at coffee shops and local gathering places, you never know who is going to need upholstery services. It is also recommended that you create a portfolio of before and after pictures to give your clients an idea of your work and some of the amazing things you were able to do. Also look at design catalogues and to get a sense of current furniture styles and colors, so that if a client is unsure of what kind of fabric they want, you can help them decide, by proving them some different style options. You can also recommend that if they like on of the pieces you create for them, that they consider doing other items in the room in the same fabric to give a unified look.

Travel Agent

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 09:09:11 +0000

Investment: $2,000 to $5,000

Salary: $25,000 to $45,000

Rates: 10% commission on the sale

Advertising: Travel magazines, online and printed lodging and accommodation guides, Website with travel suggestions, deals on tickets and special packages, ads in the yellow pages, direct mail to local residents.

To Qualify: Extensive knowledge of the travel industry and vacation resorts, packages, adventure tours, etc.
Certification from an accredited travel school, training on specialize travel software and systems.

Equipment: Computer, internet and website, SABRE travel software, telephone

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Phone bills.

Description: If you love to travel and find it exciting to discover interesting new places and activities, being a travel agent might be the perfect job for you. You will need to get certified as a travel agent and chose which business path is appropriate for you. Because of ticketing restrictions, you won’t be able to act alone without associating with a larger travel company. However, there are a few ways that you can partner with larger more established firms. You can solicit them directly to work as an outside resource and usually make a 60% to 70% commission on the travel you book, or you can work for a firm that out sources exclusively to home businesses and work within their fee and compensation structure or refer clients to a larger agency for a 10% commission. However, you chose to market and employ your business, you may receive travel perks and incentives so that you will not only be planning other people’s dream vacations, but you may also be taking a few yourself.

Essentials: You will need a computer, telephone and special travel booking software to start your business as well as an advertising and marketing budget. Additionally if you don’t already have a travel agent’s license you will need to be certified. In order to be successful as a travel agent you must have a vast knowledge of different cities and countries as your clients will be looking to you for referrals. Make sure that you have a good understanding of foreign countries, so that you don’t send your clients to unsafe or remote locations. You may want to stick to vacation packages and established routes of travel until you know your market better. Also if you are offered incentives to travel, take them as there is no better knowledge or platform to sell from than first hand experience.

To Succeed: Even though the travel industry is already large and very well established, travel will always be a booming industry even in lean times as travel is often a necessity for work or family obligations. Also when the economy takes a dive, you often see more specials and travel deals pop up, so your clients can take advantage of the low rates during a bad economy. What will set you apart from the rest is a real working knowledge of city attractions, accommodations and travel deals. The more you know about a destination the better you can sell it. Also try getting to know local hotel, restaurant and attraction owners in your community as you can book local travel, such as romantic getaways, golf and sports attractions, wine tasting and other travel packages for local residents. After you have negotiated incredible rates (usually off season) and post them on your website you may be able to generate a desire to travel within the community and therefore promote repeat and ongoing business from your clients.

Translation Services

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 09:08:22 +0000

Investment: $1,000 to $2,000

Salary: $20,000 to $30,000

Rates: $25 to $35/hour

Advertising: Local phone directory, referrals, networking, create a website with your resume and languages, ads in trade journals.

To Qualify: Excellent writing and spoken proficiency in at least one foreign language.

Equipment: Computer with internet, website, fax, printer, cell phone, translation software, office furniture, business cards, stationary.

Staff: Yes, to cover languages you don’t know

Unexpected Expenses: Long distance calling and marketing.

Description: Translation services are needed for a number of different clients: such as translating business documents for international industries and for books, literature, television, film, medical journals and pharmaceutical formulas etc. for the global market place. The translation market is one that is still fairly open for competition as technology has become more advanced, our global economy has expanded. Now more companies are doing business with foreign countries and non English speakers. There is a growing need for translated literature, packaging, audio dubs and in person translation services. For example most hair care products in Miami, Los Angeles and Texas are written in both Spanish, English and often French. The companies that manufacture the packaging for these items has to have utilized a translation service at one point in the production process. The challenge for you will be identifying the market you want to focus on and targeting clients in that field. Since the translation market is so vast, make sure that you research the different kinds of translation services that are need and contract with people who are proficient in many languages. For instance, in the business market, Spanish, French, Japanese, Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese) are common languages, for fashion; it is Italian, French and Japanese, for the film industry, Spanish, French and Italian etc. So find your specialization and hire translators who can help you cover languages that you don’t speak.

Essentials: You will need a computer, translation software, reference materials and a word processor that can produce all the characters used in different languages, to start your business. You will want to have the translation software and other resources to help you find the best translation of a word or phrase. When speaking or learning other languages, we often learn conversational words and phrases, but for business documents a more formalized version of the language should be used. Take into consideration, when you are translating important documents, formulas or manuals and other business materials that you find the most professional translations as possible.

To Succeed: This is a growing and exciting industry as the global market place gets bigger and more diverse, the need for translation services is expanding quickly. Since most Americans are not fluent in foreign languages, there is a great need for translation services. And as the population in the United States continues to grow and become more culturally diverse, places such as hospitals, doctors offices and law offices are starting to need in house or on call translation services on an ongoing basis. Make sure that you price your services fairly, but take into account the time and effort you will expend, making sure that the text or audio translations are accurate, effortless, professional and grammatically correct.

Trademark Agent

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 09:07:35 +0000

Investment: $1,000 to $1,500

Salary: $40,000 to $65,000

Rates: $175 to $250 flat fee and up to $10,000

Advertising: Business publications, networking, website with contact information, direct mailing

To Qualify: Experience with trademark and patents.

Equipment: Computer, access, website, fax, cell phone, business cards and stationary.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Insurance, internet service, fees

Description: As a trademark agent, you will be researching existing trademarks to see if your client can trademark a name or if it is already being used. Usually large companies have access to the trademark database in Washington DC and pay a subscription to use it, but you can search the paper files if you are in DC. This will make your search a little harder as it is unlikely that you will have access to those records. What you can do instead, is an extensive online search, crossing and double crossing references to make sure that no exact trademark name exists. This can be very exhausting work for you, if you don’t have the resources and skills to do the search, but exciting for anyone who does like this kind of highly detail oriented job. You will be searching for a trademark name like “Water Wonderland” first you have to check for any titles with “water” and “wonderland” then any related words like, “wet ”and “watery” or “awe” and “marvel” and words that sound similar like “What Wonder” or “Water Wander” ,then you have to look for designs that have water or wonderlands in them to see if any are a match for the trademark you are searching.

Essentials: You not need much more than your computer and some marketing to get started in the trademark business. You will need to be able to invest a lot of time in each search so if you are going to take small jobs, make sure that you feel confident the search will not be complicated. If you are working for a larger company with a much more detailed search, you can charge up to $10,000 for your search and therefore are compensated enough to really take your time a do a thorough search.

To Succeed: You have to be some what a of an artist to be in this line of work as you are not just looking for an exact name match but a full range of related names. Thinking of ways to find those names can be a very creative endeavor. If you love details and research trademark agent would be a great profession for you as you will be spending hours researching and a great deal of energy pouring over small details. This can be a very profitable business if you are able to find your clients or specialize in a niche. Most large companies have in house lawyers who do their trademark searches, but if you work with small companies and specialize in a niche product like hair care products, you should have no trouble finding your place in the trademark business.

Time Management Specialist

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 09:06:50 +0000

Investment: $1.000 to $65,000

Salary: $20,000 to $40,000

Rates: $75 to $100/hour or $100/person per class

Advertising: Create a website with advice, write article and blog, write ebooks on the subject, teach classes at a local community center, work of mouth, networking with business associations and professional organizations.

To Qualify: Organization, analytical skills, ability to understand and teach time management skills.

Equipment: Cell phone, computer, internet, website, fax machine, telephone, copier, printer, time management software.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Licensing fees.

Description: Most of us are trying and are actually doing to much with our time, while we feel that there is not enough time in the day, there may be just enough time, but we may not be using it effectively enough. Time management specialists are people who come in and help their clients better organize their time, thus helping them relieve stress and be more productive. So much of our day is bogged down by needless communication, re-treading steps already taken, duplicating information in emails, needless phone calls, explaining things to people over and over again, punctuated by our own procrastination and dread. A time management specialists comes in and looks at the efficiency of the client’s workplace and sometimes home life and sees where things can be eliminated; making it run more smoothly and with less stress. The happier an employee is, the better they work, so understanding the importance of relaxation during the day is also crucial to a time manager’s teachings. As a time manager you can work one on one with busy executives and also give lectures to inspire company wide adoption of time management techniques.

Essentials: Marketing your business with quality brochures and business cards and association dues will be your largest fees at start up. Since you will be charging $75hour and $1,000/lecture, you will be able to become profitable fairly quickly, but as this is a hard business to grow, don‘t expect a full time income for a year or more. Make sure that you attend business association meetings as this is where you will meet a lot of your clients. Word of mouth travels fast in this business so by successfully turning around a few businesses, you will more than likely start getting referrals. You also will want to offer follow up sessions to refresh and re-energize people after a year or so has passed.

To Succeed: The most important tool a time management specialist has to work with is being a good example of their service. Which means you need to be able to balance your own time while trying to launch your business. If you are the picture of time managing success, your client’s will be more apt to hire you to work with them. This means never being late and never having excuses to cover mismanaged pieces of time. This business is not that doesn’t have a lot of wiggle room for those kinds of mistakes. When you have finally launched your business, giving lectures and organizing people’s day, can be very rewarding and is a benefit to companies who see more production and employees who feel less stressed.

Ticket Broker

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 09:06:03 +0000

Investment: $15,000 to $35,000

Salary: $25,000 to $35,000

Rates: 5% to 40% of the sales

Advertising: Ads in trade publications, website with estore and ability to buy tickets through a secured server, and ads in online and local classified ads.

To Qualify: Knowledge of state licensing requirements.

Equipment: Computer, high speed internet, website, software and connection to a toll-free number.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Having to absorb the costs of unsold tickets.

Description: A ticket broker is a person who connects concert and event goers with tickets, often at a discounted rate. Most ticket brokers have software and subscribe to data bases where they can get tickets for various events. If you set up an estore, you can buy a certain number of tickets and sell them online. You will need to be very organized and able to handle many ticket orders at once, as well as find tickets to shows, especially popular ones before they sell out. Being a ticket broker can be very exciting, but you will have to really manage your sales and buying so as not to over buy or run out of tickets.

Essentials: Having a computer and high speed internet is crucial to this business as you will need to be able to connect to an internet distribution center to get tickets. Your fee for brokering tickets will be 5% to 40% of the sale price. Part of your job will also be going to trade shows and getting your name out there as a ticket broker, the more venues and service providers who know you, the better tickets and opportunities you will have. Most of the big companies have been around for a while so you will want to look professional and trustworthy and get to know as you may want to network with them in the future.

To Succeed: In the beginning you will need to decide if you are going to be a large operation or a small specialty business, if you want a large company who services all the hot concerts and events, you will really need to know your market and eventually hire staff to help you find tickets, keep records of sales and field phone calls. If you want to start small, try working with local theaters, civic events and smaller venues to get your feet wet before you start brokering for stadium and annual events. If you have a good detailed oriented mind for business and know bookkeeping as well as how to research ticket opportunities, this will be a great profession for you.

Temporary Employment Agency

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 09:04:13 +0000

Investment: $60,000 to $150,000

Salary: $200,000 to $450,000

Fees: $1,000 to $1,500/employee/project

Advertising: Website with job listings, contact information and services, ads in local telephone directories, online and local classified ads, referrals, contact heads of human resources at companies and pitch your services.

To Qualify: Employment agency experience, business skills and ability to recruit and match candidates for jobs.

Equipment: Computer, internet and website, cell phone, telephone, computers, printer, fax machine, and copier.

Staff: Yes

Unexpected Expenses: Worker’s compensation

Description: Temporary agencies provide temporary clerical services and temp to permanent professionals. In the era of corporate downsizing and cut backs temporary employees are now filling the temporary job market as out of work professionals are also looking for work. Large companies now prefer to work with project based employees or have a long trial period before committing to the expense of a benefits package and higher salary. Displaced and out of work employee like the flexibility temporary employment allows as they try and find the right job and/or launch a new business. These dynamics work well for you because you will be matching temporary workers with temporary employment and should the job becomes permanent and the company wants to hire your temporary worker, you may be able to negotiate a buy out fee. Regardless you will be making a percentage of the employee’s hourly rate, for each employee you match with a position.

Essentials: You will probably need to buy a franchise to get started in the temporary employment industry, which will run anywhere from $60,000 to $100,000. If you want to start out on your own you will need a benefits package for your employees, computers, account representatives, accounting software and marketing to reach out to new business. Starting from scratch will probably cost more money, but may be lucrative in long run as you can create your own presence in the temporary recruitment, placement and employment field and you can earn as much as $450,000 per year running a temporary employment agency.

To Succeed: This is a highly rewarding, yet very competitive field and there are agencies everywhere with candidates just as eager as yours for jobs. You will need to find a way to make your business specialized if you are in an area with a lot of temporary employment agencies. You may consider focusing on one or two types of candidates like: information technology services, finance, lawyers, doctors and nursing staff, entertainment professionals etc. If you choose to specialize you may find that you are the only one in town who has qualified people for those hard to fill positions. The only downside to this strategy is that you need to chose fields that have an ongoing need for temporary staffing. Once, however, you have been able to establish yourself and gain a reputation for great staff, you should see tremendous success. This does tend to be an extremely tense job. When job orders do come in for temporary assignments, often it is for the same day or hour this means you need to have someone waiting near a phone ready for work. For jobs that are more long term, you may need to find a few candidates that qualify so that the employer has selection of people to choose from. If you like a fast paced environment are great with people, temporary employment staffing will be a very good business for you.

Telemarketing Service

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 09:03:30 +0000

Investment: $6,000 to $10,000

Salary: $40,000 or more

Rates: $30/hour

Advertising: Website stating services and banner ads on other sales websites, direct marketing to potential clients, ads in business publications and local phone directory, joining business and civic associations and groups

To Qualify: Excellent writing ability and marketing skills.

Equipment: Telephone, headset, office furniture, computer, internet, printer, fax, office software, business cards and stationary.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Bills and marketing

Description: Telemarketing is a type of marketing and can be used by companies in various ways, to sell products, conduct market research or to convey information. You may want to tailor your telemarketing service to a specific type of telemarketing and preferred industry as the field is so large. As a telemarketer, you will be calling from a data base of phone numbers and marketing your client’s goods or services. You will want to be prepared with a script and the ability to keep potential customers engaged on the phone as often people do not want to be bothered with solicitations, but if you believe in the product and really feel it can help the prospective client, your enthusiasm and sincerity should keep the potential customer interested in what you have to say. Try and get as many email addresses as you can during the call, so that you have a less intrusive way to continually follow up, if the caller declines the services or goods on the telephone. As your company grows you will probably be hiring staff members, so make sure that you are ready to manage a large group of people and be prepared to deal personnel issues, from benefits and scheduling to addressing personal conflict and tardiness.

Essentials: You will need a computer that can sort through data, create reports and track calls, numerous telephones with headsets and an office to start. If it is just you doing the telemarketing, you may not make very much money. As soon as you are comfortable, you should take on larger projects that require a staff of telemarketers so that you can produce better results in a faster amount of time.

To Succeed: You have to be ready to deal with a full range of personalities from the clients you are servicing to the customers you are calling. Before starting this business, you should understand the telemarketing business and already have a good idea about what works and what doesn’t when it comes to calling customers. You will find the most success if you are really enthusiastic about your client’s products and can sell them with an earnest enjoyment and passion. This is a great business for a persistent go getter who is not afraid of rejection and embraces challenge, as these are the traits that make a winner in the telemarketing world.

Tax Preparation Service

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 09:02:47 +0000

Investment: $5,500 to $15,000

Salary: $40,000 to $100,000

Rates: $25 to $50/hour

Advertising: Direct mailing to local residents, referrals, ads in local newspapers, online and local classified ads, ads in the local phone book, bench ads etc.

To Qualify: Experience and understanding of tax laws, CPA, good math and people skills.

Equipment: Computer, internet, office furniture, fax, copier, scanner, printer, tax preparation software, business cards and stationary.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Continuing education, too much time spent with one client.

Description: While it is not yet mandatory to have a CPA license to run a tax preparation service, it is recommended as tax laws are confusing and ever changing. Having experience preparing tax forms and working with the various tax laws regarding filing, credits, income, deductions, etc. is a must. You will be busiest just before tax time from the end of December to April 15, when people will need your services most. Often the average tax payer is too overwhelmed by the detailed tax laws to know exactly how to file their taxes, so a preparation service is in most cases is a necessity and can also be included as a tax write off. After you have told your clients about the benefits of your service they will probably want to hire you to relieve the burden of having to file their taxes themselves. If you want to stay busy after the tax season create a website to give tips about how to prepare for the following year’s tax season as well as offer to file extensions and work with people who are self employed and need to submit projected taxes and those who are trying to amend their tax returns.

Essentials: You will need an office, a computer with high speed internet, a good printer and copier. While you can e-file people’s tax returns, you will need to send a signed hard copy to your clients. It also is a good idea to have a lawyer draft a simple contract that details your services and your liability should the IRS find errors in your filing. You should also have a phone so that if you are not able to meet with your clients you can ask them questions. Your start up investment should be around $3,000 to $5,000 to set up your office and do light marketing. You may want to put a sign outside of your office during tax season to advertise that you offer tax preparation services.

To Succeed: You will have to have an expert knowledge of current tax laws and regulations, this means that you will need to stay abreast of the changes that occur each year. These may be confusing and overwhelming to you as well, so paying for continued tax education may be an essential component to your success. You might want to specialize your services, if you feel that servicing one niche very well is a better option for you, such focusing on entertainment or sales executives who can claim many deductions, adoptive families as taxes for adoption can be confusing and self employed people etc. Regardless of how you position your services, if you love working with figures and are very good at assembling detailed information a tax preparation service may be the perfect fit for you.

Systems Integrator

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 09:01:59 +0000

Investment: $1,000 to $5,000

Salary: $32,000 to $100,000

Rates: $150/hour

Advertising: Website, direct mailings and trade publications and networking

To Qualify: Systems management experience and technical expertise

Equipment: Computer, high speeding internet, website, fax, printer, business cards, stationary, telephone.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Continued education in current systems software.

Description: As computer technology advances and programs and software upgrade, companies that depend on computers often need systems integration services to update and integrate compatibility issues that may arise as old software and operating systems become obsolete. Your job as a systems integrator is to make sure that all the computers and servers used by a company are running and are compatible with the software upgrade. In some cases an operating system or software upgrade also means a hardware upgrade as well. Since many companies can not function without a network of computers, your shouldn’t have any problem finding work as long as you are able to integrate systems effetely and efficiently.

Essentials: You will not need to invest too much more than just marketing your services in the beginning as you will be working on location with clients. One of the most essential tools of a systems integrator is knowledge of the inner workings of all different kinds of hardware and software. Be prepared for anything when you come to work with your clients. Also be ready to meet a range of different people with different personalities and operating styles. Some people and therefore, the companies they service, are resistant to any kind of change, even if it is necessary. So in addition to understanding computers and software, you will need to have an ability to manage people and their resistance to your services.

To Succeed: More than likely you will be bidding against other people for jobs, so bare this in mind when you are pitching your services. Most people, even top executives in their fields, have no idea what their computer systems really need. Finding ways to explain the client’s system and the integration that is needed is important to your bidding process. If you educate your clients and give them examples that can help them visualize this often confusing process, you will probably get the job more often than not. As soon as you have serviced a few clients, word of mouth and referrals will spread, and you should see your business excel.

Stock Photography Service

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 09:01:12 +0000

Investment: $500 to $10,000

Salary: $25,000 to $150,000 or more

Rates: $25 to $250/photograph/use minus 10% to 15% commission to the photographer

Advertising: A website with a showcase of photographs, banner ads on publishers, printers and graphics websites, advertisements in graphics, photography and publishing trade magazines, direct mailing of card with photographs to publishers, web designers etc.

To Qualify: Photography and photo editing experience

Equipment: Computer, high end digital camera, photo editing software

Unexpected Expenses: Shipping and handling, website maintenance

Description: With the web growing into such a viable community, publishers, graphics designers, web designers and advertisers are turning to the web to promote their businesses. One essential ingredient to marketing, publishing and advertising is graphics and photography. As a stock photography service you are providing use of a gallery of photographs on a one time basis. For a reasonable rate, customers can buy a one time use of a photograph that can be used on websites, online journals and magazines as well as in articles and web promotions. While the photographs you represent may also be used in hard copy reproductions, usually most of your sales will come from and be for the web. Setting up a website that beautifully displays photographs and the price for each variation of use (ie, picture size, pixel counts etc.) will make your businesses very enticing and user friendly. Before establishing your website, however, you will need to network with a group of photographers who will give you license to sell their work for a 10% to 15% commission . Your photographers should take high quality pictures and have a variety of different shots: some of landscapes, buildings and inanimate objects and others of people in various poses, professions and actions as the uses for this kind of photography is very diverse.

Essentials: You will need a computer with high resolution graphics and photo editing software as well as a website that you can constantly up date with an e-commerce option. Your computer, software and website will be your most major start up expenses as well as taking the time to find the right photographs. However, once you have done this, the photographs will continue to sell over and over again, thus constantly turning a profit, so your start up costs should be recouped relatively shortly. The other expense involved in getting started is marketing your website, you may need to pay to have optimized search engine placement for the first few years as your website and the quality of your photos start to gain in reputation.

To Succeed: Stock photography services are great for one time, easy use of photographs and they give unknown photographers a way to earn money for their photographs. You can find your photographers from student galleries or amateur’s websites as you will want to contract with anyone you feel really has a eye for photography and creates photographs you can use to populate your website. Since photographers can email you .jpegs of their work, you can get photographers from essentially anywhere in the world, which will help you grow your business more quickly. A stock photography services is a great business for any entrepreneur who has an eye for quality photographs and an editorial sensibility.

Standardized Test Preparatory Services

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 09:00:13 +0000

Investment: $1,000 to $5,000

Salary: $30,000 to $45.000

Rates: $75 to $175/client

Advertising: Create a website that offers advice, practice tests ad study techniques, place ads in local phone directories, direct mail students and parents, contact school guidance counselors.

To Qualify: A teaching credential and degree, knowledge of SAT, ACT, LSAT, GED etc.

Equipment: Computer, internet, website, practice tests, pencils and timers, telephone.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Insurance

Description: All students hoping to go to college must take standardized tests. These tests evaluate a student’s skill in math and language, and are an essential for college entry, entry to law school, or work as a teacher. Since the scope of these tests is so broad and their results so important, many students need to study for weeks or months to get prepared. This is where your business can provide a service to these students. By teaching classes of students to study and prepare for these tests, you will not only be building a business, but building the next generation of college educated adults. Some kids are good in school, but get scared during tests, especially tests that are weighted so heavily. Your job as a preparatory service is to help these students feel comfortable and ready for their exams. You will want to be an engaging teacher as a lot of students also dread the preparation for large standardized exams.

Essentials: You will not need too much to start this business just a computer with internet access, a website as well as workbooks, pencils and a timer. You may also need to rent a space to hold the class so factor that into your billing. Your clients should pay you up front at a rate of $75 to $175 per class. Since you may only have on shot at helping your clients get ready for their test, you will want to have created a lesson plan that keeps them enthused about the process and also includes time for them to take a practice test and go over the answers. Also you can create a webs site with tips about studying and as soon as your students have taken the class you can give them access to a locked section of your website that provides further sample testing and preparation support.

To Succeed: Since this is a very repetitive profession, some get tired of preparing for the same tests over and over again. In order to combat the boredom that may come with continually working with the same material, try to keep the class interesting and invest your time into really knowing your students, if only for a short time. As your students enter the class do things to help them break the ice, like talk about themselves and their college goals. By helping instill confidence in the beginning of your class, you will be giving the students the ease and self assuredness to listen and be focused on passing the test. Also this makes your class more interesting as you will know a little more about each student and be able to help address their questions more personally. Since standardized tests are always given, you should see a steady flow of work, the challenge is working with competitors in your area and trying to convince your clients that your services are valuable.

Small Business Consultant

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 08:59:03 +0000

Investment: $5,000 to $15,000

Salary: $50,000 to $15,000

Rates: $900 to $2,000/day

Advertising: Create a website with advice for small business owners, speak at trade associations, join in business associations, word of mouth

To Qualify: Experience in management, marketing and finance, good communication skills and the ability to research and strategize.

Equipment: Office furniture, computer, internet, website, office software, printer, fax machine, copier, business cards and stationary.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Clients not having money to pay in a timely manner.

Description: When an economy struggles, the first to feel the pinch are the small business owners, they are often the ones taking the largest financial risks and are the hardest hit when economic times turn downward. Often when a company feels like it may be in trouble they will reach out to a business consultant to help them save their business. A business consultant will come in and assess the company’s health and efficiency, aid them in dealing with government regulations, find operating issues or problems and offer solutions. As a small business consultant you should have the experience and expertise to help guide businesses out of their problem areas and on to profitability.

Essentials: Your start up funds will mostly be spent in marketing and attracting small business. You will need to create a highly informative website and find a way to drive traffic to it, also create a brochure and directly mail it to new business owners and local small businesses. In order to connect with businesses in your community, offer to take key officers out to lunch and discuss what your business can offer them. You may also want to partner with other businesses who can help the small business owner achieve their success. For example if a business started out as a mom and pop operation with Dad doing the books, but now has two stores and a few employees, you may want to direct them to an accounting firm or book keeper who can take over the books and better analyze where the money is going.

To Succeed: Since small businesses are trusting their future and their livelihoods to you, you must know what you are doing. In order to really succeed in your own small business, you will have to have the expertise and knowledge to help advise companies and turn them around if they are in trouble. This would be a good job for someone who has been the CEO or CFO of a large company and wanted to work for themselves, or someone who has worked in many different capacities within companies and deeply understands how businesses succeed.

Silk Flower Arrangement

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 08:58:10 +0000

Investment: $500 to $1,000

Salary: $20,000 to $40,000

Rates: $20 to $300

Advertisement: Direct mail to bridal shops, restaurants, interior designers, funeral homes, churches ads in online and local classifieds, local phone directory

To Qualify: Knowledge of flower arranging

Equipment: Telephone, vases, baskets, tape, floral sponges, large selection of silk flowers.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Material costs

Description: Arranging silk flowers is a profession with a strong demand, but also a lot of competition as the high end silk flower market is pretty full of already established people. However, as fashions change, so to do arrangements, so if you are creative and different, you’ll find a niche in this popular market. While people love fresh cut flowers, they are just not practical for everyday use or long term display, as fresh flowers die in a matter of days. However, interior designers, brides, funeral homes and restaurants often want flowers prominently displayed. While people can buy silk flowers at craft and home decorating stores and arrange them, themselves, you are the artist and you can create a bouquet that is impressive and long lasting. You will want to take all of your artistic talent and skill and carve out a special place for yourself, try creating a few signature pieces that are must haves for brides and interior designers. You may even consider opening a estore online to showcase your creations and sell them to potential customers.

Essentials: You will need materials and a vendor’s license to start your floral arranging business. After you have obtained your license and gotten supplies from a local wholesaler, create a few beautiful arrangements and rent a booth at a local crafts fair or trade show or both. Make sure that you have business cards and to give out at the show that have your web address on it as well as a picture of one of your signature items to help your potential clients remember who you are.

To Succeed: You need to have some kind of training and a creative eye to make this business work. You may want to get classes at a local craft store or adult learning center then rent a booth in an annual craft trade show or holiday craft fair. You will probably not earn a full salary in the first year, but as your business grows, so too will your income. Your greatest challenge will be reaching customers, so be creative and get you goods out into the marketplace any time you get the chance. Eventually with creativity and persistence, you will be able to make this business a fun and successful venture.

Seminar Service

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 08:57:17 +0000

Investment: $5,000 to $10,000

Salary: $30,000 to $50,000

Rates: $125 to $500

Advertising: Press releases to newspapers and radio, website that has pictures and videos of seminars given, network with business, civic and non profit organizations.

To Qualify: Experience in planning and promotion, managerial skills.

Equipment: Computer, transcription equipment, tape recorder, business cards, stationary, phone, fax and printer.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses, transcription and tapes

Description: If you are connected to people who can speak on any topic from how to lose weight and stay healthy to finding your inner Dharma, you may be the right person for a seminar service. Your job as a seminar service will be to contact speakers and assemble them to give presentations in different communities around your area. Additionally you will plan the events that surrounds the speaking engagements and provide supplemental materials such as lecture tapes, literature and books written by the speakers. If you know what people want to learn and can rent a lecture space, assemble speakers and put on a local event, running a seminar service may be the perfect job.. You may even consider doing a lecture series at a local convention space where your customers can sign up for as many seminars as they want.

Essentials: You will need a computer and a website where you can post your lecture schedule and attract attendees to your business. You also might want to open an estore and sell your speaker’s books and audio transcriptions as well as streaming audio and video that give your customer an audio snippet from the speaker. Outside of marketing on the web and putting out flyers and mail order invitations for your seminar, you will need a large database of people who can speak on a variety of different topics. It is exciting to schedule a seminar and address different hot topics and see the community participate, You may want to do a personal finance series where your client’s learn to better manage their money, or a personal achievement night when clients are motivated to achieve their highest goals, or seminars on grief and bereavement, flower arranging, parenting challenging behaviors, how to properly groom your pet, you name it and you can probably find some to lecture on it.

To Succeed: This is a fun job, if you get the right speaker matched with the right crowd, however, it can be sort of stressful if the seminar is lightly attended, so it is important to market your seminars and make sure that you pick relevant topics. In order to achieve success with your seminar, try reaching out to the speaker’s database as well as local residents, some speakers have a following and you may get attendees just based on their devotion to the speaker. Also offer a survey at the end of the speech to rate the seminar, you may want to serve coffee, bottled water and light snacks as a way to make a few extra dollars, which can really add up if you provide refreshments at a reasonable rate to a room of 500 people or more. Or cater the event and charge a higher ticket price as the seminar will also have a lunch, cocktails or dinner in addition to the speaker. Usually your seminars will not be on a large scale, but certainly can be if you get the right speaker. To find speakers and relevant topics look at self help books and documentaries that are popular and then either engage the speaker who wrote the book or was featured in the documentary to speak. Even if the popular speakers are more costly, if they are hot right now, people will a pay higher ticket prices to see them speak.

Secretarial Service

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 08:56:47 +0000

Investment: $3,000 to $5,000

Salary: $20,000 to $40,000

Rates: $10 to $20/hour

Advertising: Classified ads, advertisements in local phone directories, local and online classified ads.

To Qualify: Good administration, word processing, phone and organizational skills.

Equipment: Computer, high speed internet, telephone, printer, copier and fax machine.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: None

Description: With companies downsizing and technology increasing the convenience of every executive getting to have their own personal secretary is gone. Now most people either share a secretary with someone else or a pool of secretaries with their whole department. During a crunch time some secretaries can be over burdened with their work and have so much of it that they can’t keep up the pace. That is where your secretarial business fits in, you will be providing over flow, temporary and project oriented secretarial services to relieve the in house staff. You should market yourself to the heads of human resources in any sized company to inform them of your services, or the concierge at business hotels, as well as offer after hours, rush and overflow services such as typing large volumes of text, mailing letters, covering phones etc.

Essentials: You computer and telephone will be your biggest assets in this business, it might be helpful to have a laptop, as it gives you portability so you can work on location if you have to, in addition to a land line telephone, you may also want a cell phone as well, so that you can be reached where ever you are. The best way to market you business is to take out an ad in the local yellow pages or community phone directory and create flyers to directly mail to heads of human resources, hotel concierge, convention hall administrators, etc. You will need to continually market your services, until you set up a few regular clients.

To Succeed: This business is for those are really energetic, personable and able to continually market their skills. You have to be prepared for periods of flux and downtime, and deal with personalities that are working under pressure. Being up beat, confident and self assured will alleviate the fears of your clients and give them the trust they need to rely on you to get the job done. Remember that often the speed in which you are able to accomplish a task might also be a selling point for you, however, don’t compromise your quality for quantity. Often in house staff are splitting their projects amongst many jobs for many people, if you are just focused on one job, you will inevitably do it faster, so speed is built into the process, you will only need to remain centered on completing one task well and efficiently and you will provide it a shorter time than if their staff had prepared it. Also remember to charge by the hour, and not per project, so that you are compensated accurately for you time and effort.

Seamstress

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 08:56:19 +0000

Investment: $500 to $1,000

Salary: $20,000 to $40,000

Rates: $5 to $75/item

Advertising: Fashion shows, local and online classified ads, bulletin boards, network with wedding coordinators and fashion retailers.

To Qualify: The ability to sew and create fashions from scratch.

Equipment: Sewing machine and material. Computer, internet, website and telephone.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Mistakes and having to remake items.

Description: The alterations business is a good one for people who like to sew. A lot of store made clothes don’t fit everyone, so they often need to be altered. This is the kind of business that can thrive on repeat customers and referrals. If you love to sew and have a fashion sense and training, you may also want to custom make clothes for your clients. Make sure that if you do custom design clothes that you have a website to display your fashions, if you want to design for others. If you don’t want to get into the custom fashion business, you can sew alterations and repair clothes, the best way to reach out to your customers is to partner with dress shops, men’s clothing stores and other retailers that offer referrals to alteration services. Since this business is often build by word of mouth, you can grow successfully with just a few satisfied clients.

Essentials: You will need a professional strength sewing machine and business cards to start, this will be your most major investment and will cost around $1,000 to start up. Outside of getting your business cards out there and making alternations, you won’t need much more to get started and run your business. It might help to have your rates established and posted so that you can be very clear about what you charge and what the customers can expect to spend per alteration.

To Succeed: If you love to sew, enjoy the time by yourself and working with the sewing machine, this will be a good business for you. Some find the hard labor and drone of the sewing machine comforting, while others find it tedious. Make sure that you love working with material and sewing as you will be putting in many long hours for little glamour or reward other than being self employed and running a successful business. Your clients, on the other hand, may be very satisfied, if not thrilled with your work, so that will also be a reward in itself.

Sales Trainer

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 08:55:49 +0000

Investment: $500 to $2,500

Salary: $80,000 to $150,000

Rates: $125 to $150/hour and travel expenses

Advertising: Professional sales associations, advertising in local business publications, networking with sales groups.

To Qualify: Sales and teaching experience

Equipment: Computer, printer, fax, internet, cell phone

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Liability insurance, additional travel expenses

Description: If you are an dynamic speaker and can motivate a room full of people, this will be a great job for you. Companies will pay you to come speak to large groups of sales associates and motivate them to sell with enthusiasm and commitment. You will need to have a track record for this kind of training in order to instill confidence in your clients, but as soon as you are able to book jobs sales results will sell themselves. Instead of using known techniques, design your own program and be different and engaging with examples, role playing, videos whatever motivates people. This can make you a lot of money if you stay booked and can prove that your techniques are successful. Spend a lot of time reading about training and train small groups of people to start then move up to the ballroom sized crowds.

Essentials: Your greatest marketing tool and product is you. Most trainers and motivational speakers have also written books and created lecture DVDs, so you will want to make sure that you have literature, such as a great brochure and an impeccable website, and eventually produce the other supplemental materials. You may want to start with an e-book to show your clients that you have written on the subject and are knowledgeable about inspiring people. This business could steadily bring in a good income if you continue to promote yourself and create a track record of satisfied clients who are will to testify in writing to the quality and value of your work.

To Succeed: In this business it is all about you selling you and getting others to sell with enthusiasm. Once you have started your business the best way to keep people coming back is to have books, CD’s, self tests and a forum on your website. You set up your website so that those you have motivated can stay connected and become avid readers of your work. It would be good to create a new book or promotional item yearly, so that you can use the launch of each item to reach out to customers again. Between booking trainings and supplemental promotional materials you will find sales training will be not only profitable but highly rewarding as well.

Sales Representative

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 08:55:22 +0000

Investment: $1,000 to $3,000

Salary: $20,000 To $50,000 or more

Fees: Percentage of a sale

Advertising: Word of mouth, website with success stories, cold calling, direct mail

To Qualify: Sales ability and time management skills.

Equipment: Computer, fax, cell phone

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Catalogues, travel expenses and inventory costs

Description: Making money on direct sales is a make it or break it business, sometimes it is hard to find a way to make the big money, but with time and personal persistence you can find your niche and your market. As a sales representative you will find a product line you like and want to sell, then direct market to your customers. The best way to run your business will be to find a product you love and a company you feel good supporting, these are key essentials in finding a product to sell. Often companies are not reputable, especially to their sales representatives, so make sure that you trust and enjoy working for the company providing your sales stock. The next level of you business will be marketing to customers. You may want to create a website talk about the product, say nutritional supplements and how they have helped people get fit, and provide customer testimonials and an e-commerce option for additional sales. You may also buy a list of phone numbers and cold call for sales. Depending on what you are selling, you will have to be creative about getting your product out there.

Essentials: Your start up costs will be pretty low, just initial inventory and marketing, if your company has a lot of sales representative, they may already have a marketing plan that is successful in place and you will only need to follow that plan. Make sure, however, that the company doesn’t dictate all of your sales or charges you extra fees for doing something that will help you sell. Make sure that you are not part of their money making scheme outside of selling their products.

To Succeed: As with any sales business, success depends on your determination, persistence and sales ability. If you really believe in the product and are able to sell it with conviction, you will more than likely be able to succeed as a sales representative. If you are invested and committed to the sales process, this can actually be a fun and exciting venture as you meet new people and travel around selling a products you love.

Sales of Novelty and Promotional Products

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 08:54:56 +0000

Investment: $1,000 to $5,000

Salary: $30,000 to $60,000

Rates: $3 to $300/product

Advertising: Website with estore, direct mail catalogues, trade publishing and business periodicals.

To Qualify: Sales and marketing experience

Equipment: Computer, internet, office software, fax laser printer, marketing materials, business cards and stationary.

Staff: Potentially

Unexpected Expenses: Catalogue printing, inventory

Description: Ever see a bobble head doll wearing a jersey that says “Grant’s Orchard and Feed?” Chances are if you have, you’ve seen the product of a novelty and promotional sales person. Novelty and promotional sales people are wacky and creative and try to get their client’s names printed on items that will market their businesses. Sometimes in the promotional item market of chotchkeys and swag, you need to be very creative. Creating items we use everyday with company names and logo’s on them is a great way to get attention for your clients, but to be really memorable, you have to have a sense of fun and humor, cause something crazy with a name etched on it as a promotion may get your client even more attention.

Essentials: Your largest start up costs outside of marketing and catalogue printing will be your inventory. Do a lot of research up front to find a good distributor and forge a relationship with them. Even though your start up investment will be quite high, your business can be very successful if you take a personal approach to sales, and truly tailor items to fit a company and their needs. Instead of just sending them a catalogue and having them pick their items, you can have phone and personal meetings to go over items you think will be fun and work best for the companies you represent.

To Succeed: The promotional product market is quite competitive, but if you can find a good distributor and keep your costs low, you will be able to offer good prices and keep up with the competition. Remember that the personal touches really will set you apart from the others and make your home business more enticing than larger more impersonal operations. You may consider specializing and offering really unique items or go “green” and find earth friendly, eco-conscious items that don’t add to the global foot print. When you are successful and well established you may also consider donating part of your proceeds to a local charity to raise awareness for your charity, be a good Samaritan and bring additional marketing attention to yourself as well.

Rubber Stamp Business

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 08:54:22 +0000

Investment: $5,000 to $15,000

Salary: $40,000 to $60,000

Rates: $5 to $15/stamp

Advertising: Mail order, newspapers, website with estore, catalogues

To Qualify: Professional training

Equipment: Computer, laser printer, internet, website with estore, photopolymer system

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Material expenses

Description: The rubber stamp business is a fun and lucrative way to start a company. A lot of businesses need stamps with their addresses and logos on them for various reasons, you can customize stamps to fit their needs. You can also create personalized stamps for individuals or stamps with sayings, self inking stamps, fast drying ones, small, large, date rotating, the possibilities are endless. This is a relatively easy industry to get into if you have the training in stamp production. You may want to farm out your large orders, but the way to really make money is to produce the stamps yourself, until your business grows. If you are creative and can use a graphics program you can also create specialty stamps for scrap booking. The size and scope of your business depends on your determination to create an enterprise which is profitable and fun.

Essentials: You will need to invest in the equipment and training on the outset or buy a rubber stamp franchise, either way you will need about $3,000 to $10,000 to start your business, but once it is up and running you will be making a large mark up on an inexpensive item, so you won’t need to sell many to recoup your initial investment. You will want to consider how you are going to sell to your public, you can create a catalogue and direct mail it to businesses, but this is very costly, or you can create and market on the web or both. If you chose a catalogue, price out the best way to print it and make sure that you send your catalogue to clients who will utilize your services, you might also want to entice them with a first time buyer discount offer.

To Succeed: As with most online and catalogue businesses, getting the word out and driving traffic to your catalogue and website are the best ways to reach clients. You can do just business stamps in a variety of different uses, or you can create fun designer stamps and sell them in all shapes and sizes, this may be costly at start up, but branching into the two sides of the same business will keep you very busy selling items that are made at a very low production cost and will earn you lots of money

Roommate Referral Service

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 08:53:39 +0000

Investment: $500 to $1,000

Salary: $10,000 to $20,000

Rates: 20% to 50% of one month’s rent

Advertising: Website with listings and a communication forum, flyers at apartment buildings, Laundromats, grocery stores, online and local classified ads and ads in the local telephone directory.

Qualifications: Great organizational and people skills.

Equipment: Computer, internet, website, cell phone, telephone, database software, printer, fax, copier and credit card processing.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Insurance

Description: In large cities and near college campuses, people often will need help finding roommates to share expensive housing arrangements. Some try to find roommate on their own, but if one doesn’t have a friend wanting to share an apartment or a house, they may have trouble knowing where to look for a roommate. Your service will provide careful screening of potential roommates and match the closest fit with one another. You will want to screen your clients for criminal records and have them fill out a detailed questionnaire expressing their requirements for housing and what they desire in a roommate. Be very detailed and thorough when creating your questionnaire and ask questions like do you smoke, drink, have allergies to pet hair, play loud music, are you a morning person or night person, vegetarian, work from home or out of the home, etc. so that you can match the most compatible people who will hopefully be successful roommates. A way to build on your business is to add services, like mediating roommate squabbles and creating roommate contracts, that are tailor made to fit your client’s needs.

Essentials: You won’t have a lot of start up invested needed to begin working as a roommate referral service. You can even create your own fliers and post them yourself. You will want to have a website where you can post your own classifieds with people looking for matches and a list of available rentals in the area. If you want to spend a little extra money, try adding a forum where clients can ask questions and talk together online.

To Succeed: This is a great side business and could be very profitable if you are doing it part time, while not the kind of business that will bring wealth and fame, it may be a fun way to supplement your current income. If you want to earn a little more money, consider doing the extra mediation and contracts as well as a apartment hunting service that helps roommates find the perfect place.

Reunion Organizer

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 08:53:13 +0000

Investment: $2,000 to $3,000

Salary: $15,000 to $50,000

Rates: $5 to $10/per classmate in attendance

Advertising: Website, banner ads on reunion sites, advertising to school organization leaders and alumni, word of mouth and telemarketing school alumni associations.

To Qualify: Great organizational and party planning skills.

Equipment: Computer, internet, website, cell phone, database and office software, copier, fax, printer, office furniture, business cards and stationary.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Long distance phone calls.

Description: Class reunions have been around for years, initially people didn’t move too far away from where they went to high school, so reunions were a way to see friends and get together again after life had taken them in different directions. Now with the advent of the internet and other technology, people are moving far from their high schools and the reunion is a way to connect with people who have lost touch with or haven’t spoken to for five, ten, twenty years etc. Most people can’t wait to see what their long lost friends look like and have been up to, so your job will not only be to find them, but get as many of them as you can to come to the reunion. You will be working with alumni associations and using many various methods of research to find the class and organize their reunion. The planning will start at least a year or more in advance and you will try to locate as many alumni of that graduation class as you are able, after you have made initial contact, it is time to find the venue, hire the caterer, music, dancing, video show, awards show, meet and greet and more.

Essentials: You will need a few thousand dollars to set up your office and market your business. Since you will be working with alumni associations and the internet to find classmates, your job will mainly consist of people searching and party planning. Since most people can be found online for a modest fee, you may not have a lot of trouble finding people as well as sites like Classmates.com makes your search virtually effortless. However, the information on the site may be inaccurate as well as some people may have had multiple name changes over the years. Add party planning to your business and you are one busy person. You will need to find ways to entertain, over a hundred people who haven’t seen each other, may be disinterested, dislike or indifferent after the passage of time. This aspect of your business may be a bit of a challenge, so be up beat and excited and try to plan something lively and fun, despite the potential for dazzle or disaster.

To Succeed: Be creative in your party plan, classmate research and approach to your job, this is a business that is built on your determination and focus on finding people and providing a rewarding experience. You may also want to reach out to large families and tightly knit corporations as well, to provide reunion services. Your key to success is finding as many people as you can, get them to attend the reunion and throw an amazing party You can charge anywhere from $10 to $15/person to find people and create a website where they can talk to one another and see party details as they unfold. You can also charge a separate fee for the party, this will be dependent on the deals you strike with rental locations, caterers and entertainment, but make sure you build a commission for yourself as compensation for your services.

Retirement Planner

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 08:52:41 +0000

Investment: $1,000 to $2,000

Salary: $20,000 to $40,000

Advertising: Website with retirement planning ideas and contact information, online and local classified ads, direct mailings, contact human resource directors and managers of businesses.

To Qualify: Expert financial planning experience, certification and a degree in finance or a related field.

Equipment: Computer, internet, website, printer, fax, cell phone, copier, business cards and stationary.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Continuing education

Description: As a retirement planner, you will be creating one’s financial projections for retirement and in doing so, help your client plan and save. Your competition will be with other larger establishments and home businesses that provide financial planning, however your marketing angle will be the fact that you will be giving advice and making arrangements for a secure retirement. This hyper focused aspect of your business will assure your clients that the goal of your work is solid financial security in old age and retirement. As social security funds dwindle, the average American needs to supplement with their own planning and preparations for retirement. Your biggest asset as a retirement planner is the fact that you will be providing detailed and through investigations into one’s ability to fund their retirement and craft a solid, stable plan. This is enticing to many and a relief to some, so your services will be welcome, you only need to differentiate yourself from your competition and market accordingly.

Essentials: You won’t have too many other start up costs outside of your computer, website and advertising. Make sure that your business cards and website look professional. It would help you to build your reputation by putting resources, testimonials and an online test that gives approximate results explaining how a person’s current retirement plan would work. For example you put in a list of data like approximate salary, investments and so forth and an approximate monthly amount will appear, at this point you offer your contact information and ask them to call and try to make a more solid financial retirement plan. Use a disclaimer on your site that claims the test is only an approximation.

To Succeed: Most younger people don’t really want to worry about their retirement plans, so you may meet with some resistance at first. However, if you position your company as a way of beating the odds and putting away a great future full of fun and adventure, young adults and more mature people may consider seeing what you are all about. If you couple your “future retirement dreams” with “solid planning” and “assurance of financial freedom” and can deliver on those promises, you will have no problem building up your client base and starting your business. I you like solving financial projections and crafting a “what if” future with reliable financial investments, retirement planning is the right field for you.

Resume Service

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 08:52:04 +0000

Investment: $1,000 to $5,000

Salary: $20,000 to $50,000

Rates: $150 to $500/resume

Advertising: Website with an online resume service option, local and online classified ads, ads in local phone directories, banner ads on websites that offer job searches.

To Qualify: Ability to write and be knowledgeable of current resume trends and pay attention to details.

Equipment: Computer, internet, printer, fax, printer and portable drives.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Insurance

Description: When looking for a job, a resume is the only thing that describes your clients skills and qualifications in the job market and it needs to be dynamic enough to get them an interview. Since the resume and cover letter are the first thing a job employer sees, it has to be an impressive representation of who that person is and what they have to offer their prospective employers. Your clients will be paying you to find the ways to finesse their work experience and discover things about themselves that will be interesting to a prospective employer. Since you will also be creating their cover letter, you can also create a base letter for which they can change a few key sentences and use it for multiple job opportunities. You can get more business and stay better connected to your clients if you offer additional services such as follow and referral letters.

Essentials: You won’t need much more than a good computer and a small marketing budget to get started. Since you will be working with clients over the phone, on the internet and in person, you will have a lot of opportunities to reach out to clients in a variety of different fields, which will keep your work challenging and fun. All you will really need is a good website and marketing at the beginning, then as soon as you have begun and your clients start getting work, you should see a lot of referral business, and as the job market is always in flux there will be plenty of clients for your business to service.

To Succeed: You need to be an excellent writer and find ways to be different with your words and still conform to standards. This is a great job for a writer who needs a stable side income, however make sure that you know the resume business, trends in resume writing and the job market. Also you should enjoy working with people who are either nervous about finding work or itching for a change, most people who are looking for a job, are often a little keyed up as this is a big change in one’s life. It helps if you understand their enthusiasm and trepidation and use a little of your counseling/character development skills to keep them content while you work on their resumes. Even after you have completed their project, they may still be wanting to talk, so learn to manage people as well as words.

Repair Services

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 08:51:38 +0000

Investment: $350 to $500

Salary: $25,000 to $45,000

Rates: $25/hour

Advertising: Local phone directory, coupon books, bulletin boards, and local and online classified ads.

To Qualify: Knowledge about fixing things and a certification if you are working with anything that needs you to have a license.

Equipment: Cell phone, large car, van or truck, tools

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Liability insurance

Description: If you are great at repairs and can fix anything, then this might be a good profession for you. Start a website and create flyers with client testimonials and a list of the services you provide. You may even consider partnering with other repair people who specialize in repairs outside of your expertise and refer services for each other. As soon as you have started to repair things people thought would never work again or provided a repair service at a reasonable cost your business will grow by word of mouth, but until then you will need to make sure that you keep up your marketing efforts. You can choose in home computer repair, electrical repair, windows, screens, electronics, you name it if you can fix it, you can make money fixing it.

Essentials: Repairs are hard work and you may come across an item that is difficult to fix, so make sure that you have a well stocked tool box and web access for researching resources such as repair guides or configurations of the item you are trying to repair. With very little investment, you can start your business pretty quickly and as people will always have things that need fixing, you should find that you are able to get business off the ground in a few months or less, depending on the needs in your area.

To Succeed: The best way to build your business is to start with a few repairs then build it as you get more comfortable. You may eventually want to open a small shop if business out grows your basement. Make sure that you are friendly and keep your rates reasonable, yet competitive and soon you will probably see more work than you will know what to do with, as it is often difficult to find a trustworthy repair person, so your repeat business will likely be very high.

Relocation Consultant

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 08:51:11 +0000

Investment: $3,000 to $6,000

Salary: $20,000 to $45,000

Rates: $25 to $35/hour

Advertising: Website with tips and contact information, network with human resources professionals, join real estate and business associations, banner ads on real estate and community websites, partner with an inclusive website or association that provides new home owners and renters with all of the essentials they need.

To Qualify: Experience in real estate, understanding of relocation services and needs, knowledge of the community.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Telephone expenses, association dues

Description: Your job as a relocation consultant will be to help your clients get fully prepared for their move, usually to a new state or community. Employers may provide logistical relocation services in house, such as helping with movers, boxes and setting up utilities at the new house. But as a relocation consultant you will be helping your clients find the right community, locate schools, day cares and recreational activities such soccer and basketball as well as find shopping centers, cultural events and more. You will be assisting your clients in every aspect of their relocation, as your services will be needed for executives and people who are transferring with their jobs and need help while still trying to work and move at the same time. Business managers understand the value of your service and more than likely will be enthusiastic about hiring you to help move their employee.

Essentials: Your main expenses will be setting up your office, which should be minimal if you already have a computer. You will want to start a website with relocation tips, stories about the communities you represent and a way to contact you. After you have set up your office you will be meeting with clients, you may chose to do it at your office at a restaurant, or on the phone.

To Succeed: Since you will be providing community information to your clients, you may be asked by companies wanting to hire someone to highlight the community and it’s offerings, to entice the prospective employee to move into the area. Your services, at times. may make or break a recruiting effort if the client doesn’t want to move, so your job will be to make sure you are able to find as much as you can that is close to what they are hoping to find in their new home. However if a client is moving from a bustling metropolis like New York City to a small town in the Midwest, you will have to be very creative to find things that will appeal their needs for urban bustle. Try asking people about their dream communities and see if you can find enough exciting things to help them get over leaving a big city, for example space and fresh air, may be a draw, it’s just up to how well you sell it.

Real Estate Broker

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 08:50:37 +0000

Investment: $5,000 to $10,000

Salary: $25,000 to $100,000

Rates: 20% to 30% commission on a sale

Advertising: Ads in the local phone directory, create a website with local listings you represent, write a blog and newsletter talking about houses for sale and mortgage trends, join local business associations.

To Qualify: Real Estate License

Equipment: Computer, cell phone, internet, website, fax, copier, printer business cards and stationary.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Subscription to the MLS, marketing fees, travel

Description: Your job as a real estate broker is different from that of a real estate agent in that you are not representing the sale through to closing rather you will be connecting potential buyers with their new homes. As an expert in your community’s residential listings you will be helping buyers find the perfect fit for their lives. Your clients will include families wanting good schools, parks, reasonable home prices and amenities, where the single professional or young couple may be looking for nightlife, entertainment and a more urban experience. As an expert in your local real estate market you will be finding the perfect selection of homes for your clients to choose from and then the real estate agent will take over the sale from there, with you receiving a commission for your efforts.

Essentials: Setting up an office and getting your real estate license will be your most major investments in the beginning. As soon as you have established your office, you will need to subscribe to the multiple listing site online to see houses in your area and talk with local real estate agents and sellers to get an idea of what is for sale in your neighborhood.

To Succeed: In order to succeed you will need to continue to market your services and find potential clients, you may need to be creative about ways you reach out to home buyers. One effective way is to launch a website that highlights the homes in your area that are great deals, historical restorations, new construction or are in an exclusive community and blog about them on your website as well as send out email newsletters with your findings to potential buyers who register with your site. While you will be continuing your marketing efforts throughout the year it would be good to partner with a real estate agent and as soon as you have made a few sales, your reputation will build, then hopefully you will be sought out for your services, which could make you as much as $100,000 or more per year.

Rare Book Dealer

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 08:50:04 +0000

Investment: $5,000 to $10,000

Salary: $20,000 to $40,000

Rates: $10 to $15 and commission on the price of the book

Advertising: Website with catalogue of rare books, book clubs, local phone directory, networking with book store owners, advertising in book industry publications.

To Qualify: Be able to market and follow up with potential clients, good organizational skills.

Equipment: Computer, website, internet, printer, fax, telephone and toll free 800 number.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Phone bills and internet service

Description: Your job as a rare book dealer is to find printed gems. Some readers will spend thousands for a first edition or old edition of their favorite novel. Most rare book dealers also sell new and used books as well as search out the rare finds. It is recommended that you partner this business with some other related kind of business venture as you will spend many hours pouring over membership lists of used book for sale and potentially never find what you are looking for. If you want book retailing and rare book dealing to be your sole industry you will have to find creative ways to make money. That being said, once you do find that rare edition in perfect condition, your commission will be worth the time and effort, but it just may take you a year or more to get there. As a rare book dealer you will be searching out books for your clients and then pair the client with the book seller for a search rate of $10 to $20/search and commission on the total price of the sale.

Essentials: You will need a fast computer and internet service to search as quickly as possible and you will want to spend money on advertising and marketing your business. If you want to add an online component to an already existing store front like a used book or record store, then advertise on the web for both your local business and your online business. If you are only doing your rare book business by word of mouth and referrals, heavily advertise and market locally.

To Succeed: This is a collector’s business and can be very successful if you match a rare one of a kind book with a buyer, otherwise there isn’t that much money in dealing rare books alone, However, if you partner your rare book researching efforts with an already existing business or open an online operation selling new, used and rare books, you can probably sustain your business quite successfully. Look at abebooks.com for more book selling ideas.

Publisher of Personalized Children’s Books

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 08:49:21 +0000

Investment: $5,000 to $15,000

Salary: $20,000 to $40,000

Rates: $15 to $30/book

Advertising: Flea markets, website with estore, schools, direct mailing to residents.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Design and editorial mistakes.

Description: Personalized children’s picture books are great gifts and a wonderful way to get a child interested in reading. The books make the child a character in the story by using their picture and name throughout. A lot of parents and family will want this kind of service for the children in their lives and you can expand your product line by creating a series of books or seasonal offerings to keep your clients buying more and more product. You will need to have a way to print the books, either by a high end laser printer or outsourcing to a printing company. Typically to make a personalized book, you will use a variety of templates and stories that have places to place the child’s picture and name. You may want to charge more for personalized books that further explore the child’s world with a list of family member names, pets, teaches, likes and dislikes and things that are in the child’s home life. In all this will be a fun and interesting venture, you may want to open a mall kiosk, online store or both to drive traffic to your enterprise.

Essentials: You will spend at least $10,000 or more to start your business, and this is with you printing and creating the stories yourself. If you want to enter a more established business, then consider buying a franchise at the price of $30,000 to $50,000, this will be good because all the templates and printing set ups will already be in place, all you will have to do is market your business.

To Succeed: This is a great business for anyone who likes to work around children and their families. Be prepared for a fussy parent, grand parent or aunt to cross your path, but otherwise you will be providing a unique product to people who want to celebrate their kids. If you write your own books, you can use your expertise with learning and story telling to create a book that helps a child learn about their world, while building their sense of self esteem and identity. This is a really wonderful business if you are prepared for the minor glitches and personality clashes that you inevitably encounter along the way.

Public Relations Consultant

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 08:35:49 +0000

Investment: $5,000 to $10,000

Salary: $35,000 to $75,000

Rates: $50 to $75/hour, $500 to $15,000/job or $1,000 to $5,000/monthly retainer

Advertising: Website with a portfolio of your client’s work and your accomplishments newspaper clipping, print etc. and client testimonials. Cold calling to potential clients, networking with business groups.

To Qualify: Strong communication skills, ability to deal with clients and news media and print publications, assertiveness.

Equipment: Computer, internet, website, publicity tracking services, telephone, desktop publishing software, telephone with conference calling, business cards, stationary, office equipment, subscription to publicity press release distribution services.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Long lead time before turning a profit.

Description: As large companies are downsizing their publicity departments, this is good time for independent contractors to enter the market. Expect to spend a lot of time setting up your business and getting started as it can take two years or more to establish the contacts and reputation you need to really start earning money. Consider offering your services for free to high profile non profit businesses and work on large campaigns to establish the media contacts and get a good project to display on your website and marketing literature.

Essentials: Most of your initial investment will be spent in marketing your business and setting up professional looking brochures, business cards and website. You will want to network at publicity events and make contact with publishers, reporters and all media outlets as well as potential clients that you hoping to service. You will also need to spend time setting up your office so that it looks professional and is at the same level as other working publicists.

To Succeed: The bottom line of your business will be to get the company or person you are representing media coverage and publicity, in order to get media outlets to cover your clients you will need to pitch them interviews, stories and write press releases to entice the media to take an interest the clients you represent. This field is a results driven business, so even if your intentions are good and your people skills remarkable, you will still need to finesse viable results. If you have the tenacity and ability to keep inventing new and interesting ways to woo the press, independent public relations will probably be a very profitable and enjoyable business for you.

Public Pay Phone Service

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 08:35:18 +0000

Investment: $5,000 to $10,000

Salary: $20,000 to $30,000

Rates: $50/day

Advertising: Billboards, flyers in local gathering places

To Qualify: Communications technical skills and sales experience.

Equipment: Pay phones, installation equipment

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Insurance, maintenance and repairs.

Description: Payphones are still a necessity in large cities and rural towns, especially to those without cell phones. Most payphones are in terrible need of update and repair, there is a booming payphone market emerging from these neglected phones. Your greatest expense will be working with the phone company to install the phone and establishments where the phone is located as well as actually purchasing the phones. You will need manage the upkeep of the phones and make sure that they are connected to telecommunication providers in the local area. You may also want to print prepaid phone cards with your company name and contact information that can be sold in neighboring convenience stores, grocery stores and markets near where you have phones located. You may want to build your business from scratch or take over an already established franchise and update, clean and revamp their already existing phones. Pay phones are a public luxury that are necessary for foreign travelers, people without cell phones or cell phones that have lost coverage or power. They are also good because 911 calls can be made from them for free. You will have to invest a lot of time in maintaining and cleaning your phone inventory as public phones tend to be targets for vandalism and destruction.

Essentials: Buying all the phones new, marketing and launching your business may be costly at first, but outside of maintenance costs, this is a business that will eventually almost run itself, you will only need to work with the telecommunications companies, location providers and maintain the phones on a regular basis. Your initial investment will be around $5,000 to $10,000 for the phones and more if you want to include prepaid phone call with advertising.

To Succeed: You will need to market to business owners, shopping complexes and municipalities where pay phones are offered, you will also be going up against larger more established companies, but since they have grown so large and let their phones fall into disrepair, there is a need to new blood in this branch of the telecommunications industry, so you may be able to find your way in and make a good income and career for yourself.

Property Management

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 08:34:41 +0000

Investment: $3,000 to $6,000

Salary: $25,000 to $50,000

Rates: $25/hour or $500 to $2,500 monthly retainer

Advertising: Local and online classified ads, real estate and rental groups, contact apartment and building managers directly, get referrals from real estate agents and rental companies.

To Qualify: Experience running a and maintaining a building, book keeping skills, tenant management skills, college degree, ability to work well with people.

Equipment: Computer, internet, property management and office software, cell phone, fax, copier, printer, office and furniture, business cards and stationary.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Insurance

Description: Property managers are responsible for all aspects of building maintenance, accounting and tenant management. If you are a person who is able to juggle multiple appointments, income streams and personalities, building management might be the right job for you. Building managers either work with businesses and manage tenants that rent office space or apartment and housing complexes with residents either living on the premises or working from your office. When a pipe busts, it’s your responsibility, routine elevator maintenance, air filter replacement, heating, cooling, painting and more all fall under your jurisdiction as well as monthly rent collection, late fees, deposits and bookkeeping. You will not only have to be good at keeping up with the building maintenance, but will also have to have excellent people skills in order to handle tenant complaints, requests, late payment and delinquencies.

Essentials: Your essential items for start up are a computer and a cell phone, you will also need a small office where tenants can come and sign lease agreements, contractors can consult with you and building owners can conduct meetings. Some residential building owners of large housing complexes prefer that the manager live in the building, so decide if this is something you feel comfortable with, otherwise you may consider only working for corporate building owners, or residential owners who have several buildings.

To Succeed: Building management is a great way to make money if you like managing many different aspects and are good at it. The worst thing that can happen is if the building you manage falls behind in finances or repairs. There are laws that mandate building maintenance that must be adhered to and if your books don’t balance it could mean tremendous problems for you, the building owner and tenants, therefore be sure you are able to deliver what a building needs to stay functioning. Your biggest hurdle in starting your business will be marketing to building owners and getting jobs, but you won’t need that many to get your business started and if the owner is satisfied with your work, you may have years of employment without having to look for new buildings to manage.

Professional Organizer

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 08:33:36 +0000

Investment: $500 to $1,000

Salary: $25,000 to $45,000

Rates: $25 to $40/hour

Advertising: Website with tips and advice on organizing, speak at community centers and adult education programs, advertise or be included in real estate “welcome” websites, that list local services, direct mailing to local residents, online and local classified ads.

To Qualify: Extremely good at organizing things, especially excessive clutter, know how to categorize, prioritize and define, files, documents, toys, collectibles etc.

Equipment: Cell phone, pager, computer

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Cell phone bills, travel

Description: As a professional organizer, your job will be to manage the overwhelmed parts of people’s lives. Since there are many different types of organizational duties, you may want to focus on one or two specifically. You can choose, time management (goal setting, motivation, time keeping etc.) clutter removal (find places for purposeful things and reduce unnecessary or unused items) paper management (filing system for documents) computer organization (organize emails and documents) and space planning (defining spaces by furniture, lighting, sound and square footage). After you have chosen a few means of operation, it is time to find clients. It may take a little convincing, but the general benefits of organization far outweigh the potential resistance to it. Keeping our lives neat and clutter free, means that our minds, emotions and personal time are also free of extra labor, debris and chaos. The peace of mind that cleanliness and purposefully positioning of items creates is worth every penny your client’s will spend on your services. All you need to do is assure your potential clients of this, it might help to have a portfolio (in addition to your website) of before and after pictures as well as client testimonies. As soon as you have secured your clients be ready and able to deliver, sometimes even you may get overwhelmed by another’s chaos, so be focused and driven to succeed.

Essentials: Your start up efforts will only be marketing with business cards and a simple website, therefore, you can probably start this business with $500 or less. You will be charging upwards of $25 per hour, so you should be profitable relatively quickly after your begin. You will need to continue your marketing efforts though, as once you have finished a job you will more than likely not be doing it again. That being said you may want to offer a maintenance plan especially for document and file organization where for a monthly retainer, you will come in a make sure that everything is running smoothly and fix any organizational problems that have occured or clutter that has gathered.

To Succeed: You will need to love cleaning, organizing and creating space and be good at it, outside of these abilities, you may also want to research The National Association of Professional Organizers for information about giving local seminars and better ways to advertise and attract new business.

Product Designer

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 08:26:08 +0000

Investment: $10,000 to $20,000

Salary: $50,000 to $150,000

Rates: $500 to several thousand dollars/design

Advertising: Website with a gallery of you designs and the companies who use them, join trade and business associations, mail directly to desired clients.

To Qualify: College degree in product design

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Insurance and design changes.

Description: If you are able to conceptualize practical and inventive product designs, being an independent product designer might be the right job for you. As a product designer, you will be aligning yourself with manufacturer’s design teams to create products that are innovative and can be produced quickly and on budget. If you have a history of creating products that sell and are produced on budget and on time, you will have no problem finding manufacturers who will want to work with you. Often times manufacturing companies will go outside of their in house pool of product designers to either get something fresh and imaginative or to work on something that is complex and hard to budget. The biggest challenge to this kind of work, outside of the hours and creativity needed, is working with a group to agree on a design and staying within budget. Since you will be working in a collective, this means differing opinions and motivations for the product’s design. Make sure that your contract states how many redrafts are allowable and what you expect from the members of the design team.

Essentials: As a designer, you will need to invest in a Mac computer and CAD (computer aided design) software to compete with other product designers. Since Mac is the best computer to use for graphics, most of the manufacturing teams will also be using them, so your work form computer to computer will be compatible. Your largest investment of time will be in forging relationships with large manufacturing companies and pitching your designs. As soon as you have established your company and proved your design abilities, you will likely be working with the same companies on many of their products and potentially even create an entire product line. Most project designers make from $50,000 to $150,000 or more per year.

To Succeed: Being creative and having the ability to design from scratch will be one of your most valuable assets, however don’t be surprised if you are asked to fix existing design flaws, or make an impractical design work. Often independent designers are brought in when the in house team or another designer was not able to effectively finish the design. Also you will want to make sure that your design does work, so outside of being creative in crafting an idea, you will also need to be practical about it’s application and make sure that it can be produced without malfunction. Product design is a very interesting, team/task/timeline oriented field and one you will enjoy if you like seeing something developed from nothing.

Private Tutor

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 07:46:58 +0000

Investment: $500

Salary: $15,000 to $20,000

Rates: $10 to $20/hour

Advertising: Ads in local phone directories, online and local classified ads, school counselors, principals and teachers, website with services, rates and success stories.

To Qualify: Experience teaching others, knowledge in your area of expertise and preferably a college degree.

Equipment: Computer, cell phone

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Travel expenses

Description: Schools are getting more and more crowded and students are getting less and less individual attention, so the need for tutors is on the rise. You will work with teachers and schools to help a student who is doing poorly in a specific area or in general raise their grades and understanding of the subject matter. Often all children need is a some special guidance, still others need a creative teaching solution, be prepared to think of new and interesting ways to help your client and their parent’s learn. The trouble with people and their busy lives is that children’s developmental needs often are over looked. Mom and Dad or Grandma, just don’t have the time, don’t take the time or don’t have the skills to help a child really understand what they are learning. As a tutor you will be working one on one with child and giving reports and possibly verbal updates to their teacher. Additionally you will conference with the parents periodically to discuss you observations and ways they can help their child improve. The best reward in a job such as this is seeing a child truly succeed and gain confidence and knowledge.

Essentials: Your start up costs will not be too high, unless you want to invest in a lap top computer. You will most likely need text books and teaching aids and you will want to have a full awareness of learning disorders and possible attention or behavioral issues that might impede a child’s ability to learn. While you need not be a therapist, you should be well versed in alternative teaching techniques and motivational skills as these will be a benefit to your client. Since you are trying to motivate a child to learn, take on the task of learning as well, by keeping yourself up to date and knowledgeable about your area of expertise. If a problem should arise with one of your students be willing to research and find a solution that will work best for both you and for them. Remember to always include the parents in your findings and get their support with your tutorial efforts, by assisting or supporting their child’s independent learning abilities.

To Succeed: By proving tutorial services, you are offering a child a chance at hope. While this may sound lofty, most children and thus young adults, who struggle in school usually either give up or continue to struggle. This means that when they enter the job market they often do so with low expectations and self esteem. If you are able to show a child how they are best able to learn and therefore succeed, this bridge to success will carry them through their lives and offer them a chance at a happier, more productive existence.

Printing Broker

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 06:57:36 +0000

Investment: $1,000 to $3,000

Salary: $35,000 to $50,000

Rates: 10% to 15% commission

Advertising: Ad in the local phone directory, trade publications, referrals, cold calling, direct mailing.

To Qualify: Printing experience and previous work in sales

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Insurance and travel

Description: Your job as a printing broker is to match printing jobs with printing companies. While this sounds like a relatively simple task the real job at hand is finding the best and most current printing rates and ways to save your client’s money on their print needs. If a company, such as newspapers, publishing, law offices and other document intense fields, have to print documents on a regular basis, you will be saving them thousands in printing costs. A lot of companies don’t have the resources or the time to find the best deals on printing, so you will be finding those deals for them. You will not only be representing the companies placing the print orders, but the companies doing the printing as well. You will need to know all the print companies in town and call to get an update on their rates or negotiate deals for each print job.

Essentials: You will need a home office and marketing materials to start your business, but as soon as you are able to pitch the savings to your prospective clients, you will be able to fill your client list relatively quickly after start up. The best way to start your business is to get a special rate tailored for you and the clients you represent. If special pricing is not available, then work with printers to pitch the big jobs and entice them with big companies and the potential to work on an ongoing basis for a discount. In this case volume will be the money maker for the printing houses. For your clients who need printing services show them a spread sheet of local printers and their rates and let them see for themselves how much they will save.

To Succeed: Print brokering is a tricky sales balancing act, between trying to get printing houses to give you a great deal on printing and trying to convince companies to use the companies you are pitching them. Be prepared for a few deals to fall through, however if you are able to secure quality printing at a savings to the company you can expect repeat and referral business. This is a great job for anyone with amazing sales abilities who loves finding deals and helping companies succeed; both print service companies and clients who need printing services.

Pool Maintenance

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 06:57:04 +0000

Investment: $15,000 To $30,000

Salary: $30,000 to $50,000

Rates: $75 to $150/cleaning

Advertising: Ads in local phone directories, flyers at pool sales and service establishments, direct mailed flyers and coupons.

To Qualify: Experience in pool cleaning, chemicals, repair and maintenance of in ground and above ground pools.

Equipment: Cell phone, pool vacuum, hose, net, chemicals, brushes

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Insurance and cell phone charges

Description: People love their pools in the summer time, but don’t love to clean or maintain them. Since balancing chemicals and clearing drains can be hard to do for the general pool user, hiring a pool maintenance person can take the worry out of pool ownership. Pools are fun, everyone loves them, especially on hot days, but hot days can also bring bugs, algae and environmental toxins that just aren’t that appealing to dive into. The pool maintenance person assures their clients that their pools are safe and functioning well. Nothing can be more draining on water and energy than a broken pool, so keeping them maintained is also essential, not only to the environment but to your client’s pocket book. The only downside to your business will be trying to find clients in the colder months, while pool maintenance is a year round necessity, it may be hard to convince your clients that their pool needs cleaning in the snow. So for the colder months you may want to tailor your service to provide occasional cleaning and protection from frost, filth and rain or broaden your service area to include more clients.

Essentials: Your start up investment might be high as buying the chemicals and cleaning equipment needed can be very pricey and since they will be used repetitively, often a few times a day, you will want to make sure that they are maintained and running properly. You will also want to make sure that you understand pools and know how to chemically treat the water, as this is one of the trickiest aspects of pool ownership. As soon as you have put your business cards out and attracted clients, you will more that likely have repeat business as pool cleaning and maintenance is an ongoing service. Try drafting a contract that spells out your services and has your clients committing to a year of your service, with heavy maintenance during the warm months and routine maintenance for the colder months. While your contract will have an “escape clause” this will ensure that your customers are committed to working with you on a continuous basis and keeps them from dropping you without notice.

To Succeed: You need to be good at what you do, and keep those pools and spas, crystal clear and sparkling. If you chose not to have your customers sign a contract, make sure that you contact them periodically to schedule maintenance, as time will pass and the client may remember too late to have the pool cleaned. It is much easier to do a good job cleaning a slightly dirty pool, than a real icky one. If you are persistent, good at what you do and have great people skills (you will be in a lot of people’s homes and people are always more apt to want you back if they like you) pool maintenance would be a great business for you.

Political Campaign Manager

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 06:56:30 +0000

Investment: $1,000 to $5,000

Salary: $30,000 to $150,000

Rates: $1,500 to $5,000 or more/monthly retainer

Advertising: Website with your qualifications and testimonials, network with government officials, and advertise to Board of Elections, business cards and brochure sent to local politicians.

To Qualify: College degree in Political Science or background in politics, understanding of the political system and the ability to work well within it.

Equipment; Computer, cell phone, fast internet, fax, printer, copier.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Phone bills, errors and omissions insurance

Description: If you love politics and are itching to get in the game, being a political campaign manager would be a good fit for you. Since most of your job will consist of knowing people in the political arena and getting your client out in the public, you will need to have significant campaign experience before you start earning the big dollars. So if you are just starting out, you should consider getting a college degree in Political Sciences or educate yourself in the political arts by taking classes and volunteering for campaigns. The very best way to get your name out there and get the experience you need is to volunteer at the local level on a campaign. You will need to put in the time and effort and make sure that you are noticed, but not by being obnoxious, just vibrant, committed and successful at fundraising and raising awareness for your candidate. As you work your way up the ranks you will be gaining knowledge and meeting the right people to know when it comes time to try and launch your own campaign. Most campaign managers start at the local level and work their way up the ranks.

Essentials: You will need a computer and a cell phone and very professional looking brochures and a website. Since your job will be imaging and promoting a politician, you will have to show your ability to market and draw attention to people, by doing so for yourself. As soon as you are hired to manage a candidate you will be booking and writing speeches, getting them publicity and creating their marketing and political strategy, so practice first on yourself to get the job. Expect to spend up to $10,000 in promotional materials in addition to gaining experience if you don’t have it already. As soon as you have been hired to manage a campaign expect to earn anywhere from $60,000 to $100,000 or more.

To Succeed: Since the political world can be cut throat at times, make sure that you keep your business and your personal life ethical and above reproach as slander artists love to find anything they can to bring down the competition. Corruption abounds in the political arena, so make sure that you are above it and fight fairly, you can be aggressive, but do so with the right intentions and you will eventually see successful results not only for your client but for yourself and you career as well.

Pet Grooming

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 06:55:55 +0000

Investment: $5,000 to $10,000

Salary: $25,000 to $40,000

Rates: $30 to $60/per grooming

Advertising: Local and online classified ads, local phone directory, referrals from veterinarians and pet clinics, flyers at dog parks, pet stores and animal shelters.

To Qualify: Experience grooming animals, understanding of animal behavior and techniques to deal with scared or aggressive animals as well as know the standard regulations for pure breeds.

Equipment: Clippers, brushes, shampoos and conditioners, grooming table, computer, credit card machine, bath tub with shower attachment, business cards.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Supplies and insurance

Description: To some their pet is their child and most pet owners will want professional grooming at one time or another. Washing your pet may not be a pleasant at home experience as wet dog, or angry cat, don’t mix well with carpets, furniture and drapes. One can wash Fido or FiFi outside, but if you have a long haired pet, the dirt and grime will get in there before they have time to dry. And most pet owners simply don’t have the time or expertise to fluff, trim and coif their pet. So the pet groomer is the one who usually does the job. You will have to have a real love of animals to want to open this kind of business as some animals are not keen on being groomed. Not only could it be a safety issue for you if they bite or scratch, it could be a safety issue for them if their nerves and aggression make it hard for you to use clippers or trimmers. So if you are dog, cat or ferret whisperer, this would be a great job for you. The great thing about owning this kind of business is, once a customer is satisfied they may be a life long client, for the duration of all their pet’s lives. Like hair stylists, some will remain loyal forever, allowing you the chance to really know their pet and treat them as a special member of their family. You may consider opening a shop or opening a mobile grooming operation.

Essentials: You will need to set up your grooming station. You can offer grooming services out of your home, but make sure you have all of the professional equipment that is required. These items may be costly so try to buy some of them used or be selective when shopping for your professional grooming equipment. If you don’t want to use your home, you may want to rent a space that has access to water and drainage or look into a mobile unit already fit and set up for grooming. However you chose to start your business, after some marketing effort, you will soon see your clients increase and your profits grow. Make sure that you are not serving an area that has a lot of competition, if you do find that there are more than enough groomers in your area, consider specializing in organic grooming, pet “spa” or sell specialty pet items, like home baked dog treats and chemical free flea treatments anything that will make the fur babies happy and begging for more.

To Succeed: You will need to love animals and be able to offer the best service in town. Try to assess the animal owners in your community, for example are there a lot of dog parks, cafes that allow dogs, or high end pet stores, if so, then you know you are in a place that treats their pets like people. Try and market your services to treat the pet as a special member of the family and think about creative ways to make your business stand out. Just making an animal smell good and look good may not be enough, you’ll have to make them and their “parents” feel good too.

Personal Shopper

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 06:55:20 +0000

Investment: $500 to $1,000

Salary: $10,000 to $25,000

Rates: $20 to $40/hour

Advertising: Website with description of services and testimonials, market to busy professionals and minor or local celebrities, online and local classified ads, brochures left at boutiques and local cafés.

Equipment: Car and cell phone.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Travel expenses.

Description: As a personal shopper, you will be doing gift buying and personal shopping for people too busy to do it for themselves. Usually executives who need to give gifts to corporate clients, acquaintances or people in their personal lives don’t have the time or energy to focus on finding the right gift. Gift giving can be challenging if the exchange of gifts is actually part of a business maneuver. What do you buy for people who already have everything, and what do you give if you are known to have a high powered position and are expected to give a gift fitting of your station in life. All daunting for the “too much to do, too little time to do it in” person. So as a personal shopper you will use your creativity and connections to find the perfect gift. This is a great job for someone with an eye for style, innovation and has impeccable tastes. And if you truly enjoy shopping this well be an excellent business for you.

Essentials: You will need to advertise your services and get your name around town. You should know every boutique, gift store, specialty store, candle shop, florist, pottery, porcelain and fine china place known to man and then some. You will spend the bulk of your first months pouring over catalogues and familiarizing yourself with what’s hot and what’s not in the gift giving world. Then you will need to market directly to managers of corporations, minor or local celebrities and socialites to impress upon them the necessity of your services. Mostly the time saving, creative buying, perfect gift giving angle works best with these busy executives.

To Succeed: You will need to have a great personality, creative shopping ability and tenacity to make this a lucrative career, but if you love shopping, there’s nothing to it. You will want to create some sort of contract that defines how you bill your hours (shopping time, travel time, wrapping, shipping etc.) method of payment and policy regarding returns. Most of your clients will probably be thrilled by your choices, but if you get the less than happy client, stay positive and make sure that you are able to return or replace anything you buy. Most likely the stores you work with will value your business and the ability to serve your client, as gift giving to the rich and famous (at least on the local level) is good advertising for them as well. Before you whip out other people’s credit cards and go to town, make sure that you have a signed contract stating how you will pay for items, get paid and define your services, as this is one industry where the personal shopper can be over worked and under paid, so set you boundaries and enjoy!

Personal Instructor/Fitness Trainer

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 06:44:15 +0000

Investment: $100 to $1,000

Salary: $20,000 to $65,000

Rates: $50 to $75/hour

Advertising: Business cards at health clubs, parks and recreation bulletin boards, libraries, website and banner ads on sporting goods e-stores and health and wellness sites.

To Qualify: Experience as an instructor or trainer for physical fitness.

Equipment: Work out equipment, membership to a gym or space for training.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Liability Insurance

Description: Personal trainers are always in demand, however it is also a very competitive field. As a personal trainer you will be helping your clients get in or stay in great physical shape. This means that you too will need to be in optimum physical condition. The challenge to starting this business is marketing your services. A lot of people start out working at gyms and then go solo after meeting with people and getting their name out there. The downside to doing this is that gyms don’t usually pay much and may not let you take your client’s with you when you leave. Another way to get started is to teach a class at a community heath or education center and offer to train one session for free for each of your students. While you are marketing to people, you will have to impress upon them the importance of daily exercise, balanced diet and overall physical and mental health.

Essentials: You will either need to have permission to train privately at a gym or offer your house. If you chose to train at a gym you will only need to pay for the membership and just find out the house rules for private (not affiliated with the gym) trainers. If you choose to set up a training space in your house you will need to buy all of the equipment, which might be very expensive. Consider offering counseling on home fitness techniques, weight management, muscle toning and nutrition as ways to charge a little more money for your services.

To Succeed: You will have to be very knowledgeable about fitness, stay in terrific physical shape and be able to continually market your services. The upside it, physical fitness training can be very social and fun. Remember that staying committed to a trainer is sometimes a challenge for people as they will be highly motivated, usually after the holidays, but their desire may taper off. After they have seen some results and grow tired of getting up early or putting in the harder work needed to take off the last few pounds or continue to work toward optimum fitness. You will either have to keep marketing for new clients or find a way to re-motivate your current ones. Be creative about changing the routine, location or taking the training in a new direction to keep your clients enthused, otherwise make sure that they sign a contract giving you 30 days notice before cancelling your services.

Personal Development Coach

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 06:43:34 +0000

Investment: $1,500 to $5,000

Salary: $50,000 to $150,000

Rates: $150 to $350/client per month

Advertising: Local and online classified ads, community papers and business publications

To Qualify: Certification in personal development

Equipment: Computer

Staff: None needed.

Unexpected Expenses: Liability insurance, website and continued education in personal development.

Description: Personal development coaching or life coaching is a way of helping people seek out their life’s ambitions and balance their daily routines to find a healthy existence. While it seems frivolous to have a person come in and tell you how to live your life, it is actually an important learning opportunity for people who feel overworked, stressed out and unfulfilled. Medical reports show that stress is one of the leading causes of illness and death, so finding a way to better live your life can be crucial. When we are young, we have dreams and aspirations, yet we see those fall away as bills, obligations and work take over our lives. Personal development coaches help their clients reclaim their time and their dreams. But staying organized, focused and motivated, people can find the time in their lives to achieve their desires. Most of us don’t know how much time we spend being miserable, so a personal development coach helps us to better use our time and focuses our perspective in a more positive direction. If you have a counseling, psychology, spiritual or human resources background, this might be the perfect fit for you. It is best that before you open a coaching business, you go through training yourself, since as a trainer it would be good to first be trained.

Essentials: While not mandatory in all states, it is best that you get certified before beginning your coaching career, this gives you credentials and credibility. If you have been a private consultant and image couch, the certification may not be necessary, but it is still recommended that you obtain one. Outside of the cost of certification (around $3,000) you will only need money to market your services. You can start by leaving business cards in public places as well as reaching out to human resource professionals, counselors, therapists and progressive churches. You can also use the web and advertise online, offering coaching services on the phone, though it is best to have at least one in person meeting.

To Succeed: The best way to enter this field is to join a group of other counseling professionals, get life coaching yourself, be a part of a meditation group or holistic healing center, work with clinics and corporations or offer to speak at community centers to help identify your clients. As soon as you have successfully shown people how to better manage their time, finances and aspirations you will get referrals and your business with grow through word of mouth, but until then, set your own goals and be diligent until your business is established. After you have established yourself, consider writing newsletters and blogs and put them on your website or create a members only portion of your website that offers daily motivations and ongoing life planning techniques.

Personal Assistant

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 06:42:56 +0000

Investment: $100 to $1,000

Salary: $25,000 to $50,000

Rates: $10 to $45/hour or a weekly flat rate

Advertising: Community businesses, local papers, online and local classified ads, direct mailing to corporations and reach out to executives, celebrities and people who are very busy, leave flyers at community centers and grocery stores, create a website listing your rates and services.

To Qualify: Chauffer’s license to drive people and great administration skills, computer literate and able to answer phones and type.

Equipment: Computer, cell phone, transportation and hand held organizational device.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Liability insurance and travel expenses.

Description: Many business people these days just don’t have the time to do it all, often they will call upon an assistant to help with their household and business obligations. If you are highly organized and like to make things work smoothly, this would be a great employment for you. Your job may include, but will not be limited to, picking up dry cleaning, answering phones, preparing travel schedules, managing meetings, keeping the client’s calendar, grocery shopping, emails, light household cleaning and transportation. If you work well with people are pleasant to be around and are highly efficient and organized, you will likely be great at managing another person’s affairs. Your biggest challenge to getting started will be finding your client, but the upside is, you will only need one full time client or a few part timers to get started, so you won’t need to market your services long before you can begin to work.

Essentials: You will need a good computer, possibly a laptop and internet so that you can manage all that you need to as efficiently as possible. Your client will more probably want to stay in contact with you during the day, so have a cell phone on you at all times. Also you may be working with highly confidential material, if your employer doesn’t do so, make sure that you prepare a contract that spells out the hours you will be working, what you expect as compensation, including overtime and how you will treat confidential matters. Also if your employer agrees to benefits (vacation time, health care, paid sick days) make sure they are also listed in your contract.

To Succeed: Make sure that you are on top of everything and very organized so that your don’t drop the ball in any court. This can be stressful work as you will be managing many things at once, outside of being good at what you do, you will need some time for you. One of the greatest complaints of personal assistants is that they feel like they have no personal life. It is imperative that you set those boundaries from the beginning. When negotiating your contract, insist on time off and strict hours, with the exception being major deadlines and events, that are compensated with overtime. It is easy for executives, entertainers and busy people to overlook the value of their assistants, so make sure that you respect your business and they will follow suit.

Party Planner

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 06:42:07 +0000

Investment: $500 to $1,000

Salary: $20,000 to $40,000

Rates: $300 to $500/party or 15% to 20% of the party’s total cost.

Advertising: Local phone directory, direct mailings, a website with party ideas, rental rates and client testimonies, flyers at party stores, caterers and other party related venues.

To Qualify: Great organizational skills, creativity and resourcefulness.

Equipment: Cell phone, computer, fax machine, hand help computer or planning device, digital camera.

Staff: None needed.

Unexpected Expenses: Travel expenses, not budgeting time properly.

Description: A party planner is the one who organizes everything, from the invitations to the thank you notes. If you love to plan parties and are clever and creative you have the potential to be a great party planner. People often will hire a party planner for big events, such as a surprise 50th anniversary party, sweet 16 party, baby shower, 80th birthday, corporate celebration etc. Your job will be to create a theme with activities, color scheme, food etc. and all the events for the party. Be prepared to spend long hours working with the client to fit that perfect soiree to their budget. Parties tend to be expensive, so your clients will probably want the most for their money, have a few dazzling tricks up your sleeve so that you can satisfy both your pocket and theirs. Since this is primarily a word of mouth business, you will want to make sure that your clients and their guests are more than satisfied with their parties. You may want to reach out to them after the party is over and recap and ask for their testimony as well as offer to help with thank you notes and online photographs of the event. Think of every little detail you can to make the party a success, from invitations to the party website where the guests can get details, RSVP and pictures of themselves afterwards.

Essentials: Your biggest start up expenses will be your initial advertising efforts. The best way to reach people who don’t have a clue where to find you will be the local yellow pages or equivalent phone directory and the web, so make sure that you spend money on phone book advertising and web marketing. Decide your style, even though your parties will differ, you should know if your planning will be traditional, with high teas and formal dances or fun and quirky, while you can offer both, most people would like to get a sense of your company’s style as people tend to want companies to be really good at what they offer. If you are good at it all, prove it, but if you are great at “green parties” or “new and inventive” stick with what you know best and build your company upon it. You will develop as you go, but creativity and resourcefulness will be your greatest attributes in this business.

To Succeed: Offer to do parties for friends and local charities to get yourself established, make sure that you take lots of photos and video as well as testimonials. The best way to sell your business is to show how great it is and let your business sell itself. Your website should be ever changing and reflect your most up to date and biggest work, no one wants to see a party from three years ago, so keep it fresh. Also you will want to partner with vendors and people you trust so that you are not relying on unreliable companies as this can be your party’s downfall. Remember that people who plan large events, tend to get stressed and often have strong opinions about what they want, even if it isn’t great for a crowd, so know how to manage people’s egos and expectations as well as all the elements you will be assembling.

Paging Services

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 06:41:00 +0000

Investment: $10,000 to $15,000

Salary: $30,000 to $50,000

Rates: $10 to $30/month

Advertising: Direct mail flyers, newspaper, online and local classified ads, radio and television commercials.

To Qualify: Organizational and sales skills, computer and technical skills

Equipment: Computer, computer paging system office furniture, business cards, flyers and stationary.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Insurance and telephone bills.

Description: Paging services are not just for doctors these days, but doctors certainly do use them. Less intrusive and more direct than a cell phone, pagers alert the customer when there is an urgent call or need to contact the paging party. Pagers are great for companies that employ service people who are out in the field, children whom parents don’t want carrying cell phones, or any person who may have an on call job. Your job as a paging services will be to provide the connect between paging party and pager, by means of a computer paging system. You can also look at branching out your services to include cell phones and internet accounts, but if you want to stick with pagers, you can definitely make your company profitable. You will need to have a vendor who will sell you a variety wholesale pagers and be able to manage your paging system, software and office.

Essentials: Check out other paging services in your area and see what they offer and how you can either specialize or be competitive with them. Your initial investment will be very high as the paging software alone is upwards of $10,000, however once you have established your business, there will be no need to continue to buy expensive software, you will only have to maintain it. You will also want an inventory of pagers and a marketing budget at start up. All of these expenses you can factor into your monthly rates, and research all the related ways you can make money that will not be much of an extra expense to you.

To Succeed: While the advances in cell phones are giving paging services a run for their money, pagers are still an excellent way to contact to a person or employee. Pagers are more discrete than cell phones as you can step aside and place your call in a more private area and they are more immediate, in that they let the client know that there is an urgency to the page. Having pagers is also good for companies who want to reach staff members, but don’t want them tempted by carrying a cell phone and overall it is much cheaper to pay paging rates than cell phone charges. You will have to be creative to find a niche for yourself, but that is part of the excitement of running your own company.

Outplacement Services

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 06:40:25 +0000

Investment: $15,000 to $30,000

Salary: $75,000 to $150,000

Rates: Retainer fee of $1,000 to $3,000/month

Advertising: Local phone directory, direct mailing to human resource executives, website with a list of your services, customer testimonials and your specialty, banner ads on job search and human resource websites.

To Qualify: Human resources and recruiting experience.

Equipment: Computer with internet access, business cards, stationary, fax, telephone, cell phone, career, personality and aptitude tests, copier, printer, answering services.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Insurance, website, internet service, time spent with clients

Description: Outplacement services offer re-employment efforts on behalf of displaced unemployed staff recently out of work because of a layoff or down sizing. Companies will hire an outplacement service to help those who are unexpectedly out of work. The outsourcing company will assess the employees aptitude and skills as well as consult on their resume and help them connect with employment opportunities that may be right for them. For some staff members this is an opportunity to try something new, for others it helps them dust off their old resumes and position themselves for a job search. In the best case scenario, outplacement services connect recently unemployed people with a new job, but even without finding a new position, most will be able to feel hopeful and ready to re-enter the job market. Your job will be to offer career advice, assessment results and career counseling. This can be an invaluable service, especially to those who have not had to look for work for a long time or who were in specialized jobs and want to see how their skills will transfer to other employment.

Essentials: Your initially investment is likely to be very high as the computer, software and marketing resources needed to effectively begin business will be expensive, however this business can pull in at least $150,000/per year if successful. You will want to be very aware of the job market in your area and be able to spot a company that may be downsizing in the future. Often when companies have a long run of bad financial times and advertised issues with profitability, a round of layoffs and downsizing is likely in store. You will want to approach the human resource director before an advertisement goes out announcing the layoffs as most companies will want to have an outsourcing company in place before the employees are aware that jobs will be eliminated.

To Succeed: The best way to succeed in this business is to market yourself, have great promotional materials, a professional looking website and stay abreast of business trends. Try to establish a relationship with the head of operations and key human resource personnel as you will want to have them call you when there is a need. If you have a history of working in human resources, recruitment and have a degree in psychology or a related field, you will have great credentials to start this business. If you don’t have those things, you will need a client list full of successes to tout when pitching your business to large corporations. As soon as you are able to establish your business, word of mouth and referrals will help you succeed as you will likely no longer need aggressive marketing strategies, but keeping your name out there will always be very important as most companies don’t downsize that often, you will need to continue to find new companies who need your services.

Outdoor Adventures

followguide — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 06:39:46 +0000

Investment: $5,000 to $10,000

Salary: $50,000 to $100,000

Rates: $300 to $1,000/person

Advertising: Website with packages and a detailed list and description of outdoor adventures, ads in outdoor magazines and sports equipment catalogues, partner with travel agents and tourist information bureaus, direct mailing to local residents, hotel concierge, corporate human resources departments and sporting goods stores.

To Qualify: Experience leading groups of people in outdoor activities and adventures, certification in first aid and CPR, exert planner and trip organizer.

Equipment: Any equipment needed for you customers and yourself, a transportation vehicle and office with computer, internet, fax, copier, printer, telephone and cell phone.

Staff: Yes

Unexpected Expenses: Liability insurance, equipment maintenance, repairs and replacement.

Description: The outdoor adventure business is very broad, so you will have to decide how you want to define it. There may be a natural wonder near your location like a rainforest, remote camping location, forests, sand dunes, glaciers etc. that you will bring a group of people to experience. Some build their business on animal observation, survival techniques or trust and bonding experiments. You can plan mountain biking trips, kayaking or white river rafting, zip line or snorkeling, one day, overnight or week long trips to any number of places with outdoor interest. So your outdoor adventure opportunities are based on the geography and environment surrounding your business site. Expect to be busiest during summer and holiday seasons, for off season opportunities try marketing to corporations and local groups to plan retreats and staff excursions.

Essentials: Your most major start up investments will be continued marketing and advertising, (around $5,000/year) and equipment purchase and upkeep. Depending on the service you will be providing, you will also need to carry liability insurance and you will want to prepare documents that your clients sign releasing you from the responsibility of accident or injury, beyond normal safety measures if you are planning on offering a potentially dangerous activity. This can be a fun and rewarding career as soon as you have decided what kind of outdoor experience you want to provide.

To Succeed: You may love the outdoors and have a genuine enthusiasm for it, but others may not share your love, especially if they are on a mandatory work retreat. So, be prepared to deal with a full range of human emotions. This may not be such a challenge if you are offering a two hour kayaking tour, but may be if you are survival camping during an unexpected flash flood. While nature is beautiful, it can also be hot, buggy and will push our comfort levels. Be prepared to always be upbeat and on duty, even at night as you will be fully responsible at all times for your guests. The best way to prepare your clients is to create an information packet that will highlight some of the things they will be experiencing as well as some of the challenges that may arise. Usually people are more apt to handle adverse situations if they are mentally prepared. On the other hand, your clients will also be experiencing once in lifetime events and this may instill enough awe and wonder, or sense of pride and accomplishment to outweigh any negative experiences.

Online Services Consultant

followguide — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 23:07:56 +0000

Investment: $4,000 to $6,000

Salary: $10,00 to $30,000

Rates: $20 to $75/hour or $150/job

Advertising: Create a website that offers tips and explains your services, online forums, flyers, banner ads on websites.

To Qualify: Excellent technical knowledge of computer hardware, software and the internet, good marketing and communication skills.

Equipment: Fast computer, internet and website, multiple phone lines.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Fees for internet service

Description: Many companies and private users are turning to the internet for their marketing and communication needs, but the internet is a vast and technology dependent world and most don’t have the skills to use it to their full advantage. Your job as an online services consultant is to help companies and individuals use the internet to best suit their interests. Your services may include creating an internet marketing package or teaching a company’s in house marketing team how to use certain software and html codes. You will need to be an expert in all things internet in order to accurately direct your clients to the best uses for them. However, this can be a very successful business, if you have the technical proficiency and knowledge. Some of the services you may want to provide are: find ways to use Search Engine Optimized (SEO) words to direct internet browsers to your website, affiliate marketing and sales, banner ads, top ranking on search engines etc. In addition to marketing skills you will be teaching companies how to use an intra-net (inter company internet) and research specific searches, virus protection, message boards and forums and a host of other internet only applications.

Essentials: Your biggest investment will be your computer, wireless hub for multiple phone lines, computer software and the internet. After you have established your virtual office, you will also need to market your services and find companies that are either just starting out or just emerging into internet services on a larger scale. You will probably spend the bulk of your first year setting up your services, designing your fees and marketing to your clients.

To Succeed: You may want to work with Bulletin Board Services, which are services that allow a user to log in and then once in the system do a number of different members only functions. The sky is the limit as to how you want to support businesses that offer this kind of service, some BBS give their customers insider information, discounts and deals, while others use it to show video, launch products or for online gaming, which is a huge internet industry. Before you begin your online services consulting business, decide where you want to specialize and focus on creating a successful niche market and target those clients. After about a year in business, you should start seeing a good amount of success.

Online Retailer

followguide — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 23:07:12 +0000

Investment: $50 to $2,000

Salary: $10,000 to $100,000

Rates: Depends on the product

Advertising: Banner ads on related websites, online and local classified ads, print ads in magazines, newspapers and billboards.

To Qualify: Sales and retail experience.

Equipment: Computer, digital camera, internet, website, inventory

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Shipping, credit card machine and marketing

Description: If you have had dreams of opening your own little hat shop in the middle of town, but have hated the idea of overhead costs and the risks involved, you may want to open an online store. Contact your internet service provider and find out what is needed to start an e-store. Usually e-stores can be set up in a matter of minutes. Next you will want to advertise your business by placing banner ads on related websites and paying companies like Yahoo or Google to put your website at the top of their search engines when looking for products associated with those you sell. You can get started by creating a website and posting pictures of the items you have for sale. You may want to partner with a company like Paypal to do your financial transactions and start selling. Without the overhead all you have to do is advertise. I would also go to a few trade shows with your wares, bring some of them items to sell and lots of business cards and brochures directing buyers to your website.

Essentials: You biggest expense and more important tool in the online retail business is your computer. It may be good to actually have more than one so that you won’t experience lag time or dissatisfied customers if you have a computer malfunction or crash. The only real challenge to setting up your business is marketing, you will need to find ways to draw traffic to your online site. Again consider doing a few trade shows and rent a stall at local festivals and open air markets to try and draw interest in your business. Online you should reach out to bloggers and affiliate marketing people to review and blog about your estore and products.

To Succeed: Finding a good wholesaler will be essential to success in the e-store business. Before you invest in your website or other things, make sure that you know what you want to sell and who your cotangential buyer will be. You may want to sell Buddhas and all things Zen, or art supplies, tie dyed sarongs, garden gnomes, you name it , you can sell it, but just make sure you know who will be buying it. Make sure that you price your competitors and see if there is a way you can either offer items cheaper or find good shipping deals that will cut down the costs to the consumer. Be creative about your advertising efforts and fast, efficient and affordable with your products and you will soon see your profits soar.

Online Message Board Manager

followguide — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 23:06:24 +0000

Investment: $500 to $10,000

Salary: $5,000 to $50,000

Rates: Monthly subscription fees: $10/month, $50/month and banner ads.

Advertising; Online directories

To Qualify: Marketing skills.

Equipment: Fast internet service and efficient computer.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Managing server space.

Description: Since the internet has become such a vast community, forums and message boards are the communication of the future. Forums and message boards are a place where people can come and discuss any number of specialized topics, like adoption, alpaca ownership, vintage cars etc. Your job will be to provide a forum or message board on topics not already available and populate it with as much information as possible. You may want to hire a blogger, or blog on your site as well as provide information and resources, anything that will attract someone to want to join the group. As soon as you have active members you can reach out to banner advertisers and have them advertise related goods and services on your website for a fee. After you have secured hundreds of members and advertisers, you can create quite a lucrative business. You will need to spend time and energy maintaining the site, keeping comments respectful and tasteful and removing or archiving past discussions. You will also want to make sure that your website is user friendly and efficient.

Essentials: You will need a fast internet service and a good computer to start your business. Next you will want to find a group site like Google.com to create message boards or find a way to create your own. Make sure that there are not too many message boards out like the ones you create, because you don’t want to enter a subject where you will be competing for clients and advertisers. Try finding untapped subjects and really make your forum or message board look enticing to people who are passionate about the subject.

To Succeed: You will be competing with free message boards and other paid message services, so make sure that yours is up to date, fresh and provides insider information. You will have to maintain all of your forums and continually try to attract customers, so you will be very busy, but this is exciting work for people who love communities and gathering other people together. Some message boards, especially for niche things that have a huge following are very successful and worth every penny the consumer spends on using them. Be creative and discover how you can make exciting and popular places for people to talk about things they love.

Online Marketing Specialist

followguide — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 23:05:07 +0000

Investment: $2,000 to $4,000

Salary: $20,000 to $40,000

Rates: $45/hour

Advertising: Direct mail, ads in trade journals, business publications, bulletin board services.

To Qualify: Experience marketing, business expertise, awareness of how to market to the web.

Equipment: Computer with fast internet, printer, fax machine, office furniture.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Internet service fees:

Description: The internet is quickly becoming a community of its own, with online businesses, job opportunities, stores etc. Simply the internet alone can generate enough business to sustain a company, so internet marketing is a great approach for companies to get their name out there. As an online marketing specialist you will be reaching out to companies and pitching your abilities to market their company to the web. Some of your marketing techniques will be creating banner ads on related websites, working with affiliates and bloggers to get reviews and create a buzz, start and maintain a website for your clients and offer ways to sell, or provide services online. In order to brand, advertise and start a buzz about your client’s company, try offering contests and giveaways that collect email addresses and then start a direct marketing campaign with weekly or bi-monthly emails talking about the product.

Essentials: Your start up expenses will be pretty high as securing bandwidth and web capabilities can cost a lot, but once you have established your internet connectivity and function you can charge your clients upwards of $45/hour to list, advertise and create a buzz for their business. You can also charge them for maintaining their website and blog and therefore fees for the internet service and their website as well as an additional maintenance fee for you can be factored into their monthly bill.

To Succeed: You will really have to know and understand the internet, for as many opportunities abound, so too do predators. If you don’t know your way around the world wide web, it could be a dangerous place, with viruses, scam artists and lost opportunities at every turn. However, the web is a viable community for millions of users, so if you know how to make it work for you, you will definitely be able to make it work for your clients. The key is knowing what’s hot now and getting into the “mix”. Find a way to position your product and get it, not only advertised, but get people to review it, write about it and put the word out in various ways. The opportunities are endless, but before you start your business, you should really know your way around the web, so as not to waste time and energy trying to educate yourself about web opportunities. When you feel like you can surf the web like a pro, reach out to clients. It also helps to specialize and stay focused on one kind of product or business, versus trying to be everything to everybody. The second part of your business will be to market and maintain your own company and keep attracting clients. As soon as you are able to establish, however, you will find this to be a very lucrative venture as this kind of marketing is just starting to become popular and you will be getting in on the ground floor.

Online Auction Consignment Service

followguide — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 23:04:09 +0000

Investment: $50 to $2,000

Salary: $5,000 to $65,000

Rates: It varies for each item, but usually 50% of the item’s value

Advertising: Local and online classified ads, website and banner ads on other auction sites, fliers at flea markets coffee houses, community newspapers.

To Qualify: Ability to write sales descriptions and photograph items for sale.

Equipment: Computer, digital camera

Unexpected Expenses: Marketing, item storage, and specialized software.

Description: Selling you old junk and others online is a great way to recycle items, get rid of clutter and make a little money. Most people don’t want to take the time to list, explain, and photograph their items they have laying around collecting dust and many don’t know the potential value of those neglected items. Your job will be to list and sell them at online auction sites as well as have a website with a catalogue of items for sale, directing customers to the auction sites that are listing them. Listing, pricing, selling and packaging a product can be time consuming so taking on that chore will be compensated by 50% of the item’s selling value after the administration fees have been paid. Make sure that you have a standard contract you use with your clients that lists your rates, the potential for listing fees with the website that is selling the item, when the client can expect to be paid for the sales and how often you will re-list and item if it doesn’t sell

Essentials: You will need a computer, high speed internet and a digital camera. The best idea is to create a store within an auction site like Ebay who is really good at helping consignment resellers create a presence. You can offer auctions or “buy at this price” options for each item. Make sure that you catalogue each sale and keep track of it, because shipping to various places with various people’s items can get confusing so have a solid account of each item and it’s selling history. Also for your own accounting purposes, pay your payments to your clients monthly and use documenting software (spreadsheet or accounting software) to record, track and deliver payments.

To Succeed: Research what items sell best on which auction site and fit the item with the site. Sometimes old electronics sell well, or vintage CDs and records, collectibles and antiques. Whatever you are selling make sure that there is a market for it, cause sometimes Aunt Sadie’s ugly brown and green vase, is just that an ugly vase, so be discerning about what you select only accept items you think will sell, otherwise you will be bogged down by administration and selling fees that will eat into your profits if the item doesn’t sell.

Notary Public

followguide — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 23:03:04 +0000

Investment: $100 to $200

Salary: $6,000 to $10,000

Rates: $10/notary

Advertising: Local business directory, phone directory, newspapers, local online classified ads.

To Qualify: License and training

Equipment: Seal

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Travel expenses

Description: Being a notary public is a great additional service that you can add to any existing services, like document copy center, post office box and mailing business etc. As a stand alone operation, notaries will probably only earn you extra money but will not sustain a fulltime income. However, many things need to be notarized, so as a notary public you will be the official witness to a signature and use your seal to officiate the transaction. Try positioning your services in a high traffic area, so that you can get foot traffic and walk ins. Also use the internet and publicize on your website that you offer notary services.

Essentials: Outside of getting your license and a seal, you will not have any start up costs for this business. You may want to add a sign to your existing business or in front of your home and use the internet to publicize your services.

To Succeed: You will need visibility and creativity to craft a career out of being a notary public, coupled with another service. It is up to you, but try to partner your notary business with another easily started business, or be a one stop shop for all things document oriented and you will find that you have a stable career, be inventive as to how you want manage and start your business, consider doing a live scan, passport photo, bail bonds establishment.

Newspaper Delivery Service

followguide — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 23:02:21 +0000

Investment: $1,000 to $5,000

Salary $10,000

Rates: $150 to $300/week

Advertising: Cold calling, partnering with local newspaper publishers.

To Qualify: Have transportation and commitment

Equipment: Van or truck

Staff: Yes

Unexpected Expenses: Vehicle maintenance, gas

Description: This service used to be provided by teens wanting to earn a little extra money. But now that educational standards and child heath has been brought to the forefront a teen working from before dawn and then attending school and outside activities has made it prohibitive for them to have a newspaper delivery service. Some newspaper publishers are at a loss to find way to get their early morning deliveries made without hiring an outside service. This is where your business comes in. Pitch your delivery service to local publications and set up a route that includes a few different kinds of delivery pieces.

Essentials: You will need a delivery truck or two if you are planning on including a few publications and staff to cover the whole community. If you already own a truck and so does your staff your investment will be minimal, just pay for your staff’s mileage costs.

To Succeed: This is hard labor, but if you are willing to put in the hours, manage a small staff, paid minimum wage and can get up early and like working before dawn, this will be a great job for you. Since it is not a huge money maker you may want to find ways to expand your delivery services, but as a supplemental or second income stream that can be failsafe and successful.

Nanny Referral Service

followguide — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 23:00:48 +0000

Investment: $10,000 to $40,000

Salary: $40,000 to $70,000

Rates: $20 to $35/hour

Advertising: Local and online classified ads, newspapers, playgroups, leave flyers at café’s play parks and have a website with testimonials, philosophy, credentials and rates.

To Qualify: Business experience and experience working with children.

Equipment: Computer, internet, website, cell phone, fax machine, copier, printer

Staff: Yes, Nanny’s for your service to place.

Unexpected Expenses: Liability insurance, health benefits for your staff, payroll, back ground checks for your employees

Description: You will be providing nanny’s for busy households, so you will have to be very good at screening people for your service. It is important that all of your employees have background checks performed and are able to handle household chores as well as children, in a pleasant and loving manner. You will want to make ongoing surprise checks to ensure that your nannies are performing to standard. Since working with children is a sensitive service, it is important that your nanny’s are the top of the line to avoid any of the accusations or trouble that some find with unqualified staff. Also you will want to make sure that they have training in child rearing, CPR training and have TB clearance. When dealing with your clients make sure that you have an interview with them to discover the things that are most important to them when staffing a nanny. You will also want to make sure that your clients and their perspective nanny have an interview with one another and that there be a probation period before final contracts are drawn.

Essentials: Your initial investment in your nanny service will be quiet high as there is a lot to establish before you begin your business, you will need insurance for your staff and office and benefits as well as large scale ads and marketing as you will need to reach as many families as possible. Expect to spend anywhere from $20,000 to $40,000 to start, but as soon as you have established your business, it can be very lucrative in large cities or in populations with a lot working families.

To Succeed: Providing a loving and caring nanny referral service is an essential part of society as today’s children are tomorrow’s future. By giving families a way to work out of the home or attend to their duties as well as raise their children well, you are providing a valuable service. The ultimate success in this business is partnering a great family with a great nanny and seeing a successful relationship grow between them as well as see your agency develop a great rapport with the community it serves.

Mystery Shopper

followguide — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 23:00:07 +0000

Investment: $500

Salary: $10,000 to $20,000

Rates: $25 to $50/shopping experience

Advertising: Networking with retailers, hotels and corporations

To Qualify: The ability to convince a company that you are an actual shopper, knowledge of quality and service.

Equipment: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Travel expenses.

Description: Managers of retail establishments, hotels, non profit organizations and more will hire a mystery shopper to perform quality and service checks on their business. Your job will be to go into a company and act as customer and observe the quality of service and check for employee performance, theft, due diligence, store cleanliness, organization etc. and report back to the managers. The advantage of being a mystery shopper is that you are able to provide your clients with a customer’s view of their business. You will be able to spot the problems without the employees being on their best behavior for the boss, but conversely you will also be able to tell your clients what employees stand out and what really works in the store or establishment.

Essentials: All you need to get started is to convince managers that your service is a benefit to their business. Your start up investment will not be high, but neither will your salary, this is a great part-time job or a way to provide supplemental income.

To Succeed: First check with your state to see if you need to be licensed as a private investigator to perform mystery shopping services. Also you may want to work in industries you know well, so that you can really see the details and offer your observations. You will be giving your clients a written report that states your findings, so be detailed and perceptive. If you are able to work for a large corporation or a bank, you may actually be asked to travel to their different outlets. If you want to make more money, you may consider offering classes to companies and employees on how to look for things that mystery shoppers look for and what common mistakes are made so that companies work more efficiently.

Music Instructor/Professional Musician

followguide — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 22:59:18 +0000

Investment: $150 to $25,000

Salary: $15,000 to $75,000

Advertising: Website with samples of your work, online and local classified ads, partner with event planners, hotel lounges, wedding consultants, schools and universities.

To Qualify: Have a degree in music and be an experienced musician

Equipment: Own a quality instrument, music stands, metronome, piano, etc. Area for teaching that is relatively sound proof.

Staff: None required.

Unexpected Expenses: Upkeep on instrument, travel and teaching materials.

Description: If you are a talented musician you can couple your performance schedule with a teaching curriculum, with school dropping music and the arts, your services will be greatly appreciated by parents hoping to expose their children to music. If you play in a local chamber orchestra or for parties, you may want to balance your performing with private tutoring for both adults and children. Advertise in libraries and local schools as well as in music stores and coffee houses to get the word out about your private teaching opportunities and audition for civic concerts, local music groups and if you play an instrument like a guitar, piano, violin or harp, you can contract yourself out to work weddings and special events.

Essentials: The best way to make money is to bill your students in blocks of time and continue your performance schedule as this will help you keep your rates at a competitive level, since you are an active professional musician. You will need to have a performance quality instrument and a space for teaching with manuals and music books (for sale to your students) and tuning implements. You will also want to have business cards and flyers to help advertise your business.

To Succeed: You will want to canvas your neighborhood to make sure you have put out flyers, you may consider teaching at an adult learning center or community center to start, in order to get your name out there. As soon as you have established your business, expect to have high turn over in students as some are just not as dedicated as a professional would be. Make sure to keep lessons fun and engaging and incentive learning steps, like a movie ticket or free pass to a concert for completing a difficult piece well. When you perform make sure that you have your marketing materials with you at all time and most of all enjoy that you are making something you love, work for you as a career.

Multilevel Marketing

followguide — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 22:58:11 +0000

Investment: $500 to $1,000

Salary: $20,000 to $50,000

Rates: 10% to 20% of sales

Advertising: Membership in business groups, networking in trade associations, direct mailing, website with testimonials, create online catalogues and an estore with products.

To Qualify: Sales and demonstration abilities

Equipment: Computer, internet and telephone

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Marketing materials and dues.

Description: Multilevel marketing has been getting a lot of bad press these days as pyramid scams and sham businesses fill the MLM landscape. Not all multilevel marketing businesses are out to rip the customer off, there are many well established companies like Avon and Mary Kay cosmetics who operate on this principle and are genuinely geared toward the success of their sales staff. The trick is to find a product that you are passionate about, such as Tupperware, cooking utensils, adult toys, cosmetics, nutritional supplements etc. and create a business out of demonstrating and selling these products. The multilevel portion comes when you encourage others to join you in sales efforts for the company. Again, if it is a product you truly believe in and think others could benefit from it’s widespread distribution, then a multilevel marketing campaign supporting the product will be a great business for you. If, however, you are in it to get rich quickly or someone has promised that you will, chances are your motivation is a bit off and your involved in a less than reputable business venture.

Essentials: Some companies require that you buy product to sell, others provide you with catalogues and samples, regardless you will need a computer and phone and the time and energy to set up demonstration parties and recruitment efforts in your local area. It helps if you have business cards are brochures and a gallery of products on your website, so if people are not ready to make an on the spot decision you can refer them to your website where they can decided to buy at a later time, it also gives you reason to revisit them, by asking if they saw anything on your website they wanted. You can also use your website to recruit more people into the company but detailing the benefits of working for the company and an explanation of how to get started.

To Succeed: Be prepared to spend a lot of time building your business and get used to rejection. When you are marketing directly to customers and trying a live sell approach more often than not people will not chose to buy your product or will buy one or two items. So make sure that with each sales party you host or client you talk to, you get their name and email address so that you can direct them to your website and send out bi-weekly or monthly updates on new and exciting things that are happening with the product, including sales, new items and bulk discounts.

Mover

followguide — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 22:12:17 +0000

Investment: $1,500 to $3,000

Salary: $20,000 and more

Rates: $35/hour

Advertising: Online and local classified ads, direct mail to local residences, business cards at coffee houses, bars, local hangouts, website with contact information rates and services.

To Qualify: Physically fit, able to drive a large truck and maneuver objects without dropping, chipping or breaking them.

Equipment: Truck, furniture pads, dolly, hand cart, computer, fax, printer, cell phone, packing tape, extra boxes, straps.

Staff: Yes, especially for big or heavy moves.

Unexpected Expenses: Insurance, maintenance on your truck, replacing or fixing damaged items.

Description: Reliable movers are always in need, almost every close of the month sees at least a few people in the neighborhood moving out or in. Finding trustworthy, fast and affordable movers is a daunting task for most, who are already overwhelmed packing and preparing for their moves. Moving is one of the most stressful times in a person’s life and because of this there is always a need for great movers with upbeat attitudes and the ability to move just about anything. Your job will be challenging as most moves have at least one or two really heavy pieces and stairs. Some moves may be near impossible as you negotiate around corners, elevators and staircases with beds, refrigerators, washers and dryers, heavy desks etc. Make sure that you wear a back brace and have dollies and hand trucks that will help you lighten the load. The faster and more efficiently you are able to get a move done the more your business with thrive from referrals and repeat customers as once a customer finds a good mover, they will almost never stop using them if they stay within the mover’s area.

Essentials: You will need a reliable truck that can fit at least three rooms of furniture for small moves and six for larger ones. If you don’t want to buy a truck at first, you can rent on for the move and to save rental costs try planning several moves in one day. You will also need to pay people to help you move, if you hire one other person, the two of you can share the revenue, or spit it fairly with you receiving a larger share for owning and running the business. Or you can hire several people to get the jobs done faster and do more in one day. During the summer months when most people are moving, be it college students away from college to summer locations or from home to college in the fall, or families moving to new home from a rental, whatever the reason you will see a peak in your business during the summer, so summer is a good time to hire all you can and move as fast you are able. In the colder months, working with just one partner may be wise.

To Succeed: A winning, can do attitude is probably the best asset you will have outside of ingenuity and brawn. Since most people are stressed and potentially over budget on their moves in the first place, your happy go lucky, “I can do it, no problem” attitude will help you alleviate your client’s fears. Good communication is also essential, give your client a fair estimate before you start the move and if you foresee yourself going over budget, give them a heads up and recount the reason, between moving from one place to the other. If you don’t see any problems with the move, go ahead and assure your clients at that time. The reason for these extra steps is to build a trusting report with your clients who will hopefully be grateful for your service and refer you to more customers.

Mortgage Loan Broker

followguide — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 22:11:37 +0000

Investment: $3,000 to $10,000

Salary: $15,000 to $50,000

Rates: 4% commission on the price of the mortgage

Advertising: Online and local classified ads, ads in local real estate magazines, newspapers, referrals from realtors, website with services and web advertisings.

To Qualify: Experience in the real estate field, know mortgage financing and have a state license.

Equipment: Cell phone, business cards, stationary, computer, internet, website.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Advertising

Description: Whether your client is buying a new home or refinancing a home loan, most will need a mortgage broker to find a lender to negotiate the terms of the loan. As home loans deal in large sums of money and can be confusing, scary and overwhelming, your job is to qualify the borrower and connect them with the appropriate lender for their needs. The bulk of your business will be partnering borrowers with lenders and marketing your business. You may want to start a website with home loan statistics and a pre-qualifying template for hopeful borrowers to fill out online. While these online pre-qualifying tests are not full proof, they do give the borrower a sense of where their loan needs fall and if they qualify to attempt the loan. Make sure that your website states your ability to secure a loan and give contact information. Another way to attract clients is to work with an established real estate agent who can refer you to new home buyers.

Essentials: Your start up will not be too costly after you have received your broker‘s license and set up your office. However, even with certification you will have to have a great working knowledge of the financial industry and the home lending market to start a mortgage brokerage. Before you open your businesses you will need to understand amortization, percentage rates and the types of loans available to new home buyers and home owners. You will want a good computer and mortgage software as well as the ability to discover ways to work with all kinds of financial scenarios. Not all of your clients will have the best financial background and those who do will probably be seeking a financing deal, so you will have to know the ins and outs of financing by staying current with mortgage rates, lending policies and market trends.

To Succeed: In order to build a solid business you will need to have a good reputation with both real estate companies and lenders. The more these companies trust you to be fair, honest and trustworthy, the more clients will be referred to you. The challenge to running a mortgage brokerage is getting your clients to take the financial risks that home ownership can present, but at the same time making sure that you don’t get your clients into a situation they cannot financially handle. Being able to assess a person’s finances and a lenders ability to loan your clients money will be a very big part of your success. You will need to research a lot of lending situations in some cases to find the right mortgage loan or refinancing package for your client. Mortgage brokering can be a rewarding job and seeing individuals and families buy the home of their dreams or spruce up the one they already have is very fulfilling and exciting. As a bonus for you, the 4% of the loan on each mortgage you broker can easily be enough for you to find your own home loan soon after starting your business.

Monogramming Service

followguide — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 22:10:45 +0000

Investment: $5,000 to $15,000

Salary: $20,000 to $50,000

Fees: $3.50 to $100/piece

Advertising: Local phone directory, direct mail, especially during the holidays, website and web advertising.

To Qualify: Sewing skills and experience using monogramming machine.

Equipment: Monogramming machine, business cards, computer, website.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Insurance

Description: Personalizing hats, bags, towels, purses, wallets, just about anything you can sew on is a fun and interesting way to either add a name to belongings or get a business logo out there. Whatever the reason for monogramming, this is still a specialized service that is much in demand. Decide how you want to position your company, are you going to do a traditional intitial style monogramming service or offer different kinds of lettering, will you branch into silk screening, thermal printing or other personalized crafts? This decision is dependent on the money you want to invest, consider that you will need to purchase items to monogram (unless you are just offering the service and not products) and the machinery to create your product. You will also want to consider renting a kiosk, a store front or opening on online store. All of these decisions factor into your initial investment and the commitment you are making to your business.

Essentials: If you are good with sewing and crafts and are inventive you can really launch a great business. Monogramming can be used on luggage, bridal items, baby clothes and gear, kids clothes and toys etc. so there are many opportunities to grow and expand your business. Your biggest investment will be your machines, which you will want to insure and if you don’t already know how to use them, will want to be trained on their use. Also you will need a computer, graphics design program and silk screen printer. You can run this business out of your home, but you will need to consider how you are going to market your monogramming service. You can talk with bridal consultants and wedding planners, baby shops, corporate sales and marketing companies as well as local high schools, sports clubs and churches, as soon as you have gotten the word out in your community, your business show increase by referrals and word of mouth.

To Succeed: Since marketing is important to your success, consider building a great website that shows a gallery of items that you have monogrammed, embroidered and printed. Your website should be visually enticing and have a way for customers to contact you for their personalized monogramming needs. You can add to your sales by creating an online store where customers can see a sample of their monograms and embroidering before they order online.

Modeling Agency

followguide — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 22:10:02 +0000

Investment: $5,000 to $25,000

Salary: $45,000 to $250,000

Rates: 10% to 15% commission on modeling jobs.

Advertising: Newspapers, trade magazines, website with a casting call, dance and modeling schools, talent shows,

To Qualify: Experience in modeling or managing models, ability to train for photo shoots, runway shows, knowledge of photographers, portfolios and have international modeling contacts.

Equipment: Telephone, computer, fax machine, printer, copier, video equipment, business cards, stationary, website.

Staff: Yes, receptionist/assistant and other agents when you grow

Unexpected Expenses: Liability insurance, equipment upgrades

Description: If you have an eye for what’s hot today and can see model potential in men women and children, you probably have what it takes to be a modeling agent. Your job will be to find and groom models for runway, print and commercials. You will want to look for the next new talent, then market them and mentor them to success. In order to succeed in this business you need to have contacts with advertising agencies, fashion designers and commercial producers and access to the audition and call lists sent out on a daily basis. The next step in building your agency is finding talent, since there are so many scams out there, you will want to take time and set yourself apart as a professional. Have a professional website and never charge fees for your clients to join the agency. You will be hand selecting your clients and will not be paid until they start working so spend time finding the best. Since a lot of parents and young people envision themselves or their children as potential modeling stars you will likely have no problem finding talent, but you will want to search on your own as that shy teenager who is playing the nymph in the school play, may just be the next Cindy Crawford.

Essentials: You will want to groom your models and create a look for your agency, therefore finding a good photographer to shoot your model’s portfolios and work with you to brand a look will be the first step in creating a successful agency. Outside of a photographer you will also want a trainer to work with runway walks, poise, makeup and hairstyling as the model’s everyday style is as essential to their success as their ability to pose and look good. The models will be responsible for paying for their photographs and lessons, but you may want to work out a deal with your partnerships that make it less expensive for them and you at the start. You will also need a computer, internet access and a website to stay current and to keep you in the forefront of other agencies.

To Succeed: Success will depend on how many clients you book and the reputation you build. Try to find as many modeling opportunities for your clients as you can including private runway shows, trade show events, print ads, local newspaper ads and find work for them with immerging photographers, filmmakers and others who are trying to make a name for themselves.

Mobile Paper-Shredding Service

followguide — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 22:09:18 +0000

Investment: $15,000 to $18,000

Salary $20,000 to $40,000

Rates: $30 to $30/office visit

Advertising: Website with rates, service area and list of services you provide, local business directory, direct mailing to companies

To Qualify: Time management skills and marketing ability

Equipment: Portable industrial strength paper shredder, computer, fax, printer, cell phone, vehicle

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Vehicle wear and tear

Description: For some companies, shredding services are essential because of the private nature of the documents they produce. Some banks for example have been the victims of theft because their discarded paper shreds have been reassembled and the information stolen. The mobile paper-shredding service comes in and does all of the shredding on a regular basis and then removes the shreds from the office and discards them in a separate location. In providing this service you are offering security to the company and their clients. A consideration when starting this business is contracting with a company that chemically discards or incinerates trash, this way your clients will know that the end result of your shredding service is a secure disposal.

Essentials: You will need a heavy duty portable shredder, reliable vehicle and some sort of tarp or method of picking up the mess. Since shredding can be intrusive to the office staff, contract with your clients where the most secure and least obtrusive space for your shredding service will be located in the building. You will want to document your visits and also document the files, they may be numerical or based on your own system of accounting, the reason for this is to assure your clients the document have been shredded and disposed of and in the unlikely event that an item is shredded that shouldn’t be shredded, you have a way of documenting your services regarding the item. The best way to do this is to work with the staff to device a labeling or accounting system to identify bundles of items that will be shredded and disposed.

To Succeed: The hardest part of starting a shredding business is getting your clients to understand the necessity of your business. Most companies will have their staff provide the shredding services, but if you can assure your clients that for a minimal monthly cost, you can, shred, dispose and document the items being destroyed in an efficient, timely and secure manner, you may convince companies to unload the burden from their staff and give it over to your company. Since companies like law offices, government agencies and banks have continual shredding needs, your services may just be a welcome respite from the stress of having to manage a high volume of highly sensitive material disposal and in these cases you will find yourself very busy and profitable, so try to attract a few high yield costumers and you will be in business.

Messenger Service

followguide — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 22:08:13 +0000

Investment: $20,000 to $45,000

Salary: $45,000 to $60,000

Fees: $35 to $50/per delivery

Advertising: Local phone directory, business publications, promotional items, car skins with name and service number

To Qualify: Driver’s license, business management skills.

Equipment: Delivery vehicles, cell phones.

Staff: Yes, to deliver to different areas at the same time.

Unexpected Expenses: Liability insurance, worker’s compensation.

Description: A messenger service is called whenever a company needs to get a package or a document to another location in the same day. This service benefits the entertainment industry, hospitals and doctor’s offices, lawyers and others who need to make same day payments, have documents read or signed in a timely manner, deliver gift baskets and any number of time sensitive things that need delivery. Your job will be to provide a vehicle fleet, bicycle fleet or both to navigate through the city and deliver the item in the shortest amount of time. This can be a very lucrative business if managed properly. But be aware that rushing through traffic, on bike, car or roller blades can cause bodily harm and accidents to be prepared for the minor mishap or two. Also make sure that you and your staff pay great attention to detail and document every delivery with a signature on both ends so that when time and delivery disputes arise, you have documented proof that you have performed your services efficiently. Also make sure that you and all of your staff carry cell phones at all times so as to keep current and updated on the days deliveries.

Essentials: You and your staff will have to be quick minded, safe and efficient. Costs mount is items aren’t delivered in a timely manner, therefore when on the delivery route, staff should work at a fast clip, therefore, as the owner and manager of your staff make sure that they are provided adequate time off during the day, so as not to burn out or get hurt. You greatest expense will be your fleet, you can either provide vehicles and bicycles to your staff or pay mileage, gas and maintain ace on your staff’s vehicles, however you decided to acquire your fleet, prepare for it to be costly. You may also want to have door skins made that can be placed on vehicles during delivery to further advertise your service.

To Succeed: The upside to starting a business such as a messaging service is, you are able to see your client base grow quite quickly because when one company uses your services the receiving company will as well, if you are efficient, reliable and affordable. Once a company has a service such as yours in place, they will more than likely remain loyal customers. As far as marketing goes, it is a good idea to create promotional items to leave as ways to brand and expose your business, items such as: coffee mugs, pens, pads of paper, letter openers, etc. or anything that can be used daily with your name logo and phone number to help promote your business.

Message Retrieval Service

followguide — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 22:07:01 +0000

Investment: $15,000 to $25,000

Salary: $20,000 to $35,000

Fees: $50 to $75/month per client

Advertising: Local phone directory, business publications, referrals, business associations

To Qualify: Nice speaking voice

Equipment Computer, contact management software, phone, headsets, word processing

Staff: Yes, 1 to 5 employees

Unexpected Expenses: Phones, lines, staff salaries and insurance.

Description: As a message retrieval service you will be providing an answering service for small companies. This is a great way to make sure that important calls are not missed and are properly recorded. Message services of this type benefit restaurants, doctor’s offices and law firms as the caller can speak to someone live and impart their message, some of which may be private and the caller could feel reluctant to leave it on a random machine. You can also field calls during the business day for clients by transferring some or paging the client when important and taking messages for others. You can also offer an after hours answering service that takes the client’s calls on nights and weekends. Your best business strategy is to utilize the phone messaging software and create your business by deciding what services will give you the best opportunity for success. See what other companies in are area are providing and research companies’ messaging needs. If you are able to include services that are limited or non existent for other phone message services you may be able to build your business quickly.

Essentials: Your main duty will be documenting and retrieving messages for your various clients, so it is important that you use the most up to date message management and phone software. You will also want a staff of people working with you so that phone calls are not missed. Your initial investment will be around the $5,000 mark, but if you book a few clients and are able to start your business right away, you will recoup those expenses relatively quickly and start bringing in revenue.

To Succeed: If you are great at staying organized and summarizing long conversations into the essentials, this will be a good job for you. It helps to have a wonderful phone voice and a pleasant demeanor. The more you are able to gain your client’s trust and prove to them that you can manage their messages and phone volume, the more you will be referred to other companies, and therefore turn a two man operation into a profitable business and eventually expand.

Meeting Planner

followguide — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 22:06:18 +0000

Investment: $2,500 to $6,500

Salary: $25,000 to $100,000

Rates: $40 to $60/hour, $400 to $500/day or 15% to 20% of the projected budget for large scale events.

Advertising: Website with testimonials and previous meeting successes, network to convention centers visitors bureaus, caterers, travel agents, ads in trade publications, web banner ads.

To Qualify: Business background and experience, good communication skills, good troubleshooting skills, great organizational talent and the ability to negotiate rates.

Equipment: Office and computer, internet, website, cell phone, fax machine, printer, copier, business cards, stationary, hand held computer.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Phone bills

Description: Most corporations, production companies, associations, special interest groups, trade shows etc. will host large scale meetings with their employees, prospective clients or members. If you like arranging details and planning events, a job as a meeting planner would be a good one for you. You will be responsible for finding the space, managing travel, entertainment, meeting schedule, food, speakers and the agenda for your client’s meeting. This is a great job for someone who is good at juggling many tasks at once and pays attention to detail. Good negotiation skills are also a must as you may need to negotiate rental prices, block hotel room rates and the overall scope of the event to keep the costs manageable and maintain a profit. Joining trade associations and reaching out to trade shows, human resource or facilities departments of large corporation and public relations departments is a good way to start networking your business. Meeting planners are in demand as events are great ways to increase sales and marketing, join employees who are located around the globe and bring members together for seminars, entertainment and awards. Being creative and able to present exciting and fun ideas, that couple work with pleasure will be one of your best selling points.

Essentials: You will need an office and a computer as well as software, phone and stationary, as soon as you have set up your office you will need to market to your clients. Expect to invest more than you receive until you are able to start planning meetings. However after you have established yourself you will more than likely be able to work with the same companies or network between a select group. You may consider doing a few non profit, of charity events to get your name out there at first, not only will you be supporting a good cause, but you will also be marketing your product.

To Succeed: To succeed as a meeting planner, you need to be outgoing, highly detailed and innovative. What will keep you ahead of the rest of your competition is the success of your meeting, down to the kind of coffee that is serve, the better able you are to turn out a great event on a reasonable budget the more work and referrals you will receive. This can be a really fun job s you will be building relationships with vendors, hotels, entertainment professionals and creating an experience for your clients who may otherwise be trapped in a boring meeting, however remember that the hours are long and the work hard, but rewarding and fun for those who love this kind of business.

Medical Transcriptionist

followguide — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 21:56:50 +0000

Investment: $5,000 to $9,00

Salary: $60,000 to $80,000

Rates: $30 to $40/hour

Advertising: Direct mail, telemarketing , networking, local medical associations, online banner ads and website.

To Qualify: A college degree, transcription experience and knowledge of dictation equipment, good listening skills, spelling, and understanding of medical terminology.

Equipment: Computer, internet, transcription device, word processing software, business cards, stationary

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: None

Description: Medical transcriptionists listen to a doctor’s recorded dictation of a patient’s case and transcribe it into a report. Any number of items can be dictated by doctors into the Dictaphones and then later transcribed for insurance companies and the patient’s medical file. You will be working on medical reports, patient histories, notes in the operating room, patient progress and recommendations, autopsy reports and more. Using a foot controlled listening device, you will be transcribing the doctors’ notes into document form. Most doctors use the internet to send their recordings to the transcriptionist within a matter of minutes after creating them. Since insurance companies will often wait for transcribed reports before commencing payment, transcribers are often on a time deadline to complete their work. You will beat the competition if you offer rush services, and work nights and weekends, but pace yourself as you wouldn’t want to burn out.

Essentials: Your biggest start up investment will be the dictating machine, transcription software and computer set up. After you have your office established, you will need to market to doctor’s offices, clinics and hospitals since there are an increasing number of doctors that need transcription services, you should be able to connect with your clients relatively easily. Make sure that your office is equipped with an ergonomic chair and desk arrangement as you will be spending many hours in front of the computer screen.

To Succeed: One of the biggest measures of success in the transcription industry is accuracy. It is vital that you understand medical terminology, lingo and abbreviations as incorrect reports can mean misdiagnosis, improper treatment plans, lost referrals and malpractice, therefore accuracy, efficiency and speed are the keys to success in the transcription business. If you enjoy working on detailed tasks under pressure in the calm of your own home, medical transcription is a great profession for you and depending on how fact you can process reports, it can also be very lucrative as well.

Medical Claims Processing

followguide — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 21:55:08 +0000

Investment: $5,000 to $12,000

Salary: $12,000 to $48,000

Rates: $800 to $1,500/client per month

Advertising: Networking with business associations, direct mailing, telemarketing, website and online banner ads.

To Qualify: Knowledge of insurance billing, CPT codes, Medicare and Medicaid regulations, legislation and how to fill out the forms.

Equipment: Computer with internet, printer medical billing software fax CPT coding manual, phone desk, typewriter.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Seminars and training.

Description: Medical claims can be overwhelming to any small business and processing forms, meeting guidelines and tracking down late payments can be arduous at best. Most companies don’t have the man power to do medical billing and claims, therefore freelance claims processors are hired on a monthly basis to handle the volume of claims, forms, missing payments and field billing questions from patients. If you have the ability to code claims, fill out forms, find missing or delinquent payment and help ease questions from elderly or infirmed patients, medical claims processing would be a good field for you, especially if you like detail oriented work.

Essentials: Your biggest start up costs will be the medical billing software, computer and phone service as you will be using these items almost exclusively. You will also need to continue your training as regulations and laws in the health care industry are ever changing and as a claims processor you are responsible for knowing and implementing the changes.

To Succeed: You will be working with doctors and doctor’s offices to process their medical claim forms, the bulk of which will be coming from Medical and Medicaid. You may have a challenge at first finding clients, but as soon as you have established yourself with your doctors and process claims for their office, you will be an invaluable part of their business and will see a steady monthly payment. Be prepared to be very detail oriented and well versed in the current health care laws, as this will be the biggest challenge after you have established your clients. As soon as you have established a routine processing claims electronically, you should enjoy the stability and income this kind of business provides.

Mediator

followguide — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 21:54:06 +0000

Investment: $5,000 to $10,000

Salary: $40,000 to $65,000

Rates: $75 to $300 split between disputing parties.

Advertising: Website with contact information and negotiating tips, network with legal associations, online and local classified ads, advertise in the local phone directory.

To Qualify: License and legal experience.

Equipment: Office, phone, computer.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Wasted time in emotional bantering, keep the conversation on point.

Description: Legal battles can be costly so often a mediator is hired to keep feuds out of court. Two irreconcilable parties can create quite a paycheck for lawyers and so if a dispute can be brought to a mediator and a settlement reached before hours of litigation takes place, the results will be less costly for all involved. Parties such as divorcing couples, disgruntled business partners and irate employees can take up a lot of time and money hashing out emotionally charged issues. A mediator is there to get both sides to cut to the chase and discover what is the bottom line for reaching an acceptable settlement. The best strategy for reaching a settlement is finding out what is the most important outcome for each party, by finding a way to negotiate the desired outcome or at least part of it, mediators, keep legal fees from sky rocketing and our courts from being clogged with issues that can be settled elsewhere.

Essentials: You will need an office to meditate in so make sure that it is set up comfortably and has a large table or some kind of barrier, in the event that disputing parties can not sit near one another. The room should be conducive to calm and thoughtful mediation so try not to make it too stark or too overdone. Usually the best place is a business suite, however if you have a professional looking space, set apart from your living area, you can probably set up an office in your home. An important point to mediation is that it take place on neutral ground, so you may also consider renting a conference room on a meeting by meeting basis. You can charge for a three hour session so make sure that you keep everyone involved on topic and mediate the discussion and try to avoid emotional flare ups.

To Succeed: Mediation is a great service and saves the parties involved lots of money, while they feud over who gets what you will be acting as their advisor and counselor. As the issues get heated try and remind them of their purpose being an acceptable resolution and the ability to move on with their lives. This can be challenging as the mediator may be inclined to take on the problems of those they are working for, so keeping a distance from the emotions in the room and staying focused on resolution will help you become a successful mediator.

Meals to Go

followguide — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 21:51:44 +0000

Investment: $1,000

Salary: $25,000 and more

Rates: $5 to $10/delivery on top of the cost of the meal

Advertising: Direct mailing to office buildings, online and local classified ads, set up a website with your menu and prices, put banner ads on grocery and restaurant sites.

To Qualify: Be able to cook healthy meals to go, have a certification from your state for food service and meet FDA requirements.

Equipment: Commercial kitchen, cooking supplies and equipment, food packaging and cell phone, computer, internet and website.

Staff: Cooks and delivery people.

Unexpected Expenses: Meeting legal regulations, health department checks and insurance.

Description: Food delivery is a luxury most busy families, business people and the home bound enjoy regularly. You can decide how you want to set up your business, but you job will be to deliver food to homes and businesses. You can either partner with restaurants and deliver food for them or make your owns. Some of the things that you will need to take into consideration, will be making sure that you are able to keep the food hot or cold during transit and if you cook from home or a commercial kitchen that you are meeting health code and FDA standards. Since there isn’t a lot of competition in this field, you should find your business building very quickly, especially in rural or more remote areas. Working with local restaurants will take away some of the hard labor and will be profitable for both you and the restaurant, however, you may have to charge more to make a profit, so taking out the middle man and making the food yourself will increase your personal income. If you love making food and are great at making healthy portable meals, this would be the ideal home business for you.

Essentials: You may not need that much investment to start this business, just ingredients for your food, packaging materials and transportation. You may also want to start a website that lists your weekly menus and prices. If you offer just lunches to start, you can cut down on your costs. Advertise to local business centers and complexes and find some way to advertise your deliver (cart with logo, shirt with logo etc.) If you offer, soups, salads, sandwiches, deserts and drinks for the lunch rush, you should be able to start your business pretty quickly without too much food prep and cooking. Make sure that you always carry extra items, incase you get impulse buyers.

To Succeed: You will either need to have solid partnerships with local restaurants or be an excellent cook ready to put in long hours. Most of your cooking will be done in the morning, make sure that you have an ordering cut off time so that you have time to prepare meals before delivery. If you enjoy working with people and food, and are good with both, you will find yourself very successful and happy as for some this is a dream job.

Massage Therapist

followguide — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 21:50:30 +0000

Investment: $1,000 to $5,000

Salary: $15,000 to $35,000

Rates: $45 to $60/session

Advertising: Local and online classified ads, flyers at health food stores, natural food cafés, coffee houses, direct mailing to Human Resources departments of corporations.

To Qualify: State certification and licensing.

Equipment: Massage table, towel, oils, music, incense or candle.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Liability insurance.

Description: Massage therapy has become a vital and thriving business as people are becoming increasingly more stressed and hurried. The constant pressure and physical tension that mounts from our busy lives takes its toll on the body. Massage therapy is proven to help relieve excessive strain on muscles and joints. As people strive to live healthier lives, the awareness that stress and its effects have detrimental repercussions on one’s body is increasing as many are seeking massage therapist for relief. If you are good at finding problem areas in a person’s anatomy and can ease out the tension, you will find a rewarding career in massage therapy. Massage therapists can run a home business with a room dedicated to massage or do house calls, go to corporations, set up a kiosk in the mall, farmer’s market or beach front boardwalk. Since massage and its benefits are now well known, a lot of clients will either schedule regular sessions or, if you have a kiosk or chair in a public area, may stop for a quick message during their hectic day.

Essentials: Your massage table or chair will be the staple of your business as you will need your clients to be able to get into a relaxing position. You can purchase a table that is portable and take it with you on house or office calls or you can set up a massage room in your home and/or rent an office space in a chiropractor’s office, birthing center or holistic healing facility. The benefits to having an office outside of the home is that the traffic in and out of the office will be aware of your business and you may get referrals from other professionals sharing your office space. Regardless of how you decide to start your business, you will need to advertise to get your clients and continue to seek out ways to expand your business to stay profitable. Many massage therapists are amazing at working with their hands for healing, but lack marketing skills, so have a marketing plan in place before you invest in your business.

To Succeed: The more you are able to relax and heal the body, the better your referral and repeat business will be. As soon as your name gets out there with glowing accolades, you shouldn’t have to worry about marketing as heavily as in the beginning. Try learning specialties as well as the different types of massage (shiatsu, deep tissue, Swedish), such as pregnancy massage, infant massage, massage for the disabled and elderly, massage for cancer patients, kids suffering from sensory processing issues, ADHD and autism, all of whom would benefit from a healing touch. Anyone who puts their heart and minds into working with their hands, will not only be providing a tremendous life affirming service, but if you market yourself well and get referral business, you will find yourself very successful and able, eventually to charge higher rates and be more selective about your clients.

Marketing Consultant

followguide — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 21:49:39 +0000

Investment: $5,000 to $10,000

Salary: $60,000 to $150,000

Rates: $50 to $200/hour or $2,000 to $4,000 to teach a seminar

Advertising: Website with marketing tips, testimonials and client list, industry referrals.

To Qualify: Experience in marketing, branding and sales, great writing and communication skills.

Equipment: Laptop computer, desk top computer, internet, website, fax, telephone, copier, office furniture, laser printer, business cards and stationary.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Phone bills, website maintenance

Description: For a business marketing is the only way to sell a product or service and the field of marketing is vast. Your job as a marketing consultant is to create and implement a marketing strategy for your clients. Your plan may include, radio ads, billboards, flyers, newsletters, commercials, web advertisements, direct mailing pieces, booths at trade shows and phone sales, whatever it takes to get the product or service into the marketplace and sold. You may also want to look at branding strategies that help your clients create a clear, motivating and recognizable brand identity. While the marketing consultancy field is heavily populated, there is always a place for niche or specialized marketing skills. Decide where your expertise and experience is best utilized and become the best in that area of business. Soon you will be connecting with companies that need your services and the more results you are able to produce the more successful you will become.

Essentials: You will need a computer that can create high resolution graphics and a laser printer to produce mock ups of your campaign for your client’s approval. The initial investment for your office will be costly at first, but once you have started creating marketing campaigns for a few companies, you will find yourself recovering your initial investment quite easily. You will want to continue your own marketing efforts to attract clients so don’t neglect your website and make sure that you are a member of trade associations that will connect you with as many businesses and people as possible.

To Succeed: In addition to sales abilities, you need creativity, ingenuity and great people skills to succeed as a marketing consultant. When you are devising a marketing plan, think globally and connect the right advertising with the right product. The more exciting and dynamic your marketing skills, the better positioned you will be to succeed. Even if you are selling something like car parts, find a way to catch the consumer’s eye. This kind of creativity needs to be endless and diverse as your clients will want to see a few prototypes before they choose a campaign. Stay focused on your target and eventually you will create winning marketing campaigns and probably will end up with more clients than you can actually handle, so think about branching out your business to include a staff at that point.

Manufacturer’s Representative

followguide — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 21:48:32 +0000

Investment: $2,500 to $9,000

Salary: $45,000 to $150,000

Rates: Commission of 5% to 15% of the product price

Advertising: Networking with manufacturers, cold calling, reference publications

To Qualify: Sales and negotiation experience.

Equipment: Computer, internet, office furniture, cell phone, business cards, stationary, phone, fax, printer.

Staff: None required

Unexpected Expenses: Travel expenses

Description: Most manufacturing companies have downsized their sales departments, so hiring a manufacturing representative to sell their product lines is an essential in modern business. Manufacturing agents represent many different lines of product and market them to sell to companies. This kind of work requires that you know your products well and have a list of people who are looking to buy them. Your job will be to specialize in products you know, like selling sporting goods from the manufacturer to a shop in a lake front resort community or to the local department store, your job will be to connect products with a retailer.

Essentials: You will need money to set up your office and market to the companies you will represent. Don’t expect to turn a profit for a while so be ready to work without much payoff for about a year, but when you do establish your network of vendors for manufactured items you represent, you should have a steady flow of business. You can make as much as $150,000 per year if you carefully craft your relationships and pick your product lines so that they can sustain themselves over time.

To Succeed: Sales is a rewarding career and can be very lucrative, but it is also bitterly competitive, so you have to be ready to close the deal and hard sell, without people knowing you are driving the sale home. Sales is really is a special talent that only some have the strength for, so make sure that you are one of those who can really drive a sale. Most of what makes salespeople successful is a true belief in their products and a passion for what they do. Be prepared for long periods of travel and long wait times to be paid, but also plan to meet many interesting people and potentially make a great deal of money.

Manicurist

followguide — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 21:45:52 +0000

Investment: $5,000 to $10,000

Salary: $15,000 to $35,000

Rates: $50/full set of nails less for manicures and pedicures

Advertising: Local and online classified ads, local phone directory, bulletin boards, coupon books, direct mailing to nearby residents.

To Qualify: Cosmetology Certification and experience working as a nail technician.

Equipment: Table, nail equipment and products, credit card processing machine, strong light, phone, business cards.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Materials and liability insurance.

Description: Beautiful nails are the sign of refinement and beauty and often are a necessity for certain circles. Being a home manicurist means you can offer personalized services that are not provided in nail shops. Whether you are creating a full set of manufactured nails of simply shaping and beautifying natural nails, your services are wanted by brides to be, busy executives, news anchors and socialites in every city in America. The key to your business is to be really good at what you do and be someone people like to welcome in their homes or enjoy coming to yours. You will be able to charge more than the local nail salon, because you will be taking the time that is often not afforded nail technicians in large shops. This can be a fun and interesting job as you travel around your area doing nails or open a small shop in your dining room or you can rent space in a salon.

Essentials: You will need to have a table with a strong light (portable if you want to do house calls) and a full array of nail colors and chemicals needed to make acrylic nails and silk wraps, as well as a foot washing basin, scrubbers, clippers and files. All of this will cost a little bit of money at startup and if you chose to rent space in a salon, that will cost up front money as well, so be ready to not see a profit until you have developed a steady list of clients.

To Succeed: If you enjoy doing nails and like dealing with people, this will be a great profession for you. Nail technicians often are the community counselors so be prepared to not only craft an amazing set of nails, but help your clients navigate the rocky waters of divorce, job loss, health problems as well as celebrate, birthdays, weddings and births. The manicurist over ages has always been far more than the “nail person” they are the quiet community therapists and stories tellers as well.

Management Consultant

followguide — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 21:45:06 +0000

Investment: $5,000 to $15,000

Salary: $30,000 to $60,000

Rates: $500 to $1500

Advertising: Certification with the Institute of Management Consulting, join professional business associations, create a website with list of objectives, descriptions and success stories, direct mail to companies.

To Qualify: College degree, certification, expertise in business management and operations, good problem solving skills, written communication and sales and marketing techniques.

Equipment: Computer, internet, printer, website, specialized software, business cards, stationary, office furniture, copier, fax machine.

Staff: None needed.

Unexpected Expenses: Errors and omissions insurance, continued education.

Description: Quickly becoming one of the fasted growing fields in the United States, with companies disbanding and downsizing, management consultants are working from home to help companies, reorganize, strategize and run their businesses more efficiently. As a management consultant you will come in and analyze the way a company runs it’s business, from the efficiency of the machines to the amount of employees they employ and their function in the company and find ways to make the company run more smoothly and turn a higher profit. This kind of service used to be provided by a staff of in house managers, but since companies have restructured and downsized a consultant may only be needed on a case by case basis and not needed fulltime. Management consultants come in and help companies launch large projects, meet deadlines and streamline their operation. There are 250 different management specialties listed with the Institute of Management Consultants, so there many ways in which management consultants can diversify.

Essentials: How you start your business depends on what your specialty is and how you want to run your consulting service. You can decide to consult on exporting, working with non profits, monitoring government compliance, health care, construction etc. You will need an office and high end computer to run your website and manage calls from clients. Your computer, software and office will be your main start up investment, but budget as well for continuing your education and collected reference materials.

To Succeed: Management consulting is a great business for people who are good listeners and are great with strategizing. You will have to decide the focus of your business and then try to get consulting work. The best way to find a company to work for is to research businesses in your area, see what they are doing and how they are producing, send direct mail letters of introduction, work with local business associations and find companies in need. If you give seminars at trade shows or offer corporate classes you will be able to reach more people, also use the web to advertise your business. As soon as you have found your clients your job will eventually be very rewarding as you will see companies benefit from the fruits of your expertise and labor.

Makeup Artist

followguide — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 21:44:27 +0000

Investment: $500 to $1,500

Salary: $20,000 to $40,000

Rates: $20 to $30/half hour

Advertising: Website with testimonials, before and after shots and tips, advertise to wedding consultants, bridal stores, makeup counters, film and television production companies.

To Qualify: Talent in applying make up and a knowledge of skin textures, tones and shades.

Equipment: Computer with internet access, make up kit, full range of make up in almost every shade.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Insurance

Description: Make up artists can transform an ordinary face into a work of art, by using color, shade and blending techniques they can beautify any surface. Many Hollywood stars are quiet plain in real life and the reason they look so glamorous after makeup is that they have simple structure to build upon. Your job as a makeup artist will be as diverse as you want it to be. You can chose from working with clients in the modeling and film industry or work with mom’s and grads looking for a fresh new look. Whatever face you decide fits best with your style and experience, your job will be to use all that you have in your makeup arsenal to create a beautiful look. The real benefit of your work will not only be the pretty face you put on but the self esteem behind the makeup as a woman sees herself looking glamorous and beautiful. To boost your business in the beginning you may want to offer classes or work with people who have been disfigured or have problem skin. Teaching people how to fix their own flaws and giving life altering makeup techniques and skin advice can make people’s everyday worlds a little brighter. Just knowing some simple tricks can greatly improve a person’s look and that is the magic of a makeup artist.

Essentials: You won’t need much more than a makeup kit and your talents to start, but that can be pricey, so budget wisely in the beginning. If you are interested in selling product, you will have to get a reseller’s license or partner with an established makeup sales group like Mary Kay. Try to find ways to establish a steady flow of clients as the makeup business can ebb and flow and clients are not going to want your services on an ongoing basis.

To Succeed: Since finding continued business might be a challenge, try thinking about different ways you can make money with your skills. For example try working with local news channels and cable television shows to get clients who are on air, or teach a class at the local adult learning center, do sweet sixteen parties and create a make over theme as entertainment, work with local photographers and do make up for family and individual photos. However you decide to build your business, make sure that you continue to fine tune your art and be pleasant and friendly. Makeup people tend to need to get into their client’s “space” and are often very to where most people do not allow other people to go, so being friendly and warm will be another way in which you gain your client’s trust and referral business.

Mailing List Service

followguide — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 21:43:46 +0000

Investment: $5,000 to $9,000

Salary: $40,000 to $100,000

Rates: $.15 to $.25/per entry and $1.00/year to maintain the name on the list. 10,000 piece mailed could cost the client about $1,200.

Advertising: Direct marketing to stores, restaurants, event venues, churches, clubs etc, to maintain their mailing lists, create website with an estore here clients can upload or download their lists for email or snail mail distribution, place ads online and in local classified ads, join local business associations.

To Qualify: Understand postal regulations for bulk mailing, good typing skills, attention to details, fast and accurate.

Equipment: Computer, internet, website, specialized mailing list software, post office permit, business cards and stationary, postage machine.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Backing up your data.

Description: Well as much as most of us hate junk mail, the mailing services behind those brightly colored leaflets sticking out of our mailboxes are making money as are the companies that are funding them. The mailing list business is an easy one to start with little capitol and experience needed other than strict adherence to postal regulations. Your service will provide companies with direct mailings and you will be maintaining their mailing lists by keeping them up to date and accurate. You may consider managing their lists as well, meaning as each new name is added, you make sure that the list stays current. This is a tremendously labor intensive job, but if you enjoy repetitive tasks and have a keen eye for details, you will find a mailing service to be just the job for you.

Essentials: Your most essential piece of equipment will be you postal meter and depending on your investment capitol you may either purchase or lease one. Make sure that you charge per entry ($.25 to $.50) and annual maintenance fees on the entry ($1.00/year) also consider your mailing rates for shipping and handling charges on each piece of mail you send (usually $.25/piece).

To Succeed: If you want to be successful in the mailing list management service, consider adding email lists and mail assembly services to your business, this way you are not only ensured steady income from managing the lists, but you are able to provide ongoing services for each mail bundle. Your work load may get overwhelming, even though maintaining lists is relatively easy yet detailed and time consuming, adding an assembly and mailing piece to your business may have you hoppin’ on some days. But if you want the freedom to work from home and enjoy data entry, this may be the perfect business for you.

Magician

followguide — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 21:42:39 +0000

Investment: $500 to $1,000

Salary $6,500 to $20,000

Rates: $100/children’s party and $300/adult party

Advertising: Business cards, website with photos, activities and rates, local and online classified ads, advertise in local phone directory, partner with party stores and party planners for referrals.

To Qualify: Great personality, ability to perform magic well.

Equipment: Magic trick kits, computer, internet, website cell phone.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Marketing and travel.

Description: You have to be an entertainer, first and foremost and be able to capture an audience’s attention for at least two hours. This really hard to do with children and sometimes even harder to do with adults. However, if you are able to convincingly perform magic and are an engaging entertainer, you will not only find yourself booking work, but potentially become a local celebrity as magic is a wonder to most. In addition to the simple tricks, try to have a few show stoppers up your sleeve. Guaranteed if you can wow the crowd and confuse the skeptic, you will be able to really grow your business, as most of your business will be based on booking through referrals.

Essentials: Your start up investment should be minimal, the bulk of your money will go to setting up your marketing scheme. Since magic equipment is inexpensive, you won’t have to invest more than time and practice into your magic act. Finding a venue for your performance may be challenging so consider contracting to children’s hospitals, schools, community centers and local parks and recreation in addition to corporate and children’s parties.

To Succeed: Consider performing for your friends and local neighborhoods for free until you have gotten established, or do free shows in the park and pass out cards. Again your success hinges on your abilities and your performance, so spend the time honing your craft before making it a business. When you are ready, if you’re good at what you do, there is no reason why you can’t make a great living performing magic.

Litigation Management Service

followguide — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 21:39:58 +0000

Investment: $5,000 to $10,000

Salary: $40,000 to $75,000

Rates: $125 to $175/hour

Advertising: Advertising in trade journals, join business associations, website with success stories and resources.

To Qualify: Law degree or financial background, case management skills, billing assessment and litigation experience.

Equipment: Computer, internet, website, office, fax, copier, printer, phone, business cards and stationary.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Insurance

Description: With so many sue happy people in the world there is always a law suit going on somewhere. To this point, litigation management services come in and manage the bills, services and time spent in litigation for any company. Inevitably lawsuits or court matters will happen in corporations and if a company has a small legal service or none at all, it is unlikely that they will take the time to comb though the legal bills and assess if they are efficient and accurate. Mistakes are often made, but sometimes these mistakes can be very costly to your clients. Also the government is looking to regulate litigation, while so far they have been wholly unsuccessful, it is still prudent for a company to be organized and efficient when processing bills from outside counsel. Your job as a litigation management service will be to find the billing errors, inconsistencies and misrepresentations and correct them, thus saving the company money in excessive litigation expenses.

Essentials: One of your biggest investments will be to set up a professional office to meet with clients. Even if your office is in the home, make sure that it is separate from the rest of the house, and is partitioned off at least by a divider or door and is a comfortable space to meet people and work. Another essential is your precise attention to detail as cases may be large and complicated, but outside of citing billing errors, your job is also to manage misrepresentations and inconsistencies that may or may not cost you the law suit. It is important that when litigating, only the facts are represented and are clearly communicated, the job of the litigation consultant is to make sure that outside legal counsel gets and keeps the story straight.

To Succeed: Since litigation management services is a specialized niche market you will want to advertise and get the word out about exactly what you do and how it will help companies. Maintaining and updating your website is one way to keep people informed as well as marketing your services to business associations and direct advertising to small companies. You may want to teach a seminar with examples of how companies lost money and law suits based on errors in litigation and then show how those errors could have been fixed and give additional examples of litigation successes. If you offer inclusive services that check the legal standing of your clients and try and insure their litigation be accurate and efficient, you should see a steady stream of clients and find yourself very financially successful.

Literary Agent

followguide — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 21:39:15 +0000

Investment: $500 to $1,500

Salary $20,000 to $60,000

Rates: 15% of the gross commission on domestic sales, 25% on foreign and 20% on film rights.

Advertisement: List your agency in the Guide to Literary Agents and other industry publications that list literary agents, create a website listing your clients and what you types of material you are willing to consider.

To Qualify: Have experience working with publishers, production companies and foreign sales agents, be able to find great undiscovered literary works.

Equipment: Computer, phone with answering system, printer, copier, fax machine, business cards, stationary

Unexpected Expenses: Insurance, postage, long distance calls.

Description: As a literary agent you have an interesting job, you will be farming through thousands of manuscripts to find the few great ones and then you will be taking your wares to the publishing bargaining table and negotiating everything from publishing to film and foreign rights. While it sounds high powered and glamorous, the work is actually quite painstaking as you will be sifting through thousands of query letters and reading mountains of manuscripts, only to find a few that you want to represent. You will need to have the talent to find those literary gems as well as the diplomacy and tact to tell the rest of the hopeful great American writers out there that their work just doesn’t fit your bill. It can be challenging at first to drive a hard sale the same day you dash a hopeful’s dreams, but it is all in a day’s work for a literary agent. The upside is, you will be giving writers, some unknown, a chance to have their work published, made into a movie or become an international sensation, not to mention the commission and profits you will garner from their success, a win/win all around for those whose work you deem worthy.

Essentials: Most of your investment will be for your initial advertising efforts and home office set up. After that you will need to maintain your website, but based on the nature of your work, clients will probably start to seek you out immediately. As soon as people they find out that an agent is looking for writers, you will not have any problems getting clients. The only challenge will be reading all that is submitted to you. Once you have found writers that you want to work with, you will need to get their books published to start making your commission, however, hopefully your network of publishers and production companies are just waiting for that next great piece of work and you luckily have it.

To Succeed: You will need to keep your contacts fresh and your sales pitching skills well honed as your ability to sell your writer’s work will be what seals the deal. Also you should stay tuned to the latest industry trends, not only so that you are pitching something relevant, but also so you can advise your writers about writing in marketable genres. As a literary agent the better you are at getting your client’s work sold and finding great writers, the more successful your business will be.

Licensing Agent

followguide — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 21:38:34 +0000

Investment: $3,000 to $6,000

Salary: $50,000 to $100,000

Rates: 15% commission

Advertising: Networking, association memberships, website with client testimonials.

To Qualify: Technical knowledge and experience, sales and marketing expertise, ability to speak with manufactures and technical people.

Equipment; Computer, internet, office furniture, laser printer, copier, fax machine, business cards, stationary.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Insurance and attorney’s fees.

Description: Anyone who creates a great new invention will need a licensing agent to connect them with a company who is willing sell their amazing new product. Companies are actually on the look out for new ideas, brands, designs and gizmos to sell all the time. A licensing agent helps make the connection to real executives looking for real products, this could be anything from a new dog treat, character design, dog washing brush to a nose hair trimmer that plays mariachi music, whatever might have a market value for innovation and novelty will probably sell. A licensing agent will be the one to help draft those confusing contracts, manage the deal, set the price and organize royalties for their clients and a commission for themselves.

Essentials: You will have to set up an office and be able to provide professional looking reports, also your space needs to be quiet enough to conduct business over the phone as some of your clients and client connections will be over seas. Be prepared to work long hours and spend a lot of time trying to connect the product inventor, manufactures and companies buying the new item. Since most creators and inventors don’t often have a wide net of contacts to sell their products to, unless they are already established, your service will offer them a means to find a home for their invention. And with you getting 15% commission on the deal, you could make as much as $100,000 for one sale. However, be prepared not to see returns on your investment for a while, and know that most product deals are for a much lower price, but are still quite profitable.

To Succeed: If you have the ability to spot a great new product, design or invention and the expertise, to talk with technical inventors and stern business people and gracefully liaise between them, this is the right field of work for you, especially if you have extensive contacts in your product specialty. Marketing your new venture may be a challenge if you don’t already have contacts established, in this case it would be best to join a business association for companies that sell inventions, fashion, shoes, etc anything that needs licensing and build your relationships with people before you hit the licensing market. These companies get pitched products everyday by people trying to sell them something, so you will have to be the kind of person who gets past the “no’s’ before you start representing products.

Lawyer

followguide — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 21:37:48 +0000

Investment: $15,000 to $30,000

Salary: $50,000 to $80,000

Rates: $125 to $350/hour

Advertising: Local phone directory, networking, business associations, website with your services, make sure you are in compliance with legal advertising restrictions.

To Qualify: Law degree, state board certification, writing and people skills.

Equipment: Office space for client meetings and mediations, computer, telephone, fax, printer, copier, access to law library, business cards and stationary.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Pro Bono work, insurance

Description: Lawyers are always in demand, so your home law business can be designed anyway you chose. Since you have opted not to join a larger firm, you can dictate the rules of your business. You may want to specialize in adoptions, or tax law, entertainment or entrepreneurial ventures, however you chose to position your business will be up to you and the kinds of business you hope to attract. Getting clients will be a challenge at first, but as soon as you have established a name for yourself you will be able to build your business by referral and business associations. The most important factor is managing your client’s needs and billing accordingly, the best way to ensure your income is to have your clients hire you on retainer and get a large sum of money upfront that all fees will be deducted from over a period of time, this ensure that you will not have to haggle over each piece you do for your client and your hourly rate can be deducted from that sum for hours drafting documents, in litigation, on the phone or faxing and emailing clients.

Essentials: You will need a professional office space and possibly support staff, these can be shared with other professionals at a monthly rate. You will also want a place to store all of your numerous documents on each case, potentially several hundred boxes worth, so consider this when renting a space or make a plan to renting a document storage space on top of your office rental. A high speed computer and quality printing is also a must as you will be giving your clients numerous documents that apply to their issue or case, so make sure that your office also supports your printing needs and volume.

To Succeed: You will need to market to your community and develop a trusted reputation. This can be a challenge given most people are not keen on lawyers, but if you present yourself to the community and participate in events that surround your specialization you will create a more personal approach to your business and give yourself ways to get your name out there. Another hurdle to success is billing your clients and getting payment, this can be daunting and tedious, so think of ways in which you an insure payments, such as having your clients pay a retainer or offer to allow credit card billing. Since lawyer fees are expensive you may want to offer some packaged services for a flat rate, such as filing paperwork or routine duties that do not require special attention or litigation.

Lawn Care Service

followguide — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 21:37:01 +0000

$500 to $1,500

Salary: $15,000 to $25,000

Rates: $12 to $15/hour or $50 to $75/job

Advertising: Local flyer distribution, word of mouth, online and local classified ads, flyers in coffee houses, partner with nurseries and landscape designers for referrals.

To Qualify: Knowledge about lawn care and maintenance.

Equipment: Lawn mower, trimmer, lawn seed spreader, truck for transportation of equipment.

Staff: None needed.

Unexpected Expenses: Insurance, transportation, equipment.

Description: Keeping a lawn alive, seasonally is tricky work. A lot of people can manage to mow the lawn once in a while, but keeping it green, alive and debris free is a full time job. Your services will include leaf removal, weeding, feeding and watering of lawns so that they stay green and alive throughout most of the year. You will need to be able to find where problem areas are and suggest ways that the lawn owner can keep their grass green, like setting up an irrigation schedule or using different kinds of grass in different areas of sun exposure. While you are not a landscaping service, you are a professional lawn care specialist and this your services will be used by those who want to have nice grass, consider working with large estates and institutions in addition to private residences.

Essentials: You will need a good lawn mower and equipment and a truck for transportation. If you specialize in lawn care and are good at your job you shouldn’t have any problem attracting and keeping clients, but you will need to advertise your business before your referral business establishes itself. You may want to add lawn maintenance (seasonal seeding and feeding) as well as pet dropping removal to the list of your services to earn your more income.

To Succeed: Try and group your clients together in certain locations so that you are not wasting money on gas. You will also want to rent equipment for special projects like aeration, so having your schedule and locations grouped together will save on rental and travel expenses. Since you will be working with people’s businesses and homes you want to make sure that you are pleasant and friendly as the more personable your are the more likely your clients will refer your services.

Laundry Service

followguide — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 21:36:22 +0000

Investment: $100 to $1,000

Salary: $20,000 to $30,000

Rates: $10/lbs of clothes

Advertising: Local phone directory, online and local classified ads, bulletin boards and direct mail flyers.

To Qualify: Knowledge of fabrics and fabric care.

Equipment: Large capacity washer and dryer, professional iron and press, business cards, phone, transportation.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Insurance for errors in washing.

Description: This is a great service to offer the “too busy to do laundry” crowd as most people with busy lives often have a cleaning service, these services rarely do laundry. So by providing a laundry service you will be relieving one of life’s most basic chores. You will need to be great at washing and ironing clothes, that when returned look like they are almost new again. The better you do your job, the more referral business you will receive. The great thing about this business is that as soon as you are able to get clients, you will likely keep them on a weekly basis, so you may not have to spend a lot of time marketing your business. You may want to consider getting the best products on the market for removing stains and fixing trouble spots. Also think about adding a mending service to your services and an organic option for those who want to support green living.

Essentials: You will want a high end large capacity washer and dryer and the dedicated space to do laundry, folding and pressing. You will also want a clothes line and a place to hang clothes that are line dry only and a large basin for hand washing. Your work will be labor intensive, but if you enjoy cleaning and working with clothes you will find that your day passes quickly and that you are earning a steady income.

To Succeed: If you are good at sewing as well as laundry you can offer light tailoring and fixing of clothes. Since some people spend a lot of money on clothes, the ability to repair a small problem, could be invaluable to your clients, therefore this service adds convenience to your customer and income for you. The great thing about doing a laundry service is, you can do it from your home, therefore if you are a parent you can still raise children or tend to your own responsibilities. You may consider adding a fee for drop off and pick up of laundry as this is a luxury especially in traffic or bad weather.

Lactation Consultant

followguide — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 21:34:40 +0000

Investment: $ 1,000

Salary: $25,000 to $45,000

Rates: $40 or more an hour

Advertising: Local phone directory, OBGYN, nursing centers, doulas, birthing centers, baby stores, website with tips on lactation and contact information.

To Qualify: State licensing and certification as well as a nursing degree.

Equipment: Potentially a breast pump and lactation demonstration devices.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Travel expenses

Description: Breast feeding is best for the mother as well as her baby, it has been proven medically and scientifically that breast milk is the most nutritious and that the bonding between mom and baby is essential to brain and physical development. The problem is, for most new mothers and some seasoned moms, breast feeding feels painful and unnatural. Some babies have a hard time latching naturally and some mom’s are reluctant to want to try and make breast feeding work. Most hospitals used to take the time to initiate this important part of parenting, but with hospitals being over crowded and releasing their patients as quickly as they can, this step in nurturing is being over looked. So lactation consultants are very necessary and vital to the child birth and rearing world. You will not only teaching moms and their babies how to latch and feed, but also how to manage their busy lives while breast feeding their child. A lot of new and experienced parents are afraid of or don’t want to be fully responsible for their child’s nutrition and breast feeding can be hard on the working parent or mother of more than one child. As a lactation consultant your job is not only to help mom and baby design a successful breast feeding relationship, but also to help the family manage the time and effort breast feeding requires.

Essentials: You will not have a lot of investment costs in the beginning outside of marketing your services and creating business cards that reflect the caring and supportive nature of your business. Expect that you will be charging $40/hour for each consultation and make sure that you provide your clients with resource materials and maintain a website where they can log in and get more up to date information and possible join a forum your website supports or pay a monthly membership fee to get up to the minute online support and community from other breast feeding moms.

To Succeed: You will be working with stressed out overtired, sleep deprived new parents and their equally stressed out and potentially hungry babies, so make sure that you have the patience to guide people who may be at their wits end. Since you will be helping them provide a natural and wonderful gift to their children, you will see the immediate benefits of your instruction. It helps if you are a registered nurse as some of the feeding issues may be hindered by moderate to severe medical problems. Also consider teaching moms how to use a breast pump and manage their professional careers while still breast feeding their children.

Knitting/Crocheting Instructor

followguide — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 21:30:14 +0000

Investment: $100 to $300

Salary: $3,000 to $15,000

Rates: $10 to $20/student per class

Advertising: Local yarn shop, coffee house, library, craft show, website and internet ads.

To Qualify: Ability to knit or crochet and teach these skills.

Equipment: Needles, thread, yarn, scissors, fabric

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Cost of materials and renting a space to teach.

Description: Knitting and crocheting have become a popular pastime among all age groups. With a renewed love of knitting, knitting cafes and craft houses have started popping up in cities all over the United States. Even teens are getting into the art of creating scarves, sweaters and hats, as knitting has become the way America relaxes. While some have been taught by their mothers and grandmother and an uncle or too, most don’t know the intricate art of knitting and crocheting. Your experience in the craft of knitting and crocheting will likely be popular if you have the patience to teach and are able to help your students understand how long each piece may take. Knitting and crocheting is not for those who are seeking instant gratification, however, it is a relaxing and enjoyable activity that helps those who can’t slow down, relax and focus. Also at the end of a knitting or crocheting project, a warm fun, self designed item will be ready for wear. Baby blankets, hats, mittens, scarves and sweaters all created using your customer’s hands and eye for colors is a fun thing for everyone including; groups of friends and family.

Essentials: You will need a place to teach classes and some materials. The best way to start a class is partner with a yarn or crafts store, that way your students can purchase their materials at the store, benefiting both you and the store owner. Also consider working with drug and alcohol rehabilitation clinics and offer your services as an added class that residents can pay for on top tuition or housing fees, as knitting and crocheting are great activities for those who are trying to focus on not using drugs or alcohol and can be something that helps sustain their rehabilitation efforts after leaving treatment. No matter how you position your class, expect to earn a little extra by teaching knitting and crocheting classes. If you want to build your business, you may want to sell your products at fresh air markets or in a small storefront as well as teach.

To Succeed: Your challenge will be marketing to you students and getting them to come to your classes. Be creative in reaching out to your community, try opening a knitting group that includes a monthly gathering with discounts on materials, light food and beverages and newsletter for a monthly membership fee, or you can contact your local adult education center teach and offer classes. As soon as you have gotten the word about your business you will definitely be able to build a successful side business, but unless you become a local icon or live in a large population, don’t expect to make a high fulltime wage unless you open up a storefront, knitting café or successful online e-store in addition to teaching.

Jewelry Designer

followguide — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 21:26:30 +0000

Investment: $500 to $1,000

Salary: $25,000 to $75,000

Rates: $50 to several thousand dollars/piece

Advertising: Website with online store and gallery, catalogues, trade shows, jewelry retailers, auctions.

To Qualify: Certification from the GIA, training in jewelry design and talent.

Equipment: Jewelry making equipment, molds, magnifying glass, computer, telephone

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Travel expenses, trade show booth rental

Description: If you have the talent to create beautiful artistic pieces or fun and interesting costume jewelry you will be welcome in the jewelry market. Like any other fashion market, the sales will ebb and flow based on the popularity of your product in the ever changing fashion landscape. You will want to stay current and connected by getting your jewelry in stores, magazines and on celebrities if you hope to make a lot of money in the jewelry business. Also you will want to decide, not only your style aesthetics but you price point. Do you want to work in precious metals, semi-precious stones or in costume jewelry, maybe your line will included collections in all price points. However you choose to position your product, you will also want to consider your means of production. Will you run a small production house out of your kitchen working day and night, making the jewelry yourself, or will you design prototypes and farm out the production to a larger facility. Again these decisions are going to be dictated by your price point, design needs and how big you want your business to be in the beginning.

Essentials: Since jewelry has roughly a %100 mark up you can make a profit if your products sell. Consider that ingenuity, craft and design are your greatest assets in this business, but you will also be competing with other designers who are all vying for customers with different tastes. You may have to try a few different style before you find your signature pieces and lines that consistently sell. Luckily jewelry design on the smaller scale can be started as a part time business and gradually build.

To Succeed: You will simply have to be talented and marketable to succeed in the jewelry business. Who knows what will sell and often one of a kind pieces go for thousands of dollars, so there is no real gage of success, simply the tenacity and talent to continue to create. It will help if you are personable and good at selling your jewelry, maybe the pieces you create tell a story or the stones have healing qualities, maybe the collection was inspired by wind. Whatever the inspiration, be able to craft a story around the piece as it will add their value and intrigue.

Interior Designer

followguide — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 21:25:35 +0000

Investment: $3,000 to $5,000

Salary: $30,000 to $50,000

Rates: $50/hour or flat rate/job

Advertising: Website with a gallery of your work, online and local classified ads, partner with contractors and exclusive show rooms.

To Qualify: Certification and membership in trade organization for designers.

Equipment: Computer, website, cell phone, swatches, sample books, color wheel.

Staff: None required

Unexpected Expenses: Phone calls, insurance.

Description: Interior design can be fun and challenging work, as many people are opting to fix up their old homes rather than buy a new one or are buying older homes. Your services are going to be essential as most people don’t have a fine tuned design sense. If you like design and creating interior living spaces, interior design will be a good fit for you. The greatest challenges will be working with contractors and clients to get the right look, often none of you will agree, so be clear in your vision, but diplomatic in your execution. Also some will not want to pay the high cost of luxury items so make sure that you go over your fees and services in detail before beginning a job. And as much as you know about design, your customer’s needs and desires are paramount, so remember to design to their aesthetic and not only yours. If you are able to create an amazing look on a budget that make both you and your client happy, you will certainly be able to make interior design a profitable business.

Essentials: Most of your start up investment will be spent in advertising, so make sure that you budget accordingly. You will want to set up a website with a gallery of your work and a few helpful tips. It might be nice for you to specialize as well and be known for a certain style, such as Asian fusion or Feng Shui supported modern, etc. Once you get your name out there and are designing on a regular schedule, your other financial challenge will be staying within your budget, as clients and contractors may want to make adjustments after you have begun the project. Often people don’t like to hear that the budget has increased so be mindful of changes in design and price when you budget the job.

To Succeed: If you love design and working with people you will be great at this job, the best way to ensure that your policies and practices are followed, however, is to create a contract that states your service provisions and protections. This way when a client tries to over extend your budget you can refer to the contract and make resolutions based on that document. This contract will protect not only your business, but your relationships with your clients as well.

Insurance Agent

followguide — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 21:24:31 +0000

Investment: $10,000 to $15,000

Salary: $45,000 to $60,000

Rates: 20% to 35% commission

Advertising: Website with free tips, cold calling, membership in community groups, billboards and radio ads.

To Qualify: Insurance license, experience in the insurance or related field, sales experience

Equipment: Computer, internet, website, office furniture, fax, copier, telephone, cell phone, printer, business cards, office software.

Staff: None needed

Unexpected Expenses: Membership dues, errors and omissions insurance.

Description: As an insurance agent you will be partnering your clients with the best insurance policies for their needs and managing their policy for them for a commission. Since the insurance market is already saturated, you may want to consider specializing in a certain field or practice, like insurance for the disabled, new business insurance, boat insurance, whatever your local or field of expertise dictates may be a good place for you to specialize. You will then be searching out the best policies for your clients and helping them manage their claims and protections. You can make this a lucrative business if you are able to sell well and make your clients feel comfortable, by presenting your self a reliable person concerned with your client’s needs and maintaining their trust by continuing to offer goods and services that may be a benefit to them.

Essentials: You will need to advertise and cold call to launch your business, but before you do, you will also want to know the insurance market well and find your specialization. If you want to work with young families for example, you will want to make sure that they are able to add their newest children to the health care policy and/or help them find a better policy. You might want to offer your new family life insurance and connect them with a lawyer who can create a will or a financial planner who can create a long term financial plan. Consider including as many different contractible service as you can offer to help your client’s manage their lives or businesses. For example coupling retirement and college funds with a health care plan for you personal clients or business and errors and omissions insurance to your new business clients.

To Succeed: You will have to be good at selling and able to take rejection in stride. As soon as you have established your business you will also want to keep up to date on any changes in the industry and be able to work well with numbers and finances. Remember that your clients are trusting you to manage their insurance plans and sometimes their financial well being, so it is up to you to keep them protected and fully insured. If you like working with people and putting in long hours, this will be the kind of business that not only can sustain you, but may also be very profitable.