Service Corps Of Retired Executives (SCORE)
Link to retired professionals who are available to give you advice.

Small Business Development Centers
Link to organizations to help your small business grow and prosper.

Network Of Training And Counseling Services
Link to these connections to help with professional training and counseling.

This scenario can happen to any part-time business owner. This is not to say working full-time while running a part-time business is impossible but balance and knowledge are key factors in business success.

Part-time businesses allow entrepreneurs to “test the waters” and see if the business is viable while still earning a full-time paycheck. But there are many traps to avoid when moonlighting. Learn the 6 keys to avoid part-time business disaster.

6 Keys to Avoid Part-time Business Disaster

1. A Conflict of Interest?: The first question to ask when starting a part-time business is “Does your venture conflict with the interests of your employer?” If your part-time business and employer markets and serves the same industry, there may be a conflict. Examine your hiring package to see if there is a non-compete agreement and the extent of the clause.

Discuss openly with your boss the venture you plan to start and how it will not conflict with clients and time. In some cases, the company can view your moonlighting as a positive gain for the company if you can acquire new skills that can be applied to your current job.

2. Determine Part-time Suitability: Some businesses are more suited to part-time operation. Retail operations require full-time hours, whereas a consultant can take on several small projects with less time commitment. Talk to other people in your industry to see if part-time is a viable option.

3. Manage Your Time: Running a part-time business while fully employed will test your time management skills. Family, chores and sleep may be the biggest issues. Avoid burnout. Many part-time business owners under estimate the commitment required for success. Accept limited work projects and do not over promise.

4. Build Support: A 40-hour work week combined with a part-time business may add up to more hours than running the venture full-time. Make sure family and friends understand your burden and can be there to offer help. Support can be as simple as help with errands, filing and bookkeeping.

5. Focus on One Business: The temptation of all small business start-ups is the lure of multiple business opportunities. This must be avoided at all costs by the part-time business operator. With already limited time and resources, expanding into other businesses can draw much needed attention away from your part-time company. Focus on one business only until you have made it successful.

6. Know the End Result: As you set-up your part-time business, have a clear end goal in mind. Is this venture simply a means to additional income, or will it one day be a full-time company? If you are planning to quit your day job, set a time line to transition from part-time and employed, to full-time business and unemployed. If possible, have extra cash reserves built up to augment the ups and downs of not having a regular paycheck.

A part-time business can be a wonderful way to grow your company. In our fast-paced business world, it seems atypical to dabble part-time in starting a new business. But if you have a need for security, the “slow-to-grow” venture can be the best chance for success. Just ask Michael Dell, who started Dell Corporation part-time in his college dorm. Part-time may be the best start-up secret to date.

Courtesy of Darrell Zahorsky

Small-business owners can choose from two basic types of financing — debt and equity. This article looks at the advantages and disadvantages of each type and how they may be used for different purposes.

Business owners who seek financing face a fundamental choice: Should they borrow funds or take in new investment capital? Since debt and equity are accounted for differently, each has a different impact on earnings, cash flow, and taxes. Each also has a different effect on leverage, dilution, and a host of other metrics by which businesses are measured. The planned use of funds will also affect the choice of financing, with one option more appropriate for certain uses than the other.

2. Debt

Debt can be a loan, line of credit, bond, or even an IOU — any promise to repay borrowed amounts over a certain time with a specified interest rate and other terms. Debt is accounted for as a liability of the company, and interest payments are deductible business expenses. In the event of bankruptcy or insolvency, debt holders take priority over equity holders.

For a small business, debt financing has both advantages and disadvantages. On the plus side, debt can be relatively simple to secure through a bank or other financial institution and is available with a broad range of terms, allowing you to customize the debt to meet your specific needs. Whether you are seeking a three-month bridge loan or a long-term commitment, you can usually find an institution that’s willing to work with you. And since most debt entails regularly scheduled payments of interest and often principal as well, debt is easy to plan around. Perhaps most important, debt, unlike equity, will not dilute your ownership interest in your company.

On the minus side, however, financing with debt can be more expensive, and you will have to meet scheduled interest and principal payments regardless of your cash flow. Although loan terms can be negotiated to build in flexibility, ultimately the money must be paid back.

Debt is most often used to fund a specific project or initiative that has an identifiable implementation time frame. It’s also used as a cash flow backup in the form of a revolving line of credit. To attract lenders, you will need to have a good personal and business credit history, sufficient cash flow to repay the loan, and/or sufficient collateral to offer as a second source of loan repayment. In smaller businesses, personal guarantees are likely to be required on most debt instruments. You should also not be carrying significant debt already.

It’s time for you to accept running a business is going to be more of an investment than what you expect it to, every time. Apply your research and seek those who are producing from the industry you’re interested in then ask questions about marketing ideas, effective tools, and personal experiences. This will help you get an idea of what your investments into the business will be. Make sure to listen with intent because the tips you receive from successful people will structure your business and add value.

Learn about your competition extensively. Compare them to what you’re looking for, and keep note of the qualities you like. This can be easily done by subscribing to their newsletter and seeing what they offer. There are many business opportunities out there and to ensure your choosing the right one for you, just do your do diligence.

Be original and get into business for any other reason than to make money, this will help you succeed where others fail. For example, I know a woman that joined one of my networks; she was struggling financially and is sick with a condition so her prescriptions are a ridiculous amount a month. She joined this particular network because it offered free major medical health and life insurance. She is growing steadily with her business and adds new partners on a consistent basis. Now the same network but a different person who spoke of nothing but making lots of cash, still has no one signed up under them. In network marketing a large number of its participants fail, so cut your odds down by providing service, quality and customer satisfaction. Know you’re getting into business for yourself and money will
and always does follow.

Starting a business takes a lot of time and devotion, now is the time for you to forget about the 40 hour week and realize much more is demanded of you. In order to achieve wealth you must be willing to work hard, very hard, and long. For example, the other day I woke up at ten in the morning and stayed up working on my pc till almost 6 in the morning! The next couple of days I did this and noticed it not because I enjoy what I do and how I make my money. The same can be for you, just be devoted to growing as an individual.

Here’s a key factor in starting your own business, your organizational skills. While in business for yourself you need to keep accurate records for your taxes, banking and your own purposes. Keeping organized now will help you eliminate issues in the future, so make sure to keep your own records even if someone else is. This way you can reference your notes and quickly establish if there is a problem and fix it.

Many small business owners have family and friends working for them, and it’s because their loyal. If you don’t have a family of members all flocking to work for you rest assured you can find reliable, experienced employees from all different sources on the internet, and more. There is always an abundance of people looking for work so tapping into them is fairly easy.

Every business owner has a lawyer, accountant, and insurance agent, so you’ll need them too when you start your business. These professionals will become very handy to you and are an asset to getting things done.

Deciding if you should run your business is a big decision and should be made with a sound mind. Please keep note, there is no individual who will run your business the way you do, treat your customers with respect like you do, or watch your money like you do. The joy of owning a small business is having the power of decision, and it’s in your best interest to leave that power in your own hands, so keep others out of certain aspects and do the rest yourself. Anything else that needs to be done can be leveraged so don’t worry about it.

Lastly it’s very important you follow this and stay positive no matter what. Even when you fail, hurry yourself to get back up and accomplish it. If something tragic happens, immediately remove yourself mentally and locate the opportunity. There is opportunity everywhere, like an idea, and you can’t get rid of it, so use it. Please keep note, your direct influence will affect you (negatively or positively) and its time you surrounded yourself with likeminded individuals, these relationships are priceless because they are the ones that hold you and your business accountable, they discuss and spark ideas, and the support is limitless.

Above I have provided you with the necessary steps to starting a small business. But the real story begins when you take action and you place them into effect. I know as a new business owner you need networks and friendships of people that genuinely want to help you. A great resource for finding these people is the internet and can be done simply by completing a search. So start your business, take lots of action and have fun with it!

About The Author, D Sterlin

D Sterlin is known for newsletter The Dot! which provides tools, programs and more to business owners free. She is an advocate of taking action and is directly contributing to the community with her insght and marketing techniques. For more information on D Sterlin see http://www.dsterlin.com

Your competition may be getting a hand up on you in many different ways. A new product, head office support, advertising agency, newspaper promotion, coupons, etc. Rarely though do I find small independent businesses making use of the most cost effective communication medium available – The Internet.

If you are a small business and do not have an ongoing marketing effort online, you are most certainly handing customers over to your competition. In fact, you might as well gift wrap them and send them over with a sticky note on their back saying “Can you take this buyer? I don’t really need a buyer today.”

Smart small business owners these days know how valuable a buyer can be, not just their first visit, but for repeated visits and then for bringing in other customers. But you need more and more of them as your business competition gets tougher and tougher. That’s why the internet is so perfectly suited for the future of your small business marketing.

It’s inexpensive to setup (if you do things right that is), and there are ways to reach any potential customer you want, and communicate your products and service directly to that person. You can even direct your message to potential customers in a specific geographic area whether that be near your location or clear across the continent.

What a lot of small business owners don’t realize is that it isn’t as difficult as it seems to set up a website, (an effective website that is), get it noticed in the search engines and then start building an online clientèle that will eventually come through your doors. Maybe its a few half-days of work. You can get your family involved or even a staff member or two during their down time. Everybody loves special assignments, especially if it’s out of the ordinary routine. The thing is once it is set up, it pretty much runs itself and can be your best selling employee working non-stop with no wages, no benefits, no holidays, and no drama.

Once you get an internet presence working for you and have it as part of your everyday sales system your competition will soon be wondering: Where do you get all those customers from?

About The Author, Marty Shmanka

Marty Shmanka is currently a webmaster but as a former restaurant owner
knows the challenges of owning a small business. His website
ShoestringIngenuity.com takes the mystery out of good small business website

design or restaurant

website design and uses video instruction to show you how you can do

it yourself and save thousands of dollars. It`s a lot easier than you

think.

Business strategies are available in different formulas. The traditional strategies are mainly based on the competition in the external environment, where as modern strategies give importance to the internal resources of the company. Dynamic business strategy, and customer oriented strategy are some of the new strategies. The management experts are in the constant research to find out new strategies. Innovative strategy is one of the most modern types of strategies. You can adopt from any of these strategies but, the job is not easy as the strategy has to be compatible to your business. Most often, business people used to take the basic points of any of the successful strategies and will mold a unique business strategy according to their resources and competition, they have to overcome.

Any how, do not jump into any strategies even though its focus is ultimately success. Thorough analysis is inevitable before stepping into any strategy. First, you must have a vision about the business, i.e. a clear picture about the future of the company. Then systematically analyze its present strengths and weakness and tabulate them. The assessment must include evaluation of each and every department of the firm. The present basic resources of your company including financial assets, human resource capabilities, product advantages, technical excellence and quality of service has to be considered individually, and postulate their expected ratio in the successful company, according to your vision. In the selection of the business strategy, this factor has to given importance that you have to attain the specific growth rate in each department.

Then, a strategic indent can be produced, which clearly details the pathways of the strategy and the modifications that have to be adopted. The systematic plan must be shared with your employees to gain their confidence. This will also ensure their whole hearted cooperation in the practice of the strategy.

Business strategy mainly includes marketing strategy, which envisages the methods to establish the brand among the customers. The method of branding the company must be depending on the competition existing in the market. In the present world, advertisements are considered to be inevitable publicity tools, as media play a good role in popularizing a company. Usually, catchy captions and attractive visualization will help to gather the attention of customers. Now, because of the intense market competition, the advertisements are searching for new avenues to reach the targeted audience. Apart from paper advertisements and visual advertisements, companies also try to come up with some occasional press release, with the details of any new plans or offers, to establish their presence in the market. The festival offers and discounts also enable to increase its popularity.

Internet marketing is also a part of modern marketing. A company website will help to gather the attention of many customers. The starting of a 24 hour customer cell will help for a company with international market focus. Enabling the provision for an online chat or immediate reply to the customer email queries will reflect your commitment in the customer service. An enhanced publicity will certainly help to gather more clients.

Apart from marketing, financial management is also has to be an important part of business strategy. Disciplined financial strategy is a necessity for the growth of the company. The focus must be to balance the expenditure to the income. The ratio between the two has to be reconsidered in each stage of growth as the company grows. You can minimize the expenditure by incorporating the innovative technologies. However, the most important thing required for an establishment is the quality of the products they are handling with. You may able to gather new clients with marketing, however; retention of the clients is depending on the level of the service.

Business strategy is the need of every establishment to pave its path to the epitome of success. However, the ultimate success depends on the careful selection of the strategy and the commitment to practice it.

About The Author, ishezad

Islam Shezad runs many successful home-based businesses. For more information and useful tips on how to start and succeed in your own business please visit: http://www.secretstoyoursuccess.com

Flash programming, now more than 10 years old was first developed by an ingenious company called Macromedia which is now owned by once rival, Adobe. The value of FLASH is its ability to deliver multimedia motion graphics for animation and interaction on the web but using the least amount of memory possible, thus making its programmers highly sought-after for upper-end website construction.

So as a small business owner you may have run into a “FLASHY” website in your surfing travels and been in awe (ok, jealous) of how great they look. Well the thing is really, I have seen thousands of small business websites with expensive Flash programming and immediately thought to myself, “What a complete waste of money!”

Creating and designing your small business website using all the latest software, enhanced graphics and in depth programming will almost certainly lead you to eventually lose interest in your own website, commit you to future invoice headaches for every little update you need to make, and cluster your website with a slew of others in your market that are equally as glamorous as they are ineffective.

You do not need a glamorous, gadget-filled website to get a customer to sign up for your email newsletter. You need an incentive. Surfers (potential customers) might be impressed with your website, but you will never impress them more than the next business which has one-upped you, yet again in the Flash department. It’s just a silly waste of time and money. Surely as a small business owner you can see through that.

Give your prospective customer a reason to be interested. In exchange for their email address you can send them a dinner-for-two coupon if you are a restaurant. You can offer them a 15 point safety check on their next oil change. You can catch their interest with a set of free labels for their wine making project. You can offer a free wash and dry with next hair cut. The bottom line is you have to put a financial incentive out there for them because once you have their contact information the likelihood of that web-surfer becoming your customer one day soon is radically multiplied.

Therein lies your distinct advantage over your competition. Their website may be full of bells and whistles, but yours is full of profit.

About The Author, Marty Shmanka

Marty Shmanka is currently a webmaster but as a former restaurant owner

knows the challenges of owning a small business. His website

ShoestringIngenuity.com takes the mystery out of good small business website

design or restaurant

website design and uses video instruction to show you how you can do

it yourself and save thousands of dollars. It`s a lot easier than you

think.

Nerds ToGo
So many individuals and businesses rely on their computers for communication. Furthermore, many businesses simply can not function if their computers are not working properly. As people struggle to keep up with advancing technology, many of them work on computers everyday and still have no idea how to make even the simplest repairs when things go wrong. Of course, this is true because computers and complex machines and someone who is not qualified to work on them should always call for help. Even so, many computer repair stores have a “bring it in and we’ll fix it” sort of approach. Nerds ToGo, however, has revolutionized the computer services industry by offering a “we come to you model.” After all, people do not have the time and energy to break down their computers and take them to the repair shop. Moreover, this would be an impossible task for a small business in need of computer services.

Of course, the best part about owning a Nerds ToGo franchise is that you do not have to be a nerd to own one. Now, if you happen to be a nerd by nature, you can make your own service calls or hire nerd employees. Either way, the secret to success with this innovative franchise opportunity lies in how you manage the business and not just how well you fix computers. What’s more, the Nerds ToGo company offers a great deal of support to help you become a successful franchise business owner. There are a lot of computers out there just waiting to be fixed and with a Nerds ToGo franchise, you can cash in on this opportunity with only a small investment.

College Hunks Hauling Junk
Just like the computer support businesses like Nerds to Go are gaining popularity across the nation, College Hunks Hauling Junk is a great franchise opportunity well on its way to becoming a national brand. The geeks fix computers and the hunks lift heavy things. That sounds about right, doesn’t it?

On a more serious note, don’t let the name fool you into thinking that College Hunks is anything but a great business franchise opportunity that is growing everyday. Furthermore, the junk-removal industry appeals to highly segmented publics, which can translate to great income for franchisees that are affiliated of a nationally recognized brand. College Hunks is a business that appeals to homeowners and small business owners who need items like furniture, appliances, yard waste, construction materials or renovation leftovers removed from their properties and more. The only items that the hunks can not haul are hazardous materials like chemicals, paint, spouses or pets.

And, now that going green and helping the environment is becoming a standard in the U.S., our customers will be happy to hear that everything we haul is recycled, donated or otherwise disposed of properly.

Of course, not only do customers love College Hunks Hauling Junk, franchisees enjoy helpful resources, including a national toll-free number and centralized call center (Customer Loyalty Center), a website where customers can schedule pick-ups online, truck beds that are bigger than those used by competitors, customized propriety software used for scheduling, and finally, a low investment and high potential for business growth.

Pet Butler
This name may not suggest that you are actually looking into a poop scooping business but a Pet Butler franchise is exactly that. Since so many families include pets, particularly dogs, there is a lot of scooping to be done. In fact, 40 percent of all households in the U.S. include at least one dog. However, some pet owners do not have the time, energy or desire to pick up after their pets. Plus, Pet Butler offers not only waste removal services but also pet stations for parks and other public areas.

As a franchise owner, you will be trained to use the most sanitary methods for waste removal. Additionally, the company will provide you with a downloadable training manual, state-of-the-art equipment and even marketing materials. Like so many other business franchises, Pet Butler wants to experience growth, which means the company is willing to help your franchise business operate smoothly and efficiently. And, that’s the scoop.

Boneheads
For the great tasting food served in these innovative restaurant franchises, the secret really is in the sauce. Boneheads features grilled fish and Piri Piri chicken, which is seasoned by the South African Piri Piri pepper. But, the taste is not the only unique flavor of Boneheads. This restaurant franchise also utilizes the increasingly popular concept of fast-casual dining. If you have never dined at a Bonehead’s, perhaps you have been to a Moe’s Southwest Grill, Doc Green’s Gourmet Salads, Planet Smoothie or the Flying Biscuit Café. These are just a few of the restaurant franchises owned by Raving Brands. And, if the portfolio of delicious dining choices does not convince you that Bonehead’s means serious business, you may be interested to learn that Raving Brands also has real estate expertise. Since location is one of the most important factors in franchise success (if not the most important), a Bonehead’s franchise can mean a leg up on the competition. So, if you have five years of experience working in a restaurant, this is your chance to own one.

ElizaJ
“No thanks, I’ll hold it” is usually the response you hear from someone when their only option is to use a port-o-potty. However, ElizaJ is not your typical port-o-potty business. In fact, it offers three levels of deliverable restrooms with high-quality amenities like designer soaps and lotions, fresh flowers, air fresheners and even fresh water. Now, you might be wondering who would be interested in these new high-class portable restrooms. Take a moment to consider the growing special events industry. So many weddings and other formal events are held outside and nowhere near a restroom. The standard port-o-potty just will not do when it comes to this kind of special event. Instead the typical old John, you need an ElizaJ. And, if you decide to become an ElizaJ franchisee, you will become part a groundbreaking new luxury restroom industry and gain access to an untapped market. What’s more, the ElizaJ company offers all the training and support you will need.

Brick Kicker
This might seem like a funny name for a home inspection company but this catchy name has helped the company become a nationally recognized industry leader. Plus, Brick Kicker offers accurate, trustworthy home inspections to homeowners, buyers and sellers, which means there will always be a demand for these services. The main advantage to entering the home inspection business as a franchisee is that you start off as an established brand. Additionally, you have access to on-going support from the company as well as seminar and conferences to help you build your business, not hit a brick wall. With the right tools, you’re sure to become a successful Brick Kicker franchisee.

Nanny Poppinz
At first glance, the name of this franchise might give the impression that this is just another group of nannies. However, Nanny Poppinz is far more. In fact, this company is a full-service child care referral agency. Not only do they specialize in placing children with the best, most professional nannies, they also help busy moms find childcare outside of the home. What’s more, services offered through Nanny Poppinz include baby nurses, housekeepers, cooks, tutors, butlers, drivers and even household managers. Whether the need is full-time, part-time or temporary, Nanny Poppinz is there to help. Plus, this franchise opportunity is great for entrepreneurs who are looking for a great work from home franchise opportunity. This business franchise is fast and easy to start up because you do not have to worry about the initial cost of inventory. In fact, your nannies are the inventory and the specialized software offered to franchisees makes keeping track simple. Nanny Poppinz makes success simple for everyone who is interested in this exciting business opportunity, even stay-at-home moms looking to start a home-based business franchise.

Froots Smoothies
Now more than ever, eating fresh is all the rage. People are looking for healthier alternatives to traditional eateries who serve greasy food loaded with calories. But, they still want food that tastes great. This is where Froots Smoothies comes in. This restaurant franchise specializes not only in salads, wraps, shakes and smoothies that taste terrific, they also pride themselves on serving foods that are healthy and refreshing. Guests who lunch at Froots can say goodbye to that afternoon sluggishness they feel after a greasy lunch at a traditional fast food restaurant. Froots offers delicious lunch, dinner and snack options and the company is ready to serve its freshness all across the country. That’s where you come in. If you are ready to take advantage of the fresh food frenzy, consider a Froots Smoothies franchise. This company offers training, marketing support and even helps with site selection.

FunBus
This business franchise is literally fun on wheels. In fact, FunBus travels right to your school, birthday party or any other special event. And, it’s filled with progressive gymnastics equipment and a staff that is eager to make physical activity fun, not competitive. What’s more, FunBus will travel to your daycare center or school once a week with instructors who will teach 45-minute lessons to children ages two and a half to six years old!

In a society where parents are faced with warnings of increased childhood obesity and diabetes, the FunBus offers an exciting way for kids to get active and enjoy every minute of it. As the potential franchisee, FunBus offers you the chance to find success as a franchise business owner. Moreover, these fitness academies on wheels are always stocked with the latest and greatest equipment. Plus, FunBus provides its franchisees with a marketing system to help ensure a steady flow of business.

Dogtopia Dog Spa
In 2005, pet-related spending $35 billion, making it the seventh largest sector of retail. In fact, pet spending came in ahead of toys and candy. This increase symbolizes the modern attitude that pets are like “kids” in the family. Because so many pet owners think of themselves as “parent” to these four-legged kiddos, they feel guilty leaving them at home alone all day. After all, they send their children to preschools and daycare centers. Why shouldn’t they do the same for their dogs?

Dogtopia Dog Spas give pet owners the opportunity to leave their dogs in a fun-filled doggie daycare where they will enjoy supervised play and human interaction all day. Plus, Dogtopia even offers do-it-yourself dog washes, spa services, training classes and overnight boarding. And, you’ll find nothing less than premium quality toys, treats, food and grooming supplies. What you need to know as a potential franchisee is that Dogtopia offers on-site assistance and continuous management consulting, marketing materials, a website and a comprehensive training course to help you start of on the right paw.

Find franchises, franchise opportunities and information for entrepreneurs at Franchise Gator.
By Candice Clem

#1 American Billing Systems Franchise
With American Billing Systems you can file medical claims over the Internet for doctors. This system allows you to work 24 hours per day and seven days per week, which means you can work around being a mom and still make money. Total capital investment for American Billing Systems is $14,990 and liquid capital required is $7,490. Training and support are offered as well as financial assistance.

#2 Vendstar Vending Machine Franchise
Work at home moms will find Vendstar a wonderful business opportunity. The vending machine business is perfect for stay at home moms. You can even get your kids to help you out with the business to earn their allowance, or if they are too young you can just take them with you in a baby carrier or stroller! The minimum investment is $5495. Training and support are offered.

#3 Pet Butler Franchise
Another great franchise opportunity for work at home moms is the Pet Butler franchise. This franchise focuses on cleaning up after pets, i.e. cleaning up their waste. Total capital investment is $41,900 – $81,500 and liquid capital investment is $15,330 – $21,900. Training and support are offered.

#4 Decor & You Interior Design Decorating Franchise
Décor & You is an outstanding franchise for work at home moms, especially moms who have a flair for design. The capital requirement is $47,500 – $76,000 for Décor Designers and $132,000 – $147,000 for regional director. Financing assistance is not offered, but training and support are.

#5 The Back Rubber Vending Massage Chair Business
The Back Rubber opportunity is a great way for stay at home moms earn money while the massage chairs do all the work. All you have to do is swing by the chair location every so often to remove the money and that is something you can do with kids in tow! Financing assistance is available and total capital investment is $7495. Training and support are offered.

#6 Cruise Planners Travel Franchise
Cruise Planners allows you to work from home and plan cruises. Your client database is top secret and you own your own business. The franchise fee is $9995 and the total capital investment is $9995 – $19,950. Training and support are offered.

#7 Press a Print Franchise Business Opportunity
Press a Print is a wonderful business opportunity for stay at home moms because you can work from home with the possibility of making money quickly. This opportunity can be managed by the stay at home mom, a couple, and even the kids can help out. Total capital investment is $10,000 – $33,000 and liquid capital required is less than $4000. Financing assistance is offered as well as training and support.

#8 Carpet Sculpture Gallery Franchise
This easy to start business is not only easy to run but it is also easy to make money with. You can work right from your house, so this is perfect for stay at home moms who enjoy design. No inventory is necessary and you only buy supplies as you need them. Total capital investment is $35,000 and liquid capital investment is $30,000. Net worth required is $100,000. Financing assistance is not offered but training and support are.

#9 Eliza J Porta Potty Franchise
Work at home moms can easily own an Eliza J Porta Potty franchise. This is perfect for weddings and other functions and it’s an easy to run business. Total capital investment required is $64,700 – $112,400 and liquid capital required $25,000. Third party financing is available as well as training and support.

#10 Infinite Marketing Video Business Card Franchise
A video business card distributorship is what Infinite Marketing is all about, and it may be the hottest new marketing tool for small business owners and professionals. This distributorship requires a capital investment of $14,900. Financing and assistance are not offered, but training and support are.

Find franchises, franchise opportunities and information for entrepreneurs at Franchise Gator.

By Candice Clem

Whether you’re starting a business on the side while still employed elsewhere, a student or homemaker looking for extra income, or unemployed and trying to figure out what to do, there are plenty of opportunities for you to start up a side business inexpensively. It’s unlikely any of these will make you a living in the first few months, but they all have the potential to grow into full-time businesses. We’ll take a look at 10 such opportunities and, most importantly, tell you what to do with the $20!

1. Webpreneur

It’s what everyone who’s ever surfed the Web dreams of—just stick a web site up there and watch the cash roll in! Well, that just doesn’t happen overnight, but the fact of the matter is it’s really not very hard to do. To do it right, start by picking a subject matter you know a lot about. Then get a domain and create a web site. It doesn’t even matter what technology you use—just be totally anal-retentive about it looking good and provide plenty of original content. Now find some appropriate affiliate programs—that’s where your revenues are going to come from. Next, learn everything you can about search engine marketing and promote the heck out of your site. Last of all, set aside time every week to put new content on the site, delete dead links, and other maintenance. Now do this three or four times, and you’ve chosen your topics well, you might actually have some decent income from it.

Spend the $20 on: $8 or less for a domain (see our Online Business Guide’s list of cheap domain name registrars) and $12 for a year of hosting (search for “$1 hosting”).

2. Consultant

Getting into consulting is relatively simple. All you have to do is know how to do something better than most people do, and be able to either teach people how to do it or be willing to do it for them. Networking is the key to success in this business, so start by making a list of everyone you know and giving them all a call.

Spend the $20 on: $14 on a box of clean-edge laser or inkjet business cards and $6 buying your first prospect a cup of coffee one morning.

3. Housesitter / Petsitter

Particularly since 9/11, people feel an increased need for security, and housesitting gives them some reassurance while they’re out of town. This one’s great because it basically requires no particular skills, just trustworthiness and reliability. Be sure to have personal references available, and you’ll also need reliable transportation. If you’re an animal lover, petsitting is an easy add-on.

Spend the $20 on: $2 on flyers to put up on bulletin boards, and the rest on classified ads in your local neighborhood paper (not a big city-wide one).

4. Professional Organizer

People these days are simply overwhelmed by their “stuff”. While there is an ever-growing trend of people wanting to simplify their lives, most of us haven’t done it yet. It’s not that people really have no clue how to get organized, it just keeps moving to the bottom of the stack, both figuratively and literally. There’s a prime opportunity for people to come in at a reasonable rate and get houses organized. And while there is a National Association of Professional Organizers that you can join when you’re ready, mostly it takes common sense, organizational skills, and a familiarity with what can be had at your local office supply and The Container Store.

Spend the $20 on: Classified ads.

5. Avon Independent Sales Representative

Cosmetics is a virtually recession-proof business, because it’s an inexpensive way for people to feel good about themselves. Avon is the largest consumer direct sales company in the world, with annual sales of nearly $6 billion. In business for well over 100 years, they have both a highly reputable product line and one of the few highly reputable multi-level marketing structures (in fact, they invented it). They also offer fashion and wellness products in addition to their beauty products. And while they bill themselves as “The Company for Women”, a fairly substantial number of men have actually been very successful as Avon reps. The secret to making a living at it rather than just a little extra spending money? Build your downline—just like with any other network marketing or direct selling business.

Spend the $20 on: $10 signup fee, and $10 on brochures and a few samples.

6. Personal Services – Shopping & Errands

This is a great one going into the holiday season. Believe it or not, there are people who wouldn’t be caught dead going anywhere near a mall, but they’re not comfortable with buying certain items online, either. Again, trustworthiness and dependability are the key traits for this. If your car’s not reliable, pick something else. Also, you won’t need cash, but you’ll need available credit on your credit cards, since you really can’t use theirs. Consider an American Express or a Diner’s Club that don’t have preset spending limits. Or use a card that gives cash back reward or frequent flyer miles, and you’ll make a nice little bonus for yourself.

Spend the $20 on: $1 on flyers and the rest on classified ads.

7. Desktop Publishing

It’s amazing how many people have a computer and still don’t know how to make a decent flyer! If you’ve got a good design sense, are extremely familiar with your word processor, and already have a laser or high-quality inkjet printer, you can get into desktop publishing. Create a really great-looking portfolio for yourself and go door-to-door.

Spend the $20 on: Some high-quality paper to create your samples on.

8. Tutoring

With the growing dissatisfaction with our education system and the huge growth in homeschooling, there’s an unprecedented need for tutors these days for kids of all ages—even adults! If you’ve got a topic you can tutor in, contact the local schools, particularly private ones, and local homeschool groups, and offer your services. Don’t be concerned if your topic is highly specialized—even those are in demand.

Spend the $20 on: $14 on a box of clean-edge laser or inkjet business cards and $6 on flyers.

9. eBay Seller

Yes, there really are people who make a decent living buying things at garage sales and flea markets and selling them on eBay. The big secrets? Stick to products you know (or learn before you start) extremely well, package your goods carefully, and provide impeccable customer service. It helps to have a digital camera or a scanner, but it’s not required.

Spend the $20 on: Your first inventory at a garage sale.

10. Secretarial Service – Typing / Transcription / Proofreading

Many small businesses and individuals have a need for these services, but not enough need to hire a temp through an agency. Assuming you’ve got a computer, a printer, and e-mail (and the necessary skills), you’re all set. Be prepared to charge by the job, not by the hour.

Spend the $20 on: $14 on a box of clean-edge laser or inkjet business cards and $6 on flyers.

One last thing—beware of home-based business scams that require a substantial buy-in, such as envelope-stuffing or craft item assembly. You may not lose money on it if you stick with it long enough to get really fast at it, but you’ll probably never make the kind of money you’re expecting to. Better to do something on your own.
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