5 Businesses to Start This Weekend
Tutor, Videographer, Flea Market Entrepreneur & More
Educational Tutor
Education is a major element of a child's development. For
parents wanting the peace of mind that their child is receiving the
proper education, extracurricular tutoring can be the preferred
method of extending educational training beyond public school.
There is one main requirement for starting this type of instruction
business: You must be an expert in the field in which you intend to
teach or tutor. Beyond that, this business is very
simple to start. You can operate on a mobile basis by going to the
client, or from your home office with the client coming to you.
Build a customer and referral base by joining community business
associations and parent-teacher associations. Networking and
self-promotion is probably the best marketing strategy. Tutoring is a competitive industry, and
gaining the upper hand requires explanation and disclosure of
credentials firsthand. Current rates for a professional tutoring
service vary from a low of $18 per hour to a high of $35 per hour,
depending on the course material and complexity. Content Continues Below
The Lowdown Picture Framer
Get in the frame with a picture framing service. You can work with
gallery owners, artists, portrait photographers and individuals
who've purchased a print, painting or fine photo. If you
aren't already a framing expert, read up, take classes at a
local college or community center, then assemble your
tools--including clamps, saws, miter boxes, glue, and a pneumatic
or hand stapler. Establish relationships with local artists'
groups, galleries, photographers and print shops that can give you
their business or refer their customers to you. The Lowdown Videographer
Not so long ago, the way to immortalize a wedding, graduation,
birthday or other special event was only with photographs. Now,
with video cameras, everybody can be the star of their own big day
or night--except that it's hard to be a member of the wedding
party and film it, too, and most people have a tendency to take
shots of walls as often as people. But if you're a sharpshooter
with a video camera, you can capture it all as a videographer.
You'll roll tape, then edit your work and provide copies.
Establish relationships with wedding, party and event planners who
can refer you to their customers, and place ads in your local
newspaper. The Lowdown Garage
& Attic Cleaning/Hauling Service
Nobody likes to spend a weekend cleaning out the garage, attic or
garden shed--it's dirty and time-consuming, and when it's
done, there's still the task of hauling off all that discarded
junk. But if you don't mind putting in the physical labor, a
cleaning and hauling service can be a lot of fun. You can usually
find a few treasures among the trash which most people are
delighted to give away, and you can add to your income by recycling
bottles, newspapers and metal castoffs. You'll need a pick-up
truck or other vehicle capable of carrying everything from
cast-iron sinks to old timbers. Start off by advertising in your
local newspaper. The Lowdown Flea
Market Entrepreneur
If you've got an eye for castoffs that can become somebody
else's treasures and you love combing garage and estate sales,
then you'll have a ball as a flea market entrepreneur. You can
specialize in a particular collectible--anything from old record
albums to Depression-era pottery to antique tools--or you can go
eclectic with a wide assortment of pre-owned goodies. Or you can
forego the collectible trade and buy new close-out merchandise from
wholesalers to sell at major discounts. To get started, you'll
need to obtain a resale license, then start searching for flea
markets with a base of deep-pocketed customers and reserve your
space. You can also sell items on eBay--visit our eBay Start-Up
Center for more details. The Lowdown
 Page 1 | 2
|
What makes a good client gift?
What guidelines do you follow when buying gifts for your clients? Have you ever received an unusual or inappropriate gift?
|