50 Low-Priced Businesses You Can Be Your Own Boss For Less Than $12,000!

If you think it takes hundreds of thousands of dollars incapital, a sizeable bank loan, and decades of experience to launchyour own business, think again. In this month's cover story, wefeature 50 businesses that require minimal start-up investment-inmost cases, less than $12,000. There is a catch, however: As mostof the entrepreneurs we've profiled can attest, starting abusiness takes a significant personal investment. That is, you needcommitment, persistence, high quality standards and strongnetworking skills. With these skills under your belt, you stand abetter chance of surviving those often formidable-and at timesthrilling-first few months of start-up. And with furtherperseverance and careful investment in your growing venture, youstand a good chance of turning that little, low-investmententerprise into a booming, revenue-generating business. Goodluck!

Listings 1-10

Mobile DJ
It takes more than an ear for music to keep a mobile disc jockeybusiness groovin'. Take it from Dan Nichols, who operates amobile DJ service in Royal Oak, Michigan. "While congenialityand knowing your music are important, you've got to havepersonality," explains the 28-year-old. Indeed, Nichols feelso strongly about this point, the motto printed on his businesscard reads: "A DJ must appeal to the party inpeople."

Mobile DJs need relatively little equipment to get started.Nichols, for example, started out from home with a couple compactdisc players, an amplifier, a mixer and a van to transport them in."It's a low investment for the hardware," explainsNichols. He says a good mix of music on CDs can be compiled foraround $400.

Like most successful DJs, Nichols got his start in the business byplaying music at a friend's party. "One thing led toanother, and soon I was playing banquet halls," explainsNichols, who relies on networking, in addition to personallycontacting banquet coordinators to drum up business.

"It's a good business to be in, because you work shorthours and get paid good money for the time you spend in it,"says Nichols. Also known to clients as "Dan the DJ,"Nichols says his enterprise has grown "twofold" everyyear since he started the business in 1990. That's music tothis entrepreneur's ears.

D.J. Times, 25 Willowdale Ave., Port Washington, NY 11050, (516)767-2500.

Used Car Inspection
Strangely-colored exhaust . . . paint dust inside the door . . . abroken odometer . . . these are just some of the telltale signs ofa used car gone bad. Help your clients avoid getting suckered intobuying a lemon with your basic automotive expertise. Using adiagnostic kit can also help set the wheels turning on your ownused-car inspection business.

Used Car Dealer, 2521 Brown Blvd., Arlington, TX 76006-5203,(817) 640-3838.

Painting Service
It doesn't take a lot of know-how to build a colorful career inthe painting industry; just put on your painter's pants andbrush up your entrepreneurial skills.

Take Jeff Lamont and Bereket Selassie, for example. When the duostarted painting houses as a "little summertime business"to help pay for college in 1991, Lamont admits, "We knew howto hold a brush, and that was about all." They started withless than $1,000. With a used truck, two ladders, persistentdoor-to-door residential sales visits and conscientious work,however, the pair have built Lisle, Illinois-based DrumtightPainting & Staining Inc. into a high-profit business; lastsummer's sales approached $250,000.

"It's a good business to be in because, if you do a goodjob, it's easy to get referrals, regardless of how small yourbusiness is," explains Lamont, who today employs a summertimestaff of about 25.

Though painting service entrepreneurs needn't be limited tosummertime work, Lamont, 23, and Selassie, 24, have found thisseason works best for them, even now that they've graduatedfrom college. The pair hire college students, whom they'vefound to be "high-quality workers," to do the painting,while they focus on managing the business from their office inLamont's basement. During the off-season, the new businessowners keep busy drumming up ideas for other ventures. With onesuccess under their belts, nothing's stopping them frompainting the town red.

Painting and Decorating Contractors of America, 3913 Old LeeHwy., #33B, Fairfax, VA 22030, (703) 359-0826.

Home Decorating
Home in on attractive earnings as a decorator. Get started bymaking your own home showcase perfect, then establish relationshipswith local furniture stores, paint shops and carpet and draperyoutlets. With some word-of-mouth, clients will come calling forhelp with their domestic decor.

American Society of Interior Designers, 608 Massachusetts Ave.,N.E., Washington, DC 20002, (202) 546-3480.

Computer Training Service
There's no doubt about it: Just about everything'scomputerized these days. That's why entrepreneurs with a littletechnical savvy can tally big profits by giving the lesscomputer-minded a lesson in computerese.

Former corporate MIS manager Barbara Williams is doing just that.The 39-year-old provides clients in east Houston and thesurrounding area with training in DOS-based programs, ranging fromWindows and Lotus to WordPerfect. Business clients seeking toimprove their employees' computer skills aren't the onlyones who benefit from Williams' Candlelight Computer Services,however. Many of her clients are individuals seeking to bettertheir chances at landing a job, the entrepreneur explains. "Alot of people are frustrated, because even to get a job at atemporary placement firm, they're required to take a test on acomputer," Williams says.

Williams booted up her business from a homebased office with littlemore than a 286 computer in January 1994. Though it didn'trequire much of a capital investment-approximately $500 for atelephone line, business cards and advertising-her business didrequire a professional approach, she claims. "I made sure Ihad a separate business phone line and a beeper, and that I dressedprofessionally," she says. To land her first clients, Williamscontacted former business associates, advertised in local freenewspapers, networked and "worked at reduced rates just to getmy name out there."

Williams' professional persistence has paid off: Today, theentrepreneur runs her business from an office building with thehelp of a couple of interns and 10 computers, and boasts clientsranging from the local Fire Department to an international tankingcompany. Not bad for a business you can start with one computer-andperhaps a little candlelight.

Independent Computer Consultants Association, 11131 S. TowneSq., #F, St. Louis, MO 63123, (800) 774-4222.

Lawn-Care Service

Wanna work in the glorious outdoors? With little more than a lawnmower and some pushing power, you could be seeing green(literally), maintaining lawns for businesses and homeowners.Sprinkle in additional services such as garden pest control andexpert edging, and watch your business grow.

Professional Lawn Care Association of America, 1000 JohnsonFerry Rd. N.E., #C-135, Marietta, GA 30068, (770)977-5222.

Bulletin Board Service (BBS)
Though the Internet and its web of dependent commercial onlineservices seems to have slipped into the daily lives of computerusers 'round the globe, that doesn't mean there isn'troom for the "small guys" in the market, namelyindependent bulletin-board services (BBSs). With little more than adedicated phone line, a fast modem and a high-powered computer,system operators (a.k.a. sysops) cater to callers seeking a morespecialized, personal venue. Entrepreneur Mark Murphy likens hisBBS Macintosh-user group, The Desktop, to a local pub.

"It's a lot easier than getting on the Internet; youdon't get lost so easily," Murphy explains. Modem-equippedcallers simply dial the BBS directly to share opinions, askquestions, swap files or send messages, all within the comfortableconfines of a familiar locale.

For many sysops, running a BBS provides a direct line to profits byrequiring membership fees. Others, such as Murphy, see BBSs as avenue to indirect profits. "I don't make moneydirectly," explains the 31-year-old. "I do use the BBS,however, as a server for my other company." Thanks in part to"virtual" friends and contacts he's made via his10-year-old Westminster, California-based BBS, Murphy has been ableto turn the part-time software development firm he started shortlyafter launching the BBS into a full-time venture.

Murphy relies on the Macintosh version of Hermes, one of severalwidely available software programs, to manage his homebasedservice, and he's expanded The Desktop to include two dedicatedphone lines. The entire system takes up two square feet, says theformer computer hardware repair shop employee. "Running a BBSis like running a local store," he concludes."There's still a different flavor to it than you'llfind in the major chains."

Association of Online Professionals, 7578 B, Telegraph Rd.,#635, Alexandria, VA 22315, (703) 924-9692.

Dating Service
It may take two to tango, but it often takes three just to find theperfect dance-or life-partner. Matchmakers who have a knack forbringing two like minds together are thus in great demand by thelovelorn seeking amorous bliss. But beware: The competition forCupid's arrow is great, say industry insiders. "You needto like working with people, and be interested in psychology to besuccessful in this business," says Noel McLane, who foundedMatchmaker in the Market in a downtown Seattle office 10 years ago.A former real estate broker who spent years matching people withtheir dream homes, McLane today relies on the same "goodpeople skills" she honed in that industry to keep herpeople-matching business thriving.

From day one, McLane has provided clients with carefully developedquestionnaires, videos and lots of one-on-one attention, to ensureshe finds the best match possible. And she's been careful tonurture her higher-than-standard initial investment of $30,000(including video equipment, a computer and a rented office) as herbusiness has grown by reinvesting in items such as acustom-designed business management software program.

"The key is finding a niche, then doing a superb job,"advises McLane, who is apparently doing just that. Though shewon't disclose sales figures, the seasoned matchmakingentrepreneur says business is going "very well"; at leasthalf her educated, professional clientele is based on referralsfrom satisfied, not-so-single-anymore customers.

International Society of Introduction Services, P.O. Box 4876,West Hills, CA 91308, (818) 222-1367.

Home Health Care
As the old adage goes, "Health is wealth." Forentrepreneurs in the home health-care field, the adage isespecially significant, since providing service to house-boundpatients is where the business is.

Peter Amico, a 47-year-old entrepreneur, got his start in thebusiness in 1982 for less than $10,000 by contacting physicians hehad worked with in hospitals and placing an ad in the Yellow Pages.The registered respiratory therapist stored an inventory ofequipment in his Flushing, New York, garage and had his office inhis basement. Amico delivered oxygen equipment and provided setupassistance to patients himself until, after a year in business, hewas able to hire some part-time drivers and eventually move thebusiness out of his home.

While having a clinical background such as his isn't absolutelyessential, Amico says, "It does help to know medicalterminology and how equipment is used." As his company, PrimeCare Medical Supplies, has grown, Amico has come to rely on hishospital administration background, as well.

"Since you need to manage people, it helps to have amanagement background," advises the entrepreneur, whocurrently employs a staff of 35. With healthy annual revenues ofabout $5 million, this is one entrepreneur who's certainlyfeeling wealthy and wise.

National Association for Home Care, 519 C St., N.E., StantonPark, Washington, DC 20002-5809, (202) 547-7424.

In-Store Demos
"Try it, you'll like it," is the credo of thein-store demonstration entrepreneur. As independent agents, thesepromoters find the bulk of their business in grocery stores where,backed by manufacturers and/or store owners, they make tastyprofits offering sample foods to shoppers.

Field Marketing Services Association, 790 Farmington Ave., Bldg.3, Farmington, CT 06032, (800) 338-NADC.

Listings 11-20

Welcoming Service
Equipped with a smile and greetings from local businesses, welcomeservice entrepreneurs in neighborhoods across the country aresaying "Hello" to friendly profits. The key to openingdoors of opportunity-and earning commissions for promoting localenterprises-however, is having a neighborly and professionalapproach.

"You have to dispel people's image of the 'littleWelcome Wagon lady' by being as professional as possible,"explains Cheryl Fischer-Beaudreault, who operates New NeighborsServices & Welcome Center in Atlanta.

Having a fax machine, computer and laser printer helps businessowners do the job right, says Fischer-Beaudreault, by enabling themto produce high-quality business cards and other communicationpieces. The laser printer can also be used to print flierspromoting local businesses to new residents. "It'simportant to be out there giving quality presentations to newpeople," says the 46-year-old.

Good organization skills are essential, too. "As the owner ofa welcoming service, you're pulled in lots of directions,"explains Fischer-Beaudreault, who started pounding the pavement togreet new residents with coupons and other business promotions in1984. "You've got to be professional with businessclients, warm and fuzzy with residential customers, and a goodnegotiator when it comes to putting together youroffice."

In addition to the Atlanta center, Fischer-Beaudreault, who startedher business from home, has expanded her hospitable efforts toinclude a team of town greeters in 16 cities across the country.How's that for being a good neighbor?

Entrepreneur Magazine Group publishes Business Start-UpGuide #1350: Welcoming Services. To order, call (800)421-2300.

Utility Bill Auditing
For entrepreneurs in the utility bill auditing field, making moneyis a numbers game. That is, by checking utility and phone bills fornumerical and other errors, auditors reveal how clients can save ontheir bills. The result: happy customers. And a happy pocketbook,since you get paid for finding any discrepancies.

It takes more than knowing your arithmetic to succeed in thisindustry, though, claim industry insiders. In addition to keepingon top of the going rates and tariffs, it's important tounderstand how these factors relate to costs, explains commercialutility consultant Alan Foley. Combined with his strong backgroundin computers, plus a good understanding of bulk power systems,Foley writes utility-use management software and consumptionanalysis reports for clients ranging from small doctors'offices to large industrial plants. Using these skills, andinitially working from a shared office space with a single computerand printer, Foley founded Houston-based RateCheckers in1984.

"Most utility companies are typically too busy to helpclients," says the 42-year-old. "That's where we comein, and look at their usage patterns to help lower theircosts." In some cases, Foley even helps clients figure out whya purported "energy-saving" device they've purchasedand installed isn't working as they'd hoped. "Thereare a range of ways to help clients lower their costs,"explains Foley.

Just as utility companies' products tend to surge and ebb, sodo Foley's sales: "We've had good years and bad,"the entrepreneur admits. But if you do your addition right,you'll probably find the good outnumbers the bad in thisindustry.

Auditel International Inc., 233 Springfield Ave., Joliet, IL60435, (800) 551-9282.

Nanny Placement
Everyone knows good child care is hard to come by. Thanks to nannyplacement entrepreneurs' careful interviewing, screening andreference-checking skills, however, finding a modern-day MaryPoppins just got easier for parents. Often too busy to make theirown search, parents rely on these scrupulous entrepreneurs to findthe perfect solution for their child-care needs.

International Nanny Association, 125 S. Fourth St., #214,Norfolk, NE 68701, (800) 297-1477.

Closet Organizer
Though it might sound silly at first, it takes just a peek insidethe average American's cluttered closet to realize there'sa decided need for closet organizers-those service-orientedentrepreneurs with a knack for neatness.

"You'd be surprised at what people keep in theirclosets," says Mary Tresh, founder of Detroit-based Re/Vamp, acloset (and cabinet, basement and garage) cleaning and organizingbusiness. Give her a chance, and the 41-year-old neatnik will evengive your bathroom cabinet a good going over. In fact, that'show Tresh got started.

"I'm an obsessive-compulsive person," she explains."I've been known to open a friend's bathroom cabinetand say, 'Hmmm, this needs straightening,' or to cleanunder their sink when I get bored."

In fact, Tresh prefers straightening to actual cleaning. That'swhy she closed up her housecleaning business to focus on organizingin 1993. Business cards were her main expense; Tresh marketed herservices to her friends and former cleaning clients. The result:"Business took off like gangbusters," says Tresh, whocharges clients by the hour, with a four-hour minimum. Her clientsaren't the only ones to get such a clean break, though: Localcharities benefit, too, when Tresh brings them bags full ofdonated, secondhand items.

National Association of Professional Organizers, 1033 La PasadaDr., #220, Austin, TX 78752-3880, (512) 206-0151.

Adventure Tours
Contemporary urbanites' desires to get "back tonature" through adventure tours and excursions are no mystery,claims Canadian adventure-preneur Joe Kowalski. "I thinkit's genetic. People thrive on things that get their adrenalinegoing," explains the founder of Beachburg, Ontario-basedWilderness Tours. "With the exception of crime and traffic,however, modern living no longer satisfies that need."

By offering his clients a chance to experience the thrill ofwhite-water rafting in one of numerous adventure vacation packages,Kowalski appeals to that age-old human urge. "People feel morealive when they're outside with nature in a challengingenvironment," the 47-year-old explains. "Rafting providesthem a legitimate risk-not a great risk, but nonetheless arisk."

Building a successful adventure tours business can demand a bit ofrisk, too. "When I started, I had just $50, a desk, a sleepingbag and a phone," recalls Kowalski of the early days of hisbusiness. "Without any money, you're forced to become verycreative." Because he couldn't afford paid advertisingwhen he started his business in 1975, for example, Kowalski says he"got good at getting free publicity" by contacting themedia personally for press coverage. The former rafting"hobbyist" also got good at operating on ashoestring.

"Because in this industry you deal with advanced reservationsand payments, I was able to take my first payments to purchasesecondhand equipment, then lead the tours myself," Kowalskirecalls. And though today Wilderness Tours is one of NorthAmerica's 10 largest rafting companies with a staff of about200, Kowalski still stands by his original business philosophy:"You've got to be creative, or you just won't makeit."

The Adventure Travel Society Inc., 6551 S. Revere Pkwy., #160,Engelwood, CO 80111-6410, (303) 649-9016.

Personal Shopper
Imagine this: A business where you do nothing but spend otherpeople's money-and earn money while you're at it. Forshopaholics, being a personal shopper is, indeed, a dream cometrue. Moreover, the price is right: To get started, you don'tneed to dig too deeply into your pocketbook. Take Francine Finucan,for example. The spend-happy entrepreneur started her Troy,Michigan-based personal shopping business with little more thansome home office equipment and a penchant for talking shop.

"In the beginning, all I had was a filing cabinet, a wordprocessor, a phone and an answering machine," recalls Finucan,who started her business for about $500. She had spent severalyears working in various segments of the service industry beforefounding Executive Concierge Services Inc. six years ago. "Ithelps, too, to be a 'people person.'"

Catering to busy executives, Finucan started out by doingmiscellaneous errands, including everything from personal airportand dry cleaning pick-up/drop-off to pet feeding and gift buying."Services in general are in demand today because people are sobusy, especially with both husbands and wives working,"explains Finucan. "Hiring a personal shopper is cost-effectivebecause clients don't need to take time off work to do theirerrands."

Thanks to word-of-mouth, Finucan's business has expanded intoan office and doubled every year since its inception. Theentrepreneur has even put her point-of-purchase skills to workshopping for other executive services: "I'm like a travelagent," explains Finucan. "I help my clients doeverything from finding a caterer and sending flowers togift-wrapping a present." Though her shopping list keepsgetting longer, Finucan is clearly determined to keep shopping'til she drops.

Entrepreneur Magazine Group publishes Business Start-Up Guide#1310: Personal Shopping Service. To order, see page 93, or call(800) 421-2300.

Wedding Consultant
With wedding vows and a lifetime of togetherness ahead of them, thebride and groom have more important things to think about thanwhether the flowers will arrive on time. Here's where aprofessional wedding consultant saves the big day for pre-nuptialcouples. Exceptional organizational and people skills help youcoordinate everything from caterers to photographers, and let thosewedding bells ring.

Association of Certified Professional Wedding Consultants, 7791Prestwick Cr., San Jose, CA 95135, (408) 223-5686.

Collectibles
Collectibles entrepreneurs live and succeed by an old motto:"One person's junk, another person's treasure."Indeed, rummaging through other people's attics and closets,and scouring flea markets and thrift stores is many a collectiblesdealer's raison d'être. Larry Aikins' happens tobe lunch boxes.

That's right, those old metal and soft vinyl containers thatused to carry PB&J. To the 56-year-old former constructionworker and custom cabinet maker, however, they're much more."They're the history of television," Aikins explains."I'm possessed by them."

Aikins isn't the only one. Dealers and other collectors callhim daily offering top dollar for a particular "kit" (boxand thermos). Like most collectibles entrepreneurs, he spends muchof his time traveling to find new items for his collection of about3,000 boxes. Since he started his collection about 10 years ago, hehas also run ads in toy and antique magazines, attended fleamarkets, and generally "put the word out to dealers" toexpand his Athens, Texas-based business. Now, claims Aikins,"Dealers come to me."

No matter what item you decide to collect, the key is to have it inyour heart, says Aikins, who started his venture for $1,200."Getting into the business for the investment alone isn'tthe way to succeed." On the other hand, Aikins must admit thatcollecting some cash along the way isn't such a bad way togo.

Antique & Collectables, 1000 Pioneer Wy., P.O. Box 1565, ElCajon, CA 92022, (619) 593-2925.

Tutoring
The "Three Rs"-reading, 'riting and'rithmetic-don't come so easy for everyone. If they do foryou, however, you could earn high marks helping others as a tutor.In fact, whatever you're an expert at, be it computers, thepiano or speaking a foreign language, there's bound to besomeone who could benefit from your expertise. Teach them what youknow at your house or theirs.

How To Talk So Kids Can Learn, by Adele Faber & ElaineMazlish (Rawson Associates, $22.00, 800-223-2336). ImprovingYour Child's Schoolwork, by Lawrence J. Greene. (PrimaPublishing, $16.95, 800-632-8676).

Screen Printing
Make way for a special screening: With some basic screen-printingequipment, you can turn political statements and other logos intowearable works of art. Businesses, organizations, schools andprivate individuals make up your clientele. And advertising ischeap, since your work gets seen by people everywhere.

Screenprinting and Graphic Imaging Association International,10015 Main St., Fairfax, VA 22031, (703) 385-1335.

Private Investigator
Got a nose for mystery? Sniff up the trail of missing persons,unfaithful spouses, unidentified witnesses, competitive businessesand more with your private investigation firm.

Contrary to popular lore, a trench coat and magnifying glassaren't required to make your mark as a private eye. "Ittakes persistence, common sense, and the ability to think throughinformation until you find what you're looking for," saysJan Barefoot, owner of Charlotte, North Carolina-based BarefootPrivate Investigations.

Barefoot has paid her dues in the industry; before starting herbusiness from home 10 years ago, the former legal secretary spentsome time working for another investigation firm. "It helps tobe familiar with the legal process, since that's where most ofthe business is," explains the 32-year-old, whose firstclients included attorneys she knew from her days in thatindustry.

Good photography skills are a plus, too, says Barefoot, forcapturing surreptitious activities and more. Having started out onher own, with just $2,000 and no computer, the entrepreneurattributes her business' success to good client relations:"If a client likes you, they'll stay with you for futurecases," explains the seasoned sleuth, who today takes on some500 cases per year and employs four full-time investigators.

National Association of Investigative Specialists, P.O. Box33244, Austin, TX 78764, (512) 719-3595.

Listings 21-30

Videotaping Service
Put yourself where the lights and action are-behind the camera-withyour own videotaping service. With some persistence, you could soonbe saying "roll 'em" to a field full of staropportunities.

Take Greg Coon, for example. With no video camera of his own, Coonstarted out for about $10,000 by renting equipment and videotapingfor family and friends on a part-time basis. In between jobs, theentrepreneur recalls, "I was persistent, and constantly sentout letters with my resume to potential clients." Today,Coon's Dallas-based Eyecon Video Productions, which he startedfrom a home office in 1993, produces everything from televisioncommercials to sales and promotional videos for corporateclients.

Though Coon studied radio, television and film in college, the30-year-old cameraman says getting some real-life experience isinvaluable to getting your foot in the door of this industry."I spent six years working for nothing and interning just toget experience and to meet as many people as I could," Coonexplains. One of these jobs, helping record legal depositions, soonpaid off for the ambitious entrepreneur. "When I started myown business, I was able to draw from the knowledge I gained fromthis experience," he says. Joining various trade associations,too, has proved a valuable source of new clients.

To build his business, Coon explains, "I buy more equipment asjobs become available." Today, the entrepreneur employs afull-time video duplications editor and several freelancers out ofhis Dallas office. With annual sales of roughly $120,000, andprojected sales of $150,000 in 1996, Coon insists his business isstill rolling along.

International Teleproduction Society, 350 Fifth Ave., Suite2400, New York, NY 10118, (212) 629-3266.

Referral Service
It's been said one has to kiss a lot of frogs before finding aprince (or princess). The same can be said about finding a reliableservice. By creating a database of tried-and-true companies thatcan be recommended to clients, however, referral serviceentrepreneurs help wary consumers screen out the "frogs."Businesses pay to be listed with you, while consumers receivereferrals for a nominal fee, or none at all.

Alliance of Information and Referral Systems, P.O. Box 3546,Joliet, IL 60434, (815) 744-6922.

Vending Machine
What could be better than doing business to the tune of fallingcoins? Those coins could be yours, when you provide the machinesthat dispense drinks, snacks and other convenience items tobusinesses, schools and other organizations. When you purchase orlease the machines from a vendor, your only other investment is inmarketing and maintaining them. Viva, vending business!

National Automatic Merchandising Association, 20 N. Wacker Dr.,#3500, Chicago, IL 60606, (312) 346-0370.

Medical Billing
The reason medical billing services are so popular, says medicalbilling services entrepreneur Joanne Mitchell, is simple:"Just as you hire someone to clean your house when youdon't have time to do it yourself, doctors hire people to dotheir billing." It's apparently all part of theoutsourcing phenomenon, whereby businesses hire outside vendors todo extra tasks so they can focus on the business at hand.

Although the term "medical biller" sounds technical,entrepreneurs in the field needn't be especially skilled ineither medicine or banking. "You just need to bedetail-oriented," says Mitchell, who invested $2,000 instarting San Diego-based Pacific Medical from a corner of herbedroom almost six years ago. "You also need a healthyappreciation for the fact that you're dealing with otherpeople's money."

Mitchell, who started out with a computer and a modem, lands newaccounts by sending brochures and making personal visits to offerhelp with electronic claims and insurance billing."There's lots of software out there that enables you tooffer these services," says the 36-year-old, who's hadsuch luck with the business that she's even developed aself-study package to help aspiring entrepreneurs follow in herfootsteps. "It's a great homebased business." Within10 months of starting her full-time business, she reached herinitial goal of replacing her former corporate salary of $49,000.With such a healthy prognosis, Mitchell continues to grow herbusiness from home with the help of her husband and two full-timeassistants.

For more information about Pacific Medical's trainingpackages, call (800) 815-6334.

Child Care
Put your training in TLC to the test by taking care of a couple-ora roomful-of toddlers and tykes. Whether you set up shop in anoffice complex or provide care in your own home, you'll need astate license, plenty of babysitting experience and references, anda lot of patience.

Child Care Action Campaign, 330 Seventh Ave., 17th Floor, NewYork, NY 10001, (212) 239-0138.

Online Information Broker
Thanks to today's age of online services and electroniclibraries, information has never been closer to consumers'fingertips. Knowing how to retrieve specific pieces of information,however, is still a mystery to many. "Gaining access tovarious information systems, such as Dialog is easy," saysRobert Aaron, president of Atlanta-based Aaron/Smith AssociatesInc. "The hard part is knowing how to find what a clientwants, knowing 'where the bodies are buried.'"

A master's degree in library research, plus experience workingas a local newspaper researcher, helped Aaron get his business offthe ground in 1981. "Experience is important, since clientsdon't want you to experiment on their time," explainsAaron, who started out in a spare bedroom in his home. His $10,000start-up included an early-model personal computer and connectionsto commercial online services.

"When we started, our clients didn't even understand whata database was, nor did they realize they had a need forinformation or that the need could be met," recalls Aaron, 43."Now, they're glad to have someone help them through theinformation highway maze."

Thanks to consumers' growing awareness and requests for"information, please" from primarily corporate clientsacross the country, Aaron has expanded his business to include fiveemployees in a downtown office-which happens to be located not farfrom a large university. Says Aaron, "Yes, there are stillthings we need to do in a library!"

The Information Broker's Handbook, by Sue Rugge & AlfredGlossbrenner (Windcrest/McGraw Hill, $34.95,800-822-8158).

Windshield Repair
Want a clear view of success? It could be as simple as makingcracked windshields shiny and new. Equipped with one of a number ofcrack repair kits available on the market today, windshield repairentrepreneurs are getting a new perspective on business bytargeting used car lots, individual car owners and rental caragencies.

Because it costs a fraction of the cost of replacement, windshieldrepair is a popular choice among consumers and insurance companies,alike. "Our customers are thrilled to pay $45 to $100 for arepaired windshield, versus $250 to more than $1,000 for a newone," says Dee Bergé-Morse, who started Westminster,California-based Dee's Windshield Repair part-time in 1990 forabout $5,000.

"At first, I just answered the phones and set up appointmentsfrom my home office," recalls the 44-year-old, a former stafftrainer for a company that sells a windshield repair kit businessopportunity. "I hired technicians to do the work for the first18 months, until I began doing it myself."

Equipped with a truck and a ding, chip and crack windshield repairkit, Bergé-Morse advertised in local print media to garner herfirst clients. From there, windows of opportunity have literallyopened up for the entrepreneur. "The small, mobile company Istarted has really grown," Bergé-Morse attests. "Nowwe're in a four-car garage." Working out of a storefrontlocation, says the entrepreneur, has helped her achieve a moreprofessional image and perform higher-quality repairs.

Marketing is also an important element of a successful windshieldrepair business, says Bergé-Morse. "It helps to beheavily involved in your community, too," she says, "andto focus on providing quality, professional work."

National Glass Association, 8200 Greensboro Dr., #302, McLean,VA 22102, (703) 442-4890.

Handyman Service
If you're handy at repairing leaky pipes, stopped-up toilets,jammed drawers, broken windows and more, you could be making handyprofits offering your services to clients with less time or muscle.Advertise in local papers or on bulletin boards: If it'sbroken, you can fix it!

Home Improvement Research Institute, 400 Knightsbridge Pkwy.,Lincolnshire, IL 60069, (708) 634-4368.

Language Translation
If you've got an ear for the vernacular, language translationmight be for you. But beware: A few years of high school languagestudies won't do the trick. You've got to be thoroughlyfluent in at least one language-and adequate in another-to avoidgetting tongue-tied, say industry experts.

"The government and universities offer training, butyou've got to be completely fluent and know all the correctgrammar and structures," explains Brenda Arbeláez, anative of Columbia who taught adult education with Berlitz for fiveyears before founding PALS International in 1983. "What'smore, the vocabularies in different countries can be different, soyou need to make a big investment in dictionaries: $500 to $600 forspecialized technical dictionaries and $60 to $70 for regulardictionaries."

Dictionaries aside, translators and interpreters can break throughthe language barrier with minimal start-up costs. Arbeláez,for example, got started from her kitchen table for a little lessthan $5,000. The key to success, she notes, is teaming up with apartner who can proofread your work and/or translate documents fromthose languages in which you are not completely fluent.

Some of the more common documents that need translating includebirth certificates, marriage licenses, divorce documents andcitizenship papers, says Arbeláez, who started out byteaching, translating and interpreting English for Spanishspeakers. Today, her Troy, Michigan-based business has grown toinclude an office staffed by 60 part-time teachers of 12 languages.And though she recently got out of translating to focus on teachingcross-cultural programs nationwide, she says the field is stillopen for quality translators. "Because it can be quitecomplicated, translators need to specialize in justtranslation," says Arbeláez. That's not to sayit's a vanishing vocation, however: "With globalization,there's a big need for translating and interpretationservices," explains Arbeláez. "English is simply notgood enough any more."

American Translators Association, 1800 Diagonal Rd., #220,Alexandria, VA 22314, (703) 683-6100.

Restaurant Delivery
Gastronomically speaking, it's a scrumptious idea: Just look ata menu, pick up the phone, and presto! Your favorite restaurantvittles arrive on your doorstep. Indeed, thanks to restaurantdelivery entrepreneurs, instant dining gratification is finallypossible. "People like anything that makes their liveseasier," attests Bob Lapkin, who began catering toconsumers' cravings for convenience with his Gourmet ExpressInc. restaurant delivery service in 1992.

Busy executives are especially eager to order their meals onwheels. "We've seen phenomenal growth in the businessmarket," says Lapkin, who distributes a "magazine"chock-full of local restaurant menus to homes and businesses inMinneapolis. Restaurants who offer no delivery services of theirown are especially eager to sign on with Gourmet Express, sincedoing so helps expand their customer base. The restaurants pay amonthly fee to advertise in the delivery service's magazine, aswell as a percentage of each sale to Gourmet Express. Customers paya nominal delivery fee.

Though entree into the restaurant delivery business can be made ona shoestring, Lapkin poured $100,000 into his start-up. Herecommends beefing up your business with important equipment suchas two-way radios, computers and handheld credit cardprocessors.

"You can get into this business fast, but you need to be sureto stay in touch with your customers to succeed," says the42-year-old former corporate "marketing guy."

The right computer system, for example, can help entrepreneursstudy their client base, process orders and create effectivemarketing programs. At Gourmet Express, such a system has helpedcook up business to include between 200 and 400 new customers permonth, as well as put substantial food on the table forLapkin.

Entrepreneur Magazine Group publishes Business Start-UpGuide #1348: Restaurant Delivery Service. To order, call (800)421-2300.

Listings 31-40

Apartment Prepping
Get a new lease on life as an apartment preparation specialist.Busy landlords and leasing offices with recently vacated unitsbenefit from your basic painting, plumbing, caulking and scrubbingskills. Equip yourself with some fixer-upper tools, and you'reset to make a house (or apartment) into a home, and make some handyprofits while you're at it.

Building Service Contractors Association International, 10201Lee Hwy., #225, Fairfax, VA 22030-2222, (703) 359- 7090.

Family Historian
Keep history all in the family by chronicling people's lives,including important events such as birthdays and graduations, in afamily tree. Keep costs down by producing booklets yourself, usinga computer, scanner (for scanning photos), and laser printer. Onceyou've compiled all the information, start collecting theprofits from clients and their next of kin.

Writing Family Histories and Memoirs, by Kirk Polking (BetterwayBooks, $14.99, 513-531-2222). Becoming a ProfessionalGeneologist, by Nancy Carlberg (Carlberg Press, $25.00,714-772-2849).

Consignment
Just because you sell secondhand goods doesn't mean youcan't make firsthand profits, especially in an age wherethrowing things away is becoming taboo. "With everyone intorecycling today, what could be better than consignment?" notesDee Rubel, owner of Dee's Consignment Shop in Minneapolis."In today's economy, it's difficult for working womenand mothers to dress at a reasonable price. With consignment, theycan dress for one-third of the price of retail."

Success in the consignment industry requires some experience inretail, claims 61-year-old Rubel, whose background includes yearsof buying, managing and retail sales experience. "To succeed,you need a good sense of what the customer wants." Industryinsiders also recommend store owners use one of the manyconsignment-store management software packages available on themarket today.

To build her initial inventory, Rubel sent out mailers andcontacted friends. She has no inventory costs, because ownersgladly place their items for sale in Rubel's store with theunderstanding that they will get 50 percent of the sale price. Toget her store off the ground in 1993, Rubel's initialinvestment was primarily in renovation items, such as carpeting andfixtures, and a computer.

Today, Rubel continues to advertise regularly in local magazines,and to do direct mailings two times per year to keep up herinventory and draw new customers to her store. Her first-classapproach to doing business in the thrift industry has paid off:Sales of Rubel's "gently worn" women's clothingand accessories are increasing every year, she says.

Entrepreneur Magazine Group publishes Business Start-UpGuide #1229: Consignment Clothing Store. To order, call (800)421-2300.

Network Marketing
You could call it trickle-down economics: As a network marketer,you tell three friends, and they tell three friends, and so on. Infact, when you've got a product to sell through networkmarketing, the more people you know, the better. And with so manynetwork marketing programs to choose from today, getting into this"Net" has never been more appealing.

Multi-level Marketing International Association, 1101 Dove St.,#170, Newport Beach, CA 92660, (714) 622-0300.

Office Plant Maintenance
Plants do more than just add color to a workspace: According tostudies, they also help clean the air. But with phone calls toanswer and deadlines to meet, what office worker has time to have agreen thumb, too? Here's where office plant maintenancespecialists come in, cultivating profits by providing regular plantcare and allowing clients to focus on their business at hand.

American Association of Nurserymen Inc., 1250 I St. N.W., #500,Washington, DC 20005, (202) 789-2900.

Miniblind Cleaning
Make way for windows of opportunity with your own miniblindcleaning service. Business and residential clients alike requireperiodic miniblind cleaning to maintain their window coverings'original gloss. Start with some towels and cleaning spray, or for atruly dazzling effect, invest in an ultrasonic tank cleaningmachine.

Entrepreneur Magazine Group publishes Business Start-UpGuide #1343: Miniblind Cleaning. To order, call (800)421-2300.

Secret Shopper
Can you keep a secret? Unbeknownst to many, "mystery"shoppers are putting retailers across the country to the test.Hired by employers to pose as customers and evaluate theiremployees in areas including first impression, product knowledge,customer service and sales savvy, these entrepreneurs keep customerservice employees on their toes.

Being a secret shopper, however, isn't as easy as many peoplethink. "Everyone who's ever bought something from a storethinks they can do it, but that's not true," attestsJudith Rappold, a mystery shopper in Austin, Texas. "It helpsto have a background in areas such as retail sales, personnelmanagement, personnel training and writing." Such abackground, says Rappold, can help secret shoppers evaluateemployees, compose marketing letters and proposals, and keeprecords of employee performance.

In comparison, the "physical" things you need to getstarted as a mystery shopper are minimal. "This is a greatbusiness, because the investment is so low," says Rappold, whostarted Business Resources in 1984 from a home office. "Withstationery, business cards, and a computer, you essentially havewhat you need to open doors and start making a profit."

One way to start building your clientele is by initially performingfree analyses of local businesses' customer service. Fromthere, networking can go a long way in helping grow yourbusiness.

"I sent out lots of letters, made personal phone calls andspoke directly with store managers," recalls Rappold of herbusiness's early days. Indeed, the 53-year-old attributes muchof Business Resources' success to these early efforts."We're now the largest secret shopping service in theSouthwest," she says.

Apparently, there's still room in the market for the secretiveshopper, however. Rappold explains: "We've even startedteaching other people how to establish their own secret shoppingbusiness."

For more information about starting a secret shopping business,send an SASE to Business Resources, 2222 Western Trails, #107,Austin, TX 78745, or call (512) 416-7702.

Personalized Children's Books
You don't need a whole lot of book smarts to see theopportunity in personalizing publications for kids: Childrendelight in reading stories about themselves, and friends and familydelight in giving such a personalized gift. By producing theone-of-a-kind books with a home desktop publishing system,entrepreneurs open a new chapter in their lives-and promoteliteracy, too.

Entrepreneur Magazine Group publishes Business Start-UpGuide #1368: Personalized Children's Books. To order, call(800) 421-2300.

Carpet Cleaning
A low start-up investment isn't the only appeal behind runninga carpet cleaning business, maintains Connie Campbell, co-founderwith her husband, Steve, of Connie's Carpet & UpholsteryCleaning. "When we started our homebased business, we werelooking for something we could do independently," recallsConnie, 45. By purchasing a carpet and upholstery cleaningequipment package from the Von Schrader Company for less than$5,000 in 1989, the Altoona, Iowa-based entrepreneurs had justabout everything they needed to begin achieving that goal.

By keeping their business "in the family"-Connie does allthe bookkeeping and management, while Steve, 47, does most of theactual carpet and upholstery cleaning-the Campbells are able tomaintain a good reputation among their roster of 1,800 customersacross Polk County. Steve, a former railroad worker, makes therounds to customers' homes in a minivan that touts thebusiness's name on its side.

"We like to keep customer satisfaction high, so we grow onlyas big as we need to satisfy our financial needs," saysConnie.

Maintaining a computer database of customers helps the pair providegood customer relations. "With the computer, we keep incontact with our old clients," explains Connie. "We alsoget new clients by advertising in the Yellow Pages." The pairoccasionally enlist the help of their two grown children, as wellas independent contractors, to get their primarily residentialcleaning work done. "We focus on residential work because wedon't like to work nights," says Connie, a formerhomemaker and school bus driver. "We like being able to setour own hours."

A competitive tip from the Campbells: Offer upholstery cleaningservices in addition to carpet cleaning. "If you don't doboth, a customer may move on to someone who does," explainsConnie. "Typically, customers want both services done on thesame day."

Association of Specialists in Cleaning and Restoration, 10830Annapolis Junction Rd., #312, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701, (301)604-4411.

Import/Export
For importers and exporters, it really is a small world, after all.Improved global communication, an increasing demand for everydaynecessities, and a growing international pool of skilled technicalworkers make doing business 'round the globe all the easier. Asthe "middlemen" who arrange for the transport of goods,import/exporters needn't stockpile any inventory to achieveout-of-this-world success.

Small Business Administration, Office of International Trade,409 Third St., S.W., 8th Floor, Washington, DC 20416, (202)205-6720.

Listings 41-50

Home Inspection Service
Put yourself on the home front by offering residential buildinginspection services. With some knowledge of construction andcarpentry, plus a recommended license in home inspection,you're set to assess problems such as structural damage anddecay, insect infestation and foundational abnormalities. Realestate agents and prospective buyers alike rely on you to pave theway for safer, sounder homes.

National Association of Home Inspectors, 4248 Park Glen Rd.,Minneapolis, MN 55416, (800) 448-3942.

Countertop Repair
There's no under-the-counter activity involved, here. In fact,as a countertop repair specialist, the only thing you've got toworry about is what's above the counter. Fix chips, cracks andunsightly countertops with some basic cleaning and repairequipment, and give clients the working space they need.

National Association of the Remodeling Industry, 4301 N. FairfaxDr., #310, Arlington, VA 22203, (703) 276-7600.

Graphic Design
Today's easy-to-use computer software makes it possible forjust about anyone to play graphic designer: Just point, click anddrag a border here or insert a fancy font there. What most peoplearen't able to do, however, is turn their concepts or roughdesigns into finished, professional, camera-ready products.Here's where you, the experienced graphic designer, comein.

Take Cathy Carey, for example. The 35-year-old La Costa,California, graphic artist has applied her varied background in theindustry to build a steady clientele. "You need more than justan artistic temperament," says Carey, who worked in the artdepartment at an advertising company and at a local newspaperbefore founding her homebased business in 1991. "Having a goodhead for business and knowing how to market and place an ad, forexample, are important, too."

Carey invested $5,000 into her start-up, and she has been carefulto reinvest any profits into her business as it has grown. Shebegan with a single computer and laser printer she purchased with acredit card. Today, she advises other aspiring graphic designers toequip their businesses with a high-memory computer (in order to rungraphics software), a large-screen monitor, and a scanner. Withthis equipment and some industry know-how, you're set to pointand click your way to a picture-perfect business.

Graphic Communications Association, 100 Daingerfield Rd.,Alexandria, VA 22314, (703) 519-8160.

Specialty Advertising
Everyone loves to see their name in print; imagine the results whenyou spell it out on everyday items like pens, lighters and golfcaps. By sourcing such products from an outside manufacturer,running your own specialty advertising enterprise is as easy asmarketing and selling the promotional items to clients looking foran alternative way to advertise their name or their business.

Promotional Products Association, 3125 Skyway Cir., N., Irving,TX 75038-3526, (214) 252-0404.

Resume/Cover Letter Writing
Job applicants need every advantage they can get when it comes tofinding new employment. Equipped with your computer, laser printerand editing and design skills, you're in a position to breathenew life into clients' curricula vitae. Put the odds in yourfavor by maintaining a supply of quality stationery to help boostclients' prospects.

Professional Association of Resume Writers, 3637 Fourth St., N.,#330, St. Petersburg, FL 33704-1336, (813) 821-2274.

Event Planning
Donning a party hat and blowing a noisemaker is all fine and dandywhen it comes to partying, but unless you want to be known as aparty pooper, you've got to infuse a bit more creativity intoyour next bash, no matter its size.

Indeed, the art of event planning has taken on such a clever bentthat no idea for a party seems too outrageous today. Take Bethesda,Maryland, entrepreneur Rita Bloom, for example. The founder ofCreative Parties Ltd. has arranged everything from laser lightshowsto extravagantly painted ballroom floors for her clients'festive occasions.

Though putting on such creative parties doesn't come cheap forclients, organizing them isn't necessarily costly forenterprising event planners. "Because organizers typically usea client's money to buy event supplies, start-up costs arelow," says Bloom, who founded her business part-time from herhome, with no out-of-pocket investment, in 1968 after a friendasked her to help plan a "Sweet 16" party. Attending astationery trade show later that year hooked Bloom on the life of a"party girl." Thanks to word-of-mouth, Bloom'sbusiness has blossomed into a storefront location that sellsinvitations and includes an event-planning division that grosses $2million per year.

"The industry is exploding," enthuses Bloom. "Today,George Washington University offers a master's degree in eventmanagement." And though event planners can still get startedwith little more than stationery, business cards and some calls tohotels, florists and others in the industry, Bloom recommendsinvesting "as much as you can" into your business to keepit at the forefront of the social scene.

International Special Event Society, 9202 N. Meridian St., #200,Indianapolis, IN 46260, (317) 571-5601.

Office Support
For Gayle Fitch, business is just another day at the office. Atsomeone else's office, that is, providing administrative andclerical office support.

Though many office support entrepreneurs may start out actuallyproviding office help for clients, themselves, other businessowners simply serve as a sort of "middle man," findingother people to do the work for them. Such is the case with Fitch,who advises other aspiring entrepreneurs to have some kind of humanresources recruiting background before getting started in thislow-investment business.

"This is a customer-oriented business, so it's importantto place an emphasis on customer service," she notes.

Fitch started her Ossining, New York-based Crickett PersonnelServices in 1983, placing permanent employees in clients'offices. "I printed out a bunch of brochures, then personallyhanded them out at train stations and wherever there was heavytraffic," recalls Fitch. "I also made lots of phonecalls."

By depositing $500 in a business checking account, Fitch was ableto pay her initial overhead costs and, after six months of workingfrom a small, rented office, expand her business. "With thecommissions I earned for placing employees in clients' offices,I was eventually able to fund a temporary-employee payroll,"Fitch explains.

Today, Fitch's client base covers a 10-mile radius from herOssining office, which she no longer shares. With the help of anin-house staff of four and a roster full of temporary employees,Fitch's business has achieved million-dollar salesstatus.

National Association for Business Organizations, 10451 MillrunCr., #400, Owen Mills, MD 21117, (410) 581-1373.

Freight Broker
Say "Hello" to business in more ways than one in theburgeoning international market. As a freight broker, you negotiatearrangements between shippers and receivers and speed importedgoods through customs. It helps to have some savoir faire ofinternational land, sea, air and rail shipping rates, rules andregulations. A network of reliable transport carriers, too, putsyou on the path to smooth shipping.

American International Freight Association, 1200 19th St., #300,Washington, DC 20036, (202) 857-1134.

Mobile Auto Detailing
Rev up your entrepreneurial wheels, keeping clients' carslooking shiny and new. A vacuum, a few brushes, spray bottles andrags put you in the driver's seat with your own mobile autodetailing business. Individual car owners aren't the only onesto benefit from your services: Used car lots and rental agencies,too, need their cars cleaned, waxed and polished.

Entrepreneur Magazine Group publishes Business Start-UpGuide #1146: Automobile Detailing. To order, call (800)421-2300.

Start-Up Investment/Net Profit Table