The Price Is Right So you're not filthy rich. You might be after you start one of these 10 hot businesses-and it won't cost megabucks to do it.

So you want to start your own business, but you don't havemegabucks? News flash: You don't need megabucks. All thebusinesses we spotlight here can be started for $10,000 or less-inmost cases, a lot less. We're talking $5,000, $3,000,even $1,000-amounts you should be able to scrape up from your bankaccount, borrow from Mom and Dad, or put on plastic.

Now, before you get nit-picky about numbers, a few ground rules:Costs cited under "Gear Guidelines" are estimates basedon interviews with experts and entrepreneurs, and may vary. For areality check, we asked actual entrepreneurs what they spentto start. In many cases, it was substantially less than ourexperts' estimates. If you've already got some of theessential start-up stuff, your launch costs will be lower, too.

Pamela Rohland (prohla@aol.com) is a freelance writerwhose work appears regularly in national and regionalpublications.

1. Specialty Travel

After years working as a finance manager for a largeagricultural company, 33-year-old Allan Wright was itching for ajob that would combine his love of the outdoors, athletics andinternational travel. After doing research and taking a bike tour,he decided in April 1997 to launch Zephyr Inline Skate Tours, aspecialty travel company that leads skaters on guided vacationsthrough New York City, the San Francisco wine country, thePennsylvania Amish heartland, the rail trails of southern Minnesotaand the Netherlands.

Wright, who works from his home in Minneapolis, believes hiscompany is the only one in the United States to offer in-lineskating tours, but he certainly isn't alone in catering to thespecialized tastes of today's travelers. Tourism is thenation's third-largest retail sales industry, and specialtytravel is one of its fastest-growing segments, according to SteenHansen, publisher of Specialty Travel Index, a biannualadventure and specialty travel magazine. Last year, more than 25million people-many of them baby boomers with unprecedenteddiscretionary income-traveled on tours, an increase of 22 percentsince 1993.

"If it's done right, any interest can become aspecialty travel business," Hansen says.

Little professional training is required; Wright says one of hisprimary forms of research was "dating a bicycle tourguide." He also prepared by taking a trip to the Netherlandsto do research. Today, Wright generates most of his clients fromhis Web site (http://www.skatetour.com).

With 231 customers and $254,000 in anticipated sales for 1999,Wright is rolling his way toward success. But he knows that with anestimated 30 million in-line skaters in the United States, hisjourney has really just begun.

Specialty Travel Tools

GEAR GUIDELINES: You'll need a standard PC, printer andbasic software (Windows 98, Netscape, Microsoft Office), a phoneand a business phone line. Marketing expenses and setting up yourbusiness's Web site will cost about $2,000. Total cost: $5,500to $6,000

WHAT HE SPENT: Allan Wright spent $3,000 for a computer,a printer and software to process credit card orders. He createdhis own Web site for about $200 and got a business phone line ($30a month).

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Adventure Travel Society (http://www.adventuretravel.com,303-649-9016)

2. Computer Consultant

Michael LeBlanc, a 34-year-old computer consultant from Norwalk,Connecticut, never dreamed when he started his homebased businessin 1993 that one day it would hit sales of $1.4 million. But thedemand for computer consultants continues to increase as morebusinesses install computers or upgrade their current systems, andhealthy sales exist for those with some technical savvy and anentrepreneurial drive.

As the demand for consultants intensifies, so does thecompetition, so independent computer consultants need to find aniche before they go out on their own. LeBlanc's business,LeBlanc Communications Group Inc., provides something none of itscompetitors can: In addition to installing, supporting andmaintaining computers, the eight-person firm also installs phonesystems and develops custom computer-telephony applications."Computers are telephone-intensive," he says, "so itmakes sense to provide both."

LeBlanc doesn't have extensive experience in the field;he's a self-taught computer whiz who worked at a softwarecompany by day and helped a few of his own clients after hours.When he was ready to fly solo, he set up shop in his living room. Ayear later, he moved into traditional office space.

According to the Independent Computer Consultants Association,80 percent of computer consulting businesses operate from home.That doesn't mean stingy profits, however. Twenty-nine percentof independent computer consultants gross between $100,000 and$150,000 a year, while 16 percent report sales of $150,000 to$500,000 annually.

But money isn't the only reason LeBlanc enjoys his field:"I like the business because I help solve problems and makepeople happy."

Computer Consultant Tools

GEAR GUIDELINES: Get a "no-name" computer (64MB RAM,350 MHz) and a 17-inch monitor ($1,250 total). Add a fax machine orcombination fax/scanner/printer, plus basic software (Office 97Standard, Windows 98, Quicken Deluxe). Association memberships andsubscriptions to professional publications will set you back about$1,100. Increase credibility via training certifications ($3,600 to$9,000 for three courses). Typical office expenses (business phoneline, stationery, business cards) and advertising in the YellowPages round out the list. Total cost: $7,150 to $13,000

WHAT HE SPENT: Michael LeBlanc bought a Gateway computer,a monitor and software for $3,000, and spent $500 on a desktopcopier and a fax machine. A desk, chair and two-line business phonecompleted his equipment needs ($1,000). Creating a logo, letterheadand business cards cost $750.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Independent Computer ConsultantsAssociation (http://www.icca.org,800-774-4222)

3. Personal Chef

For many of America's 50 million working men and women,dinner often means hastily gulping a prepackaged frozen meal from aplastic tray. If only someone could prepare tasty, nutritious,home-cooked meals like Mom used to. Ifonly . . .

Well, professional personal chefs might not prepare the foodwith as much TLC as Mom-but they come pretty darn close. And theydon't remind you to sit up straight while you'reeating.

For about $300, entrepreneurs like Nadine and Tom Manning-the31- and 34-year-old co-owners of Truly Unique Personal Chef Servicein Medford, New Jersey-shop for groceries, come to clients'homes and (using their own equipment) prepare nine or 10restaurant-quality meals of their clients' choice. All clientsneed to do is take the food out of the freezer, heat and enjoy.

The 10-year-old industry may be considered new, but it'sgrowing fast, says David MacKay, founder of the United StatesPersonal Chef Association and owner of Personally Yours PersonalChef Service in Albuquerque, New Mexico. By next year, MacKayestimates there will be about 4,000 personal chefs nationwide.

While having worked professionally as a chef isn't required,you do need excellent cooking skills, lots of energy and a desireto please. The Mannings, who started in 1992 and now earn sales of$90,000 a year, say although their schedule is hectic, there'snothing else they'd rather be doing.

"We have enough recipes to make clients a different mealevery night of the year," Nadine says. "They're soappreciative because they're bored with frozendinners."

Personal Chef Tools

GEAR GUIDELINES: You'll need standard kitchen equipment(like pots, pans and spatulas). A batch of 550 recipes is availablefrom the United States Personal Chef Association as part of its$1,700 training package. Budget $2,000 for marketing efforts, anddon't forget a business phone line. A PC and printer are nice,but not essential. Total cost: $4,000

WHAT THEY SPENT: $2,000 for marketing, stationery and aphone line

FOR MORE INFORMATION: United States Personal ChefAssociation (http://www.uspca.com, 800-995-2135)

4. Concierge Services

"Can you imagine, every day, feeling like everything you dois to help somebody? It's rewarding," says entrepreneurAndrea Arena. In more ways than one: The corporate conciergeservice she founded in 1991 rang up sales of nearly $3 million lastyear. Today, Atlanta-based 2 Places At 1 Time Inc. boasts 119employees in 66 locations in the United States and Canada.

2 Places' early days were simple enough, says Arena, 32, whoworked as a hotel concierge in college. "I didn't have anyequipment," she recalls. The good news was, she didn'tneed any. She rented computer time and printed advertising fliersat Kinko's, then fliered church parking lots on Sundays anduptown corporate parking lots during the week.

Arena labored solo, running errands for entrepreneurs from herhome, until the big score in 1992: She landed a contract withArthur Andersen Consulting, which provided her with an on-siteoffice.

Today, all 2 Places' corporate clients, including Motorolaand 3Com, provide on-site offices for the company's concierges,who provide services ranging from errand-running and buying clothesto dealing with home-repair people. The company no longer relies onfliers-or any other type of advertising. "Typically, companiescall us," Arena says. "[Corporations are] finallyrecognizing the importance of a work-life balance."

The hottest markets for concierge services right now areindividuals and corporations, followed by office buildings, saysHolly Stiel, author of the self-published Ultimate Service: TheComplete Handbook of the World of the Concierge ($40,800-78-HOLLY). Stiel, founder of Mill Valley, California, conciergeservices firm Holly Speaks, says the concierge industry appeals toso many entrepreneurs because start-up costs are low and thecombination of services you can offer is entirely up to you. Shesays the essential qualities for success in this business include awillingness to serve, creativity and the ability to multitask. SaysStiel, "[You can't be] easily riled when clients demandeverything be done at once."

Concierge Service Tools

GEAR GUIDELINES: Standard office equipment, including a computer(with database software to track client projects and vendors), aprinter, a fax machine and basic office supplies will get youstarted. Total cost: $2,500

WHAT SHE SPENT: Andrea Arena's initial $5,000investment went for attention-grabbing marketing packages designedto entice local newspapers to write about her. Although she used amanual tracking system for clients at the start, she recommendsstart-ups buy off-the-shelf accounting and project managementsoftware.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: National Concierge Association(http://www.conciergeassoc.org,312-782-6710)

5. Public Relations

When it comes to public relations, finding a niche that'slow on competition may be the quickest route to success. Just askErica Swerdlow, 34, and her husband, Brian, 35, co-founders of EBSPublic Relations in Chicago. Erica's quest to become aneducator after college took a detour when she took an entry-levelposition at a public relations agency while waiting to land ateaching job. "I loved it, and there was no turningback," she says.

Eventually, Erica established a high-tech division of theagency, a developing niche no other agency in the area had filled."[High-tech PR] was [just starting to become] a boomingmarket," she says.

In 1993, Erica left her six-figure salary and company car behindto start a high-tech public relations agency from home. Soon after,Brian left his position as a stock trader and came on board fulltime. First-year sales of $250,000 were all the proof the coupleneeded to know they were on the right track. "We wereprofitable the first month," says Erica. EBS moved into itsfirst commercial space in 1995.

Finding an area of specialization is crucial to a PRcompany's success, says Alan Caruba, founder of The CarubaOrganization, a PR firm in New York City. His business toutsentertainment, high-tech, investor relations and pharmaceuticals asthe hottest growth areas. "However, the mere fact that [PR] isa growth industry suggests there's enormous competition,"he warns.

"Specializing in high-tech has made our success," saysErica, whose firm grossed $2 million last year. "We hear overand over, 'We like you guys because you understand what wedo.' "

Public Relations Tools

GEAR GUIDELINES: A high-powered PC with MS Office isrecommended, as well as software that lists media contacts, such asBacon's Media Software (Bacon's, 800-621-0561). Invest in acopier (about $900) and a solid postage processor for bulk mailing.Add a fax machine, two or three phone lines, business cards andletterhead. Total cost: $5,000

WHAT THEY SPENT: Total start-up funds of $10,000 boughtthree 486 desktop "clones" and hired a networkingconsultant to streamline information exchange in the office. Ericaand Brian Swerdlow also bought contact management software andacquired access to Lexis-Nexis, an online news and businessinformation service. They leased a copy machine.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Public Relations Society of America(http://www.prsa.org,212-995-2230)

6. Web Site Consultant

When Patrick McQuown, 28, and Timothy Shey, 24, got their startas Web site designers three years ago, they met potential clientsin their not-always-tidy dorm rooms at George Washington Universityin Washington, DC, sometimes with their hair uncombed and a bit ofstray shaving cream still resting on their cheek.

But today, that kid stuff is behind them. The co-owners ofProteus Inc. now have 12 employees, respectable office digs indowntown DC, and a client list that includes Newsweek,TheWashington Post and Sony. They have grown-upsales, too, expected to hit $1.5 million this year.

Proteus is part of an explosion of Web site design companiesand, like many, also provides related services such as buildingintranet and extranet systems and creating online banner ads.Industry experts say the boom will continue because a Web site isnow almost mandatory for companies of all sizes.

Andrew Kraft, executive director of the Association of InternetProfessionals, says it's hard today for self-taught beginnersto gain a foothold in the industry. "In 1994, anyone couldpick up a book on HTML, read some journals and be OK," hesays. "Now, design is too complicated for nontechnical peopleto pick up on their own." Still, those with some technicalexperience could launch a homebased Web design firm for under$5,000, experts say.

"Beginning entrepreneurs should get a technical education,then get business experience," says Barbara C. Coll, founderof webmama inc. in Menlo Park, California. "A Web site has toreflect an entire business, and you won't be an effectivedesigner if you can't understand how business works."

Web Site Consultants

GEAR GUIDELINES: Start with a computer with at least 8GBhard-drive space, a 17-inch monitor and a minimum 350 MHz processorwith a graphics accelerator ($1,500 to $2,000). Add a scanner andlaser printer, a 56 Kbps modem, graphics software, a Web managementtool and file transfer software such as CuteFTP (available asshareware). You'll also need a variety of browsers (these arefree), a reliable ISP (about $30 per month), a dedicated phone linefor Net connections, a digital camera and space for your own Website. Toss in a handbook on HTML, XML and Javascripting. Totalcost: $3,500 to $4,500

WHAT THEY SPENT: Patrick McQuown and Timothy Shey alreadyhad a Mac and used their dorm room phone. They spent $200 on aSprint Spectrum wireless phone.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Association of InternetProfessionals (http://www.association.org,800-JOIN-AIP)

7. Event Planner

Silicon Valley entrepreneur S. Sidney Young wants to make onething perfectly clear: She's not a party planner. "My goalis to make the work force at a company more of a team,"explains the 28-year-old event planner, who specializes incorporate parties. "[My job is] to help employers communicatethat [sense of connection]."

After earning a degree in public relations and working in the PRindustry for five years, Young realized her experience hadpositioned her well to go it on her own. She found her targetmarket when she noticed a trend in the high-tech Mecca: runawayemployee attrition. "The turnover rate [in Silicon Valley] isphenomenal," says Young. "It'sthe-grass-is-always-greener syndrome. One of my key messages toemployers is, 'We can make the grass greenhere.' "

Earlier this year, Young launched her business, dedicated todetail, from her Burlingame, California, home. Off and running withsix clients on the books, she looks at every client as havingrepeat potential: "My goal is to become completely integratedinto [my clients'] internal communications programs," shesays.

Creative enthusiasm like Young's is key to successful eventplanning, says industry expert Brenda Rezak, president of AffairsTo Remember in New York City. "Event planning is extremelycompetitive, so you have to make yourself stand out," saysRezak, who suggests active involvement in community affairs (suchas board directorships) to create a "gets-the-job-done"reputation. The fastest-growing niche on the event planninghorizon, says Rezak, is fund-raising events for nonprofitorganizations.

Leaving a high PR salary behind to become an entrepreneur meansit isn't about the money. Says Young, "It's aboutfreedom."

Event Planner Tools

GEAR GUIDELINES: You'll need a computer with e-mailcapabilities, a fax machine and dedicated phone lines. Contactmanagement software, such as FileMaker, and accounting software,such as Quicken, are essential; if you plan to produce your owngraphics for marketing materials, you'll need software forthat, too. Marketing and networking are likely to be your biggestexpenses (think meeting dues and meal costs), so budget $500 permonth. Total cost: $10,000

WHAT SHE SPENT: S. Sidney Young already had a PC withword processing and spreadsheet software. Start-up costs of lessthan $2,000 paid for an initial insurance premium, phone lines,sales tools (business cards, letterhead, direct-mail literature)and a consultation with an accountant.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: International Special EventsSociety (http://www.ises.com,317-571-5601)

8. Cart & Kiosk Business

A high school hobby collecting pro wrestling videos turned intoa $1 million business for Rob Feinstein, owner of fivePhiladelphia-area mall kiosks that sell pro wrestling videotapes,T-shirts, posters, books and key chains.

The 27-year-old entrepreneur promotes his business, The ProWrestling Shop, by inviting World Wrestling Federation celebritieslike The Rock, Cactus Jack and Bam Bam Bigelow to sign autographsfor customers-mostly guys who range in age from prepubescent tomiddle-aged. He also has a newsletter and a Web site (http://www.rfvideo.com) wherewrestling fans can get information on upcoming events and buymerchandise. Business is so good, Feinstein is planning to openkiosks around the country.

Like many young entrepreneurs, Feinstein had a great idea butnot enough cash to open a retail store, so he opted for aless-expensive kiosk. Nancy Tanker, managing editor of SpecialtyRetail Report, a quarterly trade publication, says kioskbusinesses are relatively easy to launch and don't require agreat deal of merchandise. Entrepreneurs can highlight a few piecesof merchandise and easily change the look of their kiosk. Thehottest kiosks today offer interaction, such as demonstrations orcelebrity appearances.

But research retailing before you set up shop. "Because ofthe low start-up costs," Tanker says, "a lot of peoplearen't prepared to navigate the choppy waters of retailing.[Before choosing a site,] go to [malls] and ask store managersabout the sales histories of kiosks at that location."

Cart & Kiosk Tools

GEAR GUIDELINES: Buying your own cart costs about $3,000;renting one from a mall costs less upfront. You'll also need acash register, about $1,000 for initial advertising and about$4,000 in inventory to get started. Total cost: $7,100

WHAT HE SPENT: Rob Feinstein's start-up inventory andfirst month's rent at a mall cost $5,000.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Read Specialty RetailReport. For a one-year subscription (4 issues, $49.95), call800-936-6297 or e-mail SRREPORT@aol.com

9. Translation Services

"It's a big world: Get out there and translate."That could be the motto of business partners Elizabeth Elting, 33,and Phil Shawe, 29. The pair, who met while studying for theirMBAs, has worked together to grow a 1992 dorm-room start-up into a$15 million business.

With 90 full-time staffers, 11 offices in the United States andfour sites overseas, their New York City-based company,TransPerfect Translation Inc., is one of the power players in a hotnew field fueled by the growth of international business. Thecompany, with the help of 3,000 freelance linguists, translates awide variety of technical, educational, business and marketingmaterials for Fortune 500 companies such as Upjohn, Dun &Bradstreet, American Express, J.C. Penney and AT&T. Not bad fora pair of post-grad students who financed their first full year inbusiness with just $5,000 in credit card advances and, for nearlyan entire year, ate four-for-a-dollar Ramen Fried Noodles for everymeal.

You don't need to go on a crash diet for your translationbusiness to survive, but, like Elting and Shawe, you still can getinto the field with relatively little start-up capital, accordingto Walter Bacak, executive director of the American TranslatorsAssociation. Of the 3,000 translation companies in the UnitedStates, most are small operations started with a few thousanddollars, often launched as part-time businesses.

It's essential, of course, to have good foreign languageskills; Elting studied modern languages and spent her childhood andearly adulthood living and working in Portugal, Spain andVenezuela. Beyond that, successful translators need to develop aniche: You could combine language skills with an engineeringbackground, for example, to translate technical manuals. One of thebest parts about owning a translation business, Bacak says, is thatalthough your work is international in scope, you can do thetranslations right from your home computer.

Translation Service Tools

GEAR GUIDELINES: Start with a basic computer, plus modem andprinter ($1,500 to $2,000). Add basic office software ($450) andonline dictionaries. You'll also need a fax machine and abusiness phone line, plus business cards and stationery. Totalcost: $2,600 to $3,100

WHAT THEY SPENT: Elizabeth Elting and Phil Shawe leased acomputer, a printer and a fax machine for approximately $100 permonth and used their home phone line for their business (about $50per month).

FOR MORE INFORMATION: American Translators Association(http://www.atanet.org,703-683-6100)

10. Mobile Massage

When Carolyn Hayde, 31, and Joanne Atkinson, 35, roll theirmobile massage chairs through the streets of Boston, they'remet with curious stares. When they roll into an office buildingfilled with stressed-out executives, the co-founders of Backbeatare greeted with sighs of relief. "We have regular customerswho get insane if they don't get their massage," saysAtkins, whose company charges $15 for a 15-minute rub.

A growing number of people are recognizing the benefits ofmassage therapy. Consumers visit massage therapists 75 milliontimes each year and spend nearly $4 billion annually on what hasbecome America's third most popular form of alternativetherapy, according to the American Massage Therapy Association.Entrepreneurs are recognizing that if consumers are too busy tovisit the masseuse, the masseuse can come to them.

Before getting started as a mobile massage therapist, check thelicensing requirements of your state and local municipality, asregulations vary.

Hayde and Atkinson, who met in massage school, started Backbeatalmost two years ago with a single massage chair. Today, thepartners have six chairs, four employees and projected 1999 salesof $150,000.

Businesses are beginning to view on-site massage as a way toprevent stress. "[After] we worked on the employees of onecompany," reports Atkinson, "the next day was the mostproductive in the company's history."

Mobile Massage Tools

GEAR GUIDELINES: A massage table or chair ($400 to $700),linens, portable CD player and CDs, stationery, business cards anda phone line. Total cost: $1,000 to $2,000

WHAT THEY SPENT: Carolyn Hayde and Joanne Atkinson spentless than $5,000 for a portable chair, first month's rent,office supplies and fliers.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: American Massage TherapyAssociation (http://www.amtamassage.org);Massage: A Career at your Fingertips by Martin Ashley(Enterprise Publishing, $22, 847-864-0123)

Contact Sources

2 Places At 1 Time Inc., (404) 815-9980, fax: (404)815-9277

Affairs To Remember, (212) 986-3966, nyevents@aol.com

Backbeat, (617) 424-1313, fax: (617) 424-1970

The Caruba Organization, (973) 763-6392, acaruba@aol.com

dedicated to detail, (650) 568-1360, d2devents@usa.net

EBS Public Relations,erica@ebspr.com, http://www.ebspr.com

Holly Speaks,http://www.hollyspeaks.com

LeBlanc Communications Group Inc., (800) 899-8642,http://www.leblanc.com

Proteus Inc., (202) 452-6800, http://proteus.com

The Pro Wrestling Shop, (215) 891-9404

Specialty Travel Index, (800) 442-4922,http://www.specialtytravel.com

TransPerfect Translation Inc.,lelting@transperfect.com,http://www.transperfect.com

Truly Unique Personal Chef Service, 54 Watsons Wy.,Medford, NJ 08055, (609) 810-9631

webmama inc.,bcoll@webmama.com