1. Business Lecturer or Resource Speaker. If you have established an expertise in a business area, you can earn money by providing seminars and lectures to other business people. These seminars can run from a day to as long as a week, and focus on providing techniques and methods that will help attendees increase their profits in their business. Topics often include advertising, e-commerce development, computer applications, time management, email marketing, etc.

The lecture circuit offers vast potential for earning money, and you can charge from as low as $40 per person to a high of $7,500 per participant or more. Assuming for example that you are charging $500 for a 4-day seminar on Making money on the Internet that you may give once a month, you can earn $60,000 a year if you have 10 participants on average. For this business, you can earn anywhere from $25,000 to $500,000 depending on the number of seminars that you conduct each year. Your start-up costs can range from $500 to $5,000, depending on how close you are to the source of names of people who can benefit from your lecture. You can send direct mail to companies whom you think will need the information that you present. You will also need to spend on high quality brochures in order to impress potential clients.

Resources:
How to Make it Big in the Seminar Business by Paul Karaski
How to Develop and Promote Successful Seminars and Workshops: The Definitive Guide to Creating and Marketing Seminars, Workshops, Classes, and Conferences by Howard L. Shenson

2. Computer consulting. A computer consultant's job is to help companies and organizations realize the profit potential in computers, by helping solve information-management problems. Computer consulting usually serves two functions: to select the appropriate computer system, including which peripherals, systems, networks, servers and software to buy (normally a one-time project); or to integrate the computer into day-to-day management (could be a recurring assignment). Some of the key types of work a consultant does are as follows: business requirement analysis, preliminary system design, hardware acquisition and installation, documentation, system maintenance, periodic evaluation and audits, among others.

You need to have a strong computer background, particularly in your field of specialization (i.e. database management). To get you started in this business, you can buy classified ad space in business and technical publications. Writing papers at technical conferences or articles in a business journal are also effective in bringing your name in front of potential customer. Start-up costs for this business may range from $1,500 (consulting for existing clients) to a high of $10,000 (includes an office and advertising). While this is a competitive market, earning potential of this business can be substantial. Computer consulting rates range from $50 to $150 per hour, with $75 as the most typical hourly rate. Large firms pay higher rates. Annual revenues for this business may be between $50,000 to $250,000 per year, depending on your specialization (industries you serve; hardware and software you specialize), client size, length of project, among others.

Resources:
Getting Started in Computer Consulting by Peter Meyer
Janet Ruhl's Answers for Computer Contractors : How to Get the Highest Rates and the Fairest Deals from Consulting Firms, Agencies, and Clients by Janet Ruhl

3. Business broker. A business broker is one who matches buyers and sellers of small and medium-size businesses, ranging from used car dealerships to bakeries and beauty parlors. As a business broker, your objective is to save buyers and business owners money by helping them to avoid costly mistakes, market the appeal of the seller's business, and maximize exposure to serious, qualified buyers--all with complete confidentiality. According to the Department of Commerce, one out of four U.S. businesses changes hands in every five years. Business transfers in 1999 generated $300 billion in revenues, including those not sold through business brokers. It is estimated that 25 to 50 percent of company sales are handled by brokers.

To be a business broker, you need to understand business laws, have strong financial and accounting background, and possess good negotiation skills. You can charge 10 to 12 percent commissions, or a minimum fee of $4,000 to $10,000 for smaller transactions. You can start will small-town transactions then move on to merger and acquisition deals: the bigger the deal, the higher your commissions.

Resources: 
International Business Brokers Association ( http://www.ibba.org ) 
Business Brokers Network ( http://www.bbn-net.com ) 
Institute of Business Appraisers ( http://www.instbusapp.org )

4. Recycling consultant. Recycling consulting involves helping public and private agencies, communities and non-governmental organizations set-up and implement or improve their recycling programs. Talking trash is big business: revenues for the remanufacturing industry are estimated to be at $53 billion. This industry will continue to experience expansion, given the rising concern for recycling and the shrinking available land fills. Recycling is still the most viable method to solve the problem of what to do with waste materials.

You do not need any special equipment to start this business. However, you need to have a thorough interest in and knowledge of recycling to excel in this business. Like any other consulting business, your knowledge will be your main selling point. You can parlay your specialized knowledge in devising and recycling programs for areas such as food waste, building materials, wood waste, and medical waste into a profitable career. Initial investments could include office equipment, industry publications, and cost of conference participation. Hourly fees can range between $40 and $150,000, and annual revenues of $50,000 are possible.

Resources: 
National Center for Remanufacturing and Resource Recovery http://www.reman.rit.edu  
Sustainable Business http://www.sustainablebusiness.com  
 

5. Personal organizer. If you are good at arranging and organizing things, this can be a business for you. As a personal organizer, your job is to organize the junk and clutter in your clients’ homes - from the kitchen, closet, garage, file cabinets to the attic ­ and teaching them how to keep their things tidy. Some even specialize in organizing messy and cluttered closets, and then grow to provide closet installations and sell closet accessories from hangers to shoe boxes. Others assist with many areas of organization including business, paper management, clutter control, chronic disorganization, behavior modification, space planning, filing, photographs, packing/moving, records management, home offices, corporate offices, etc

This is a business that can be started part time on a shoestring budget. However, it needs to be remembered that this service can be a one-shot deal: if you organize their clutter very well, your clients will not need you back and you therefore have to be on a constant lookout for new clients. Your greatest expense will come from advertising and spreading the word about your business. Small advertisements in the local classified ads paper often work well for this kind of business, although some are able to get new clients by presenting slide shows or distributing brochures in social and civic clubs.

For this business, you can expect to earn annual revenues of $40,000 to $60,000 depending on the size of your market (greater income potential for metropolitan areas) and the kinds of clients you are getting. You can charge your clients $40 to $50 an hour depending on the size of the task and going rates in your area. You can also charge a flat fee or per-diem fee for some routine tasks.

Resources: 
National Association of Professional Organizers http://www.napo.net )

6. Personal assistant. A personal assistant’s job involves performing routine errands for clients, such as picking up dry cleaning, buying the dinosaur cake for the little tyke, and so on. With the rise of two-income families, working people nowadays seldom have the time to do life’s little chores. If you do not mind performing these little tasks and enjoy doing something different each day, this is a business with excellent growth potential.

Creativity and flexibility are the key qualities to establish a successful personal assistant business. You need to have strong affinity with people and a lot of imagination to make ordinary mundane things seem so special, even magically obtain tickets to a sold-out concert that your client craves. Think of yourself as a personal concierge. The most important component of this business is finding your target audience, which often consists of busy executives and working people. To reach this market, you can place ads in your local newspapers, write an article about this service, and send press releases to generate publicity for your business. You can also choose to personally visit a lot of businesses and drop off your brochure.

Start-up costs can range from $500 to $2,500, depending on the equipment you already have. You will need a computer, fax machine, Internet access, pagers and cell phones. Another possible start-up expense includes the cost of bonding and insurance to protect you in the event of accident, theft or mishap. You can expect to earn gross revenues of $50,000 to $75,000 and up, depending on the services you provide and the clients you target. You can charge clients with a variety of membership fees based on the nature of service and number of requests per month. You can charge for family or individual membership, a corporate membership for companies to give their employees, and a one-time service fee. Remember though, that whatever you purchase for your clients are billed to them.

Resources: 
National Concierge Association

7. House trash and debris hauling service. There is money in trash ­ if you do not mind putting in physical labor and dealing with dirt. For this business, you can have two major markets: folks who need help cleaning and hauling trash out of their homes, and those who are moving out of their homes or apartments. Many people would rather not spend their weekends cleaning their garages, attics or garden shed ­ and disposing all those trash.

You could also remove trash and debris from apartments and homes after people move out. Many people leave furniture, clothing, books, appliances like television, and other personal items. Aside from the removal fee, a significant portion of your income will come from selling or recycling these treasures among the trash. You can sell reusable items at flea markets, backyard sales, or used furniture store.

Start-up costs for this business is minimal, assuming you have some sort of transportation although a pick-up truck at the minimum is required. You can start with as small as $500 to pay for ads in local newspapers and bulletin boards in stores, mailings to real estate agents, and classified ads over the Internet. Your earning potential for this business can range from $25,000 to $100,000+ per year, depending on apartment rental and home sales activity in your area. You can expect to earn more in urban areas, compared to sparsely populated rural areas.

Resources: 
Building Owners and Association International http://www.boma.org  
Cleaning Up for a Living: Everything You Need to Know to Become a Successful Building Contractor, by Don A. Aslett

8. Personal coach. Personal coaching has come into vogue in the last five years, and it continues to be enormously popular. The job of a personal coach involves offering one-on-one assistance, advice, encouragement, and other forms of support to individuals. Your work is to help your clients gain confidence and competence in personal areas such as social skills, time and productivity management, even public speaking. You basically provide a self-help course: you help clients achieve things that they otherwise might not be able to do without your guidance, motivation and planning.

There are no certification or guidelines to pass to become a personal coach. However, you need to possess empathy, excellent listening skills, and the ability to inspire others. Start-up costs can be minimal, depending on the kind of equipment you already have (computer, fax, Internet access are a must) and the marketing strategy that you will employ. Your fee structure will depend on how your organize your program. You can charge a basic fee for your first session, where you gather all the information you can about the client and talk about his or her needs. The price of subsequent consultations can vary based on the length of the program. First-year personal coaches can expect to earn between $40,000 to $60,000.

Resources: 
Coach University http://www.coachu.com  
Coach for Life http://www.coachforlife.com  
Take Yourself to the Top: The Secrets of America’s #1 Career Coach by Laura Berman Fortgang, Warner Books

9. Pet sitter. Believe it or not, pet sitting is big business. In the United States alone, pet sitting grew by 753 percent from 1993 to 1998, and is now estimated to be a $20 to $35 million industry. A 1998 survey showed that 7.5 million U.S. homes used pet sitters. People love their pets; and as a pet sitter, your job is to spend days and evenings caring for pets in the owners’ homes while they are away.

To launch your own pet sitting business, you need about $500 to $3,000 initial capital to start. The bulk of your expense will go to the cost of obtaining a bond against theft and liability insurance, given that you have access to your clients’ homes and you need to protect yourself against any theft or other problems that may arise. You can charge anywhere from $8 to $24 an hour, depending on the number of pets and additional service required. This is a business that provides equal potential for both urban and rural areas: the metropolitan area is home to a lot of people with pets, while folks who live in the country also needs people to take care of their farm animals.

Resources: 
Pet Sitters International http://www.petsit.com 

10. Antique and rare auto finding business. If you love cars, this is a perfect business for you. Your job will be to locate antique or rare automobiles for museums, collectors and restorers. You will be paid a fee by either by the buyer or seller (sometimes both), usually about 5 to 10 percent of the price paid for the car. Your fee can run from $250 for a routine find, but it can go up to as high as $5,000 for a rare gem of a car. Start-up costs for this business can be minimal, and involves finding a list of buyers and sellers. You can run classified ads in upscale automotive magazines offering your service.

Resources:
2001 Standard Guide to Cars and Prices : Prices for Collector Vehicles 1901-1993 (Standard Guide to Cars and Prices and Prices, 2001) by Ron Kowalke (Editor), Ken Buttolph (Editor)