Small Business Opportunities

FOOD DELIVERY SERVICES
CHILDREN’S PARTY PLANNER
ELDER CARE
WINDOW WASHING
REUNION PLANNER
BOOKKEEPER
COMPUTER/INTERNET TUTOR
E-COMMERCE SPECIALIST
LANDSCAPING/GARDEN CONSULTANT
ERRAND SERVICE
PERSONALIZE PRODUCTS
CHILDREN’S TAXI SERVICE
HANDYMAN AGENT
PERSONAL CHEF
REPAIR/RESTORATION SERVICES

1. FOOD DELIVERY SERVICES
You will be establishing contact and contracts will restaurants in your area and then develop a client base to which you will market their meals. The restaurant will package the meals for you and you deliver them to your clients.

You’ll negotiate with restaurants to get a break on the price of the meals, paying the restaurant 60% to 85% of the regular menu price for the meal. You then charge your customers the full-price of the meal and add on another $3 to $5 as a delivery service charge.
Tips might be another way to add revenue to this venture. To start, you’ll need to develop relationships with several restaurants and then print up a flyer, brochure with their menu offerings. You might suggest that they kick in for this expense as it is an advertisement for their eatery.

Since you won’t be preparing food yourself, you won’t need to acquire health permits and food handler’s licenses. You will need a van or truck that can carry foods at the right temperature. Investigate the portable refrigeration units and portable heating units available from restaurant supply companies.

Food delivery services seem to do well in upscale neighborhoods. This is the client base most likely to pay for restaurant quality meals delivered to their door. Don’t forget office parks, too. Contact local bed and breakfast businesses and see if you can market your services to their guests who are interested in having lunch or dinner at the B & B.

As you grow and expand your business, you might need to hire delivery people to help you. You’ll act as the agent booking the deliveries. There are franchises that offer this service. One is Takeout Taxi of Herndon, Virginia. You can contact them for more information, but you needn’t be a franchisee to successfully establish this business in the right community.

Rob Spina of Legacy Marketing has prepared a report paper on How To Start And Operate A Meal Delivery Service. Write to him at 403 Hobart Drive, Laurel Springs, NJ 08021.
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2. CHILDREN’S PARTY PLANNER
Birthday parties for kids are becoming extravaganzas. Sure, the kids might be happy with just cake and gifts, but many parents are engaged in an all out war on outdoing Johnny’s little friends. You can start a party planning service for children, and don’t just limit yourself to birthday parties. A long list of specialized parties is already cropping up as entertainment for children. Tea parties, in particular, for girls and Thomas The Tank Engine Day parties for boys. There is no birthday involved with these parties, just a fun get-together for children. Of course, you’ll have to be excellent with children, responsible and organized.

Parents--especially single parents--just don’t have the time to devote to their kid’s parties, and to make up for the guilt they often experience by being so out of touch, they tend to want to go overboard on birthdays. You’ll be the happy beneficiary along with the kids!

You don’t have to create all of the party themes,either. You can be the organizer of a day at the playground, the park, the bowling alley or even at a local fast-food establishment where they do host parties for kids.

You’ll do everything from conceptualize the party, distribute the invitations, provide the party fare and handle the clean-up. For the more upscale parents, consider hiring caterers who will take on the eating aspects of the parties you’ll plan.

To charge, come up with a "per child fee" for each party and don’t forget to add on all of the little particulars like party hats, party favors, invitations, etc. To get the business up and running consider photographing or videotaping a party you’ve planned for children. Use this as a portfolio to help get the gigs. Develop a few themes for boys and a few for girls and make a list of wholesale suppliers who can sell you the goods.

Word of mouth will likely help you develop a steady client base. Keep current as to what kids like so that you’ll parties will be appreciated and enjoyed by the parents and the kids.

If you’d like to purchase a turnkey operation to establish a children’s party business without the startup research and other hassles, consider launching your own Little Princess Tea Parties enterprise. Joy and Dawn Yates started their dress-up party service to cater to the enormous demand of parents who longed for a resource to host tea parties for their daughters.

The sisters-in-law run the parties in the customer’s homes. They get calls for birthday tea parties as well as straight-out tea parties for the little darlings.

Every detail is taken care of--from sending out the party invitations to providing two hours of entertainment, the birthday cake, party favors and memories.

In addition to birthday parties, Little Princess Tea Parties also host special event teas, mother/daughter tea parties, six-week manners and etiquette classes and Girl Scout manners classes.

If you are interested in becoming a Little Princess Tea Parties franchisee or would like more information on the franchisee program, contact the company headquarters: Little Princess Franchise Development Corporation, P.O. Box 411, Gainesville, Virginia 20156. Visit their website at: www.princesstea.com or call 800-48890-TEA.
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3. ELDER CARE
Seniors are the fastest growing age segment in the country. People in the United States now live to an average age of 76.1 years. Americans age 80 or older are the fastest-growing group of people in the U.S., increasing at a rate of more than 16,000 persons each month. The increasing number of seniors who want to remain independent has turned the nonmedical home-care business into an $8 billion industry.

Entrepreneurs are finding they are striking gold in the senior market, but they are also delivering solid help to individuals who need kind, patient, non-medical care. The services of a non-medical elder care entrepreneur include: light housekeeping, errands, shopping, meal preparation, companionship.

Founded in 1994 in Omaha, Nebraska, Home Instead Senior Care is now the leading provider of non-medical services to the elderly. According to the company, "Our Caregivers go into the homes of elderly, trained and equipped to provide more than 70 different non-medical services.

Home Instead is just six years old, but has already posted system wide annual revenues of $44 million. They can be reached by calling 402-391-2555 or by visiting their website at: www.homeinstead.com. The company SpecialCare of Erdenheim, Pennsylvania, also offers a home care program for seniors. Their phone number is 888-777-7630 and their web address is: www.home-care.com.

The National Association for Home Care at 228 Seventh Street, SE, Washington, DC 20003 is another resource for those considering starting a business involved in elder care. Their web address is: www.nahc.org and their phone number is 202-547-7424.

You can start your own elder care business and consider adding on the additional services of taxi driver and elder errand-running concierge. Your elderly clients will enjoy the new independence they can experience with your help.
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4. WINDOW WASHING
Washing windows is a high-profit small business opportunity. In fact, there are window washers who--working on their own--make as much as $100,000 a year for just a few months work. You can do this if you have a persistent streak, love the outdoors and don’t mind doing a rather boring job. Because your customers hate this task, you will turn a tidy profit.

You can charge by the hour or by the window. If a customer calls you to clean their apartment windows and they only have three, you could charge them $5 per window. But if you charged by the hour and cut a rate of $45-$50 an hour, you would be making $45 for having cleaned 3 windows. See what your market will bear.

Signing customers up for regular cleanings is a very good idea, too. You can develop a contractual agreement. Visit office parks and industrial parks to take on a variety of commercial clients. Don’t forget doctors’ offices and other small business owners as well.

One entrepreneur who turned this job into a real window of opportunity is Philip Bregstone. He started washing windows at the age of 16 to supplement his working musician’s income, but he never imagined he would turn it into a thriving enterprise helping folks to launch their own window-washing gold mines.

"This business has a very low start-up and it provides a tangible service to a variety of customers, and allows people to control their own schedule year-round, plus take a healthy break each winter. It gives them the chance to spend time pursuing their dreams," says Philip Bregstone, also known as Dr. Glass.

The Dr. Glass empire started when Bregstone borrowed a neighbor’s ladder, made a trip to the local hardware store for a squeegee and a bottle of ammonia, and started knocking on doors offering his window-washing services.

He grew the business via referrals and advertising flyers and when he had more jobs than he could handle on his own, he hired others to help him. Once his helpers reached a reasonable level of proficiency, he gave them regular work in exchange for a hearty percentage of their gross earnings. New workers include a church minister, concern pianist, architect and an interior designer.

Bregstone says the key to his success is outstanding service. "I realized early on it was all about service, and that ‘real service’ -- the kind that stands out, is about interactions and relationships. With my customers, I share about who I am and they open up to me."

He examined the business opportunity and decided to offer his Business In A Box. "It’s everything I’ve figured out over the past 20 years. It’s a little like a franchise. I’m helping people start a business, and I’m profiting from it, but it’s not out of most people’s reach. Some guys are trying to get you to spend $40,000 on a something that could fail. I’m suggesting that you spend just a few thousand you can’t possibly lose. It has made me feel good to know that I’m making a difference in people’s lives."

Dr. Glass’ Business In A Box is available in a couple of different programs ranging from about $2000 to approximately $3000. Both packages include a training manual, a book on running the business, a video on window washing techniques, and software. Ongoing communication and support is available.

For more information on the packages from Dr. Glass to start your own window washing business, contact the company: Dr. Glass, at 888-282-3535 or visit the website at: www.doctor-glass.com. The email address is: philbreg@aol.com. The company is based in Lafayette, Colorado.

The Window Butler is a franchised window cleaning operation. With this franchise, there is no physical work; entrepreneurs manage the workers. To learn more about the Window Butler visit their website at www.windowbutler.com or call 800-808-6470. The franchisor is a successful service industry franchise establishment. They also own The Home Team inspection service franchise and House Doctors Handyman Service (see # 13 for more information on handyman agencies.
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5. REUNION PLANNER
It’s a new century and we are moving into the future at a rapid pace. It’s created a desire for many to slow down, get nostalgic and review the past. With all of the emphasis on the Internet, there is a real need for people to get together in person.

One way Americans are choosing to do this is via a reunion. A high school or college reunion, a club reunion, a get together of employees from one particular company, a meeting of individuals with a common bond such as owning a certain type of automobile, for example. All of these groups and many more, are hosting reunions.

You can establish a business planning the event. You’ll organize and produce these special occasions for families, schools, and other social/club group members.

If you know how to host a great party and if you are extremely organized and enjoy detective work, you might want to consider starting your own reunion service.

There are more than 200,000 such reunions planned each year and the number scheduled is likely to blossom. A pro who can handle the task is a great asset to clubs and groups who would rather not have the responsibility and hard-working hassle of putting such an event together. Here are some of the things you’d have to do to plan and schedule a reunion: locate long-lost members of the club, tribe, group, class; find the perfect place and location to host the event; negotiate and book the venue; hire a caterer and a band; create special videos, gifts, raffles, etc. for the big event; design and distribute the invitations; keep track of details and guests; organize signing in, greetings, and arrivals at the reunion; be on hand to make sure everything runs smoothly.

Visit your bookstore or search the Internet for information on planning reunions. You might also want to contact the National Association of Reunion Managers in Tampa, Florida. Their website address is: www.reunions.com and their phone number is: 800-654-2776. There is also a magazine on reunions called Reunions published out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Call the magazine at 414-263-4567 to see how you can purchase a copy.

You will most likely pick up more clients via word of the mouth if your events go well. The classmate attending the college reunion might happen to be a member of the Volkswagen Beetle Club of the Northeast. When he/she is looking to host a special event of members, they will think of you.

For family reunions, consider offering a family tree digital video. You’ll digitally transform family photographs, home movies and other priceless memories into a video, CD or DVD.

The Family Tree Digital Video has a turnkey operation that can put you in the family tree business for an investment of $56,500. You’ll receive a broadcast quality digital video system, customized infomercial, custom written and composed songs for a variety of special events, brochures, cards and marketing support and technical support.

For more information, visit the company’s website at: www.familytreevideo.com or call 800-8-FAMILY.
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6. BOOKKEEPER
It might sound a little dull, but if you have a knack with accounting and bookkeeping software and you own a laptop commuter, you can set yourself up with a six-figure generating enterprise as a freelance bookkeeper for small business owners in your community.

Keeping financial records for others is a great business to start at this point in time because of the growing number of part-time and full-time businesses that are being launched. As this steady stream of entrepreneurs gets going, they will want to farm out as many jobs as possible and hiring a professional bookkeeper is one of the very first that they will outsource.

You will, of course, have to be proficient in bookkeeping and accounting systems and be familiar with a wide variety of software programs to successfully run this type of business. If spreadsheets and budgets make you swoon, this could be the perfect business for you to start right now.

There are a lot of good sources in the way of books, software and websites to help you develop excellent resources for your new business. If you find software for a particular industry, such as construction, you might want to specialize in the building trades. By specializing in one type of industry, you will become adept in the ins and outs of that particular type of business and you can use the same software programs for just about all of your clients. Look around your community. If you see a need, attempt to fill it.

A good source for software for this type of business is E-Z Legal Software of Deerfield Beach, Florida. Visit their website at www.ezlegal.com or call the company headquarters at 800-822-4566 or 954-480-8933. Request a catalog and you’ll see there is something for just about every type of business. For the construction trade, you file E-Z offers Payroll For Contractors and Accounting For Contractors. The catalog is actually fun to examine. Go for it!
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7. COMPUTER/INTERNET TUTOR
You can launch a small business as an instructor or tutor in computer sciences and in explaining and demystifying the Internet for a wide variety of clients ranging from small business owners to housewives, teenagers, kids and adults who want to become computer literate and online savvy.

Of course, you’ll need to be proficient with your computer and with the Internet. It’s estimated that there are about 100 to 250 million people now online and there are plenty more who want to be or who want to master the World Wide Web. Everyone in business knows the Internet is the fastest--and fastest growing--way to sell and buy just about anything, but folks don’t know how to really utilize this wonderful tool to their competitive advantage.

You should have a good degree people skills and patience to start and run this business in addition to being proficient with the technology. Your clients might be nervous, intimidated and even scared by the technology and need some tender care in getting through the first few sessions.

You can offer one-on-one training in your home or theirs and you might also consider hosting classes of several small business owners or students or parents, etc. to maximize your earning potential. If you charge by the hour or by the session, you will multiply your revenue by hosting a class.

According to CPC President Prashubh Batham, "We’re serious about wanting people to have good information on which to base their computing decisions. First we created our webs sales and consulting store, YouPrice.com, because we saw that people wanted to go to the internet to make their computing purchases but first needed assistance in selecting the right mix of technology to fit their needs and budget."

For more information on this site, visit it or call the company at 888-786-3487.

You might also try contacting the Association of Computer Support Specialists at 218 Huntington Road, Bridgeport, Connecticut 06608 for information on being a computer specialist. Their phone number is 203-332-1524 or visit their website at: www.acss.org.

In addition to studying up on hardware, software and the Internet, you should also read up on consulting in general. There are plenty of books available that will offer insight as to how you can advertise, structure your fees and keep clients returning for more of the valuable information you have to impart.

8. E-COMMERCE SPECIALIST
What is e-commerce? Are online transactions secure? How do you track customers’ buying patterns? Marketers, salespeople and small business owners all want the answers to these questions and much more about keeping current with the Internet. They want to join this new gold rush but don’t know how or where to start. It is estimated that the industry of buying and selling online will generate revenues of $3.2 trillion by the year 2004. That is a statistic that no small business owner should ignore.

You can establish a service as an online e-commerce specialist which will include everything from developing websites, designing e-commerce strategies, marketing a site, and giving your clients a worldwide presence via the Internet.

Again, as with the computer/Internet tutor business, you should be proficient with e-commerce. If you are currently engaged in e-commerce activities for your company, you might want to start a business as an e-commerce specialist and develop clients and projects on your own.

The e-Commerce Construction Kit is a software product that can help you create an online business. It’s user-friendly and will help you manage create shopping carts, manage financial transactions and much more. Visit the company’s website at: www.macmillansoftware.com to learn more.

Interland, Inc. has a package that can help you establish an online presence. You’ll receive: help with registering the domain names, turnkey e-Commerce solutions engineered by Hewlett Packard, free home page design, unlimited e-mail addresses and more. Visit the website at: www.interland.com or call 800-249-7650.

Here are some resources you can contact to see what they provide that can help you launch and run this business:

Association of Internet Professionals
9200 Sunset Blvd., Ste. 710
Los Angeles, CA 90069
800-564-6247
www.association.org

Association of Online Professionals
6096 Franconia Rd., Ste. D
Alexandria, VA 22310
703-924-5800
www.aop.org

International Webmasters Association
556 S. Fair Oaks Ave. #101-200
Pasadena, CA 91105
626-449-3709
www.irwa.org

Internet Society
12020 Sunrise Valley Dr., Ste. 210
Reston, VA 20191-3429
703-648-9888
www.isoc.org

The World Association of Webmaster
9580 Oak Ave. Pkwy., Ste. 7-177
Folsom, CA 95630
916-929-6557
www.naw.org

The American Management Association’s publishing division, AMACOM Books, has just published The e-Commerce Question and Answer Book: A Survival Guide For Business Managers by Anita Rosen that we recommend. It’s a bargain at $19.95 and chockfull of questions and answers such as: How should you define your e-Commerce goals? Do you need to complete your site before you begin publishing it? What is a shopping cart and do you need one? What is online account reconciliation? How will your distributors respond to e-commerce? How does HTML work? How do you design forms? All of these questions and many more are answered in Rosen’s new book.
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9. LANDSCAPING/GARDEN CONSULTANT
This category is all encompassing when it comes to our love affairs with our backyards, patios, decks, pools, gardens, borders and so on. It takes in: water gardens, perennials, herb gardens, window box gardens, walkways, decorative garden sculptures, topiary, pruning, lawn growing, lawn cutting, and just about anything else you can think of when it comes to the great outdoors.

You can start a landscaping service for residential and/or commercial customers. Taking care of lawns and gardens so they are picture perfect is very time consuming and there are plenty of upscale homeowners who will pay you to do this work for them. In many cases, they have neither the time nor do they have the expertise.

You’ll have to determine whether or not you want to offer all landscaping services or just specialize in one particular aspect. We know of a "rock specialist" who nets $50,000 a year working six months. He and his partner purchase, deliver and set up decorative rocks in the garden. The rocks are huge.

We also know of another specialist who makes $100,000 a year. She is a perennial garden expert who specializes in perennial gardens and borders around swimming pools. She drafts a plan for the client. They approve it or modify it and then she plants the border. She purchases the plants on a wholesale basis from a nursery and charges the client more than 150% of the price she paid for the plants. She also charges a per hour labor charge.

You can specialize in water gardens, too. There are so many home owners that would love to add a fish pond to their backyard. There are fish, such as koi, that are easy to care for and quite hardy. They hibernate in cold climates. You can develop a small business providing water gardens and backyard ponds for your clients or you can add water gardens to a menu or list of services that you offer.

According to Country Business magazine editor, Susan Wagner, "Consumers are looking for ways to add that personal, unique touch to their gardens, the same way they do to their homes. Additionally, with reflection and spirituality in so many people’s minds this year, gardens are fast becoming a place of recluse and escape. The new products on the market today all echo these ideas."

Here’s a sampling of what will be growing in the garden for the year 2000. Use the list as a guide to help you decide what landscaping aspects you will offer or incorporate into your small business:

Decorative garden gates (even without an adjoining fence) will emphasize the sacred space of the garden and shelter the owner from the hectic pace of everyday life.
Wall-mounted pots and planters will do "double duty" as garden-related decor moves indoors.
Sundials, which accurately tell time based on the position of the sun, will be popular as consumers strive to get away from the artificial time of watches and alarm clocks.
Garden stakes in every motif imaginable will be an inexpensive way to add style and character to the garden.
Fountains, large and small, will continue to grow in popularity as consumers seek serenity in the calming sounds of running water.
Candle lanterns, with their affordable prices and simple set-up, will be an ideal way to bring soft, romantic light into the garden.
Garden art sprinklers will be in great demand this spring as consumers look for whimsical ways to water their gardens.
Decorative statues that combine garden themes with spirituality will put the finishing touch on the gardens of tomorrow.
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10. ERRAND SERVICE
We’ve all experienced the problem of not being able to be in two, four, or eight places at one time. Thanks to errand services, consumers don’t have to be. And the lack of time in today’s society has created a great niche for entrepreneurs who want to specialize in providing the in-demand service of ultimate convenience: errand running. Many entrepreneurs who start this type of business prefer to call it a "personal services" enterprise. The choice is up to you. Don’t let the Internet dissuade you from starting this business. You could also use the Internet to expand and extend your offerings.

These businesses are popping up and starting to dig in for the long haul. It’s likely that as time-obsessed but deprived Americans get spoiled by the notion of someone doing chores for them, more errand services will grow and prosper.

Errand services perform any task--providing it is legal--for their clients. These task lists can range from picking up the dry cleaning, taking the car for an oil change and tire rotation, cleaning out refrigerators, packing for a trip, putting together office parties and standing in line to buy tickets for a special event or concert. To run this type of business, you’ll need to be patient, organized and know how and where to find just about anything one could need. You’ll need to be resourceful.

Some errand services target special customers such as working mothers, the retirement community, building contractors, real estate offices, etc. Distributing fliers and placing advertisements in local newspapers are two ways to generate clients. Word-of-mouth should help build the business, too. An ad in the local Yellow Pages could be a client generator, too.

Errand services fees run from $15 to $100 an hour depending on where the business is located. What the market will bear during the busy holiday December shopping period in New York will generate more revenue than would an errand service in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It’s always important to establish fees that are fair.

Errand services also incur out-of-pocket expenses, too, such as gasoline for the car, postage, and any supplies required for a particular job. Depending on how you structure your hourly fee, you might consider charging clients for out-of-pocket expenditures as well.

Another type of errand service you might consider starting is a personal shopping service.
If you are involved in fashion, accessories and don’t mind shopping, you might streamline your personal services business to focus on personal shopping. Again, you’ll establish an hourly wage. We know of one personal shopper in San Francisco who charges $100 an hour and does quite well.

If you have several clients, who need the same type of services performed, you can likely group your tasks together to maximize your time. If you minimum billing period is one hour, your clients will have to pay you for the hourly wage whether you take on one or ten tasks for them.

Delivery services such as "you shop, we drop" are also popping up all over the country. Check out local stores in your area that don’t offer delivery and see if you can develop a contract with these stores to handle deliveries for their customers. Charge a per delivery fee or charge by the distance or by the hour.

Rob Spina is the author of a booklet on How To Start And Run An Errand Service. Contact him at Legacy Marketing, 403 Hobart Drive, Laurel Springs, NJ 08021. You can also reach Rob Spina via email at: swn77a@prodigy.com.

Get Paid To Shop is a book by Emily S. Lumpkin (Forte Publishing, $29.95) that contains plenty of information on how to start and run a shopping service. It’s geared toward shopping for corporate America but contains lots of information for any type of shopping service. to order a copy, visit Forte’s website at: www.fortepublishing.com or call the company’s Columbia, South Carolina headquarters: 803-256-3645.
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11. PERSONALIZE PRODUCTS
The Internet is creating a society that for many lacks a real, one-on-one, personalized, touchy-feely presence. For this reason, personalized businesses are predicted to boom in the 21st century. As we move faster and faster toward keyboard communication, human beings seem to relish a personalized keepsake be it a book for their children, or a keyring emblazoned with the name of their company or small business venture on it.

You can start anyone of a wide variety of businesses that cater to the personal touch in products. We present a round-up of some personalized product businesses you can start and run from your home:

Creative Amusement Services, Inc. (CASI) of Yonkers, New York, offers many products that you can personalize for your customers ranging from coats of arms, astrology and personalized cartoons to first names and last names on mugs, keychains and decorative, frameable designs. To contact CASI call 800-842-5580 or 914-376-7580 or visit their website at: www.creativenames.com.

Best Personalized Books offers a program you can run from home or at a mall location or crafts fair, etc. You will place the names of children, the children’s friends and family into specially written children’s books based on stories involving heroes from Marvel Comics, Star Wars, Looney Tunes, The NFL, Sesame Street and much more. The books make great gifts.

No previous computer experience is required. The company will train you via step-by-step manuals and they do offer ongoing customer and technical support. The company has grown to a $10 million operation and is available in the U.S., Brazil, Argentina, Austria, Canada, Mexico, France, Spain and more.

To investigate opportunities with Best Personalized Books, call 800-275-7770 or 972-250-1000 or send a fax to 972-930-1010.

Create-A-Book, Inc. offers a business opportunity that enables entrepreneurs to print personalized books with their home computers. For more information on the Create-A-Book program, call 800-732-3009.

Cherubs-N-Chocolates from Hanic Publishing is a personalized candy business in which entrepreneurs use their home computers to print personalized candy wrappers that are sold to community groups, schools, fundraisers, companies and more.

Robert Ramey, the creator of Cherubs-N-Chocolates was the owner of Ramey Electric, Inc. and employed approximately 25 employees. In 1996, he and his wife Donna had twins, Hannah and Nicolas. Wanting to unload the burden of a construction company and start something related to kids, Mr. Ramey started a Kids Magazine in New Orleans and 8 months later, launched a second magazine. Hanic Publishing was then formed.

Being in the kids magazine business, Mr. Ramey was exposed to a lot of hospitals and moms and it was there that Cherubs-N-Chocolates was hatched. The personalized candy bars for birth announcements were a hit and led to favors for birthdays, anniversaries, corporate events, holidays and more.

Mr. Ramey put his graphics pros to work and had software developed that allows anyone with a computer and printer to personalize and sell candy bards for all occasions. Next a marketing strategy was laid out and now there are more than 200 dealers worldwide. Profits are 60% or better, he says. To receive a dealer info packet go to www.hanic.com/cherubs or call 800-306-3552 or 504-674-0111. The dealer package is under $500.

Chuckies is a personalized picture and mousepad business that you can start and run from home. There is no computer used in the process. The Cowboy Chuck company of Moorpark, California, offers the business opportunity and says its ideal for flea markets, craft shows and carts. The business start-up is less than $1000. For more information, visit their website at www.chuckies.net or call 800-378-7175.

Business Advertising Specialties Corporation (BASCO) has been providing advertising specialties to companies for more than 50 years. They offer a wide variety of products ranging from pens, hats, mugs, golf balls and golf tees, to calendars, polo-style shirts and key chains. The business can be launched from home for as little as $25. For more information, call BASCO at 888-960-2468 or write to the company at 9457 De Soto Ave., Chatsworth, CA 91311-4998.

Friendly Folks, Inc. offers a personalized products start-up package for about $495. They include mouse pads, magnets, key chains and more in their inventory offerings. Visit their website at: www.FriendlyFolks.com or call their Nutley, New Jersey headquarters by dialing 800-963-6557 for more information on the business opportunity package.

Another company that offers a personalized products business opportunity package is Kaeser & Blair Incorporated. They’ve been around for more than a century and can help you get started with your own business for about $85. They provide training tapes and seminars to teach you how. You earn up to 65% of the profits. For more information, visit the Kaeser & Blair website at: www.kaeser-blair.com or call the company’s Batavia, Ohio headquarters by dialing 800-642-0790. Their fax number is: 800-322-6000.

Morantz Screen-A-Print can handle just about any printing job. You can start your own screen printing shop right at home in just 8 square feet of space. Use your garage, spare room or basement to open your own headquarters. Because of its unique design the Morantz-Screen-A-Print can make a profit on any size order. Your customers will range from schools to teams, corporations, community clubs, special event organizers and more. Contact S.Morantz Inc. in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by calling 215-969-0266, or fax to: 215-969-0566. You may also visit their website at: www.morantz.com.
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12. CHILDREN’S TAXI SERVICE
A taxi or shuttle service for children seems a natural business to start in this day and age of harried parents and increasing activities after school and on weekends. You can start a business taking kids around to and from sports events, music lessons, dances, school functions and get-togethers, the movies, dental appointments, dance lessons, karate class and much, much more.

There are many issues to address before one can launch this type of business. First check on the liability involved. Will your auto insurance carrier beef up your insurance to handle this new responsibility? If they can’t help you, look under Commercial Insurance Carriers in your local Yellow Pages. The fees might be hefty, but it is what you must do to start this type of business.

Some states have very few laws governing the transfer of children, others have many. You need to contact your State’s Department of Motor Vehicles to determine if there is any special licensing required. If the State Department of Motor Vehicles doesn’t have special requirements you must fulfill, keep looking at other state levels of government.

You should secure a chauffeur’s license and you should agree to background checks to become bonded. This will let your customers no that you are don’t have a record for any crimes and certainly not for crimes against children. You’ll be able to state "insured, licenses and bonded" on all of your communications pieces, fliers, ads and business cards. You can even have an artist write this on your van.

You should also work on drafting a contract that your clients will sign before you start carting any kids around. Consult a lawyer on this one. It could be some of the most important start-up capital you’ll spend on launching your very own Children’s Taxi Service.

To promote your business, place ads, distribute fliers and work with local businesses that cater to children. Get to know the business owners that support and sponsor events for children and you will very likely build a steady client base, as your business contacts will help distribute your business cards, fliers/brochures for you. Referrals will also be key to your success.

Some of your business will come from kids with special needs and disabled individuals. You might also pick up business in the senior retirement community crowd.

Charges for this type of service should be pre-set. A five-mile ride could cost $7.00 with each additional mile costing $.50 to $1.00. You can also offer a frequent flyer discount to your kiddie customers: with every 10 rides they get one free or they receive a 10% to 50% discount on the next trip.

You might find that you’ll need to hire additional drivers on a part-time basis to help you out with your burgeoning kiddie cab empire. Make sure you check on liabilities and perform background checks for all of your potential employees. Of course, it is imperative that all drivers concerned have an impeccable driving record. Hiring bus drivers to help you out in the summertime would be a perfect.

If there is a kid taxi shuttle service in your community already, don’t fret. There might be plenty of room for you to start this business. You can start your business on a part-time basis--say, from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday--and expand your services to include mornings, evenings and weekends.
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13. HANDYMAN AGENT
You don’t have to be proficient with hammers, nails, plumbing equipment or crown moldings. You do need to be efficient, organized and have tremendous attention to detail and follow-up to start your own handyman referral network.

You group together local workers in your community. Electricians, driveway specialists, landscapers, plumbers, building contractors, chimney sweeps, painters, master carpenters and roofing specialists, plus many more. Each of these businesses pays you a fee to be listed in your network. You run checks to establish that all of the businesses are in good standing and that they have proper licenses that are not expired and carry the right type and amount of insurance.

Your customers call and you refer callers to one of the ace handymen listed in your referral network. The Homeowner Referral Network (HRN) was started in 1995 by Debra M. Cohen, president of Home Remedies of NY, Inc. Debra Cohen had run her own handyman referral agency and once it was successfully up and running, she decided to teach others how to run their own homeowner referral service.

Ms. Cohen explains, "An HRN is an organized referral service for homeowners comprised of pre-screened home improvement contractors. Contractors represented in the network may range from painters, plumbers and electricians to floor refinishers, general contractors and handymen. Revenue for the HRN is earned via commissions paid by the contractors in the network.

Today, Debra Cohen has 74 HRN’s operating in 28 states across the United States and one international location.

Each HRN, independently owned and operated as a home-based business, serves as a resource for homeowners seeking reliable home improvement contractors as well as an outsourced sales and marketing force for contractors represented in the network.

Ms. Cohen has also written a business manual documenting every aspect of the business from legal and insurance issues to contractor commissions, marketing and promotional information. The manual, The Complete Guide To Owning And Operating A Successful Homeowner Referral Network, is sold individually or as part of HRN Business Packages including business forms, telephone consultation and promotional items.

Each of the 75 HRN’s in operation were successfully launched using the turnkey system provided in the HRN Business Packages. For more information about how to launch an HRN in your area, you may visit the HRN website at: www.homeownersreferral.com or contact Ms. Cohen at 631-374-8504.

If you are interested in starting a franchised handyman referral network, contact Handyman Connection, 227 Northland Boulevard, Cincinnati, OH 45246 or call them at 800-466-5530 or 513-771-1122. The fax number is: 513-771-6439. The website address is: www.handymanconnection.com. The minimum total investment required is about $33,000.

HouseDoctors Handyman Services is another franchisor of handyman referrals. Contact the company by visiting their website at: www.housedoctors.com, or contact the company headquarters by writing or calling: 6355 East Kemper Road, Ste., 250, Cincinnati, OH 45241. The phone numbers are 800-319-3359 or 513-469-2443. The fax number is: 513-469-2226.
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14. PERSONAL CHEF
The future for personal chefs looks very bright indeed as fewer and fewer Americans have time to prepare meals -- especially specialized dishes for parties or holiday spreads. In the United States, more than half of all the money we spend goes on food prepared by someone else. This could be at the restaurant, the fast food chain or it could be going into the pocket of a personal chef. Why not you?

You can offer two services within your Personal Chef empire: you can prep foods and drop them off for your clients and they will do the heating and cleaning up; or you can arrive with the shopping bags, wine and chef’s pants, jacket and toque and perform all of the preparation, serving and cleaning up right in your client’s home.

Experience is naturally key to your success in this field. Cooking skills and a rapport with people is essential to this type of personal chef business. Work on preparing several menus you could offer to your clients. Don’t forget to include a vegetarian offering. Consider any specialties you’d like to offer such as a barbecue service, Hawaiian luau party or romantic dinner for two.

You might already be a chef who wants to make extra money during the evenings or weekends. If you need help in fine-tuning your own culinary talents, contact the United States Personal Chef Association at 800-995-2138. Their website address is: www.uspca.com. They probably have a program that would fit your time schedule and budget.

If you prefer, offer your service for special events only and take on occasional jobs during the holiday season or sizzling summer outdoor party time months.
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15. REPAIR/RESTORATION SERVICES
The cost of homes is going up along with mortgage rates. Homeowners are thinking about settling into their homes and improving them rather than trading up to bigger homes with bigger mortgage payments. You come in by starting a home repair/restoration venture. There are many to consider from driveway restoration to bathroom remodeling to adding sunrooms.

We are going to present some repair and restoration opportunities that don’t involve a lot of carpentry skill or building talent to get started. Start-up prices for the following range from $2000 to $50,000. Many of the repair/restoration service ideas can be started as add-ons to current small businesses.

For example, if you currently run one type of repair or restoration business, consider adding on another. Or, if you drive a truck and deliver sodas and beverages to bowling alleys or diners, consider started a Leather Medic business on the side.

Leather Medic is a leather, vinyl and plastic repair and refinishing company. As a driver, for example, you’ll be traveling to establishments that likely have bar seats/stools, couches and chairs that might benefit from a Leather Medic restoration job.

You can work the Leather Medic magic on cars, trucks, SUVs, RVs, in living rooms, dens, family rooms, on boats and in commercial environments.

Leather Medic is a full turnkey business opportunity that invites you to work your own hours. You’ll receive a two-week training course that will help you learn what you need to know to get the business launched. This is a mobile business with limited supplies and inventory required. The program costs $25,000 to start and includes training, equipment, support and back-up.

For more information on Leather Medic, contact the company headquarters: 11532 Mahogany Run, Fort Meyers, Florida 33913. Call 941-482-2027 or fax to 941-561-2136. The company’s email address is: klife@strato.net.

Minuteman, Inc. Furniture Restoration Systems & Supplies provides just about every furniture process customers would requires: stripping, repairing, sanding and refinishing. the Minuteman pros can also provide mirror resilvering, veneering, parts making and more.

Two day seminars are held in Waterloo, Wisconsin at the Minuteman Institute. for more information on how you can become a Minuteman furniture restorer, contact the company by writing to the headquarters: P.O. Box 8, 115 N. Monroe St., Waterloo, Wisconsin 53594 or call 920-478-2846. The fax number is 920-478-3966. You may also contact the company via email: minutemn@jefnet.com.

Worldwide Refinishing Systems is a franchise that specializes in bath and kitchen remodeling options. The total investment ranges from $25,000 to $50,000. You can reach Worldwide via their website: www.wwrefinishing.com or by calling the company headquarters: 800-253-9153/800-583-9099. The fax number is: 254-745-2588.

Surface Doctor is a mobile kitchen and bath remodeling franchise. The investment ranges from $17,000 to $30,000. To contact the company, visit their website at: www.mobilefranchise.com or call the company headquarters at 6849 Fairview Rd., Charlotte, NC 28210. The phone numbers are: 800-735-5055 and 704-442-0811. The fax number is: 704-442-0940.

Kitchen Tune-Up offers two programs for franchisees. The first is the Kitchen Tune-Up Idea Center stores, and the second concept is the Kitchen Tune-Up Design Studio. Contact the company headquarters for more information: 813 Circle Drive, Aberdeen, SD 57401. Phone 800-333-6385 or 605-225-4049. The fax number is 605-225-1371. You can send them an email at: kituneup@midco.net.

Dura-Oak offers cabinet refacing products you can use to remodel kitchens. The company was started by twin brothers, D.J. and D.J. Mills. They say "It looks and acts like a franchise, but has the independence of a sole proprietorship." Contact the company at 863 Texas Avenue, Shreveport, LA 71101. The telephone numbers are: 800-228-7702 or 318-227-9610. The email address is: djmills@dura-oak.com.
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AT YOUR SERVICE

Service businesses sell the precious commodities of time and convenience. You can start and run one from home. We present 15 of the best to start now.