The world of self-employment can be a personally and
financially rewarding one for the right individual. Many
people dream of owning their own business but don't believe
it will ever happen for them. The majority of these folks
see all the positives of working for yourself, but lack the
drive and determination to make the transition from
employee to employer.

Self-employment is the ticket to higher earnings
without limit and the right to control and work your own
schedule. But it's not easy work. A lot of self-employed
people are working longer hours and weeks than ever in
their own business. The difference is they are doing work
they truly enjoy, and are getting paid for it!

You have the talent and ability to work on your own!
Perhaps you're just not sure what business you'd like to
specialize in. That's where this book can help!

We've listed a number of home-based business and
franchise opportunities in this booklet based on the latest
information available to us. From this assortment of
listings, you will probably recognize some that will have a
definite appeal for you. This is the first step to taking
off with your own business: knowing what you want to do.
Beyond that, if you have the fortitude to plow through the
first few months, you will ultimately be successful.

A number of these businesses will have you involved
as a sales representative of the company, working out of
your own home. While many people feel "turned off" by
sales people, remember the important part a salesperson
plays in any business.

A product usually has to be sold, right? There
aren't many items that you are tuned into where you can
walk straight into a store and pick them out. Usually you
hear about a certain product through advertising like
direct mail or a notice in a local publication. If it
catches your eye, you pursue it.

Believe it or not, you've just been "sold" that
product. The person responsible for marketing the product
to an audience elected to attract clientele through an
advertising approach. This is selling, too!

Sales aren't just the slick folks on the automobile
showroom who want to know what it will take to get you in
that car today. Selling is the process by which a product
reaches a consumer. It can take many forms. If you have
some preconceived ideas about sales right now, erase them
from your mind. Start with a clean slate by remaining open
to all possibilities in your home-based businesses.

After all, if you're marketing a product you would
buy yourself, it will be easy to convince others of its
value. Since you're selecting the right business
opportunity, you'll unquestionably choose the business that
has the most appeal to you. Selling something you love
almost never feels like work, or real selling!

HOW TO GET STARTED

If you currently have a job, you may want to break
into your home-based business on a part-time basis until
you've built up enough earnings base to leave. There will
probably be no greater feeling than when you walk out the
door and into a business where you call the shots!

If you're between jobs, then by all means go at this
full-force. All you need to do is to contact the
businesses listed here that interest you and begin the
process of determining if this is right for you.

There may be several opportunities here that are
franchises. There is no available data that says that
electing to go the franchise route to start your business
has any lower success rate than beginning a new business
from scratch. Again, view these choices with an open mind
and investigate the opportunity thoroughly before making
the commitment. If you're working part or full time, you
can, perhaps, be even choosier.

Franchises are regulated by the Federal Trade
Commission in Washington, D.C. If you have any questions,
or you wish to order some of the publications the FTC puts
out on franchises, contact them at:

Federal Trade Commission
Bureau of Consumer Protection
Division of Enforcement
Pennsylvania Ave. at 6th Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20580
(202) 326-2970

In addition, several states have agencies that
specifically administer their own state-specific franchise
disclosure laws. This should be part of your evaluation of
these business opportunities. These states are:

California
Franchise Division
Department of Corporations
3700 Wilshire Blvd. #600
Los Angeles, CA. 90010

Hawaii
Franchise & Securities Div
State Dept. of Commerce
1010 Richards Street
Honolulu, HI 96813

Illinois
Franchise Division
Office of Sec'y of State
302 W. Washington St.
Springfield, IL. 62706

Indiana
Franchise Division Office of Att'y Gen
500 South 2nd Street Suite E-111
Indianapolis, IN 46204

Maryland
Franchise Office
Division of Securities
200 St. Paul Pl. 20th Fl.
Baltimore, MD. 21202

Michigan
Antitrust & Franchise Off.
Office of Att'y General
P.O. Box 30215
Lansing, MI. 48909

Minnesota
Franchise Division
Department of Commerce
133 East 7th Street
St. Paul, MN. 55101

New York
Franchise & Securities Div
State Dept. of Law
120 Broadway
New York, N.Y. 10271

North Dakota
Franchise Division
Office of Securities
Finance 600 East Blvd. 5th
Bismarck, ND 58505

Oregon
Corp. & Securities Div.
Dept. of Insurance and Commision
Labor & Industries Bldg.
Salem, OR. 97310

Rhode Island
Franchise Office
Division of Securities
233 Richmond St. #232
Providence, RI 02903

South Dakota
Franchise Office
Division of Securities
118 W. Capitol Ave.
Pierre, SD 57501

Virginia
Franchise Office
State Corporation
Commission
P.O. Box 9033
Richmond, VA. 23219

Washington
Franchise Office
Business License Services
State Securities Division 1300 E
Main St. 9th Fl.
Olympia, WA. 98507

Wisconsin
Franchise Office
Wisconsin Securities Commission
P.O. Box 1768
Madison, WI. 53701

As you can see, not every state has a franchise
office regulating these businesses. In that case, you can
check with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) who acts as a
national oversight.

You can also see if the franchise is part of:

International Franchise Association
1350 New York Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20005
(202) 628-8000

This way you can see if the franchise you have an
interest in is a member. Members of this organization must
meet stringent eligibility requirements especially
regarding financial strength. They also have several
publications available on the various aspects of acquiring
and starting a franchise business.

You're ready to begin your search! The following
pages will list a number of opportunities. We hope one of
yours is there for you!

THE TOP 10 WAYS TO EARN MONEY AT HOME

1. ANTIQUES

The buying and selling of antiques has been and
should continue to be a very productive business,
financially, for those that do it. Here, you only need an
extra room in the house, or the use of your garage — and
you have an office!

If you have a large home that has some antique
furnishings, you might consider turning it into a showroom
for your antique acquisitions and sales, providing you
satisfy any local zoning regulations. The interest in
antiques will survive into the foreseeable future. Many
people choose to spend their free time on the weekends
"antiquating" from place to place to try and pick up a few
odds or ends and maybe a jewel or two. If you know
anything about antiques, this may be a great opportunity
for you.

For more information, check out the book, "Buying and
Selling Antiques", by Don Cline and Sara Pitzer. Your
local library may be filled with other publications on this
subject that can get you started quickly. Your only
overhead may be inventory and advertising!

2. BAKING

Have you ever been told that you have a recipe
which people would line up to get if they could? Ever had
anyone tell you that you should be selling those
cupcakes you make? There are a number of success stories
about people who have launched successful businesses by
cooking at home and then marketing to local people first.
Word of mouth on a good product may start to get
restaurants or bakeries interested in acquiring your
culinary masterpieces. Then you progress to selling them
state-wide and presto! A winning home-based business!

For more practical advice on the assorted aspects of
setting up a specialty foods business, you should contact
your local U.S. Department of Agriculture Home Extension
Agent in your county. Since every U.S. county has such an
individual, that person shouldn't be hard to find!

3. BED AND BREAKFAST PROPRIETOR(S)

Have you ever stayed in a bed and breakfast and
thought, "hey, I can do this!" You probably went on
vacation and simply chalked your thought up as one of those
pipedreams one gets when they stay in a beautiful spot.

Don't toss that thought away! While it's not easy
work as the hours can be long and it's usually a seven days
per week business, it's often something that you can work
into a daily schedule. After all, it's merely an extension
of doing the housework for family, right? More and more
Americans are taking after Europeans and opening their
homes to travelers. If you have an extra room or two since
the kids moved out, you can start a bed and breakfast in
your own place!

Bed and breakfast popularity will continue as more
and more vacationers and business travelers seek a
different accommodation away from the predictability of the
average hotel room. If they enjoy their stay, many become
"repeat" customers, coming back to the same familiar
surroundings time and again.

If you don't need to do any major renovations in the
house to accommodate this type of establishment, you can be
off and running with very little money invested, other than
advertising and some new "guest room supplies". If your
dream is to buy a bed and breakfast somewhere in a vacation
paradise, there are probably houses for sale that will work
for this purpose.

Whatever your design, there are several good books on
the subject of starting your own bed and breakfast,
including "Start Your Own Bed and Breakfast", by Beverly
Mathews. Check them out at your local library.

4. CHILD CARE

Due to the financial pressures many families face
today, many parents work outside of the home to bring in
enough income to pay daily living expenses. A single
parent is obviously working but all too often both members
of a two parent family are in the workforce.

This creates a home-based opportunity. Children must
be watched, all day if they're not in school, or,
otherwise, for a brief time after school before the parents
finish work for the day.

Caring for one additional child may not be that
lucrative, but taking care of several children can
certainly be a full-time, financially successful business.
Often, taking care of several children is made somewhat
easier as the youngsters often will play together.

You can do this at home for only a small investment
in basic equipment and toys for the kids in addition to the
advertising of your business. There are several
publications that address starting this type of business,
including "Family Day Care", by Betsy Squibb.

Another resource is the Day Care Council of America,
5730 Market Street, Oakland, CA. 94608.

5. COMPUTER SPECIALIST

The advent of the computer age has changed the
concept of self-employment. Having a computer at home has
opened a number of opportunities for running your own
business utilizing this equipment. Companies everywhere
are "outsourcing" work that can be done by someone else on
their computer, out of their own home.

If you're not that familiar with a computer, there
are many low-cost (or free) seminars and classes that will
teach you what equipment you need and how to use it.

If you're a whiz in computers, you may end up working
as a consultant, writing programs for companies. If you're
a beginner, you may find yourself able to obtain work as a
writer, using your computer to produce copy that's easy to
edit. You can also keep accounting and payroll records for
companies on your computer's database.

Word processing software can be used not only for
writers but for those that can offer secretarial services
out of their house. Desktop publishing software can allow
you to do newsletters for businesses and other
organizations.

For more educational data, contact the Information
Resources Clearinghouse at Syracuse University's School of
Education, 030 Huntington Hall, 150 Marshall Street,
Syracuse, N.Y. 13244. Their phone number is (315) 443-
3640.

There are a substantial number of good publications,
too. Your local library will have several books on
computer occupations. If you can operate a computer, you
can find work in the information age today.

6. GARDENING

If you like working in your garden each year and
growing vegetables for your family to eat, it's a definite
possibility for home-based employment. Imagine clearing a
little more space and growing more items that you can sell
directly to the consumer.

Most produce stands will buy from you if your product
is one of high quality. If you enjoy gardening, this could
be your ticket! If you have some more land to use, do it!
Plant what you can, when you can! Contact your local
produce stands to ascertain their buying habits.

You can even inquire about your own produce stand if
you have enough product. The more space you have on your
land, the more likely you will be able to generate enough
crops to run the business.

People love home-grown vegetables. They just don't
have the time or want to be bothered doing it themselves.
That's your open door!

For more information, consult books like "Plants for
Profit," and "A Complete Guide to Growing & Selling
Greenhouse Crops", by Francis Jozwik.

7. IMPORTER AND DISTRIBUTOR

There are a substantial number of products
manufactured in other countries which can be bought
inexpensively and sold here in the United States at a
profitable level. The recent passages of the Congressional
bills, NAFTA and GATT, may make it easier to bring in other
products from other countries.

This is a business easily operated out of the home,
depending on the types of stock you're carrying. You may
have to rent some storage space, but the capital required
to start should essentially be limited to the products
you're buying to sell here.

Two good resources for you are:

* American Importers Association Membership
Directory, 420 Lexington Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10017; and

* American Register of Importers and Exporters, 38
Park Row, New York, N.Y. 10038.

You can also look at books in your library such as
"How To Make A Fortune In Import/Export", by Howard R.
Goldsmith, obviously an optimistic look at this type of
business.

If you know the type of product you want to import
and the market most likely to purchase your goods, you have
great potential for a successful home-based business.

8. INTERIOR DECORATOR

While this business will require you to be out
and about, meeting with customers, it's the type of work
many people would love to do. If you have a fascination
for decorating a home, this could be your line of work.

Many people don't know where to start when they are
remodeling or buying a house for the first time. If you
have the knowledge of colors and patterns and what looks
good together, plus the expertise of knowing where to get
materials and furnishings, this can be a winning home-based
business for you.

One excellent resource to consult is the "Interior
Design Directory", available through Whitney Communication
Corporation, 1050 E. 58th Street, New York, N.Y. 10155.

9. PHOTOGRAPHER

The sky's the limit here! Armed with your trusty
camera and some good advertising, you can do weddings,
models, family portraits, passports, student photos, local
newspaper coverage; almost anything that requires a
picture!

You can easily start this work, part-time, and work
into full-time work based on your success and inclination.
Not much equipment is necessary to get going as a camera
off the store shelf can often do the trick today. Picking
up a tripod and having a room sufficient for developing
your pictures, and you're in business — at home!

There are a number of excellent books available in
your local library to get you started on the path of
professional photography.

10. SEWING & ALTERATIONS

Many people love to sew. If you're one of them,
consider offering this service out of your home. When
someone buys a new outfit, it rarely fits perfectly,
meaning some kind of alteration must be done.

People look long and hard to find reliable
individuals to do their alterations. If you can sew,
you're well on your way to opening the doors of this type
of business.

One resource you can review is "Sewing for Profit",
by Judith and Allan Smith. Or your library will have a
handful of capable publications on starting up this type of
business.

These are our suggestions as to the top 10 ways to
earn money at home, enough to be a full-time self-employed
businessperson!

But there are many other opportunities. The listings
that follow may give you some other ideas you need to get
started in business for yourself.

FRANCHISES

The word "franchise" is often associated, rightly or
wrongly, with the term "instant wealth". There is no
mystery about franchises. Many of them are legitimate
opportunities to start your own business with, hopefully,
the advantage of name recognition.

Franchising is a marketing technique used to
distribute a product or service. There are many
individuals, laid off from their regular job, who have
turned to franchises as a way to return to the business
market.

Take the example of V.H. of South Carolina, laid off
from a textile firm after ten years. He bought a "Subway"
franchise in Rock Hill, South Carolina and now owns seven
other such franchises in the area. Success!

Securing a franchise is no guarantee of success, but
it's a good head start and shouldn't be ignored. Our
listing that follows has both franchise and home-based new
opportunities for you to explore, with the franchises being
more at-home scenarios. But don't overlook the franchise
possibility outside the home today.

Another good resource, in addition to those already
mentioned is the monthly newsletter, INFO FRANCHISE
NEWSLETTER, available through Info Press, Inc., Lewiston,
NY. Phone number is: (716) 754-4669.

HOME-BASED BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

ECONOTAX, TaxPro, Inc., P.O. Box 13829, Jackson, MI.
39211. Phone: (800) 748-9106. Provides the public
professional tax services including tax preparation,
electronic filing, refund loans, audit representation and
tax planning.

NATIONWIDE INCOME TAX SERVICE COMPANY, 14507 W.
Warren, Dearborn, MI. 48126, (313) 584-7640. Preparation
of income tax returns.

ADVANTAGE PAYROLL SERVICE, 800 Center Street, Auburn,
ME. 04210. Phone: (800) 323-9648 Producing paychecks,
filing payroll tax forms, making payroll tax deposits to
federal, state and local taxing authorities.

ACTION ADVERTISING PRODUCTS, 6292 Windless CT.,
Boynton Beach, FL. 33437. Phone: (407) 738-5300. Point of
sale gadget advertising products to sell to businesses.

BINGO SCENE MAGAZINE, INC. 9930 Johnnycake Ridge,
Mentor, OH. 44060 Phone: (216) 639-0057. Putting out a
Bingo publication and free local bingo players guide to a
certain territory.

THE EXECUTIVE. 3064 Riverwood Terrace, Birmingham,
AL. 35242. Phone: (800) 264-3932. A business magazine you
market full of coupons for executives. Need to find local
advertisers to support.

MAIN EVENT LAWN SIGNS, INC. 911 E. Brookwood Drive,
Arlington Heights, IL. 60004. Phone: (708) 670-7777.
Home-based business renting announcement lawn signs for new
baby, birthday, anniversary and other special events.

ROOFTOP BALLOONS. 10770 Rockville, Suite B, Santee,
California, 92071. Phone: (619) 448-1189. Provides
businesses and corporations with rooftop inflatables for
promotions, sales or special events. Custom designed.

MOUNTAIN VALLEY SPRING CO. P.O. Box 1610, Hot
Springs, AR. 71902. Phone: (501) 623-6671. Distributor of
bottled natural water for homes or offices.

ACTIVE BUILDING INSPECTION SERVICE The Active Group,
3 Chenango Street, Unit 301, Buffalo, N.Y. 14213 Phone:
(716) 834-6311. Building inspection service for homebuyers
insurance inspections, real estate brokers, building
evaluations. Building or engineering experience helpful
but not necessary since training and marketing assistance
can be provided.

CLOSETS TO GO, INC. 9978 SW Arctic Drive, Beaverton,
OR. 97005 Phone: (503) 639-5089. Non-manufacturer that
customizes closets and other storage areas for the home or
office. All products in stock. Concentration is in sales
and service.

DORACO USA Doraco, 20 E. Herman St. Philadelphia,
PA. 19144 Phone: (215) 843-5300 Selling doors and windows
to homeowners on an installed basis.

CAHS, INC. 550 S. Columbus Avenue, Mt. Vernon, N.Y.
10550 Phone: (914) 668-3800 Complete product line of
auto security devices including fuel cut-offs, keyboard
ignition cut-offs and sensor sirens.

AAA VENDING P.O. Box 498, Ranson, West Virginia
25438 Phone: (304) 725-1110. Vending sales to businesses.

AMITY QUALITY RESTORATION SYSTEMS, INC. 1571 Ivory
Drive, P.O. Box 107, Sun Prairie, WI. 53590 Phone: (608)
837-8484. Provides a complete range of equipment, supplies
and products for furniture restoration and wood furnishing.

AUDITEL MARKETING SYSTEMS Auditel International,
Inc., 12033 Gailcrest, St. Louis, MO. 63131 Phone: (800)
622-2940. Receives refunds and credits for commercial and
industrial customers on their telephone, gas, electric and
water/sewage bills. You receive a percentage of the refund
and future savings.

COMMUNICATIONS WORLD 14828 W. 6th Avenue, Golden,
CO. 80401 Phone: (800) 525-3200. Sales and service of
telecommunication products to small and medium sized
businesses.

GENERAL BUSINESS SERVICES, INC. 7134 Columbia
Gateway Dr., Columbia, MD. 21046 Phone: (800) 638-7940
Business counseling, financial management and tax related
products and services.

INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS The MacKenzie Corporation, P.O.
Box 335, San Marcos, TX. 78667 Phone: (512) 629-1400.
Sales of various products for the maintenance and repair of
industrial buildings.

MPSI NORTH AMERICA, INC. 8282 S. Memorial Dr.,
Tulsa, OK. 74133 Phone: (918) 250-9611 Providing market,
product and consumer research to businesses, site selection
studies, real estate reports and demographics through
computer software and information services.

THE LETTER WRITER 9357 Haggerty, Plymouth, MI. 48170
Phone: (313) 544-8892. Creative writing, letter writing,
medical billing, resume writing and full secretarial
service.

PEMBROKE BUSINESS SUPPORT SERVICE 3190 Christy Way,
Saginaw, MI. 48603 Phone: (517) 790-3494. Transcription,
typing, word processing, direct mail advertising, market
research and promotions.

PROFESSIONAL MORTGAGE BROKER 4201 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA. 90010 Phone: (213) 487-6556 Mortgage
broker franchise business lets you work for yourself.

CHEM-DRY CARPET, DRAPERY & UPHOLSTERY CLEANING
Harris Research, Inc. 3330 Cameron Park Dr. Suite 700,
Cameron Park, CA. 95682 Phone: (916) 677-0231. Carpet
cleaning company that features a unique, patented cleaning
solution which utilizes carbonation in the cleaning of
fabrics.

BABY TENDA CORP. 123 S, Belmont, Kansas City, MO.
64133 Phone: (816) 231-2300. Direct sale of safety
equipment for babies.

CREATE-A-BOOK 6380 Euclid Rd. Cincinnati, OH. 45236
Phone: (513) 793-9789 Printing of personalized children's
books you can do at home. Equipment prints, binds and
places the book in a hard cover in only 4 minutes.
Training is included.

KINDERDANCE INTERNATIONAL P.O. Box 510881 Melbourne
Beach, FL. 32951 Phone: (800) 666-1595. Teaching children
to dance. Also: gymnastics in viable locations.

PEE WEE WORKOUT Cardiac Carr Co., 34976 Aspenwood
Lane, Willoughby, OH. 44094 Phone: (216) 946-7888.
Aerobic health and fitness programs for pre-schoolers.

MAIDS ELITE P.O. Box 381998 Dunconville, TX. 75138
Phone: (214) 709-1900. Residential house cleaning and
carpet cleaning service. All training and support
included.

ASTRASCOPE CORP. 78 Stone Place, Melrose, MA. 02176
Phone: (617) 665-6361. Distributor of horoscope scrolls
in compact displays for sale in convenience stores,
supermarkets, drug stores, variety and news stands.

BUTTONS BY BOBBY 60 Parkway Drive, East Suite 7H,
East Orange, N.J. 07017 Phone: (201) 677-0565. Novelties
like buttons, t-shirts, keychains and mirrors for
promotions and fundraising activities.

CRADLE GRAM, INC. 7688 S.W. 105 Pl. Miami, FL. 33116
Phone: (305) 595-6050. Original birth or religious
announcements with or without photo. Couple selects choice
of verse prior to birth and cards sent out within 48 hours
of baby being born.

GATEWAY APPAREL 8500 Valcour, St. Louis, MO. 63123
Phone: (800) 445-2166. Distributor of name brand off-price
women's clothing (Jr. and Ms.).

IMAGE IN TIME Martek Ltd., Box 15160, Charlotte,
N.C. 28211. Phone: (704) 764-7213. Making of novel and
personalized clocks to be made from business cards, photos
and logos.

JEWELRY BY THE INCH Lasting Impressions, Inc. P.O.
Box 22065, Lake Buena Vista, FL. 32830 Phone: (407) 876-
0341. Distribution of custom jewelry including neck,
wrist, waist and ankle chains.

LEISURE LEARNING PRODUCTS, INC. 16 Division St. W.,
Greenwich, CT. 06830 Phone: (203) 531-8700 Organize home
parties to introduce parents to a unique line of preschool
games, activities and books.

MOUNTAIN MAN NUT & FRUIT COMPANY P.O. Box 160,
Parker, CO. 80134 Phone: (303) 841-4041 Distribution of
nuts, dried fruits, chocolates and trail mixes.

NATIONAL SURVIVAL GAME, INC. P.O. Box 1439, New
London, NH. 03257 Phone: (603) 526-4567 NSG is the #1
seller of paintguns in the world. Distribute paintball
adventure games.

NICHOLS BRONZE SUPPLY D.R.N. Industries 10555 U.S.
Hwy. 98, Sebring, FL. 33870 Phone: (813) 655-0346
Distributor of baby shoes and all types of keepsakes
preserving in bronze, gold, silver and chinakote pearl.

PHOTO EXPRESS 3572 Hancock S7, San Diego, CA. 92037
Phone: (619) 296-3385 Photo business and greeting cards.

RICHARD STEFFAN INTERNATIONAL 1825 Mooringline Dr.,
Penthouse Suite E, Vero Beach, FL. 32963 Phone: (407) 234-
5242. Distribution of Swiss skincare products through an
efficient educational direct marketing concept.
Territories awarded.

SCIENTIQUE PERFUME, INC. 2907 N.W. 21st Ave., Fort
Lauderdale, FL. 33311 Phone: (800) 332-4833 Distribution
of 110 different fragrances of men's and women's perfumes
and colognes.

SELECTIVE BOOKS, INC. Box 1140, Clearwater, FL.
34617 Phone: (813) 447-0100. Mail order sales of books,
directories and manuals.

TUPPERWARE HOME PARTIES Dart Industries, Inc. P.O.
Box 2353, Orlando, FL. 32802 Phone: (407) 847-3111.
Distribution of tupperware products for the kitchen and
bathroom, sold from your own home.

UNIVERSAL DISTRIBUTING CO. 2014 N. Saginaw Rd.,
Suite 110, P.O. Box 2440, Midland, MI. 48640 Phone: (517)
879-3483 Importing and distributing over 10,000 exciting
products from Hong Kong and Taiwan.

VITAMIN POWER, INC. Box 0818 E2, Freeport, NY 11520
Phone: (516) 378-0900 Distibution of over 350 health and
fitness nutritional products including body-building,
dieting, skin-care and functionalized nutritional programs.

COMPLETE MUSIC 8317 Cass St., Omaha, NE. 68114
Phone: (800) 843-3866. Disc jockey entertainment service.
You are trained to hire the D.J. and book the special
events. Management, not entertainment experience needed.

MARTY WOLF GAME CO. 2120 "G" S. Highland Drive, Las
Vegas, NV. 89102 Phone: (702) 385-2963. Casino part
business/fundraisers, theme and fun parties. Package
includes full-size blackjack, craps and roulette tables.

KIDDIEGRAM, INC. 3115 Shadow Walk Lane, Tucker, GA.
30084 Phone: (404) 491-8245. Delivering greetings using
costumes of customer's choice. Deliver either balloons,
gifts or kiddie entertainment.

KEY WEST ALOE Key West Cosmetic and Fragrance
Factory, P.O. Box 10079, Key West, FL. 33041 Distributor
of over 300 high quality Aloe-based cosmetics, haircare,
suntan, bath and fragrances.

BODYCUES The St. Elizabeth Corp., 601 Edwin Moses
Blvd., Dayton, OH. 45408 Phone: (513) 229-6000. Home
health parties for women.

JAZZERCISE, INC. 2808 Roosevelt St., Carlsbad, CA.
92008 Phone: (619) 434-2101. Dance fitness program
instructor given a continuous supply of physiologist-
approved routines. Popular exercise for women.

STOP SMOKING PLAN Stop International, P.O. Box 232,
East Amherst, N.Y. 14051 Phone: (716) 688-4573 10 day
programs teaching smokers to live without cigarettes. All
supplies included.

CRITTER CARE, INC. 2900 Westfork Dr., Suite 200,
Baton Rouge, LA. 70827 Phone: (504) 273-3356. In-home pet
care service offering kennel alternative, plant and
homecare plus additional products and services.

PET NANNY The Nanny of America, Inc. 100 Long
Blvd., Suite 9, Lansing, MI. 48911 Phone: (517) 694-4400.
Professional, personalized in-home pet care at the client's
house. Could also include bringing in mail, newspaper,
watering plants, checking security.

CHARCO SKETCH STUDIOS Flexan Corp., W. 34540 Rd. Q,
Okauchee, WI. 53069 Phone: (414) 367-3331. Producing a
charcoal effect sketch of a subject photographically to
deliver within minutes.

KUSTOM CARDS INTERNATIONAL, INC. 219 Walnut Ave.,
Vinton, VA. 24179 Phone: (800) 344-7728. Distribution of
products such as full color magnetic business cards and
other photographic-based items.

ADVANCED CAREERS SCHOOL OF COURT REPORTING 1275 N.
University Ave., #2, Provo, UT. 84604 Phone: (801) 374-
8744 Train students to pass national examination in machine
shorthand and qualify for national certification.
Computerized curriculum.

KUMON EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE, INC. 2200 Fletcher
Ave., Fort Lee, N.J., 07024 Phone: (201) 947-0707. After
school supplemental math centers.

NATIONAL POOL & DART ASSOCIATES, INC. Box 527,
#1FD601, Tazewell, TN. 37879-0527 Phone: (615) 626-5806.
Organizing and promoting a pool and dart players business
for competing in local, city, county , regional, state and
national contests, tournaments, playoffs and championships.

TRAVEL BUDDY, INC. P.O. Box 31146, Minneapolis, MN.
55431 Phone: (612) 881-5364. Organizing and offering
travel companions for senior, children and handicapped
going anywhere in the world.

CC POLLEN CO. 3627 East Indian School Road, Suite
209 Phoenix, AZ. 85018 Phone: (602) 957-0096.
Distribution of bee pollen, Royal Jelly and products made
from these ingredients.

SUMMARY

Are you ready to start up your own business now?

Whether you begin from scratch or invest in a
franchise, the time has never been better to get a home-
based business off the ground. It's become almost routine
in the business world to work with independent contractors.
Many times, it's more cost-effective, too.

Most of these businesses do not require a substantial
amount of start-up cash. Many of these franchise
opportunities offer financing.

Good luck!

The secret to earning a very healthy income is to use these short
ads to match buyer and seller. The key is speedy response - you
must be prepared to connect buyer and seller in short order,
before they can meet up with each other without your help. If you
enjoy swift action and the thrill of the chase, this can be a
lucrative sport.

Working among the classified ads is almost like doing the work of
a private investigator, but you're searching for clues about what
people have, or what they want. Often this is clear from a tiny
ad unless you know have trained yourself to read between the
lines.

Keep in mind that at the same time you're arranging deals, you're
trying to build your reputation as someone who knows what's out
there. You especially want to build a stable of buyers who are
always in the market for certain items. Your margin in arranging
a sale to these people may be lower on each sale, but will have a
route for generating quick cash.

Once they begin to rely on you, people will come to you as a
first stop, to find the items they want. Your services will
provide a shortcut through the time consuming process of working
through of the classified ads.

Making contacts is a big part of this game, and knowing key
people will help you initiate and close deals before the goods
ever hit the newspapers. This will put money in your pocket with
little work.

For your services, you can charge a finder's fee to cover your
efforts. So that you're not bypassed when it's time for the money
to change hands, you arrange to complete the deal in a meeting
with the buyer and seller, and you collect your fee.

If you travel fairly widely, study the classifieds wherever you
go. You may uncover items that are big sellers in one area ever
as they lie dead in the water somewhere else. If you can't
arrange the face-to-face deal because of distance, you may find
it worth your while to buy the item and result it to the buyer at
a profit to yourself.

Clip-Arts are ready-to-use pictures, borders, headlines
and other little pieces of art, printed in groups on a
page, that you can clip out and use in your ads and
publications. Clip art can be found at office supply
stores, and from mail order dealers. Here's how you can
get into the business of selling clip art.

First, you need a source of clip art. If you, or a
friend, are artistically inclined, draw your own. Don't
worry about having to draw it small enough, you can reduce
whatever you've drawn with a photocopier. It's a good
idea to make your art relatively free of small details,
since they'll get lost when you photocopy the picture.
Draw items that would be useful in mail order ads
(business related pictures, money, mail, etc.). Then,
reduce them and assemble them on one page. You now have a
product you can sell!

Another source of clip art is other dealers. Many dealers
sell copyright-free clip art packages that you can resell,
either for 100% profit or for a commission. The only
drawback is it will be the same clip art that others
are selling. That's OK, though, if you make sure to
advertise it in places where other dealers aren't.

Finally, if you own a computer, you have a wealth of clip
art at your fingertips. Many graphics and sign-making
software packages allow you to create your own graphics.
These can be printed out and used as clip arts. A laser
printer will produce the best, professional quality clip
art you'll ever see.

A swimming pool is a luxury practically everyone aims to have with their homes. However, just getting a swimming pool is not enough. It is very important to keep the pool well maintained and cleaned. This is the reason it is very feasible to open a pool cleaning service.

To open a pool cleaning service, you will have to make some initial investments. Of course, you would first need a truck to hold all your equipment needed for pool cleaning services. Some of the equipment you will need is a pool vacuum, a skimmer, a PH level tester, chemicals for balancing the PH levels and of course, some knowledge of pools in general! Along with this, you may need a computer to maintain accounts and a spare room to place your equipment.

If you are not familiar with pool cleaning, it is better to take some training. There are many courses spanning about thirty days, where you learn skills to clean the pool like a pro. There are even some courses, which teach pool cleaning in a month, and offer 12 months ongoing support after that.

To help you in your pool cleaning service, you can always buy some existing swimming pool accounts; say about 35 to 50 accounts. This proves to be a good foundation to learn and grow your pool cleaning services. These swimming pool owners can vouch for your services. Moreover, you could also place ads in the local newspaper, magazines, print some pamphlets, or perhaps also start website advertising about your services.

Of course, when offering pool-cleaning services, it is important that you do not charge too high for your service. Start from $50, which is a rather reasonable rate. The rates you charge will be dependant on the size of the pool, on whether the pool is a screened or an open-air one and on the chemical demands of the pool. The age and condition of the pool equipment also play a factor on deciding on the rate for pool cleaning.

The services you have to offer, as a pool cleaning service, will be to analyze the water weekly and to balance the chemicals in the water weekly. Cleaning of the tiles of the swimming pool, the skimmer basket, and the strainer, brushing of the walls and floors of the pool as needed and cleaning the filters of the pool are the other services expected of you. It is also part of your duty to inspect the pumps and other equipment of the swimming pool you clean and to alert the owner of any problems. Though you may offer weekly cleaning, in the case of large residential pools and pools that are used a lot, you may have to clean them twice a week. Of course, this will be at an increased rate!

It is always better to request pets be safe in the house or perhaps secured on service days. This assures your safety, and the pets, while you clean the pool! Once you have your equipment ready and know all about pool cleaning, go-on and start a very prosperous and profitable business for you!

Some resources are:

http://www.pool-information.com/

http://www.everclearpool.com/

http://www.poolsuccess.com/

Your goal for these kids is to educate and empower. Kids have great ideas. They are by nature creative and natural brain-stormers! Most just need the encouragement to follow through on these ideas and the know-how needed to try them out. Knowledge is power!
Your class instruction would most likely include basic information on starting and running a business such as:

You will have to scout out teams (probably in a sport you love) and sell yourself to them. Let them know how good you are at videotaping exactly what they will want to see. Charge by the hour and add travel time. Go for the coaches, and let them know what you can show them.

All teams are eager to find out the weak points of their competitions; so if you are a videographer, and have an interest in sports, this is indeed a great opportunity for generating an income for you. As a sports videographer, you will have to offer services to scout out teams by selling yourself to them. Show them your expertise in videography, and in the sport. In fact, taking a practice run of a trial match for their scrutiny would not be a bad idea! They then get to know your expertise, and may hire you for this!

As a sports videographer, you will have to charge by the hour, with your traveling expenses to be borne by the sports team. It is always better to approach the coach of the team, who will definitely put in a good word for you. The benefit of this job is that once you are chosen to become the videographer, you get to work while watching your favorite match! So the sports enthusiast, who can video should try for this job with no second thoughts!

However, just being used by a college as a sports videographer does not give you much exposure. It is necessary for all entrepreneurs to have effective marketing for the success of their endeavor. This is possible either through online or offline tactics. The online tactics lie in creating an effective website in which you should include all the necessary information a person visiting your website will know about your services. There are many internet-marketing consultants available that will readily render their services to provide you with the right marketing strategy for your website.

When opting for offline marketing, you could perhaps have brochures printed to be distributed in colleges, institutions, or organizations having competitive sports amongst themselves. They are sure to have some interest in hiring you as their official videographer to find out the weaknesses of their opponents!

There is some investment involved in this business; you need to have a good camera to take shots of games. Along with this camera, you will need money for flash bulbs, wires and lenses. So it is important that you charge right for your business because if you charge less, you will ultimately end up in a loss. In addition, charging too high will only make you end up losing some of your customers!

Therefore, it is important to make a complete analysis of the expenditure involved in setting up this business and the returns you will get. This will help you decide on the steps needed to establish a career as a sports videographer for a sports academy.

Resources:

http://www.loyola.edu/

http://www.entrepreneur.com/

http://www.rjsventures.com/

http://www.ifreelance.com/Freelancers/Freelance-Sports-Videographers/

http://www.videomaker.com/article/7043/

http://jobs.myspace.com/a/ms-jobs/list/q-Sports+videographer

Such a simple process becomes such a hassle, doesn't it? It's frustrating, and it is wasting precious time that you could be spending elsewhere.

The good news is that it doesn't have to be that way anymore. The computer software, Your Handwriting 2.0, takes your handwriting and creates a customized font from it for you. This means that your days of printing, signing, scanning and emailing back can come to an end! You can write entire letters, in your very own handwriting, using a keyboard and a computer screen, and the recipients will never know the difference.

The problem: Unfortunately for business owners, Your Handwriting 2.0 is no longer being produced commercially. That's a plus for you!

The secret: You can find Your Handwriting 2.0 software if you do a little digging. Start by doing a customized search on eBay or Amazon. If that doesn't work, plug "Your Handwriting 2.0 software" into any search engine. You should be able to find a copy of the software that way.

The solution: You purchase Your Handwriting 2.0 and start a business offering business owners and others the chance to purchase a font in their own handwriting.

Great idea, isn't it? Let's take a look at some of the advantages to prospective clients purchasing fonts in their own handwriting:

-No more printing out documents that need your signature.

-If your secretary needs you to sign a letter but your out-of-town or the office, she can simply use your handwriting font.

-You can write letters and emails in your own handwriting-making the correspondence much more personal.

-If an important check needs your signature and you're not in, your secretary can simply run the check through the printer, using your handwriting font.

-Actual handwriting takes more time than simply typing-a handwriting font saves time.

You can offer clients cursive or printed handwriting fonts. You've got plenty of selling points. You just need to determine how much you're going to charge for each handwriting font. Will you offer discounts to businesses that order two or more complete handwriting fonts? Will you have a cart to allow for online orders?

You'll want to create a web site to show off your product. Write a letter in your own handwriting, then show it as created by Your Handwriting 2.0 and place them side-by-side on your webpage. Does it look the same? Such a demonstration can be a great selling point. Consider offering a 30-day money back guarantee-this will give your customers' assurance. You'll also want to consider what type of customer service you'll offer.

Finally, make sure your web site also includes a price list and a contact page. Check out vLetter, another company that sells customized handwriting fonts. It might give you some ideas of what you want to do and what you don't want to do.

EDITOR'S NOTE: You will need a printer and flatbed scanner to use this software.

Resources:

http://www.zillr.org/ebook/your-handwriting-20-personalize-everything.html

http://www.smartcomputing.com/editorial/article.asp?article=articles%2F2002%2Fs1306%2F05s06a%2F05s06a.asp

http://www.creativetechs.com/tips/quicktips_22.html

Security cameras are extremely popular now in all types of businesses. These days it is hard to run a business safely without them. Since animal owners and breeders are generally in close proximity to their animals, it could prove to be quite helpful for them to be able to check on the animals on a more regular basis by using cameras. The animals will receive much better care if the owners can see which need their attention and when.

The security cameras also keep the animals safe from unwanted visitors. Just by seeing the cameras it will discourage many unwelcome humans from trespassing and causing problems. If the trespassers are unwanted animals, the owner can also be fully aware of what he/she is dealing with and take care of the matter as quickly as needed. With breeders, animal security can be of great concern to them, making sure that only males they have chosen have access to their female animals.

Having cameras inside to watch their animals' progress when close to giving birth is a great asset too. Owners can monitor their animals from inside a residence, or office, to be fully aware if the animal needs assistance. Having cameras documenting these births can also be profitable in that they offer footage of the births of the animals sold. For sentimental reasons, buyers may want to own this footage and purchase it when purchasing their animal. This can help the owner offset the cost of installing these cameras.

You just need to learn what is required to safely install these security systems, make sure that you have the tools and expertise that are required. If you do not have the skills needed, offer to pay someone dependable to do the installing for you. Find a reliable source to buy these cameras and monitors from and start offering to install these helpful systems to people that own kennels and farm animals. Obviously if you want to start-off your new business slowly, start with your local area and contact as many animal owners as you can. Visiting Veterinary offices can be a good choice too and see if they would be willing to let you place information about your business in their waiting room. The Veterinarian may even be interested in your services.

Make sure that you contact the local feed or pet stores too. Try to place an advertisement in the stores, explain what you offer and how much you charge. If the store sells the equipment needed for these security systems, make them aware that you are able to install them for people that feel unqualified to do it themselves. Leave your business cards or pamphlets to pass on to customers. If this does not work, try offering to give these stores a percentage of the fees you charge for your service.

Resources:

http://www.biztechmagazine.com/article.asp?item_id=365

http://www.nextag.com/security-camera/search-html

http://www.x10.com/homepage.htm

http://www.itplanet.com/

http://www.securitycamerasandmore.com/

This is a smart idea for a website business. No matter where you live, people would feel better leaving their homes, if they could have a trusted person stay and keep an active eye on their house and precious belongings. Many people would travel more often if they became aware of a service such as this.

Reputable people providing the sitting would be your true customers. Charging the sitters a yearly fee to belong to your website and have access to people needing their services. The most important aspect of your service would be to assure the validity of the sitters that would have access to your site for work.

A secure website that provides services to only people looking for work in this field would have to be selective on your part. Make sure that certain detailed information be communicated to only truly interested parties. This would best be shared privately between the sitters and travelers. Educating people about the process of using your site safely, and what to advertise, would be of utmost importance, helping them to provide very little personal information, such as name, addresses, and too specific dates they are interested in looking for someone.

You could also offer this service for people looking for house and pet sitters. Often times this combination is needed also. People will be willing to pay you more too, keep their pet at home in familiar surroundings and provide the pet food, walking, and individual human association while they are traveling.

Including plant watering and care can also be something that you can provide while house-sitting. Bringing in the newspapers and mail every day would also be included in the sitting services.

This business would need some advertising to get off the ground, so initially you may need to invest in advertising on-line. In addition, leaving small advertisements, or business cards, with Travel agencies could help you get started quickly too.

This could prove to be a promising decision to offer people, providing a service that you will be required to check on occasionally, but providing a constant income. Just maintain the working site and advertise occasionally when business is slow. This could be your dream come true type of business.

Resources:

http://www.thesitewizard.com/gettingstarted/startwebsite.shtml

http://www.housecarers.com/

You can buy snow globes on a wholesale basis and resell them. On the other hand, you have the choice of making snow globes on your own, if you have the creativity and the patience to do so. It is not that hard to make a snow globe. First, you will need a jelly jar or any little round jar. In fact, any thing that is transparent, clear, and of course clean will work fine.

Next, you have to create the falling snow, best done with crushed eggshells. Mineral oil provides the best atmosphere for making the snow look like it is falling. This is because mineral oil is thick enough to create the effect of the snow falling slowly, while clear enough to see through it. Of course, use eggshell from hard-boiled eggs. This is because you can remove the thin lining that exists beneath the eggshell. If this lining exists in the eggshell, you will soon have unwanted floaters in the snow globe!

You can create your own snow scene or atmosphere by using small objects to be glued n the underside of the lid of the bottle. Choose the smallest objects, as the smaller it is, the better will be the effect. It would be best if you use costume jewelry parts or clock parts of old watches. You can create great human and animal shapes using plastic wires shaped as the respective figurines.

Once you have created the snow scene, use some glue to stick the snow scene on to the underside of the jar's lid, add the mineral oil and crushed eggshells and then screw the lid back on again. Invert the bottle, shake it, and you are ready with a snow globe placed for sale! Of course, the main ingredient for a snow globe is imagination. Moreover, you should expect maximum sales in the month of Christmas. If you are willing to spend more, you can create better snow scenes, and sell the snow globes at better prices.

Once you have your snow globes to sell, you may need to create some advertising to sell them! You could create a website so that people all over the world can order snow globes from you. Of course, if you add a shopping cart to your website, you will be inviting more customers to your website. Create some pamphlets to distribute around shopping centers so that people looking out for a great Christmas gift will be able to consider your snow globes. Once you develop a clientele of customers of your snow globes, you are sure to develop a longer list of customers!

Resources:

http://www.snowglobes.com/?source=googlecontent&kwid=Snow%20Globes%20main

http://www.billybear4kids.com/holidays/christmas/snowball/instr.htm

http://photojojo.com/content/diy/photo-snow-globes/

http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/1-2-2006-85273.asp

http://www.ehow.com/how_17515_make-snow-globe.html

http://crafts.kaboose.com/snglobe.html