This article has been excerpted from 55 Surefire Home Based Businesses You Can Start for Under

$5,000 by Entrepreneur Press & Cheryl Kimball, available from Entrepreneur Press . Today, tens of thousands of people are considering starting a home based business, and for good reasons !n a"erage, people can e#pect to ha"e t$o and three careers during their $or% life Those lea"ing one career often thin% about their second or third career mo"e being to their o$n home &eople $ho ha"e been part of the traditional nine'to'fi"e $or% force and are on the "erge of retiring from that life are thin%ing of $hat to do ne#t The good ne$s( Starting a homebased business is $ithin the reach of almost anyone $ho $ants to ta%e a ris% and $or% hard

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$2,500 or less to start up

1. ACCOUNTANT Experience, training or licensing may be needed Create a flier outlining your ser"ices Before you do that, you need to %no$ $hat those ser"ices $ill be ,o you $ant to simply do boo%%eeping for a small business3 4 more in"ol"ed le"el of accounting $ould be do actually $or% up balance sheets, income statements, and other financial reports on a monthly, 5uarterly, and6or annual basis, depending on the needs of the business !ther speciali7ations can include ta# accounting, a huge area of potential $or% +any business o$ners don8t mind %eeping their o$n day'to'day boo%%eeping records but $ould rather get professional help $ith their ta#es 2. B C!C"E RE#A R *n many parts of the country, this business tends to be seasonal, but you can find $ays around that 9ent a storage unit and offer to store people8s bicycles o"er the $inter after you do a tune'up and any needed repairs on them *f you $ant to cater to the 0ance 4rmstrong $annabes, you can ha"e business all year round These road race riders are training through sno$, sleet and dar% of night Some of them $or% on their o$n bicycles, but many of them don8t, so you can get their business all year 4nd if you %eep Saturday shop hours, you can be sure you $ill ha"e a group of enthusiasts coming by to tal% all things cycling $. BOAT C"EAN N% Experience, training or licensing may be needed Boats that are hauled out of the $ater for the $inter or e"en :ust for mid'season repairs $ill need the hull cleaned 4nd depending on the type of boat, it is a good time to gi"e a ma:or cleaning e"erything else too''the dec%s, the sleeping 5uarters, the head, and the holds Start by approaching homes that ha"e a boat sitting in the yard !r you could mar%et your ser"ices to the marina to contract you to do the boat cleaning it offers to customers

&. BU' NE'' #"AN 'ER( CE )as expansion possibilities !ffer a soup'to'nuts business plan, including mar%et research, the business plan narrati"e and the financial statements &lan your fee around the main one that the client $ill $ant and offer the others as add'on ser"ices You can gi"e clients an electronic file and allo$ them to ta%e it from there, or you can %eep the business plan on file and offer the ser"ice of t$ea%ing it $hene"er necessary Ha"e business plan samples to sho$ clients''and ma%e sure to include your o$n; *. C) +NE! ',EE# 0earning to be a chimney s$eep may mean nothing more than apprenticing $ith someone already in the business By becoming a chimney e#pert, you can combine a chimney s$eep business $ith a chimney inspection ser"ice''co"ering more than :ust $hether or not the chimney needs cleaning but $hether the chimney is in good $or%ing order or in need of repair -. C"EAN N% 'ER( CE There are many directions you can ta%e this business *f you $ant to $or% during hours $hen no one else does, you can focus on office clients You can focus on retail businesses and %eep your customers clumped into one or t$o bloc%s 9estaurants are in great need of daily thorough cleaning and can be a great source of steady clients &erhaps you $ould be more interested in house cleaning +any times $ith cleaning ser"ices you don8t ha"e to spend lots of money on ad"ertising or mar%eting because your customers $ill come by $ord of mouth .. CO+#UTER RE#A R Experience, training or licensing may be needed Study the main types of soft$are that system users $ill $ant''$ord processing, photo manipulation soft$are, mail merge, spreadsheet, design and especially security soft$are *n"estigate all the components''monitor types in all their "arieties< %eyboards, from $ired to ergonomic to $ireless< mouse types< as $ell as peripheral components li%e printers and scanners Become completely familiar $ith all the *S&s =internet ser"ice pro"iders> a"ailable in the mar%et area you plan to co"er /stablish yourself as the guru $ho can meet the needs of the personal computer user, the small business or a larger corporation /. CON'U"TANT )as expansion possibilities To be a consultant, you need to ha"e an e#pertise in something so you can mar%et yourself as an ad"isor to others loo%ing to $or% in that area &erhaps you managed se"eral large $arehouses in your career $ith a drugstore company, you did all the mar%eting for many years for a large shoe manufacturer or you set up a chain of beauty supply shops or ta%e'out restaurants You can use this e#perience to help others do similar things $ithout ma%ing the same mista%es that you made along the $ay

10. EBA! A'' 'TANT ,o you ha"e items lur%ing around your household that you could sell on eBay3 -igure out your as%ing price and decide $hether to auction it or put it in your eBay store Then decide if you $ant a minimum bid and ho$ long you $ant the auction to last You $ill $ant to establish a &ay&al account to use for transactions The eBay $ebsite pro"ides all the information you need to %no$ to get up and running $ith an eBay business 11. E1 TOR A" 'ER( CE' )as expansion possibilities Here are some of the editorial ser"ices you can pro"ide from the 5uiet of your o$n home(

Copyediting. This is $here fact chec%ing ta%es place, and $here grammatical, stylistic and typographical errors are caught #roo2reading. This is the last stop for a ?finished? piece The proofreader ma%es sure the copyediting changes ha"e been properly made and no ne$ errors are created in the process

ndexing. There are inde#ing courses a"ailable and you can get inde#ing soft$are 1e3elopmental editing. 4 de"elopmental editor $or%s $ith a manuscript on big'picture things li%e organi7ation and content issues Boo4 doctoring. This is an editorial ser"ice pro"ided for manuscripts $ritten by e#perts They create a manuscript as best they can and then a boo% doctor puts it into publishable shape

%5ost ,riting. 4s a ghost $riter, you actually do the research and $rite the boo% and someone else8s name is attached as the author Copy6riting. 4lso %no$n as business $riting, this is $riting that promotes a product or a ser"ice Boo4 6riting. ,o you ha"e an e#pertise in something professional, such as accounting or interior decorating3 !r personally, li%e %nitting3 )hy not $rite a boo% about it3 +aga7ine article 6riting. +aga7ines and ne$spapers are a great $ay to get your $riting published before tac%ling the daunting tas% of $riting a $hole boo% ,eb page content pro3ider. &ro"iding content for a $eb site is a good $ay to ma%e some money $riting

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12. E"ECTRON C' RE#A R )as expansion possibilities

This business is similar to the computer repair business, but you $ill ta%e on all sorts of electronic e5uipment besides :ust computers )ith smaller electronics, you $ill need to be prepared to ha"e customers bring their repair pro:ects to you, as you $ould ha"e difficulty reco"ering the cost of dri"ing around pic%ing up bro%en e5uipment and returning it You may also $ant to encourage people to gi"e you their old electronics so you can use them for parts 1$. E(ENT #"ANN N% )as expansion possibilities !ne of the first things you need to do is "isit e"ery potential e"ent location $ith $hich you plan to $or% )or% $ith the mar%eting manager to tour each site and learn $hat is a"ailable at each location Start a database that $ill allo$ you to sort "enues by "arying features''the number of people each site holds, if there is 4@ e5uipment a"ailable on site, $ill you need to arrange for rental chairs, etc Then $hen you are beginning to plan an e"ent $ith a client, you can find out $hat the %ey parameters are for the e"ent and easily pull up the three or four sites that meet the basic criteria and engagement parties, etc 1&. E8#ERT , TNE'' 'ER( CE Experience, training or licensing may be needed !ne $ay to ma%e money in this field is by being an e#pert $itness yourself *f you ha"e an e#pertise that could be useful in legal cases, you can mar%et yourself to attorneys to act as an e#pert $itness 4nother $ay to be acti"e in the e#pert $itness field is to play a sort of matchma%er, matching attorneys up $ith e#pert $itnesses for their cases''either for the defense or for the prosecution /#pert $itnesses for big money cases can be e#pected to fly any$here to testify There8s no reason your database of $itnesses can8t be from all parts of the country 1*. 9 NANC A" #"ANNER Experience, training or licensing may be needed To start, you should go through the certification process so that you can label yourself a C-& =Certified -inancial &lanner> Your certificate sho$s that you ha"e e#pertise and credibility, and this differentiation $ill help people choose you as their financial planner -or more information and details on certification, clic% here http(66$$$ cfp net6become6Steps asp 1-. 9"EA +AR:ET )as expansion possibilities &eople lo"e to spend $ee%ends rummaging through tables full of other people8s un$anted items, loo%ing for treasures +a%e sure to change your layout and put ne$ stuff out for sale often You $ant people to come bac% time and again to see $hat8s ne$ You don8t e"en ha"e to ha"e that much ne$ stuff to ma%e things loo% ne$ Aust mo"ing an item from a table to the top of a boo%shelf might get it noticed, e"en though the item has been in your in"entory since you first started ha"ing sales

1.. %O"9 COAC) Experience, training or licensing may be needed 0et the local public courses %no$ about your coaching business Culti"ate relationships $ith the staff and encourage them to recommend you as a coach 4nother place to loo% for customers is the corporate $orld 1olfing is a game that business people use to de"elop relationships outside the office You do need to be a better than a"erage golfer to de"elop a reputation as a golf coach You also need to be a good teacher, %no$ ho$ to be moti"ational and be $illing to $or% $ith many different types of people 1/. )O+E ENER%! AU1 TOR Experience, training or licensing may be needed 4ll homeo$ners are al$ays on the loo%out for $ays to sa"e on their utility bills You can come to their aid by pro"iding them $ith an audit of their house and gi"ing them a brea%do$n of ho$ they could accomplish real sa"ings in heating, cooling and electrical use You can go one step further and do the implementation and installation of some of your suggestions in their home yourself ,o a complete appliance audit, $ith efficiency ratings and calculations based on the age of the appliance 4nd don8t forget the $ater heater; 1;. )O+E N'#ECT ON Experience, training or licensing may be needed *n order to be successful, you $ill $ant to establish contacts $ith real estate agents $ho can recommend your ser"ices to customers The home inspection field is one $here you $ill need to do constant updating of your education and %no$ledge .e$ products are constantly coming out on the mar%et''if you only %no$ about dec%s made of $ood, you $ill not %no$ ho$ to inspect and assess the ne$ materials on the mar%et, such as composites that are made to loo% li%e real $ood 4lso %eep apprised of all safety updates of materials and issues $ith things li%e off'gassing, carbon mono#ide production, and other chemical precautions 20. )OU'E)O"1 OR%AN <ER )as expansion possibilities You can choose either to do the organi7ing $or% or to come in to a home and consult on the things the homeo$ner could do to better organi7e Ha"e a portfolio of different organi7ational scenarios in different rooms in the home and tal% $ith the homeo$ner about the style he or she li%es Create chec%lists and 5uestionnaires to understand ho$ the family uses the home 4re the %ids $ildly busy $ith after'school acti"ities3 !r are they usually home after school and $ant access to their toys3 ,o they share rooms3 4ll of these things $ill help you tailor an organi7ing plan and become the family hero 21. +#ORT=E8#ORT '#EC A" 'T Experience, training or licensing may be needed

*f you don8t already ha"e $or% e#perience $ith importing and6or e#porting, you $ill ha"e a longer learning cur"e You can start by learning the basics and hosting educational sessions to teach others $hat they need to %no$ to get started in import6e#port That alone $ould probably gain you your first couple of clients *f you %eep going $ith educational seminars and e#pand your reach to outside your immediate region, you could probably de"elop a sufficient and ongoing customer base "ery 5uic%ly, but be careful not to outpace your learning cur"e;

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22. NTER OR 1ECORATOR Experience, training or licensing may be needed +ar%et your talents to building contractors &eople purchasing ne$ homes can often be o"er$helmed $ith the choices and possibilities in home decorating ,esign some 5uestionnaires for each ma:or element and each ma:or room in the house -ind out ho$ the homeo$ner $ill use the home''are there children3 &ets3 ,oes the $oman of the house $ear high heels3 ,o the home8s residents neglect to remo"e shoes3 Ho$ $ill each room be used3 )here might tas% lighting and ambient lighting be most appropriate3 2$. >E,E"R! +A: N% Experience, training or licensing may be needed There are many different $ays of getting into the :e$elry business and many different types of materials $ith $hich you can $or% )or%ing in metal $ill probably re5uire the most in the $ay of specific tools You need to be able to heat the metal to manipulate it, and you need metal$or%ing tools to cut and engra"e it But there are many other materials that you can $or% $ith to ma%e :e$elry''glass, plastic, beads, feathers, e"en $ood, to name :ust a fe$ 2&. +AR:ET N% CO#! ,R TER Experience, training or licensing may be needed *f you can $rite copy that gets people e#cited about purchasing $hat your client has to sell, you can ma%e good money in this business Unless you are highly e#perienced from $or%ing in the copy$riting field, ta%e a course There are online courses or classes at community colleges and uni"ersities that can gi"e you a leg up in getting sa""y at $riting copy for brochures, catalogs, ad"ertising and, of course, mar%eting copy for the $eb 2*. NOTAR! #UB" C=>U'T CE O9 T)E #EACE Experience, training or licensing may be needed *n most states in the U S , a notary public is a state officer $ho is authori7ed to $itness and attest to the legalities of certain documents by signature and stamping a seal +ost states re5uire that you

pass an e#am and a bac%ground chec% *t costs "ery little to become a notary and your income from notary $or% is negligible 4 :ustice of the peace typically performs $edding ceremonies States ha"e "arying rules and procedures for becoming a A& and performing ser"ices Becoming a A& and6or notary public does not cost much money 4nd it is not a big moneyma%ing "enture; +any states set the fees you can charge for A& ser"ices A&s can add additional fees, and often do, including tra"el and hourly rates for additional meetings such as rehearsals, other prep time and any special re5uests 2-. #ER'ONA" CONC ER%E This business is for someone $ho is supremely efficient and has the ability to ma%e things happen &eople $ho hire you $ill e#pect things $hen they $ant them and you need to be able to come through $ith not only $hat they $ant, but $ith a personal touch and a smile on your face The most li%ely clients for a personal concierge ser"ice are top e#ecuti"es $ho find themsel"es at the office by B a m and are there most nights until C p m , lea"ing them "ery little time to do all those things that often need to be done during those "ery hours 2.. #ER'ONA" TRA NER Experience, training or licensing may be needed 4d"ertise your ser"ices in places $here e"eryone goes, li%e restaurants and grocery stores Ha"ing a $ebsite is a good idea''people $ant some pri"acy in their decision'ma%ing $hen it comes to getting fit They can go to your $ebsite and determine if your approach to personal training is an approach that $ould $or% for them *t is important to emphasi7e the safety aspect of using a personal trainer You can help clients get fit and a"oid in:ury 2/. #RO#ERT! +ANA%E+ENT Your :ob, in the case of rental units, $ill be to ma%e sure the property is running smoothly -or seasonal properties, you $ill most li%ely spend your management time ma%ing sure the property is ready for seasonal "isits and $ell'maintained $hen no one is around *f the o$ners go a$ay for si# $ee%s in the $inter, the property manager ma%es regular chec%s on the property You $ill be the contact number if the security system operator needs to contact someone about a breach in security 2;. '+A"" EN% NE RE#A R E xperience, training or licensing may be needed +ost community colleges offer some le"el of engine'repair courses 4nother $ay to learn $ould be to ta%e a part'time position at a repair shop or a rental facility $here you could learn on the :ob, although you $ill $ant to be open about your plans You should be prepared to $or% on push'behind la$n mo$ers, riding la$n mo$ers, generators, garden tools such as rototillers and edgers, chainsa$s, $ood chippers and sno$blo$ers You need to decide $hether you8ll $ant to ta%e on bigger :obs, such as tractors, sno$mobiles and 4T@s< space may be your decision'ma%er

$0. 'O"AR ENER%! CON'U"TANT Experience, training or licensing may be needed )as expansion possibilities 4s a solar consultant, you can basically conduct a home inspection and gi"e clients a report on their solar options for their particular home and site This can range from full'fledged general solar installations that generate electricity to simple solar $al%$ay lighting You might $ant to start by $or%ing in a solar products company to become %no$ledgeable in the solar energy field Ho$e"er, to be a consultant, it is often best not to be affiliated $ith any one company or product and be able to recommend products and options across the field of solar energy &1. % 9T BA':ET 'ER( CE )as expansion possibilities -inding a niche is the best $ay to start out in the gift bas%et business 4re you a dog lo"er, horse lo"er, or e#ercise guru $ho could put together bas%ets that hold the things that people $ith this interest $ould li%e3 ,o you already create a product that a gift bas%et could be built around3 Ha"e you made your o$n soaps for the past 20 years3 4 gift bas%et that included one or t$o of your soaps, hand lotion, a scrub brush and manicure %it could be a lo"ely bas%et to recei"e

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&2. %RA99 T RE+O(A" Create an arsenal of cleaning products that can clean almost e"ery %ind of product =paint, chal%, mar%ers> from e"ery %ind of surface =cement, $ood, pa"ement> The best $ay to conduct a graffiti ser"ice is to offer a subscription'li%e arrangement !nce a month or $hate"er inter"al ma%es sense for your clients, go around to their property and clean off the graffiti Charge them a monthly or 5uarterly fee and ma%e it simple for e"eryone''they don8t ha"e to thin% about graffiti, and you :ust do your :ob &$. )A R'T!" 'T Experience, training or licensing may be needed Hairstyling is a popular business that can be 5uite lucrati"e 1enerally a home based hairstylist business is li%ely to be started by someone $ho has already has a cosmetology career and $ants a change *f you already ha"e your cosmetology training and license, and loads of e#perience under your belt $or%ing in a hairstyling salon, you probably ha"e a follo$ing that $ill follo$ you right home $ithout any hesitation &&. )ERBA" 9AR+ 'TAN1

You need to decide $hether you $ill sell your herbs as li"e plants, pic%ed or cut in bunches and pac%ed, or dried *f you plan to mar%et to coo%s instead of gardeners, you $ill $ant to sell your herbs either fresh cut and pac%ed in sealed bags, or dried and sold in baggies You can also consider a ?pic%'your'o$n? arrangement< ho$e"er, be a$are that herbs are more delicate than most & Y ! products You may sa"e your garden a lot of strife and your plants a lot of $ear and tear if you do the pic%ing &*. "AN1'CA#ER Experience, training or licensing may be needed *f you ha"e a %nac% for this type of $or%, a degree $on8t be necessary +ost people $ant their yards tidied up in the spring, their la$ns mo$ed in the summer, their lea"es remo"ed in the fall, and their shrubs and dri"e$ays ready for $inter sno$ You $ill also $ant to offer garden $or% such as spring planting of annuals and perennials< "egetable garden preparation, planting and fall cleanup< pest control and $atering You can offer tree care ser"ice There is plenty to do in the yard that has nothing to do $ith plants( stone $all restoration, fencing, irrigation system installation &-. +A''A%E T)ERA# 'T Experience, training or licensing may be needed You $ill $ant to become certified in massage therapy to be able to effecti"ely mar%et your ser"ices Courses that lead to certification include not only information on human anatomy and physiology and the effects that massage has on both, but also on ho$ to ma%e a business out of the field of massage You could do either a certification program or an associate8s degree and stay $ithin the $5,000 scope of this boo% &.. +O( N% 'ER( CE 0ots of people $ho are mo"ing $ant to hire someone to do the hea"y lifting for them You can lea"e the large'scale, long'distance mo"ing to the big mo"ing companies Your $or% can be the local, mo"ing'across'to$n or to the to$n'ne#t'door :obs These are the ones that people start off thin%ing perhaps they could do themsel"es, and it $ill be your :ob to con"ince them other$ise Your signs around to$n $ill tempt them to let you ta%e care of that part of the mo"e, $hile they are busy ta%ing care of those other 500 items on their list &/. +U' C "E''ON' Experience, training or licensing may be needed You $ant to stic% to the instrument=s> you %no$, but you may be a s%illed enough musician to offer lessons on se"eral different instruments, or those in a particular class, e g , stringed or $ood$ind You can decide to ta%e on indi"iduals or classes, depending on space and a"ailability of instruments &ublic schools are continually reducing their commitment to art and music classes for students, so you can try to $or% $ith the public school system to supplement their efforts in those areas

&;. #)OTO%RA#)ER Experience, training or licensing may be needed +a%ing money as a photographer can be done in a number of different $ays You can speciali7e in one area, the most common being $eddings There are niches you can e#plore for photography( portraits of people and their pets, families, and homes< photographs of holiday e"ents, birthday parties or Christmas cards< the possibilities are endless *0. RU% C"EAN N% You $ill need to learn ho$ to $or% $ith all %inds of carpet fabrics, from synthetic to $ool carpets ,ecide $hether you $ill ta%e on "aluable anti5ue carpets and family heirlooms< if so, you $ill $ant to get speciali7ed training in ho$ to handle these carpets and the speciali7ed $ays of cleaning them 0earn ho$ to get tough stains and odors out of carpets''such as dog and cat odors''and your ser"ices $ill be in great demand *1. ,EB' TE 1E(E"O#ER Experience, training or licensing may be needed +any courses e#ist =many of $hich, logically, are offered online> $here you can learn the language of $ebsite creation and can learn about the details, li%e ho$ to set up shopping cart systems, security concerns, etc You $ill, of course, need to learn about each company you design for )hat is the atmosphere of the company that you need to reflect in the $ebsite design''is it $ild and contemporary, meaning brilliant colors and fun graphics3 !r $ill more classic colors li%e blac%, na"y blue and maroon be more appropriate3

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$D,000 to $5,000 to start up

*2. BE1 AN1 BREA:9A'T ,o you ha"e a room that has its o$n bathroom and is pri"ate from the rest of the li"ing space3 4re you near attractions such as a tourist area, sports stadium or "enue for a large annual e"ent3 !r is your home in the country $ith spring peepers, summer cric%ets and crisp fall nights that could gi"e a city'd$eller a $ee%end of peaceful li"ing3 Say you can rent the room for $250 a night for -riday and Saturday nights EF $ee%s a year''that8s $2E,E00 in re"enue; Utili7e $hat you ha"e and create a uni5ue e#perience *$. C)R 'T+A' TREE 'A"E' *f you $ant to start a Christmas tree farm, you need to plan ahead *t ta%es appro#imately se"en years for a Balsam fir''perhaps the most traditional Christmas tree''to gro$ from a small sapling to a 5' to G'foot tree Selling your trees yourself is the best option Consumers come to the property, pic%

the one they $ant, and you har"est it for them The other option is to buy your trees from a $holesaler and sell them either in your yard or in a "acant lot that you rent from Than%sgi"ing to Christmas *&. 1A! CARE Experience, training or licensing may be needed &erhaps you lo"e children &erhaps you ha"e children of your o$n and the idea of ta%ing care of a fe$ more for part of the day appeals to you Child'care needs continue to soar in the United States +any people prefer the option of their child being cared for in a home en"ironment $hile they are at $or%, opposed to a more institutional'li%e setting These things mean that a homebased childcare business can get off and running immediately **. #ET ' TT N% Experience, training or licensing may be needed Starting a pet sitting ser"ice re5uires almost nothing in start'up costs You do need some general credentials that $ill cost little or nothing to ac5uire Your list of credentials should probably include personal pet o$nership''if not currently, at least in the past''as $ell as other pet'related e#perience, including $or%ing at a pet food store, an animal hospital or other animal'related business You $ill need to spend a little to become ?bonded ? This is %no$n as ?honesty insurance,? and ensures your clients that you $on8t get their house %eys and ma%e off $ith their "aluables =or that they8ll get their money bac% if you do>