Business Ideas- Starting a Business You Can Enjoy

	Music Instructor If you know how to play a musical instrument, consider tutoring students after school. Some ideas for marketing, leave your business card with the school music teachers and local music shops.
	Tutor Tutor school age children after school or even start an after school program in your home for those who's parents are still at work. You should become licensed and insured. Check your state's requirements.
	Daycare Provider There's so many families out there that need quality daycare. If you love kids, become a licensed daycare provider. You can call other home daycares and ask what they charge per student. There's also some great links online that provide free forms, contracts, and advice.
	Grocery Delivery Why not start a grocery delivery service? You can charge a percentage of the total bill. This service could target senior citizens or working families.
	Gift Shopper Love shopping? Why not offer a service purchasing gifts and wrapping them for clients? Many people put off shopping until the last minute, so who wouldn't appreciate someone who gets the shopping done on time? You could even offer wrapping the gifts and mailing (Christmas) cards. Don't limit yourself to just the holidays, there are weddings, baby showers, and more. Hope this churns your imagination.
	Dog Walker This is a great opportunity for someone who loves to be active and lives in a populated area. To make a good income, consider walking more than one dog at a time. In addition, you may want to offer dog massages and yard upkeep (pooper scooper).
	Sewing Know how to sew? Why not take orders for clothes, wedding dresses, and alterations? You can also incorporate a laundry service as well, washing and pressing clothes.
	Landscaper If you know anything about plants and landscapes, there are many people who need your advice. You can take the measurements, research the plants, make the design, purchase the plants for your clients, and plant them, too.
	Painter Male or Female, if you know how to paint there are tons of homeowners who could benefit from your knowledge. Consider painting inside, outside, and maybe even furniture. Offer different types of painting, like textured, sponging, and ragging; and, if you know how to hang wallpaper, even better.
	Handy Person Find yourself handy with tools? Offer your skills as the neighborhood handy person doing odd jobs for people at a reasonable price. This is a great word of mouth business. Volunteer some work with friends at first to establish some references.
	Organizer You've organized your cupboards, pantry, closets, and garage, now help less talented people get organized. Develop your own storage system or use the products that local stores offer. You can charge a fee per project and extra for hauling to the dump.
	Event / Party Planner You love parties, but there's not enough of them in the year. Why not help others by planning it for them, creating themes? You can even offer to sell creative party bags that you assemble to those who just want something simple. Example: Party in a Bag- Everything you need to throw a party for your princess.
	Wedding Planner You enjoy planning weddings, cutting the flowers, decorating the tables, and booking the band; now, help other brides and bridegrooms get ready for their big day by taking the pressure off of them. Furthermore, you can make a lot of the items yourself, like name card and guest gifts.
	Cooking Instructor For those who love to cook, start your own cooking instruction business. Good for people who would like to learn a new style of cuisine, like ethnic food. Best if you have a roomy kitchen. If you're up for the challenge, have a Mommy and me or Daddy and me cooking session, getting the whole family involved.
	Caterer Not interested in instructing but still enjoy cooking? Utilize your skills by offering a catering service for events and weddings.
	Produce Sales Person Have a lot of room on your property that you could develop into a vegetable and/or fruit garden? Why not sell your produce in a fruit stand on the side of a well-trafficked road or the town farmer's market? For busy commuters who don't have time to grow their own vegetables, the stands are a convenient option for them on the way home.
	Cake Maker A brief class at your local craft supply store and a little practice can help you could become an expert cake decorator. With so many holidays involving cakes, there's business year round.
	Driver If you like driving, why not offer a commuting service? You'll need a van, people skills, and the desire to drive. Sound like something you might enjoy? You can even offer rides for teens, having their parents pay you before hand for a certain number of rides. The senior community, who are unable to drive yet have many doctor appointments, could benefit from your service. You could be their dependable shuttle.
	Matchmaker Do you enjoy playing matchmaker? Start a singles group in your area. Many places still lack such groups, making it very difficult to meet people. You can set up different groups for different ages, center the single groups around charity events, and so much more.
	Weight Loss Assistant Did you loose a lot of weight or have a degree in Nutrition? If you know how to help others loose weight, you may want to start a business assisting struggling dieters. You can offer support groups, exercise programs (like jogging in different areas throughout your area), and menu planning services.
	Gift Basket Creator Create baskets for any time of the year. You have so many ideas that you don't see in the gift baskets already out there, and you love putting gifts together. Weddings, baby showers, birthdays, holidays, Secretary's Day, Coffee lovers, Movie lovers, and more... Are your creative juices flowing?
	Artist / Portraiture Good at art? Why not offer your services as an Artist or Portraiturist? You can also design greeting cards, photography, or utilize your computer to create graphic designs.
	Vacation Planner If you are great at planning vacations, finding the best places to stay with the best rates, and scheduling activities, open your own business planning vacations for others.
	Senior Assistant The senior population is reaching an all time high, which means that there's a growing demand for home visiting aids to allow seniors to continue living on their own. As a senior assistant, you would provide non-medical visits to help with housework, bathing, and offer companionship.

So, what would you charge if you were to start your own business? Where would you start? You still have so many questions. Well, who knows your community better than you. What do you think your future customers need? Does anyone else offer this product or service? How much do they charge? How could you make your business stand out from theirs?

Now that you've tackled the what questions, let's consider the hows. Follow the links to sites with detailed information.

1. Build a business plan. This sets your goals and is necessary if you need to apply for a loan. Visit the Small Business Administration (SBA) for online classes, workshops, library, and other resources. The SBA also provides a free start-up kit.

2. Find out how much money you will need to start your business. Before you go to a lender, find out what your start up cost will be.

3. Do you need insurance? When you have children in your home you may be required to be insured. Other jobs, in which you visit the homes of others, require you to be bonded. While they may not be required in your area, it is a good idea to cover yourself.

4. Find a mentor. They don't have to be in the same industry as you are going in to, just someone who you could shadow for a time and later call for advice.

5. Write an excellent sales letter.

6. Advertise well. Discover how to find the best places where your ad will work the hardest for you.

Entrepreneur.com has a page of twenty Start-Up kits that you might find interesting. Furthermore, you may want to read Home Business Magazine online for more advice and ideas. Finally, visit my Business Resources Page for more valuable links.