Dollars and Sense
Home-Based Businesses
BYDAVID UFFINGTON

There are many homebased small businesses you can start without leaving your regular job. Some could be quite lucrative. Here are a few ideas to get you thinking about the possibilities:

. Decorating -- Offer custom faux painting and marbling of fireplaces for model homes in upscale developments.

. Sell what you make -- Rent a booth at crafts fairs and art shows. The number of items you can make and sell is endless: silk flower arrangements, handmade soaps, needlepoint, silk-screened shirts, note cards, calligraphy invitations, dried flowers, jewelry, caricatures, charcoal sketches and portraits.

. Sell what you find -- Shop flea markets and estate sales, or provide a clean-out service for houses and garages. (Include dump fees in your price for true junk.) You're sure to find a few treasures.

. Genealogy -- If you have the genealogy bug, you can turn your activity into a moneymaker. A small ad in genealogy magazines, offering to do research in archives and courthouses in your area, can net you responses from around the country.

. Handyman -- If you hook up with a few real estate companies and get a reputation as someone who's fast, talented and fair, you'll have more business than you know what to do with. Join forces with a licensed plumber and electrician to expand your range of services.

. Real estate -- For absentee landlords, you can watch property on a regular basis, arrange for repairs, clean up between tenants, oversee repair crews, check pipes in winter and watch for vandalism.

. Plants -- Lease and maintain plants in office buildings and model homes.

. Photography -- Take photos of people and pets in their home. Create your own portable backgrounds.

. Closet and office organizer -- Create organization out of the clutter.

. Personal chef -- The client picks from your list of menus and comes home to a freezer stocked with meals you've prepared. Generate samples and rent a booth at craft and art sales to build your client list.

. Sell what you buy -- Investigate selling items you buy wholesale. Select just one or two unique items to learn the ropes. Stick with small items that have a good markup potential.

With luck and perseverance, a home based business could grow into your main source of income.

David Uffington regrets that he cannot personally answer reader questions, but will incorporate them into his column whenever possible. Write to him in care of King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL32853-6475 or send e-mail to letters.kfws@hearstsc.com.

(c) 2007 King Features Synd., Inc.