Visit http://www.entrepreneur.com/businessideas/index.html

On it, you are able to select a specific Interest, Category of Profession then refine it from antiques to writing. What is even more useful for people on a budget is you can then select your startup capital range.

Modern results are then populated on a page and you are then able to go into each for more details.

As an example, I entered “Interest > Construction > $10,000 to $15,000”.

It produced 28 possible businesses I can run with today.

One of interest was, “Bathtub Reglazing” which can produce up to $40/hr part-time. The Business Overview returns, “Not all homeowners can afford to replace their bathtubs just to keep up with new and popular remodeling trends. However, many of these same homeowners can certainly afford to have their bathtubs reglazed as a method of inexpensively updating their bathrooms’ appearance. Starting a bathtub reglazing service requires very little working experience, and the equipment is readily available through paint and industrial supply stores.”

Not bad for a side-job. I personally know 50 people that can use this service today.

Good luck with your search for self-employment.

John J. Adams, Editor and Chief, HowToMarketYourBusinessNow.com

The current U.S. national unemployment rate stands at 9.9% and is expected to rise.

In Canada, the number of self-employed individuals surged by 100,000 while the amount of people unemployed grew by 480,000.

We are seeing a trend where displaced workers are realizing they are not going to be called back after layoffs and planned shut-downs. The business is just not there to sustain the workforce.

The only option for many unemployed full-time workers is to put their skills to immediate use by starting niche businesses. This can be anything from selling knickknacks at a local flee market to doing affiliate marketing/sales for companies all over the world.

It is the author’s opinion if you find yourself in this situation, consider learning entrepreneurship in general in order to prevent a re-occurrence of your loss of income. You may want to begin by visiting sites such as http://www.entrepreneur.com

Michelle Bouffard for HowToMarketYourBusinessNow.com

By visiting http://www.score.org/Develop_Business_Plan.html and registering you will have immediate access to this invaluable resource.

SCORE counsels American small business in order to show them how to start a business, be competitive and deal with legal issues that may arise. The business plan workshop happens to be one small resource on their website.

8.5 Million entrepreneurs have been counseled by SCORE and include companies such as Vera Bradley Designs, Jelly Belly Candy Company, Vermont Teddy Bear and Mountain Glory Creations.

SCORE estimates that the 29.6 Million small businesses in the U.S. employer over half the private sector workforce. In 2008 there were 627,200 new business starts and 595,000 closures with 43, 546 bankruptcies. They are trying to offer valuable services to entrepreneurs that will help you gain a step on the 95% failure rate.

They are also recommending “Hot Markets for Entrepreneurs” to focus on. These include:

- eBay drop-off sites
- Search engine optimization and Internet marketing
- Performance apparel
- Niche health and fitness
- Technology security consulting
- Services/products for Hispanic-market

For more information visit the non-profit’s website at: http://www.score.org

Being put on twice each day, the webinars allow new and current exporters to participate in a live 2-hour interactive presentation put on by export professionals.

This is in response to the President Obama’s recent State of the Union address where he called for a doubling of U.S. exports over the next five years. He expects the increase to support two million jobs in America. In order to achieve that goal, companies will need to learn the fundamental differences between domestic and international transactions.

The five webinar topics offered by IBT focus on the export process that occur after the sale is made.

“In these tough economic times, companies don’t have the resources to send their employees across the country or even across town to attend training,” said David Noah, president of IBT. “Webinars allow employees to get the training they need to be successful at their jobs without the expense of travel or extra time out of the office.”

The cost of each IBT export webinar is $150 and exporters can choose the topics that pick and chose the ones that apply to their job responsibilities. They are as follows:

1) “Export 101: The Basics of Exporting” – Monday, March 8, 2010;

2) “Complying With the Export Administration Regulations” – Tuesday, March 9, 2010;

3) “Mandatory AES: Complying With the Foreign Trade Regulations” – Wednesday, March 10, 2010;

4) “Determining Your Correct Schedule B Code Number” – Thursday, March 11, 2010;

5) “Creating an Export Management and Compliance Program” – Friday, March 12, 2010

Attendees receive a copy of the instructor’s presentation prior to the webinar and will be able to ask questions during and after the session. Attendees also receive a certificate of completion.

Entrepreneurs can receive more information or apply at the International Business Training website (http://www.i-b-t.net/webinars) or call IBT toll-free at 888-890-7447.

Nora Whithers, Contributing Author, HowToMarketYourBusinessNow.com