Looking for a new moneymaking business that won't necessitate huge outlays of cash or a bank loan?
A quirky little book called "999 Successful Little Known Businesses" (Premier Publishers, $17) may be just the ticket to spark ideas. Compiled by William Carruthers of Sacramento, Calif., the book is chock full of interesting and weird business ventures.Nature jewelry or a school for new brides may sound pretty straightforward, but how about the woman who opened a bird hotel in her living room?
According to the book, she handles 30 or 40 birds at a time while their owners are on vacation. Schoolchildren have occasionally come to tour her home.
Another retired gentleman in St. Louis opened his own errand service for less mobile seniors. An amateur photographer records a day in a child's life and makes up an album to sell to parents and grand-parents.
A family memento business started in Hartford, Conn., when a couple began photographing houses and then selling enlarged prints or a series of small postcards to the owners for $3.
The entries in the book do not go into much detail, leaving the would-be entrepreneur to evaluate the risks and work out the kinks themselves. But for those with an imagination and time on their hands, the book may give them the needed spark.
For information, write: Infoman, P.O. Box 231249, Sacramento, CA 95823-0404, or call (916) 393-7857.