A collection of businesses especially selected for newly arrived people or immigrants who want to increase their income and build security in their adopted country.

These are businesses that can be started with minimal training and investment and do not require a high level of English language skills. They are almost certain to produce extra income. Most can be operated by one person or family. These businesses can usually be sold for extra profit when the operators are ready to move on.

This listing is most valuable when used in conjunction with your imagination. Only you can possibly know your special desires, your capabilities and your particular situation. For this reason, you are encouraged to substitute products and services listed here that may be more suitable for your environment. Read over a few ideas at a time and make notes of those that interest you. Include any additional ideas that pop into your mind - these can be valuable!

Review your completed list from time to time and eliminate those that sound less promising. Keep narrowing your list to things that you think have a good potential. Meanwhile, consider your surroundings. What products or services can you supply that are needed and that people will pay for? When you find just the right combination for your personality, finances, talents and the needs of your area, start preparing for your successful business!

99 BUSINESSES FOR NEW AMERICANS

01 - ADULT DAY CARE CENTER. Operate a center to look after elderly and/or handicapped people. Offer refreshments, games, activities and assistance, but not health care.

02 - AUTO TOUCH-UP. Repair minor dents, cover rock chips, remove rust, polish, clean tires. Renew rubber and plastic, deodorize to help bring the best price or trade-in.

03 - BOTANICA. Stock "magic" potions, roots, powders, candles, good luck charms. Print (buy) and sell related instructions and lore. Careful not to guarantee cures or results!

04 - COSTUME RENTAL. Make (buy, sell) and alter costumes for parties, Halloween, promotions, school plays. Expand to formal clothing rentals (tuxedos, gowns).

05 - DANCING SCHOOL. Instruct others in your dance specialty in group or individual classes. Be sure to "showcase" students to encourage them and publicize your business!

06 - JACK REPAIR. Repair hydraulic jacks in your garage shop for individuals, garages, mechanics and retail stores. Buy, sell, take in trades and rebuild all kinds.

07 - PAPIER MACHE SCULPTURE. Create a selection of your "standard" caricatures, pi¤atas and offer custom versions. Assemble do-it-yourself kits with full instructions.

08 - SALAD SERVICE. Make and deliver, fresh daily salad packets to small stores, lunch counters and cafes. When ready, submit bids to larger serving operations.

09 - MAIL ORDER SALES. Find the right product, "showcase" it, advertise it, and sell it by mail (ads and/or mailing lists). Caution: heavy competition and many "sharks"!

10 - WINDOWS AND SCREENS. Repair windows (replace glass, repair frames). Renew or rebuild screens. Offer different screens, and package prices for all new screens.

11- ACCUMULATION SALE. Gather items from job lot purchases or any source. Clean up and store until you have enough to hold a sale from your home. Then arrange and sell.

12 - AWNINGS, WINDOW. Design, sell and install permanent and fold-up fabric and or metal awnings for storefronts, patios, house windows, trailers and mobile homes.

13 - BUILDER'S CLEAN-UP. Work with contractors to clean up during and after construction jobs. Sweep out building, haul away all debris. Salvage leftovers as bonus.

14 - COUNTER REFINISHING. Refinish, repair damaged counter tops in homes, businesses and for rental or housing agents. Advertise and list your service with hardware stores.

15 - FURNITURE MAKING. Start with one or two popular items that you can "mass" produce easily and sell well such as bunk beds or patio chairs. Gradually add other products.

16 - INSULATION SERVICE. Start a service to install roll, foam or bat insulation, or use your truck or trailer mounted blower to install blown-in attic and wall insulation.

17 - MARBLE CASTING. With "synthetic" marble, cast, finish and market figurines, ashtrays, office (pen bases), home (door plates), commercial (trophies) items to order.

18 - PILLOWS. Make and decorate designer, fancy, or "down home" pillows to sell in boutiques, fairs, party plans, sales catalogs and/or advertisements and mail order.

19 - SECURITY PATROL. Contract with neighborhood residents to provide security patrols (car, foot) in areas needing additional protection. Notify and work with local police.

20 - WALK WAYS. Specialize in walk ways and sidewalks of brick, stone, wood or cement. Bid on complete jobs, including materials. Expand to ramps for the handicapped.

21 - LIMOUSINE SERVICE. Provide a chauffeured limo for special occasions and prestigious business situations. Take kids to prom, newlyweds to their hotel, meet visiting VIP's.

22 - OIL RECLAIMING. With a mechanical filtering system, collect used oil from service stations and mechanics. Purify (strain), bottle and market as reconstituted oil.

23 - CO-OP STORE. Form a co-op business to display and sell member products (crafts, produce, merchandise). Members share expenses, ownership, work and profits.

24 - BEAUTY AIDS. Sell general or specialized beauty (or ethnic) supplies in your home salon or by appointment. Represent established lines and/or sell your own brand.

25 - APPLIANCE LEASING. Buy (new or used) and lease appliances to individuals, landlords, rental agents and commercial operations. Service your own equipment while leased.

26 - BOOKKEEPING SERVICE. Provide (even beginning) bookkeeping services to (especially one-person) small businesses in your area. Expand to complex systems and computer.

27 - CREDIT CLINIC. Advise and assist people who have gotten into debt. Contact creditors to set up a repayment schedule. Show clients how to avoid future problems.

28 - HOUSE CLEANING. Offer one-time or periodic house cleaning services. Perform the heavy tasks (shampoo rugs, clean stoves, wash windows, wax the floors, defrost, etc.)

29 - ROOFING. Repair, replace or rebuild roofs on homes and commercial buildings. Buy materials wholesale and charge retail. Subcontract some jobs for a commission.

30 - TREE TRIMMING. Trim and shape trees and shrubs for private and commercial clients. Be sure to learn proper trimming, pruning and sealing (against pests) methods.

31 - LUNCH WAGON. Drive your lunch wagon to business/construction/public sites to sell hot food, snacks, drinks. Work with management for parking and customer dining space.

32 - FURNITURE RESALE. Select promising articles of furniture cheap at garage sales and auctions. Clean up, do minor repairs and sell from your home for a nice profit.

33 - COOLING SERVICE. Prepare complete meals at home, from your traditional or customized (gourmet, ethnic, traditional) menu to be delivered and served hot, or picked up.

34 - BONSAI PLANTS. Grow (or buy) and arrange into attractive pots or arrangements. Retail from your home, shop or wholesale to flower shops, greenhouses and nurseries.

35 - COLLECTION SELLING. Collect prints, recipes, hobby objects, relics, etc. to buy and sell by mail. Accumulate a supply. Learn subject well enough to trade and advise.

36 - GARAGE CLEANING Contract to clean out garages, sheds and attics for individuals, rental agents and absentee landlords. Get paid for the work AND keep things of value.

37 - ICE CREAM ROUTE. With portable refrigerator, sell ice cream on a daily neighborhood route. Include cold (hot in winter) drinks and other snack foods for variety.

38 - METER REBUILDING. Buy surplus water and electrical meters from utility companies. Use special equipment to test and rebuild them for resale to RV parks, apartments.

39 - RENTAL PREPARATION. Prepare apartments for occupancy: paint, do minor repairs, cover scratches, remove stains, replace bulbs, mow lawn, check faucets and drains.

40 - TRANSLATION SERVICE, If bilingual, offer your services for verbal translations or do paper (letters, advertisements, instructions) translations in your "home office."

41 - GARDEN PREPARATION. Dig (Rototill), treat, fertilize gardens for customers. Plant, cultivate, weed, maintain (water, spray), even harvest for extra charges.

42 - COMPOSTING SERVICE. With your portable composting machine, go to client locations and reduce their brush and trimmings to compost. Charge to clear AND to compost.

43 - CATERING SERVICE. Prepare old fashioned, gourmet or special occasion meals for clients to pick up. Use insulated canisters to keep the food hot (charge deposit).

44 - BLACKSMITHING. Operate a small blacksmith shop in your garage or shop. Do repair and custom work. Make things to sell (weather vanes, railings) between orders.

45 - AUTO PARTS REBUILDING. Work with garages and mechanics. Specialize in rebuilding one or more parts (carburetors, master cylinders) for one or several makes.

46 - CHAUFFEUR SERVICE. Use your "1imo" (van, station wagon) to pick up people at airports, shopping tours, to/from games, parties (check insurance, license needs).

47 - DAY LABOR AGENCY. Specialize in providing mostly unskilled workers for short-term jobs. Keep list of workers. Be able to deliver them when, where they are needed.

48 - HERBAL AND SPICE TEA. Blend and sell different blends of herbal teas. Include leaflets with history and folklore in each package. Use uniquely decorated containers.

49 - JOB HUNTER COACH. Provide brush-up or short-term specialized training for job hunters (new equipment, latest programs, skill enhancement) as long school alternative.

50 - NAIL POLISH MANUFACTURING. Buy red lacquer in bulk and bottles in bulk. Mix in various colors, bottle and sell. Add your own nail polish remover (acetone mixture).

51 - TILE WORK. Specialize in ceramic tile: install in bathrooms, sinks, floors. Work by the hour or better still, submit bids for jobs, including the tile (at retail price).

52 - QUILTING. Make and sell beautiful homemade quilts from "scraps" in your "spare time." Take color photographs of each quilt and make a "catalog" to show them.

53 - PLANT SCULPTURE. A profitable specialty: braid trunks, shape into interesting forms. Trim, bend, graft, to create valuable sculptures that bring premium prices.

54 - LAPIDARY (GEM MAKING). Operate a "rock shop" in your garage. Cut, polish facet, shape and mount gems in findings. Sell mounted, unmounted gems and jewelry.

55 - HOME HANDYMAN. Perform handyman services for those who can't or don't have the time. Make good money and save customers the cost of an expensive technician.

56 - FLOWER DRYING. Raise or buy dryable flowers and shrubs for retail and wholesale customers: one kind packets or arrangements. Sell kits with complete instructions.

57 - DUMP TRUCK. With your own truck, take orders from your "home office" to deliver loads of fill, topsoil, sand, gravel etc. to homeowners, landscapers and contractors.

58 - BREAD SPECIALTIES. Bake and sell unusual varieties of home made breads: low calorie, ethnic, etc. Take orders for loaves fresh from your kitchen, deliver to stores.

59 - ADULT MERCHANDISE. Specialize in sale of adult literature and merchandise. Sell from your own stock or have materials drop-shipped directly from your suppliers.

60 - CEMETERY CARE. Contract with cemetery associations, authorities (or families for small plots) to provide care for grounds, or specific services for individual graves.

61 - DELIVERY SERVICE. Contract with local markets, drug stores and pizza parlors to deliver to their customers on a retainer basis. Call in for orders or use car phone.

62 - GOVERNMENT AUCTIONS. Go to major auctions and bid on items for subsequent resale. Take the time to learn and follow the rules to avail yourself of excellent bargains.

63 - IRON CHAIRS. Locate and restore old iron chairs and tables. Remove rust, re-weld as necessary, sand and apply quality primer and rustproof paint. Sell and guarantee.

64 - LAWN MAINTENANCE. Contract to mow lawns by the job or season. Charge extra to edge, rake (or blow), collect and remove clippings. Refer related jobs for a commission.

65 - CEMENT JOBS, SMALL,. Contract small jobs with your mixer, equipment and truck. Haul your own materials. Do small profitable jobs big companies can't afford to bid on.

66 - MOVING ASSISTANCE. With your truck, HELP clients move (vice "move" them - to stay legal). Have standby crew ready to assist. Charge for your time and "expenses."

67 - PICTURE FRAMING. Make unique picture frames for stores, artists and clients from driftwood, scraps and unusual fabrics. Set up jigs in your shop for standard sizes.

68 -TAlCHAN or OIGONG CLASSES. Specialize in leading and teaching Asian aerobic exercises. They should be especially attractive to office workers and the elderly.

69 - AIR DUCT CLEANING. Contract with restaurants (mostly) to perform this necessary service on a one-time basis, or to clean and maintain them on a scheduled basis.

70 - BAIL BONDING. Establish a bail bonding service in your community AFTER checking on state and local laws. Place your phone number and name on a BIG sign near the jail!

71 - CARPET REPAIR. Repair burns, tears, bad and worn spots in carpets for individuals, rental agencies, businesses, hotels. Good sideline for carpet cleaners, dyers, installers.

72 - TREE FARMING. Start from seed or obtain seedlings (liners) from large growers. Plant, provide minimal care and wait for market size growth, then dig up and sell.

73 - FIREWOOD. Contract to clear land with trees. Compost the brush, cut and store the logs for firewood. Cut to standard lengths, stack by size and type for winter sales.

74 - JANITORIAL SERVICE. Contract to clean business and institutions on regular basis. Find out exact requirements and submit your bid on each contract. Bond all employees.

75 - METAL CASTING. Operate a metal foundry in your garage workshop. Cast parts to order and/or make things to sell. Buy or pick up scrap metal to melt down or re-sell.

76 - SURPLUS SALES. With a secure storage area, buy bargain priced items at auctions and sales. Store and advertise for buyers who want them and will pay you a good markup.

77 - APPLIANCE REPAIR. Repair household and light commercial appliances in your shop or on service calls. Sell parts and replacements, take in trades; fix and resell them.

78 - FLEAMARKET BOOTH. Buy one or more categories of merchandise from closeout suppliers and operate a flea market booth. Keep stock in a van and drive to and from.

79 - JICAMA FARMING. Grow and market the delicious (and expensive) water chestnut-like jicama (heck'-e-ma), a sweet potato related climbing vine that likes long, hot summers.

80 - PRIVATE USED CAR LOT. Rent space to private owners to display their "for sale" cars, etc., on your car lot. Put up a sign, take calls, sell placards to sellers.

81 - TAMALES AND TACOS. Take orders for tamales, tacos (or other specialties) in your kitchen for customer or pick-up (or delivery to restaurants). Freeze leftovers.

82 - POOL TABLE REPAIR. Recover and refurbish pool tables for businesses and private parties, sell materials, buy and sell used tables. Sell and/or repair accessories.

83 - JEWELRY BOXES. Make fine jewelry boxes (lined, lacquered, inlaid, shell covered) for gift stores, catalog sales and retail sales. Add music works for extra profits.

84 - HOUSE PAINTING. Contract to paint houses and apartments by the hour or job. Pay high school or college kids a percentage or hourly fee to help, provide the paint.

85 - FLOOR REFINISHING. Sand, bleach, repair and refinish wood floors. Refurbish linoleum with your own or rented equipment, install new linoleum and baseboards.

86 - CUT FLOWER BUSINESS. Grow and supply freshly cut flowers to markets and florists. Offer seasonal or specialize in one or two greenhouse/shade house varieties.

87 - BAR-B-QUE. Set up a portable meat smoker to take to fairs, parades and festivals. Have a supply of meat ready, but keep AROMA going to attract more business.

88 - AUTO THEFT PROTECTION. Offer a variety of devices, systems and price ranges that you can install and maintain to prevent your customers' cars from being stolen.

89 - CONCRETE MOLDING Cast cement statues, birdbaths, waterfalls and lawn ornaments. Offer texture & color variations, custom finishing, water and lighting kits.

90 - CROSSWORDS, FOREIGN LANGUAGE. Design and market crossword puzzles: words in one language, definitions in another. Sell to language schools and by mail order.

91 - RECIPE SALES. Perfect your favorite recipes. Promote and sell them individually, in small sets, or collections. Sell something that will make the cook look great!

92 - SNOW CONE STAND. Sell shaved ice cones from your stand or van: as many flavors as possible. Include other products to increase sales: hot coffee on a cold day.

93 - PRODUCT REPACKAGING. Buy bulk products (nails, beans, vinegar) by the ton or barrel. Re-package into neatly labeled packets, pints, boxes and sell for much more.

94 - MUSIC, LIVE. Arrange for live music for weddings, parties, festivals, banquets, even club dates. Have several types of groups, styles and price ranges on call.

95 - DEHYDRATING BUSINESS. Build your own (solar?) drier to dry in-season fruits and vegetables. When cured, package for retail and/or wholesale customers.

96 - CUSTOM CLOTHING DESIGNS. Paint, block print or transfer unique designs on clothing for smocks, aprons or fabrics to be used for clothing, curtains or upholstery.

97 - CUSTODIAL SERVICE. Contract to maintain office buildings and warehouses: change light bulbs, fix windows, oil fans, fill cracks, fix leaks, replace locks, replace tile, etc.

98 - CONSIGNMENT SALES. With a display area, accept and tastefully display interesting items (only) to sell on consignment. Have forms for written sales agreements.

99 - SELFMADE OPPORTUNITIES. Find a "deal" on a piece of new or used equipment (watch the paper; go to sales). Learn to operate it properly and start your business!

AND, A FEW EXTRAS...

100 - CEILING RENEWAL. Clean (renew) walls and acoustic ceilings in homes, offices, condos, stores. Save customers the price of new paint or ceiling. List with hardware stores.

101 - CONCESSION BOOTH. Operate a booth or stand at a recreation area, shopping mall or parking lot. Sell your products plus others that will help attract more customers.

102 - CEMENT BLOCKS. Mold small orders of standard or custom blocks (building, stepping stones, curbs) in all colors. Take orders, sell from your "yard" and through nurseries.

103 - BEAN SPROUTS. Grow fresh bean sprouts on a rotating basis: have new crop every week or as needed to supply restaurants, vegetable markets and retail customers.

104 - AUTO UPHOLSTERING. Install auto and truck headliners, side paneling and seat covers from your garage or workshop. Offer a choice of material and color combinations.

105 - MIDNIGHT SNACKS. Prepare and deliver hot coffee, sandwiches and other snacks to night shift workers, night owls and late parties. Advertise on all night radio.

106 - BATIK CREATION. Learn this ancient process: dip fabric in wax, crinkle, scratch or melt design into the wax, then dip into dye. Clean, stretch, dry into a valuable decoration.

107 - BALLOON STAND. Set up your booth or table with an air tank (helium) and supply of balloons and accessories. Sell at parades, fairs, flea markets, wherever kids are!

108 - JEWELRY CREATIONS. Use your talent and ingenuity to mass produce or individually create exquisite jewelry -- from virtually anything from diamonds to sliced bamboo.