1. Virtual Assistant Virtual Assistants provide administrative services to small businesses that dont have a staff to handle these duties. VAs can perform a variety of tasks for clients including contact database management, writing and sending business letters, designing brochures, and creating newsletters.

2. After School Care Instead of operating a full-time daycare service, offer before and after school care. Many parents would rather pay to have someone watch their kids for a couple of hours each day and avoid turning them into latch key kids.

3. Computer Tutor Computer tutors teach students how to navigate the internet, access email, set up a new computer, and use programs like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Quickbooks. These services can be delivered one on one or in classes held at local adult learning campuses, retirement centers, and churches. Tutors can charge by the hour or a fee for class registration.

4. Freelance Writer Freelance writers write articles for newspapers and magazines or copy for businesses. Most articles require research and must be well-written and suited to the style of the publication. Publications typically pay $.10 - $2.00 per word. Businesses also contract writers to create reports, press releases, advertising copy and other special projects.

5. Pet Sitter Pet sitters provide in-home pet care while pet owners are on vacation. Services offered typically include feeding and playing with the animals, yard or litter box cleanup, dog walking, and even plant watering, newspaper & mail gathering, and rotating lights. Pet sitters usually charge a fee per visit and charge extra to care for additional pets.

6. Ebay Trading Assistant Trading assistants act as sales brokers for eBay by contracting with clients to list items for sale, collect fees from buyers, ship the items and then take a percentage of the profitsusually between 30-50%. This is an excellent service to offer people who are not computer savvy yet have items they would like to sell online.

7. Homemade Crafter Crafters who create quality goods such as knitted items, wooden wares, ornaments, clothing, home dcor, and even baked goods can sell their products for a profit. Crafts can be sold at flea markets, street fairs, trade shows, in-home parties, community events, or through a website.

Stephanie Chandler

Stephanie Chandler is a small business expert and the author of "The Business Startup Checklist and Planning Guide: Seize Your Entrepreneurial Dreams!" and "From Entrepreneur to Infopreneur: Make Money with Books, E-books and Information Products."

Chandler is also the founder of Business Info Guide, a directory of resources for entrepreneurs and the owner of Book Lovers Bookstore in Sacramento, CA.

In 2003 she fled an 11-year career in the Silicon Valley to pursue her entrepreneurial and writing goals and she has never looked back. A frequent presenter at business conferences and events, Chandler's articles have been seen in hundreds of online and print publications.