These low-cost options can supplement your income or become a full-time gig.
If anything’s hot in today’s economy, it’s saving money, including a broad range of green businesses helping people save energy, water and other resources. For those seeking flexible hours and low startup costs, these five green businesses to start at home may be the best way to join the green business wave… more at 5 Green Businesses You Can Start at Home – Home Green Businesses – Entrepreneur.com, published 6 Feb 2009.
Flickr photo credit: Paul Chenoweth

What do the best franchise owners know about online marketing that you need to know, too?
With the new year comes new challenges. As business owners and operators, consumers, and citizens, we know that the climate has changed radically in the last year. However, as I indicated recently in my column–there’s no need to panic. I talked then about cultivating stronger customer relationships, and provided tips on how to do so. My advice applied to anyone working to establish and build a successful entrepreneurial venture, whether it be an independent restaurant, a consulting …

Lisa Flynn, a mother of two young boys, never relished having her children photographed. For her, birth announcements and holiday portraits meant either spending a small fortune for a professional photographer who didn’t cater to colicky clientele or settling for cheesy props and fuzzy blue backdrops at the mall portrait studio. “I thought, ‘There has got to be a better way to get your kid’s picture taken,’ ” says Flynn, who was running her own marketing and advertising firm at the time. She looked into buying a franchise that specialized …