Small businesses I plan to start.

Post Reply New Topic

Since I can't seem to be able to find work, I'm considering starting some small businesses. My major is in accounting, currently though I've only finished my first quarter and the only business class so far is Intro To Business. For the Fall quarter I'm taking Accounting I, Microeconomics, and Principles of Marketing. For Winter quarter I'm going to see if I can take Accounting II and Tax Accounting. It's still about 4 years before I get my Bachelor's though.

Here are the types of small business I'm considering:

(1) Aviculture, particularly the raising of hand tamed cockatiels.

(2) Assistance with income tax paperwork. I know I have no credentials yet, but the main thing is to be accurate and fill out the forms correctly. Probably would just be offering services through Craig's list for my area.

(3) Latin translation and composition services. No fees, but donations only if the customers wish.


I would like to hear any thoughts on my current ideas and any suggestions that anyone would like to offer.

All of them, I think. Tax work is seasonal, and then the other two might not take up all your available time right away. Be careful with tax work, I'm sure you already know what's permitted under law.

Have you ever seen that TV show where a woman gets a family out of debt?

Till Debt Do Us Part

Maybe you could counsel people in the same way. But be careful of legalities.

As far as I know, if you dare doing someone else's tax paperwork for money, you need your credentials in this countrey. you might find taxes to be rather seasonal work fi you are advertising via craigslist, though, as there you&ll likely just end up with individuals with the typical April 15 deadline. Businesses do taxes moreoften, because they actually have to pay multiple times a year, typically to aviod penalties. (so do individuals, but most individuals actually pay every two weeks or so, via their employer.)

My 2 cents....

Aviculture - Questionable market. How many people will buy these?

Tax preparation - Question as to if you need credentials. To my knowledge, you do not have to have any credentials, but you sign each return and are on the hook for mistakes. Most tax returns done by anybody in the business are not even "accountants" by any standard. They plug numbers into a computer program and print the results. Real accountants and CPA work for accounting firms and charge a lot more for doing tax paperwork. Seasonal work at best. Accountants and CPA have year-round work for bigger clients with ongoing tax paperwork needs.

Latin translation - A dead language as a means of income?

IF you are looking to make a few bucks doing what you enjoy, any of these are fine.

IF you are needing money to pay bills, none of these will likely do the job.

If you are going to provide a service, you would likely do better to mow people's lawns or wash windows than any of the above options.

My view:

Avilculture: Fun but probably difficult to use as a stable source of income

Tax prep: Good potential, though seasonal. A CPA may be required, but often is not (a CPA is requird when working on a corporation's tax returns, but not for individuals or businesses functioning as sole proprietorships; check IRS and your state regulation for details). Add to that general business accounting and bookkeeping and you have a potential annual market.

Latin translation: Extremely difficult, though there is a paying market for Latin translation, mostly of things like university diplomas that are in Latin, but must be translated for licensing or other purposes. This is a very small market, so like aviculture, probably fun but not a good source of income.

Someone I know makes money doing bookkeeping and payroll for local businesses. He has a B.A. in economics (no CPA or other certification). A friend is a CPA and puts that to good use. I'm a translator and in my 15+ years in the field have met a couple of people who have been paid to translate Latin (I have too, BTW) in the form of the small jobs I mentioned above. I know nothing about birds except that my cats like to watch them.

You posed us a tough one.
Perhaps until you get a degree, your best choice might be to work for someone else and on the side raise and sell birds. If you work at at place like the fast food Panda restaurants, you'll get at least a little steady money and maybe a meal or two a day.