It takes money to start a new business but it doesnt take a lot of money to start all new businesses. An office cleaning service can get up and running on a couple of thousand dollars. A car detailing business would cost you even less.

But dont just consider cash on hand. Consider your personal and professional assets. Are you a people person? Consider sales. Are you a bean counter? How about opening a tax prep service?

Youve also got other assets. Your own tools, a car or truck, a computer - make a list of all of the cash and other assets on hand. This is the starting point for deciding on the right business for you.

It can cost up to $2 million to buy a McDonalds franchise, so if you dont have $2 mil tucked under the mattress, look for less costly ways to become part of the world of commerce.

It doesnt make much sense to open a landscaping business if you hate mowing the lawn - even if your business does provide financial independence. So, what are you good at? The simple fact is we all enjoy doing things were good at so think about the things you enjoy doing in your spare time. In that mix, theres a business for you - one in which you work 70 hours a week and love it - because its yours!

Okay, maybe you can borrow a few thousand from a friend or family member but dont start maxxing out your credit cards to get your business up and running. Its hard enough to launch a start-up without a heavy debt load the day you open shop.

Youre a certified financial planner considering opening a small office in town. Okay, have you opened the phone book to see how much competition there is in your region? Why swim upstream?

If there are already 10 financial planning firms within a 20 mile radius, chances are these companies have their client bases in place. They also have the resources to blow your little store front to bits with marketing and promotion. The key? Study local competition and start looking for business locations where youre not fighting for attention in a throng of like-minded business owners.

One client designed a beautiful tri-fold, four-color brochure for his new investment firm. He had 5,000 of these tri-folds printed, bundled, boxed and shipped to his home office, which happened to be in his home.

Heres the problem: this business owner only had two clients when he paid to have those brochures designed by a graphic artist and printed on lacquered, high-end paper. The whole package, including shipping, costs the new businessperson just a little over $2,000. Unfortunately, he had four boxes of brochures stacked in his home office, he was out $2K and those brochures werent going to grow the new business any faster - something essential to any new business. Growth. Fast.

Cash is king. Dont spend it unless you have to. Lease when you can. Use on-line virtual assistants (VA) if the work load gets too heavy. And save what cash you have for immediate growth.

Just set yourself someplace quiet and start writing whatever pops into your head. What will you need? How will you get it? What wont you give up? Do the free association thing and one thought will lead to the next and the next.

Refine your notes over a week or two until you see step one, step two, three and four. A business grows organically under the right conditions. This is the time to create the right conditions.