Hi, my question is during a slow economy mostly in small towns less than 10,000
pop. provide a list of 10 small business to start that have a greater chance to
prosper than most , just looking for a valid opinion of what might work with
a startup cost of 50,000.00 or less am located in the midwest if that helps you

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Request for Question Clarification by easterangel-ga on 21 Nov 2002 04:37 PST

Hi! I have not found a small business list specifically for "small
towns less than 10,000 pop." but I found a survey for US overall.
These are small businesses and have ratings for risk factors. Would
this be considered as a legitimate answer? If you say yes, I will
immediately go to work. Just let me know. :)

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Clarification of Question by onyd-ga on 21 Nov 2002 06:53 PST

I think that would be good but also you must have some knowledge of
this yourself to try and answer and would take it as a good answer if
you you include  a list of your own opinion of what may or may not
work also something that could prosper during slow down /hard times 
what ever you want to call it
does that make sense to you . let me know if this helps

                 and thanks for taking it

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Request for Question Clarification by easterangel-ga on 21 Nov 2002 07:31 PST

Yes onyd-ga, I understand your concern since this is a business. I do
not have personal knowledge about the type of information you want and
would not think that my opinion would be valuable to you because of
this.

However, what I found is an extensive survey assessing the risk
ratings of small businesses in the USA done by a professional firm.
Our tasks as researchers primarily s for us to direct you to the
information. If you would accept this info as the sole source of my
answer, I will now post it. Just let me know. :)

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Clarification of Question by onyd-ga on 21 Nov 2002 12:14 PST

ok i will accept that, if even though you are not a expert you may
have a million dollar idea maybe not but if you spend a bit thinking
leave me what you found plus your thoughts  good or bad  i will accept
that and leave you a good report , you surly know everyone is good at
something maybe you have found your calling maybe not but your opinion
and ur research is what i'm after/ You know think about it if i had
10,000.00 dollars to spend and i found resaonably smart
people 10.00 to give me 10 ideas  dreams or thoughts  dont you agree
there is a good one in there somewhere  !! just food for thought  good
luck and throw me what you can.

Hi! Thanks for the question and thanks for accepting my answer.

The Bizstats website publishes the Biz Miner data on the safest small
business in the US for 2002 our age of economic downturn. The report
is important since it also provides statistics on the percentages of
number of establishments, which has profits, and the number with
losses in each type of business. We may not agree with some of the
business types but what matters most is that this is backed-up by
data. Here is the report and a glimpse of the top 20 on the list. I
suggest you read the whole report.

1.  Surveying & mapping (except geophysical) services  
2.  Optometrists   
3.  Dentists  
4.  Certified public accountants  
5.  School and charter bus drivers  
6.  Special trade contractors  
7.  Mental health practitioners and social therapists  
8.  Physicians (except mental health specialists)   
9.  Taxi and limousine service  
10. Residential building construction  
11. Medical and diagnostic lab services  
12. Architectural services  
13. Land subdivision &  land development  
14. Child day care services   
15. Legal services  
16. Administrative and support services  
17. Home health care services   
18. Physicians -  mental health specialist  
19. Educational  
20. General freight trucking,  

“The Safest & Riskiest Small Businesses – 2002”
http://www.bizstats.com/sprisk2.htm 

I am really flattered that you still ask for my own assessment. In my
own humble opinion, I have here a top 10 of the safest business in an
economic downturn taken from my own experience of observation, talking
to colleagues and reading professional reports and books.

1. Pest Control Service – Everybody has bug control problems.
2. Funeral Services – Since somebody always dies.
3. Dental Clinics – Everyone has a problem with the tooth every now
and then.
4. Plumbing Services
5. Retail children’s clothing
6. Child day care services
7. Physician Clinic
8. Accounting service
9. Web design services since everybody wants a website
10. Laundry service

Search strategy used:
Searched the Bizstats website for necessary statistics

I hope these links and lists would help you in your research and in
your decision. Before rating this answer, please ask for a
clarification if you have a question or if you would need further
information.

Thanks for visiting us.

Regards,
Easterangel-ga

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Request for Answer Clarification by onyd-ga on 21 Nov 2002 18:35 PST

hi I am fine with what you have provided the link is interesting and
does provide some info on what im looking for. as for your answer or I
mean your opinion thanks so much it is what i wanted  and understand
its your opinion I will rate you high if you give me just a paragraph
on your background age group
you are in ect. as it will help me a little with your opinion . If you
can do that i will be happy and will be glad to give you good marks.I
have been watching this answer thing a while and across the board am
very impressed with
99%  of what i see.  thanks and am quite sure i will be back with some
more
questions about marketing research and business ???   thanks again

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Clarification of Answer by easterangel-ga on 21 Nov 2002 18:52 PST

Hi again! I am in the 30 - 35 age group. Had a degree in business
management. A father of a wonderful daughter and a happy Google
Answers researcher. I have worked with a pest control company before
and that's why it is number one in my list since I know a little bit
about this business. Other lists of businesses were generated from
friends and colleagues who do or want to do this type of business and
of course from some of my readings. I hope you understand of not
giving much of my profile since this is a public forum.

I like researching since you would have to be very objective of what
you need to present and leave all your biases behind. This is the
reason why I was apprehensive when you ask for my opinion since I
believe that in business, one should throw his emotions all out of the
window and buckle down to work.

Good luck on your business!

thanks #1 i,m happy with a quick and good answer #2 he did what i ask
about his input no expierence or not sometimes a outside look is good 
#3 gives me a thought or 2 and a idea or 2 about more research on my
own. thanks as i said i am mostly very impressed         thanks again,
and be good if u cant be good at it

Back in the 80's, things in my part of the economic world went
seriously wrong (oil and real estate in Texas crashed, taking many
businesses down with them), especially if you were in my line of work
which, at the time, was selling fine art. I had lots of time, in
between scarce customers, to consider what business I should have
chosen to have avoided my financial plight. I wished on more than one
occasion I had chosen to sell something that people HAVE to buy, no
matter what the economy. Many of those types of businesses have
already been named by easterangel-ga. But...

Somewhere on the list, it seems to me, ought to be businesses having
to do with personal transportation, i.e. cars and light trucks. No
matter how bad the economy or what size the town, if your car breaks
down, you're going to be hiring a mechanic, and when your tires are
shot, you WILL be visiting a tire store.

Just an extra bite to chew on. Best of luck.

thanks for the comment i am with you on the have to have things