Switzerland's largest bank, pay $780 million US clients to resolve criminal fraud charges against it.

UBS agrees on tax fraud settlement in US

The deal is to settle the claim that UBS helped wealthy American clients evade taxes. It could expose some UBS customers to US Internal Revenue Service scrutiny and law enforcement action.

Officials at the US Justice Department said UBS had entered what is known as a deferred prosecution agreement on charges of conspiring to defraud the US by impeding the IRS, the US tax collection agency.

They described it as one of the biggest settlements ever.
UBS shares drop 10 pct amid concern over US probe
Shares in UBS AG are down 10 percent amid concern about the impact of an ongoing tax evasion probe in the U.S.

The bank's share price fell to 11.50 Swiss francs in early trading on the Zurich exchange Friday.

Investors reacted to the news overnight that U.S. authorities want UBS to hand over the names of up to 52,000 American customers suspected of failing to declare all of their taxable assets.

On Wednesday, UBS announced it had reached an agreement to give up some 250 to 300 names to U.S. investigators in an unprecedented breach of Swiss banking privacy.
Swiss ready to pass UBS client
UBS is at the center of a high-profile U.S. investigation that alleges the Swiss bank helped rich Americans avoid paying taxes by hiding money away in undeclared Swiss bank accounts.

Virtual Worlds Invested $594 Million in 2008

63 virtual world companies benefitted, but spending is down drastically from the $1.4 billion invested in 2007. Where did the money go?
A report released earlier this week from Virtual Worlds Management estimates that roughly $594 Million was invested in various virtual world companies throughout 2008. That's an impressive sum given the oppressive economic climate in the latter half of the year, but the numbers are way down from 2007's spending binge, where investors poured $1.4 billion into this space.
Where is this money going? Interestingly, only a fraction is going toward funding for large, triple-A worlds aimed at mature gamers. If you look at the complete breakdown at the bottom of the report, the majority of investments are aimed at smaller companies producing web-based games for kids and tweens. Investors are obviously hoping to see a lot of upside from a small company, as we've seen in the past with Club Penguin or Webkinz.
That's not to say that some of this money isn't going toward companies aimed at the core gamer. In Q2, Realtime worlds (creator of GameSpy favorite Crackdown) brought in $50 million to help fund its upcoming online game. That same quarter, Turbine (the developer behind The Lord of the Rings Online) finished up a round of financing with $40 million in order to fuel company growth.If you enjoy fan-made game movies, you'd be pleased to see that Machinima.com got a $3.85 million investment in Q4 of 2008, even as the economy was going haywire. Another interesting company to get financing in the turbulent Q4 was Metaplace, Raph Koster's experimental MMO platform where anyone can create their own virtual world.Digging down into where the money went, some unusual projects are uncovered. For instance, Trion Worlds received a $70 million investment in the third quarter. The company is working on a fantasy MMO as well as an unannounced project with the Sci-Fi Channel to simultaneously launch a new TV series and an associated virtual world. Could this be a game based off of the Battlestar Galactica prequel, Caprica, coming out in early 2010? We can only guess.Looking at the numbers, it's interesting to note that in 2007, a single property (Club Penguin) was purchased by Disney for $350 million, with another $350 million promised if the game hit projected growth targets. That single $700 million investment was more than the total of every virtual world investment in 2008!Times may be difficult for virtual world developers (employees of Cheyenne Mountain, developers of the Stargate Worlds game, haven't been paid for 69 days), but some investors still see potential in the marketplace even as the economic climate makes it harder and harder to fund new development.

Standard Life material about its Pension Sterling Fund was "misleading."

Standard Life facts 'misleading'

A financial services lawyer says Standard Life material about its Pension Sterling Fund was "misleading."
He says the city regulator should be examining the fact sheets to consider if compensation should be paid.
Standard Life has already said it will compensate people who invested after it revalued the fund on 23 December.
But it insists "customer literature [showed] the fund was invested... in a range of short dated money market instruments."
Subprime involvement
However, documents seen by BBC Radio 4's Money Box programme show that in March 2008 a fact sheet issued by Standard Life showed 100% of the fund - sold as a safe harbour for pension money shortly before retirement - was in cash

And Standard Life has admitted that up to 40% of the fund is still held in what are called "mortgage backed securities" - the products which have been involved in the subprime banking crisis which has swept around the world.
Adam Samuel, a lawyer who advises companies on whether their product information conforms to regulations, which say it must be "clear, fair and not misleading" told Money Box the documents failed that test.
"There's a description of the asset type as being 100% in cash, which in the small print says could indicate some short term money market instruments.
"Mortgage backed securities tend to be over quite a long term so that's wrong.
"The documents are not clear, not fair and definitely misleading."
Due compensation?
His comments were made a week after Standard Life told Money Box there were no grounds to compensate its customers.

Three days later it said it would compensate those who invested after it revalued the fund downwards on 23 December, but before it made that information public on 14 January.
Adam Samuel says the documents show there is a case for taking the compensation back much further.
"The Financial Services Authority should be sitting down with Standard Life and going through documentation for each year and deciding whether their descriptions of the fund pass the clear, fair and not misleading test.
"In reality that may mean compensating everybody."
Standard Life response
Standard Life told the programme that the information provided to customers was not misleading and in a statement said:
"It has been detailed in our customer literature that the fund was invested not only in deposits but also in a range of short-dated money market instruments.
"As soon as sufficiently reliable information was available, the securities held in the fund were revalued.
"That led to a reduction in the unit price."
The company would not comment in writing on the suggestion that compensation should be extended.

Money Earning Tutorials & Resources

What's Affiliate Marketing? How do you turn your traffic into profit? Pay-per-Click vs. Pay-for-Performance? Pay-per-Click: the need for huge traffic? Pay-for-Performance Drives Results? How do large affiliate networks function? How / when do you get paid? Why is there a minimum amount policy? What if my revenue is below the minimum amount? How do you get a sponsor? A bit on rights & duties - How free are you?Earn Money Opportunities, Affiliate Marketing - Info + Tips, Search for one or more Sponsors for Your Web Site, Guide to Find the right Sponsors for Your Web Site, Tips for Beginning Webmasters, have a Business or Commercial Web Site? Here's an Excellent Opportunity for You, other Profitable and/or Advantageous Opportunities Available to You on our Web Site. The right sponsor(s) for Your Web Site - a Hot tip!

How to create a page that is: easy to make, beautiful, interesting, and profitable!E.g. add images and content royalty free to your pages and make money with them!

Earn Money Opportunities, Affiliate Marketing - Info + Tips, Search for one or more Sponsors for Your Web Site, Guide to Find the right Sponsors for Your Web Site, Tips for Beginning Webmasters, have a Business or Commercial Web Site? Here's an Excellent Opportunity for You, other Profitable and/or Advantageous Opportunities Available to You on our Web Site.

Free marketing resources for Webmasters and online entepreneurs. Free articles, free sales letters, free web-scripts, free promotion tools, etc.

Tutorial on advertisement and promotion related to making money through affiliate programs; also has a directory of affilate programs,

How to Make Money From Your Website

Now that you've created a website, how do you make money from it? There are at least two ways in which sites can make money:
1..Advertising Revenue
2..Selling Goods and Services
I shall deal with the second case, "Selling goods and services", in another article. In this article, I will address the issue of how your site can actually make money from advertising.

Making Money From Advertising
If you look at many websites, you will probably notice that there are banner advertisements displayed on most pages. If you are a newcomer to the scene, you might think that you must either be a company or that your site must be famous before you can get advertisers, just as it is the case in hardcopy publications.
In reality, anyone with a website can get advertisers. While it is true that if your site is well-known, you may get companies contacting you to offer to advertise on your site, you can get advertising revenue even if you are just starting out and your site is relatively unknown.
The way to do this is to join as an "affiliate" of various sites, either directly, or through an affiliate network. An affiliate network is simply an intermediary where you can select from a variety of advertisers.
Payment Schemes
Before joining any program, you should probably be aware of the different payment schemes available.
Pay Per Impression (CPM)
Here, you are paid according to the number of times the advertiser's banner is displayed on your site. The amount you earn is typically calculated based on the number of thousand impressions of the banner (impressions = number of times the banner is displayed), often abbreviated CPM (cost per thousand, with the M being the Latin numeral for thousand). That is, $5 CPM means that you get paid $5 for 1,000 displays of the banner. In general, the amount paid is usually small, but it is easy to earn since everytime a visitor loads the page, you earn. This is known as a "high conversion rate". Needless to say, this method will allow you to automatically earn more if your site attracts a lot of visitors.
Pay Per Click (PPC)
When you are paid per click, you are only paid when visitors click the advertiser's banner on your site. The amount paid is usually higher than the pay per impression scheme. Whether you get a high conversion rate here depends on the banner (whether it attracts people to click it), although in general, it has a higher conversion rate than the pay per sale method. A high traffic site will probably enjoy a higher click rate than a lower traffic site, although you will probably get better results if your banners are carefully selected to suit the target audience of your site.
Pay Per Sale or Lead
While you will probably get the highest payment rates with this method, it has the lowest conversion rate of the three schemes. You will only earn if your visitors click through the banner and either purchase an item from the advertiser or take some other prescribed action (eg, sign up for a service). Like the Pay Per Click method, you get much better results if you carefully select your advertisers to suit the target audience of your site.
In general, to avoid wasting resources in issuing cheques for very small amounts, advertisers will usually accrue the amount owing to you until it reaches a certain level (such as $25) before they pay you.
Where to Find Affiliate Programs
You can find a list of affiliate programs and affiliate networks on thefreecountry.com's Affiliate Program page at http://www.thefreecountry.com/webmaster/affiliate.shtml
To join an affiliate network or program, simply go to the site and complete their online application form. Some programs will give you instant approval while others require a human to check out your application before it is approved. Once it is approved, you'll be given some HTML code which you can cut and paste into your web page. Note that some affiliate networks and programs will not accept you unless you have your own domain name. If you are planning to earn from your site, you should seriously consider registering your own domain name.
How To Choose An Affiliate Program
How should you choose an affiliate program? My suggestion is not to choose a program according to the payment scheme, but rather according to the kind of people who are likely to visit your website. For example, if you are targeting parents on your site, links to affiliates with educational software, books and the like may generate more revenue than banners that link to web hosting companies. The most important rule of choosing an affiliate program is to know your target audience.
Another point to consider is whether you really want to join every single affiliate program that comes your way. Some studies suggest that sites that make the most money from affiliate programs are affiliates of only a small handful of programs. Furthermore, concentrating your advertisements from one network may allow you to be paid faster. If you advertise for hundreds of different affiliate networks on your site, you may wind up earning only (say) a few dollars per month from each network. If your advertiser's minimum payment amount is higher than what you can earn each month, it may take you a long time before you accrue enough to be paid.
On the other hand, that formula does not necessarily hold true for every site (or every page on your site, for that matter). For example, if your site has a particular theme, and an affiliate network only supports one or two suitable advertisers, you might want to sign up for a few affiliate networks so as to get a greater number of relevant advertisers. After all, advertisements that are relevant to your audience are more likely to be taken up than general advertisements. (What's the point of putting banners from only one affiliate if nobody is going to click them?)
Automated Context-Sensitive Advertising
One of the latest trends in website sponsorship is to sign up with an advertising network like Google AdSense The advertising network automatically checks your web page and determines the most relevant advertisement for the page. As a result, without much additional effort from you, you get advertisements targeted at the interests of your visitors. As mentioned earlier, targeted ads tend to result in better performance and returns.
Get Started
Advertising revenue is one of the most effortless way to earn money from your site. You merely have to put the banner there and wait for the money to roll in. (Well, okay, not quite. You will still need to have some visitors first before you can make anything.)
Why wait? If you already have a website, let it earn even while you sleep (literally). Every day you let your site "idle" without advertising is a day of lost opportunity.

Switzerland to take on $60 billion of UBS assets

UBS and Credit Suisse Get Urgent Bailout Funds

As the financial crisis continued to roll through world markets despite massive bailouts, the two leading Swiss banks said Thursday they had secured emergency support totalling some $14.1 billion, either from the Swiss authorities or from outside investors including the Qatar Investment Authority.

At the same time, the Swiss National Bank said it had set up a fund to absorb toxic assets from the country’s biggest bank, UBS. The measures offered a sharp contrast to Switzerland’s previous appearance of aloofness from Europe’s government-sponsored rescue operations.
Jean-Pierre Roth, the president of the Swiss National Bank, said it was “preferable that we go ahead with this operation now, in an orderly fashion — despite the fact that the markets have regained a certain degree of optimism in the past few days — rather than at a later point under potentially more adverse conditions.”
He called the rescue “unprecedented with regards to the reasons for it.”
UBS said it would receive a direct injection of government money in the form of mandatory convertible notes worth some $5.3 billion while Credit Suisse, the second largest Swiss bank, said it had raised $8.8 billion from “a small group of major global investors” including the Qatari authorities, which already hold a significant stake. The government injection of funds into UBS could represent a 9percent stake in the bank, whose $44 billion writedowns related to toxic assets have been Europe’s worst.
Credit Suisse also reported a net third quarter loss of $1.3 billion after further writedowns. UBS reported third-quarter net income of $261 million.
The Swiss National Bank said it had created a fund that would enable UBS to transfer $60 billion worth of toxic assets from its balance sheet. UBS said the fund would be capitalized with $6 billion of equity capital provided by UBS and $54 billion from the Swiss National Bank.
UBS said in a statement: “With this transaction, UBS caps future potential losses from these assets, secures their long-term funding, reduces its risk-weighted assets and materially de-risks and reduces its balance sheet.”
The assets transferred into the new fund included $31 billion related to the United States sub-prime and other markets that included mortgage-based securities and securities backed by student loans.
“At completion of the transaction, UBS’s next exposure in these categories will be reduced to nearly zero,” the UBS statement said.
The UBS chief executive, Max Rohner, called the bailout a “definitive move” to accelerate risk reduction in “the extremely difficult market environment.”
For its part, the Swiss government said in separate statement that it was “confident that this package of measures will contribute to the lasting strengthening of the Swiss financial system.”
“The resulting stabilization is beneficial for overall economic development in Switzerland and is in the interests of the country as a whole,” the statement said.
Previously the Swiss authorities had seemed to be standing apart from the wave of bailouts among European countries who have pledged around $1.8 trillion to free up credit markets and support the continent’s banking system. But such is the size of the Swiss banking industry in relation to the overall economy that the Swiss might not have had the resources to bail out UBS and Credit Suisse if they ran into deep trouble.

MORE...

Switzerland gave UBS AG, the European bank with the biggest losses from the credit crisis, a $59.2 billion bailout and pushed Credit Suisse Group AG to raise funds, joining authorities around the world in shoring up banks.
UBS will get 6 billion Swiss francs ($5.2 billion) from the government and put as much as $60 billion of risky assets into a fund backed by the central bank, the Zurich-based company said. Credit Suisse Group AG raised 10 billion francs from investors including Qatar and Tel Aviv-based Koor Industries Ltd.
Switzerland is the last of the world's financial centers to pour cash into ailing financial institutions after losses on bad debts reached $647 billion globally and credit markets froze. The Swiss government plans to raise deposit guarantees and is ready to back the short- and medium-term interbank loans of the nation's banks, after countries across Europe took similar measures.
``At last the Swiss are doing something,'' said Peter Thorne, an analyst at Helvea in London. ``They risked getting left behind their European rivals and paying the price for slowness.''
UBS rose 40 centimes, or 2 percent, to 20.48 francs by 11:09 a.m. in Swiss trading after falling as much as 10 percent. The stock has declined 56 percent this year, compared with a 52 percent drop in the 69-company Bloomberg Europe Banks and Financial Services Index. Credit Suisse, which reported a third- quarter loss, rose 3.28 francs, or 7.2 percent, to 49.18 francs.
Government Stake
UBS will sell 6 billion francs in mandatory convertible notes to the government. After conversion, the Swiss government would own 9.3 percent in the bank, UBS said.
The Swiss National Bank, the country's central bank, will support the fund holding the risky assets with as much as $54 billion in loans, the government said. The SNB will receive interest on the loans and is entitled to a share in any profits.
UBS posted $44.2 billion of credit losses and writedowns on mortgage-related assets since the start of last year, the most by any bank in Europe, following a wrong-way bet on the U.S. housing market. The Swiss bank had already raised about $27 billion from investors this year to replenish capital.
The measures announced today will help the banks meet tighter capital rules that the Swiss Federal Banking Commission is planning to introduce, the regulator said, and reduce risky assets on UBS's balance sheet.
``This package of measures will contribute to the lasting strengthening of the Swiss financial system,'' the government said. ``The resulting stabilization is beneficial for overall economic development in Switzerland and is in the interests of the country as a whole.''
Losing Rich Clients
UBS will transfer about $31 billion in U.S. assets, including subprime and Alt-A securities, as well as about $18 billion in non-U.S. debt investments to the central bank fund in the fourth or first quarters. The bank also can transfer as much as $9 billion of additional holdings later, including up to $5 billion of auction-rate securities that UBS may buy back from clients.
The transactions will leave UBS with ``essentially zero'' risk related to U.S. subprime, Alt-A, prime, commercial real estate and mortgage-backed securities, as well as student loan- backed securities and reference-linked notes, Chief Executive Officer Marcel Rohner said on a conference call. The bank will still have $4.3 billion in risk related to bond insurers and $4.7 billion in loans pledged for leveraged buyouts, he said.
UBS, which reported third-quarter net income of 296 million francs today, is seeking to stem client defections at the world's largest private bank. Wealth management and business banking clients withdrew a net 49.3 billion francs in the third quarter, with all regions showing outflows.
Credit Suisse Loss
UBS will take a charge of about 4 billion francs in the fourth quarter from the transactions announced today, which will probably result in a net loss, Rohner said. He reiterated that UBS expects a profitable 2009.
Credit Suisse Chief Executive Officer Brady Dougan said the bank decided to raise money now to satisfy new capital rules for 2013 and avoid investors questioning its financial strength.
``Our view is that in these markets being in a position of unquestioned capital strength will be paramount,'' he said.
Credit Suisse reported a loss of 1.3 billion francs in the three months ending Sept. 30 after a pretax loss of 3.2 billion francs from its investment banking division. It had writedowns of 2.4 billion francs in leveraged finance and structured products.
Existing shareholders Qatar Holding LLC, Koor Industries Ltd. and Olayan Investments Company Establishment took part in the capital increase, Dougan said, declining to elaborate on the stakes each investor acquired.
The bank is selling 93 million treasury shares for about 3.2 billion francs, a bond that will convert into about 50 million new shares for about 1.7 billion francs, and a hybrid tier 1 bond for 5.5 billion francs.
The measures raise Credit Suisse's proforma Tier 1 capital ratio to about 13.7 percent as of Sept. 30, from the reported 10.4 percent. That means the bank exceeds Swiss regulator's increased capital requirements for 2013.

Shares in both banking giants fell sharply after the series of announcement by the banks and the authorities, matching early declines across Europe’s stock markets following the huge tumbles on Wall Street on Wednesday and in Asia on Thursday. But the Swiss banking shares recovered slightly and UBS shares posted a modest gain by mid-morning.

Easy Top 10 Ways to Earn Money!!

The million-dollar question that confronts every would-be entrepreneur
is: What kind of business can I start? Here are the top ten ways to earn huge income while working at home.

You do not have to read many success stories before you start wishing you could work for yourself. The opportunity to be your own boss and the potential for high income are enough to entice us to venture on our own. But what can you do? What kind of business would you be suitable to start? We have compiled the top 10 ways to earn money at home, enough to be a full-time self-employed businessperson!

1// Antiques

The buying and selling of antiques has been and should continue to be a very productive business, financially, for those that do it. Here, you only need an extra room in the house, or the use of your garage -- and you have an office!
If you have a large home that has some antique furnishings, you might consider turning it into a showroom for your antique acquisitions and sales, providing you satisfy any local zoning regulations. The interest in antiques will survive into the foreseeable future. Many people choose to spend their free time on the weekends "antiquating" from place to place to try and pick up a few odds or ends and maybe a jewel or two. If you know anything about antiques, this may be a great opportunity for you.
For more information:
Priceless Guide to the Antique Business by Patrick Campbell How to Make Money in the Antiques-And-Collectibles Business .

2. Baking
Have you ever been told that you have a recipe that people would line up to get if they could? Ever had anyone tell you that you should be selling those cupcakes you make?
There are a number of success stories about people who have launched successful businesses by cooking at home and then marketing to local people first. You may specialize in on just one well-tried and tested food product; or you may innovate on a product that you created yourself and which has never been marketed before. Having perfected the recipe you then turn to packaging and marketing. Word of mouth on a good product may start to get restaurants or bakeries interested in acquiring your culinary masterpieces. Then you progress to selling them statewide and you're on your way to a profitable home-based business.

3. Bed-and-Breakfast Proprietors Have you ever stayed in a bed and breakfast and thought, "Hey, I can do this!" You probably went on vacation and simply chalked your thought up as one of those pipedreams one gets when they stay in a beautiful spot.
Don't toss that thought away! While it's not easy work as the hours can be long and it's usually a seven days per week business, it's often something that you can work into a daily schedule. After all, it's merely an extension of doing the housework for family, right? More and more Americans are taking after Europeans and opening their homes to travelers.
If you have an extra room or two since the kids moved out, you can start a bed and breakfast in your own place! Bed and breakfast popularity will continue as more and more vacationers and business travelers seek a different accommodation away from the predictability of the average hotel room. If they enjoy their stay, many become "repeat" customers, coming back to the same familiar surroundings time and again.
If you don't need to do any major renovations in the house to accommodate this type of establishment, you can be off and running with very little money invested, other than advertising and some new "guest room supplies". If your dream is to buy a bed and breakfast somewhere in a vacation paradise, there are probably houses for sale that will work for this purpose.

4. Childcare
Due to the financial pressures faced by many families today, parents work outside of the home to bring in enough income to pay daily living expenses. A single parent is obviously working but all too often, both members of a two-parent family are in the workforce. This creates a home-based opportunity. Children must be watched, all day if they're not in school, or, otherwise, for a brief time after school before the parents finish work for the day. Most parents want their children immersed in a more stimulating environment than is usual with the average babysitter. You can begin small at home, offering a more stimulating and educational environment setting for client children.
Caring for one additional child may not be that lucrative, but taking care of several children can certainly be a full-time, financially successful business. Often, taking care of several children is made somewhat easier as the youngsters often will play together. You can do this at home for only a small investment in basic equipment and toys for the kids in addition to the advertising of your business.

5. Computer Specialist
The advent of the computer age has changed the concept of self-employment. Having a computer at home has opened a number of opportunities for running your own business utilizing this equipment. Companies everywhere are "outsourcing" work that can be done by someone else on their computer, out of their own home.
If you are a whiz in computers, you may end up working as a consultant, writing programs for companies. If you are a beginner, you may find yourself able to obtain work as a writer, using your computer to produce copy that is easy to edit. You can also keep accounting and payroll records for companies on your computer's database.
Word processing software can be used not only for writers but for those that can offer secretarial services out of their house. Desktop publishing software can allow you to do newsletters for businesses and other organizations. If you can operate a computer, you can find work in the information age today.
Of course, the advent of the Web has opened a lot of business opportunities for the enterprising individuals. If you have skills in lay-outing and graphic design, you can be a website designer. Website designers earn significant amounts of money nowadays.

6. Gardening
If you like working in your garden each year , it's a definite possibility for home-based employment. Imagine clearing a little more space and growing more items that you can sell directly to the consumer. You can produce vegetables, bedding plants, bonzai tree, exotic plants, flower trees, herb, house plants, landscaping plants, orchids and many more.
Most produce stands will buy from you if your product is one of high quality. If you enjoy gardening, this could be your ticket! If you have some more land to use, do it! Plant what you can, when you can! Contact your local produce stands to ascertain their buying habits.
You can even inquire about your own produce stand if you have enough product. The more space you have on your land, the more likely you will be able to generate enough crops to run the business. People love homegrown vegetables. They just do not have the time or want to be bothered doing it themselves. That is your open door!
You can also engage in selling other gardening products and supplies such as compost, earthworms, herb boxes, beneficial bugs, or drip irrigation systems.

7. Importer and Distributor There are a substantial number of products manufactured in other countries that can be bought inexpensively and sold in your country at a profitable level. The Government and the formation of international trade organizations have made it easier to bring in other products from other countries.
This is a business easily operated out of the home, depending on the types of stock you're carrying. You may have to rent some storage space, but the capital required to start should essentially be limited to the products you're buying to sell here.
If you know the type of product you want to import and the market most likely to purchase your goods, you have great potential for a successful home-based business.

8. Interior Decorator Interior decorating is a business that will require you to be mobile, constantly meeting with customers. It offers flexible hours, a good variety of activities, and a very lucrative return. If you have a fascination for decorating a home, this could be your line of work. Many people do not know where to start when they are remodeling or buying a house for the first time.
If you have the knowledge of colors and patterns and what looks good together, plus the expertise of knowing where to get materials and furnishings, this can be a winning home-based business for you. To be able to decorate a room so that it conveys the mood that the homeowner wishes will be your goal. Strive for the skillful, personal touch in all you design.

9. Photographer
The sky is the limit here! Armed with your trusty camera and some good advertising, you can do weddings, models, family portraits, passports, student photos, local newspaper coverage; almost anything that requires a picture!
You can easily start this work, part-time, and work into full-time work based on your success and inclination. Not much equipment is necessary to get going as a camera off the store shelf can often do the trick today. Picking up a tripod and having a room sufficient for developing your pictures, and you're in business -- at home!

10. Sewing and Alterations

Many people love to sew. If you are one of them, consider offering this service out of your home. When someone buys a new outfit, it rarely fits perfectly, meaning some kind of alteration must be done.
People look long and hard to find reliable individuals to do their alterations. If you can sew, you are well on your way to opening the doors of this type of business.
For more information:The Business of Sewing : How to Start, Maintain & Achieve Success by Barbara Wright Sykes