A course on candle making got Meghna Shinde to start on her own. Making candles was a hobby, till it became a full time career for her. She buys wax from different wholesale outlets and shapes, colours and paints them herself. This has become a very profitable business for her as she gets orders from corporates and institutions for her candles.

Damayanti Naregal, a retired lecturer of statistics started a novel service that working women welcomed with open arms. The service started by her was unique. She not only bought vegetables for you, but also had them washed, cleaned, cut and packed, ready for delivery.

The working crowd found this to be not only very handy but also time saving. She along with her other partners has hired help to make 200 gms packets and have them hand delivered to her clients. They have also started making chappatis and selling them now.

What is paper sculpting all about? Milli Parekh who started Sculpturale explains her own venture -"We take a wooden or a thermacole base and paint it. Next we roll papers of different lengths into pipes. And by folding, bending and sticking these pipes in different ways, we make them into human figurines. We then make their clothes and accessories, also of paper.

And then paint and varnish them to add the metallic finish." These Sculpturale creations are both decorative as well as utilitarian. "We make objects like pen stands, card holders and tissue holders with these people-figures sitting on them. All these are long lasting and unbreakable. Newspaper, glazed or chart paper, we use it all. But our main emphasis is on newspaper."

This is a relatively new career opportunity that requires proficiency in medical terminology, use of a personal computer and a good command of the English language. Training in medical transcription is offered by various institutions and colleges that charge approximately Rs 18,000/- for weekend courses lasting for six months, to Rs. 30,000/- for a six-month intensive week day course.

On successful completion of the training, the institutions assist in finding placements. There are a number of companies who employ medical transcriptionists, and one can expect a starting salary of Rs.8,000/- to Rs.9,000/-. Exceptionally proficient individuals are known to earn higher figures.

Housewives are being roped in by many companies to sell their products through their kitty-party network. And many are making a success of it too, especially in the metros. To achieve 'customer satisfaction', more and more industries are now adopting direct selling for their customers. Quite a few industries, in an attempt to lure customers through personal selling, have jumped onto this bandwagon.

The banking and financial sector is focusing on personalised services for selling credit cards, personal loans and mutual funds. The tourism sector is selling packaged tours to corporates and individuals and the cable and satellite sector is selling air time directly. Thus, opportunities are wide and varied - one could work in traditional FMCG companies, the banking sector, travel and tourism, etc. In addition to a basic qualification, one must have good communication skills, perseverance and tenacity. Remuneration is directly linked to performance in terms of new accounts generated and targets achieved. An incentive-based salary package is common.

Trousseau and gift packing, activities that were deftly handled for years by one's mother and aunts, are now being handled by professionals. A professional trousseau packer charges anything between Rs.50,000/- and Rs.1 lakh, depending on the number of items to be packed, the themes and the material used.

On offer also are designer invitation cards, shagun envelopes, coin boxes, pouches, sari bags, trays for silverware, mithai boxes, fruit tokris, etc. Designer cards alone could range from between Rs.25/- to Rs.500/- per card.

Selling Life Insurance is a unique and rewarding business. Under most insurance plans, an agent's earning in the first year can be expected to be Rs.25/- for every Rs.100/- premium paid by the Insured. And the best part of it is that whenever the insurance is renewed, you earn renewal commission, though at a lower rate. Moreover, under most plans you get paid a Bonus Commission of Rs.10/- on every Rs.100/- of the first year's premium paid by an insured, subject to your fulfilling certain requirements as to the first year's premium and the number of lives insured. Thus, your annual earnings go on increasing steadily every year.

Worth a special mention is the fact that in the unfortunate event of your death, your legal heirs/nominees continue to receive the renewal commission, subject to fulfilling prescribed norms. To enable you to enlarge your business, LIC also grants various types of advances - you could buy a two-wheeler, a personal computer, install a telephone at your residence, etc. Also, advances are given for medical expenses for the agent or members of her family, marriage, purchase of a house site or ownership flat, house renovation, etc.