9 hot businesses you can start now

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• Typical pay: $32 an hour

John Melara calls himself an environmentally-conscious neat freak.

Originally from the Bronx, N.Y., Melara moved to California after the Sept. 11 attacks. A job as a building maintenance manager triggered the idea to start an organic house cleaning service.

"The chemicals I was using at the building were making me sick," he said.

Melara taught himself about natural cleaning alternatives such as vinegar and baking soda. To get started, he advertised his service around the neighborhood. "I started getting work, up to six hours a day."

Within six months, it became a fulltime operation. Melara, who charges $60 to $80 per cleaning, said his company, Organic Breeze Cleaning, is a family business today.

"If you really want to do this, educate yourself first and then get certified," he said.

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