Processing payment even if you don’t have a storefront anchored by a cash register is easier than ever before with the advent of devices like the Square swipe and chip readers. They attach to your phone or tablet, are secure, and offer competitive per transaction rates. They can even be used if you are in an area with no signal; swipe anyway, and they process when you are in range.

Transportation Business Options

      The following represent many of the possible types of transportation businesses you could decide to start. It all depends on what your personal interest is and what skills you want to employ in your business.

Taxi Service

      Despite its initial controversy and claims of unfair competition and lack of licensing requirements from the established medallion-holding taxi companies, San Francisco-based Uber has staked its claim across the world—in fact, in 400 cities and 65 countries (“The Inside Story of Uber’s Radical Rebranding,” Jessi Hempel, www.wired.com, 2/2/16). Uber’s attraction as a small-business opportunity is that you are an independent contractor and on your own schedule. To sign up as a driver, start by going to their website at www.uber.com, and click on the “Become a Driver” button. A short questionnaire initiates the process.

      There is no hailing of an Uber cab; Uber’s service is based on the Uber app. When someone needs a ride, they submit a trip request through the app. Uber drivers in the area