With top small business ideas [http://ezinearticles.com/?3-Top-Small-Business-Ideas-That-Can-Turn-a-Quick-Buck&id=4787925]such as computers, drove huge changes in the business world. Computers are used everyday and long gone are the days when everything was done manually.

The result of this is that information technology is one of the fastest growing industries out there. In 2009, the industry's revenue was a whopping 763 billion dollars! That's a lot of money. It's easy to see why small business ideas can be very lucrative. So, here you go. 3 business ideas to get you started.

Create some software. There are many opportunities out there for an inventive person. If you create something that fills a massive need, you could end up with big bucks. That's how Microsoft came about, after all. Of course, you'd need to be able to spend time creating and then marketing your product, deal with competing software, and tackle the patenting procedure so you don't ripped off.

Become a consultant. You can sell your knowledge to companies, whether it be about software design, or search engine optimization. You can call around to different companies, and set up meetings on a part time basis so this is something you can do while you keep your current job, rather than something you need to dive right into. Of course, you'll already need to be an expert in whatever field you choose. One mistake can be the end of your venture, especially when you're still building up your reputation. It's also important to note that a business like this has little, if any,
passive income potential.

Sell cutting-edge products. If you can't seem to think of something to create yourself, you can sell cutting edge products that someone else has created. This can be done by having a direct selling business. The great thing about going this route is there are usually multiple products to sell, so you have a larger target market than you would with the other two options. It's also highly possible to achieve passive income this way.

This is another one of those top small business ideas that allows you to start on a very part time basis, allowing you to keep your current job, and in turn, taking some of the risk out of entrepreneurship.