The Bootstrapper's Dream: Low Costs and High Growth

We crunched the data to pinpoint industries with the lowest start-up costs--and highest growth potential. Here are the results.

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It may sound too good to be true, especially given the sluggish economy. But there are plenty of growth industries with low-capital intensity--in other words, they rely more on labor than equipment. Below is a sampling of industries, arranged by highest growth and lowest capital intensity, culled from data provided by independent research firm IBISWorld. In the charts, capital intensity is represented as the ratio of capital costs to wages, with anything under 0.125 considered low intensity. 

Eric Markowitz reports on start-ups, entrepreneurs, and issues that affect small businesses. Previously, he worked at Vanity Fair. He lives in New York City. @EricMarkowitz