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Wow, table top fountains! They're everywhere these days, in gift stores, garden centers, craft fairs, New Age bookstores, healthy living catalogs. Do fountain artists really make money? Can you do it as a home based business?

The answer to the first question is, yes, they do if they plan for success and know their market. And, yes, you can do this as a home based business. Indoor fountains are more than a passing fad.

Pump manufacturers, says my supplier, are gearing up for a 20% market penetration by 2007, from the current penetration of 4%. That is, by 2007, 20% of the US population will have a water feature--swimming pool, outdoor pond, aquarium, container water gardens or indoor fountains. Why this attraction to moving water? And why now?

Fountains appeal because they meet so many needs, spoken and unspoken. By bringing the natural sounds of flowing water indoors, we reconnect with nature and create an oasis of serenity in our fast paced world. People are instinctively drawn to water sounds for a refreshing pause and visual treat.

Fountains have many health benefits:

* they clean the air and humidify dry winter air,
* they help us relax into sleep,
* they release negative ions (when water droplets are sheared) so we enjoy better moods and concentration,
* they are an avenue for creative play and for personal self expression.

You can follow several approaches for developing an indoor fountain business. You can:

* sell finished fountains on consignment or at fairs,
* sell on consignment or on Internet stores a packaged kit of bowl, stones, centerpiece (or fountainhead as it is generally called), silk plants and perhaps a small Buddha or turtle for accents,
* sell fountain supplies on your own web site or at fountain building classes,
* lead fountain building classes at private parties or at recreation, community or Adult Education centers,
* develop a book or booklet with fountain projects and tips on maintenance and finding supplies.

Think about what is most convenient for you, how you'd like to shape the business, and how much time and money you'd want to invest at first.

Begin researching what is out there:

1. At the library check out books on how to build indoor fountains:

* Tabletop Fountains by Dawn Cusick (40 projects)
* Water Gardening in Containers by Nash & Speichert
* Container Water Gardens by Philip Swindells
* Do It Yourself Fountains published by Leisure Arts (20 projects) >br>* Create Your Indoor Fountain by Paris Mannion (11 projects plus fountain Feng Shui and history of fountains).

2. Get your retail seller's license so you can purchase fountain supplies at a discount. Some suppliers have a minimum purchase requirement ($50-$400), so you might want to go in with a friend on an order.

3. Using the Internet, look at maybe 30 of the 500 or so fountain sites (more going up every day). Type in "indoor fountains" or "table top fountains" to eliminate drinking fountains and large ornamental fountains from your results. Order 3 or 4 different pump models to see what you like best.

Or visit an aquarium or hardware store to see what they carry. I've found the Hagen Aquapump 1, an aquarium pump, best suits my needs for a quiet, small, durable pump with water flow regulator and secure positioning in the bottom of the bowl.

4. Scan the Garden and Lifestyle sections of your paper to see if someone is holding fountain classes or being interviewed. If you can during the day, watch HGTV or the Discovery channel for fountain building projects.

Kitty Bartholomew at HGTV's You're Home says, "You're seeing a lot of water fountains and natural scents. The more scents you use while decorating, the more powerful the experience." JoAnne Liebeler at Discovery's Home Savvy says, "Fountains are becoming popular both inside and outside the home."

5. Join the 2 online support groups I know about, a discussion list at ttfountains@onelist.com (go to http://www.onelist.com and type in "tabletop fountains" under interests) and the Yahoo Club at Water Fountain Central. Some members are hobbyists, some are business people, and all are willing to share their encouragement and experience.

6. Think about strategic partners to help promote your business:

* a massage therapist or chiropractor who might showcase your work,
* a garden center that might host your fountain building demonstration or
* a hospital that might want a soothing fountain for the ICU waiting room (positive press release)
* an interior decorator might want to include your fountains at a trade show.

Indoor fountains are the Wave of the Future, on the verge of breaking into mass consciousness. A customer wrote that she's afraid there will be so many fountain makers that fountains will be hard to sell. I think the fears are unfounded.

Most of my 4600 subscribers to Design on Tap, the indoor fountain monthly Ezine, come from California. Fountain awareness is gradually spreading across the country. It will be years before the demand is sated. In fact, my first teleclass (on a conference line) on How to Lead Fountain Building Classes just finished. Nine enthusiastic fountain pioneers are out there now showing others how to build satisfying, lovely indoor water gardens. Don't miss the boat!