I don't know much about Risks and ROI on Gas station/Motel/Restaurant business but I know for sure that software industry has very high ROI compared to Real State or Gas Station business. As Mansion already pointed out, you should be ready for 10%-35% down payment for buying Gas Station even if a bank is willing to lend you rest of the money. But with IT Consulting (it is a huge term indeed!!!), you will find lots of angel investors who are willing to put their money on brilliant ideas. If I were to start an IT business, it would be contract based programming or a project based software development. Find a niche market whether it is a software for Voice Recognition , GPS navigation, Data Security or Embedded Systems. I would suggest you to start a business with no more than $50k from your pocket, bring in angel investors with experience and business contacts in the field, and sell your company to your competitor within 5-8 years. And don't forget to throw a party to all Sajha-landers!!!