IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A HOT MARKET, look no further than organic products- those grown and farmed in such a way as to ensure sustainability (for example, without pesticides). According to the Organic Trade Association (OTA), the organic market is growing 20 percent every year. "Up to 6o percent of the population [is] willing to buy organic products," says Holly Givens, communications director of the OTA.

But to get those products into the hands of consumers, entrepreneurs must know their market well. The organic food and beverage market is estimated to be about $6.9 billion and is expected to grow between $12 billion and $13 billion by 2007, according to the Natural Marketing Institute (NMI), an organic market consulting firm in Harleysville, Pennsylvania Joe Marra, executive director of NMI, notes all areas are experiencing growth, especially spices, yogurt, coffee and meats.

Jumping into the trend is Ian Diamond, founder of Organic Connection Inc. in South Salem, New York. This entrepreneur, who's been in the organic industry for 20 years, launched his Web-based organic food delivery company in August 2002. Diamond, 44, owned an organic retail store in Melbourne, Australia, in 1985, but a drought forced him out of business. He then moved to New York in 1996.

Diamond noticed that while organic food in Europe was high-end, the offerings in the United States were "middle of the road," he says. "You don't see a wide range of organic foods, artisan foods or gourmet foods. In Europe, you see every food [category] covered with organic offerings." Wanting to replicate that variety here, Diamond set up his food delivery service, which specializes in organic meats. He projects $300,000 in sales for 2003.

Within any hot market, it pays to find your niche. Rochelle A. Lavens and Marleen Trader did just that with Heidi's Homemade Inc. in Columbus, Ohio. Started in 1999, this business specializes in organic pet food. The entrepreneurs have launched a brick-and-mortar store, an online store and a wholesale business.