Stacy Perman

Detective agencies

When the economy dips, crime often goes up, and that means an increase in business for private detectives. Jim Zimmer, owner of Benchmark Investigations in San Juan Capistrano, Calif., and head of the California Association of Licensed Investigators, an group of 1,800 investigators, says his business has increased about 40% since last fall. "I have a pretty general practice, and I am up in all areas," he says. In particular, Zimmer says cases involving fraud are up. He's investigating workers' compensation claims and real estate fraud. "People defrauding other people, or businesses or real estate deals that have gone bad—investigators with specialties in those areas are going to see an increase."