I'm trying to start up a little photography business but I'm about amateur as amateur can get. I have a Nikon D3000 and I would like to buy a new lens for it. I'd like to stay under $1000 but I want my pictures to look great! I'm mostly focused on baby photography.

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I don't suggest using a D3000 for a business. If your business gets rolling you will wear that poor little toy camera out in no time. Image quality is a little iffy too, especially at 11x14" or bigger. IMHO. As the D3000 will only autofocus AF-S lenses you may want to look into the 50mm f/1.4 AF-S. It's considered a good portrait lens. Nice contrast and great color accuracy. I would also recommend checking 24-70 f/2.8 even though it is over your budget. (If you decide to go with the D700 or D3 series then check the 85mm f/1.4 prime. It is superb.)

I'd buy a Nikon 60mm f/2.8 AF-S macro: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/545660-USA/Nikon_2177_AF_S_Micro_Nikkor_60mm_f_2_8G.html * The 60mm focal length gives you a good working distance for portraits * The f/2.8 bit means that you can get blurry backgrounds with this lens * The macro bit means that you can use this lens for close-ups of those cute hands and feet!! * The AF-S means that this is one of just a few macro lenses that will auto-focus on your D3000 * The image quality is very good * The price is right - it leaves cash to spare for other equipment (how about lighting?) It's the only lens I can think of that ticks every single box. Whenever I picked up my camera to take pictures of my own kid as a baby, I mostly replaced my $1200 Nikon 17-55mm f/2.8 (a lens I love and use 99% of the time) with a beat up old 55mm macro. The ability to take both portraits and close-ups with one lens trumped almost every other consideration. Btw, the previous answer is also right... when the money starts coming in, buy all of that stuff, too. Best wishes. P.S. to ツ, no disrespect intended. The thumbs-down wasn't me.