5 Hot Homebased Businesses Ready to go home--with your own business, that is? We've got 5 great ways to do it.

Sick of the 8-to-5 rat race? Tired of spending countless hoursin your car, wondering why turn signals were even invented ifpeople so rarely use them? Want to stop taking orders from otherpeople and start working for yourself?

If you answered yes to those questions, you may be ready toembark on your own homebased business. Before you get too excited,however, remember that even though you're in your home,you'll still be working hard to get your business off theground. But you'll be doing what you truly enjoy and makingmoney to boot. To inspire and hopefully motivate you, we atBIZ Experiences have compiled a list of five of the hottest homebasedbusinesses. Read on to see what's hot, who's doingit...and, most important, how you can do it, too.

Virtual Assistant

If you've got a computer, an Internet connection, greatadministrative skills and a serious interest in serving clients,virtual assisting may be for you. A relatively new specialty,virtual assistants (VAs) do everything from building databases andmanaging schedules to making travel arrangements and editingnewsletters. Says VA Christine Barnes in San Diego, "I have toremember that these are my clients' businesses-theirlivelihoods. And it's about representing them in the bestpossible way."

One special joy for Barnes is being able to choose the peopleshe works with during her average 20-hour workweeks. In 1999,Barnes felt stifled in the job she held at the time and startedtaking classes from AssistU, an organization that trains and incubatesVAs.

Stacy Brice, president of AssistU, advises prospective VAs to dosome serious planning and realize that juggling the different needsof several clients at any given time can be extremely challenging.New VAs bill around $30 per hour, while the more experiencedprofessionals can command more. Some VAs even focus on certainindustries. Brice, for example, specialized in virtual assistingfor bestselling authors before starting AssistU. "Our entire[VA] culture is built around collaboration," says Brice. AndAssistU graduates are encouraged to build long-term relationshipswith clients as well as fellow graduates, to combat the isolationthat is so frequently a part of homebased business.

Professional Organizer

Knowing exactly where everything goes is a gift. And people whoare born organizers can peddle that talent to those of us whodon't know where things are from one day to the next. SteveSkidmore, founder of Transformations Organization Services in LongBeach, California, has the skill. Working from his home, he and hisfour employees go to clients' houses to organize and createorder out of chaos. "We get [clients] to a place where theyhave a workable space and a clutter-free environment," saysSkidmore.

This BIZ Experiences started out with a housecleaning business in1993. While cleaning for his clients, Skidmore found himselforganizing for them as well. He turned organizing into the mainpart of his business in 1996. Now a member of the National Association ofProfessional Organizers, Skidmore says the biggest challenge hefaces is educating the community about what an organizing serviceis. Once people understand what he does, Skidmore typicallyreceives additional business. And he's enjoying the benefits ofit-his sales have been increasing about 50 percent per year since1996.

Technical Writer

It's 2001, and technology continues to grow by leaps andbounds. Now more than ever, people need those tough tech conceptsbroken down into digestible bites. Technical writers are becomingthe communicators of the future. Deborah Sauer in Danvers,Massachusetts, is right in the middle of the milieu. Working as anindependent consultant on and off for the past 20 years, Sauer hascome to appreciate the freedom that technical writing gives her towork on different projects. "I've been writing for a longtime, but I'm always writing about something really new andcutting-edge," she says. "I get to use new tools-new andstill developing as we speak."

Sauer advises aspiring technical writers to get a significantamount of experience before taking the leap. "You have to beable to change gears quickly," she says. Like other homebasedbusiness owners, you'll have to constantly combat isolation andbe able to work without much guidance. Still, working about 30hours per week, which allows her to be there when her children gethome from school, is one of Sauer's greatest rewards.

Computer Consultant

Knowing the tricks to making PCs run perfectly is a highlymarketable skill. Just ask Tina Richardson, a homebased computerconsultant in Spring, Texas.

Formerly a tech support employee, Richardson was unhappy in hercorporate digs, but she wasn't sure what to do. A friend sether up with someone who was having computer woes. Fixing thoseproblems made Richardson realize she liked the technology part ofher job. So she began offering such services, going from referralto referral and helping people get connected.

That sort of networking can happen anywhere. Richardson'slocal Women's Club was brimming with connections. Passing outher business cards there brought in lots of new clients, and shedidn't do any expensive advertising. Business cards and somebasic tech manuals constituted Richardson's start-up materialsand costs. In that initial phase of her business, she worked about16 hours per week; now she puts in closer to 22 hours per week. Thebest part? "I get to be a geek and have social interaction aswell," says Richardson. "I really enjoy being able totalk to [my clients] and teach."

Success/Life Coach

Coaches are empowered with the ability to help people set, focuson and reach goals. They create momentum and provide the tools,support and structure necessary to succeed. They even get thecredit when a sports team wins a game. But coaching isn't justfor teams. Chris Hamilton has taken coaching to an individuallevel. The Lancaster, California, BIZ Experiences started coaching in1997 because he was interested in working with people. But it washis real estate background that helped Hamilton discover his nichein 1999: coaching self-employed real estate professionals. "[Ireally want] to help people accomplish more. Each individual hasskills and desires within," he says. So Hamilton helps peopletackle their problems, move beyond them and attain the level ofsuccess they want.

After training online with Coach U, Hamilton currently coaches his clientsover the phone or via e-mail, helping each one create an actionplan for his or her life. Much of the public is still unfamiliarwith the concept of success coaching, so educating people is one ofhis primary responsibilities. Hamilton works with about 10 clientson a regular basis and contracts with Welfare To Work to coachprogram members. He says the most rewarding part of his work is"seeing somebody go from that point where they reallydon't know where they're going or what they're doing tothat point where they have a clear direction in mind."

Next Step

For more information on how to work from home, check out:

• The AmericanAssociation of Home-Based Businesses, (800) 447-9710
• The Best Home Businesses for the 21stCentury by Paul and Sarah Edwards
• Home OfficeAssociation of America, (800) 809-4622
• NationalAssociation of Professional Organizers, (512) 206-0151
• Society ForTechnical Communication, (703) 522-4114