House Rules Smart steps to get your homebased business off the ground

You could call it a hot business trend or a natural evolution. Either way, you'd be right. Advancing technology, dissatisfaction with corporate life and the ever-increasing collective strength of small business are all contributing to the explosive growth in homebased businesses.

According to research and consulting firm Find/SVP, approximately 18.3 million self-employed Americans work at home--and those numbers are projected to continue growing.

"Whether it's operating a full-time or part-time business, there's been a steady growth in homebased business," confirms Cheryl Eftink, deputy district director of the SBA in Des Moines, Iowa. "Homebased entrepreneurship fits the lifestyles and the work styles of more and more people each year." Technology has made it much easier to operate a variety of businesses from home, where overhead is lower, tax advantages are greater and the commute is nil.