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As a mother I knew and understood the importance of being home for my four darling children when they got home from school. My children were all I could think about when I was working in corporate America. I could not bare the thought of my babies being home alone even if just for an hour. When I was laid off from my job as a program coordinator, I knew at the very second that I would never work outside my home again. When I began thinking about what I would do to earn a living, I knew exactly what I was going to do. I was going to start my very own secretarial business, typing and transcribing for anyone who needed my service.

An excellent typist with superior transcribing skills I was determined to work for myself. I wanted to write and create the pages for my own work at home business. I wanted to design my business, create my own schedule with as much flexible that I needed for my family. There was a sense of peace and joy in knowing that I could be home for my children if they were sick or to take them to their dental and doctor appointments. To be home to care for my children if they were sick and to care for them as only I could. I also wanted to be the first face my children saw when they came home from school. It gave me great pleasure to welcome them home to homemade brownies, hugs and kisses. I could not bare the thought of having my precious pearls at home all alone and without any parental or adult supervision. It was imperative that I be home to greet them and to make their home life secure, peaceful and as happy as possible. I was elated just knowing that I would be home to greet my children and welcome them home with a warm embrace from me everyday when they got home from school.

I was always a fast and accurate typist, superior to say the least typing 75-80 words per minute. I held a certificate in medical transcription and I put that certificate and all that I learned about medical terminology. I incorporated it into my business to become more marketable and the two, typing and transcribing went hand-in-hand. I thought to myself, what better way to earn a living working in the comfort of my very own home than starting a typing business and designing it my way. Every job I ever had involved typing manuscripts, medical reports, letters for residents and attending physicians and the list just goes on and on. I was great at typing and I enjoyed it.

When I decided to go in business for myself I wanted to do something I loved doing; something I was passionate about. Magic Fingers Typing & Transcribing Services was born and I was elated. I designed my own flyer, made copies of the flyer and posted them everywhere that was relevant to my service; colleges, libraries and supermarkets. I even sent out an email blast to professors at various colleges hoping to get some typing jobs.

A few days later my phone began to ring and I found myself opening the doors to my typing business. I typed a dissertation for a graduate student and immediately after, I was transcribing parental interviews for a professor; 40 interviews to be exact. The experience was awesome and the money was great. I was typing non-stop for small businesses, individuals, professors and students. That was 11 years ago and though the name of my business has changed and I have now added a design service, I am still working in the comfort of my own home.

Before launching my home based business I did extensive research on how to start, grow, manage and promote my own business. I wanted to ensure my success as a home business owner and doing all of my homework on how to start a business was highly important to me. I also knew that there were many rewards to having my own business and I wanted to incorporate each step into my business slowly, carefully and with serious thought.

If you've been thinking about starting a home based business and you can type at least 30 wpm, here is some great information that can help you get started.

1. First, you'll need a name for your business. I named my typing business Magic Finger because my former employer gave me that nickname simply because I typed with great speed and accuracy. It was the perfect name for my business and it stood out. You should think about a unique name for your business. Some great names you might consider for your business; Kathy's Secretary Business; Lisa's Virtual Typing Business. Including your name in the title of your business is easy for your potential customers to remember you by. You should pick a name that stands out from any other name and because you are unique, you want to give your business a special name as well.

2. You'll need a business plan. A business plan is like a blueprint of and for your business. Your business plan will act like a compass for as long as you're in business. As you work your business, you'll be able to use your business plan as a guide and it will serve as a reference for you. You can add to your business plan as your business grows and as you implement new services to your business. Your business plan should include your mission statement, your goals and objectives for your business. A business is easy to create because you know what your goals will be to help your business to grow and thrive. Writing a business plan doesn't have to be long and complicated. Just write exactly what you envision for your business.

3. The next step in starting your own business is to choose your business structure which can be a Limited Liability Company, a Partnership, a Sole Proprietorship or a Corporation. Only you know which structure will be best for your business. Take your time and do your research very carefully because you want to be sure that you and your business are protected under the right business structure. You can find a wealth of information by going to the Small Business Association website or the SBA. Please be sure to read through each business structure slowly and carefully. Remember, this is your business, your livelihood and you want everything to be perfectly setup so that you will succeed with your new business.

4. You'll also need to apply for a Federal Employee Identification Number also known as an EIN. An EIN is a 9 digit number that the Government assigns to a business to identify the business. The EIN number looks like this: 23-4567890. Your EIN number is assigned to your business structure and is used for filing taxes and reporting purposes. This is a free service and the best thing about this is you can apply online; it only takes about 10 minutes to apply for your EIN number.

5. After you've completed all the necessary steps for your business here's everything you will need to launch your business successfully. You'll need a computer, a printer and fax machine, typing paper, a telephone and a flyer to start your home based business. Your flyer doesn't have to be anything fancy, but it should contain a bullet list of all the services you offer. When a potential customer reads your flyer, it should tell them immediately what services you offer.

Starting a secretarial business doesn't require a lot of money. In fact, it's one of the least expensive businesses you can start with little to no money at all. You don't need an initial start up fee and you certainly don't need a deposit of any kind. You just need your skill set, a computer and all the other tools listed above. If you have the skill set then your success is guaranteed and if you have all the other tools to start a home based business, then you're ready to open the doors to your new found work from home business because working in comfort is the only way to work!

From time to time I actually have the chance to work at home inside my home office. There are lots of good things about this such as saving cash on gasoline and lunch. My all-time preferred fantasy with regards to working from home is probably me in my jammies having a piping-hot cup of joe, legs propped up while doing work at my outdoor table or on a balcony someplace overlooking the beach. Returning to reality, I have my workplace placed in a tiny bedroom apart from the living areas.

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