Get Help Starting Your Home Based Business

Starting a home business sounds like a terrific idea, until you realize all that's involved in getting it up and running. So getting some assistance really helps--especially if it doesn't cost a lot of money.

Three successful business owners explain how they found the right opportunity, through a franchise or training program, and made it work for them.

Name of business:Homeowner Referral Network (HRN)Year founded: 1997Total number in existence: 300+

Description: The Homeowner Referral Network (HRN) is a contractor referral service that can be operated from home on a part-time or full-time basis. HRNs pre-screen and refer local home-improvement professionals, ranging from painters, plumbers and electricians to floor refinishers, carpenters and general contractors. Each HRN operates independently and earns a pre-negotiated commission from contractors in the network for any work secured.

History: After the birth of her first daughter in 1996, Debra M. Cohen left a career in corporate America to be a stay-at-home mom. She was soon faced with the all-too-familiar challenge of finding a way to remain productive while staying at home to raise her family. At the same time, she and her husband had just purchased their first house and--like most homeowners--were struggling to find reliable home-improvement contractors. When they finally found a responsible contractor, Cohen felt compelled to share his name with other homeowners, friends and family. It wasn't long before she decided to launch Home Remedies of NY Inc. to help other homeowners in her community.

After her first year in business, she had more jobs than she could handle, and she realized that there was a universal need for the services she offered. Rather than try to expand too quickly, she decided to document the HRN business so that others could duplicate her model and launch similar businesses in their communities. Over the next several months, she systemized her business and wrote The Complete Guide To Owning and Operating A Successful Homeowner Referral Network. Then she created additional parts of her training program.

Total cost to start: $1,995 to $6,495, depending on the package you choose. Items include the HRN business manual, one-on-one consultations, HRN Management Software, an HRN web package, subscription to the HRNewsletter, business forms, HRN Graphics CD, customized promotional items and leads.

Owner observations: "I read about HRN in Working Mother magazine in 2004 and saved the article so I could contact (HRN founder) Debra," says Jill Barber of Richmond, Va. "I had recently taken a voluntary severance package from my corporate job with FedEx and was looking to get back into housing in some form after having our baby. My degree is in interior design from James Madison University, and I've always loved the housing/construction market. I was already keeping a list of good/bad contractors for my neighborhood, and this seemed like a natural extension."

What led Barber to decide to work with Cohen? "Of course I checked with the Better Business Bureau of New York and made sure that the business was legitimate," Barber says. "Then I realized that Debra did all the legwork and got the industry started, and we get to reap benefits of her experience. Because we're not a franchise, you can get started with Debra's help and tweak the business as you see fit. Debra was so helpful and responsive, and still is. I couldn't ask for a better mentor. I would--and have--recommended it to many others. In fact, three people I have recommended it to have signed on."

Barber chose the Metro Richmond Virginia territory and took on her first client in January 2005. Her business has been growing each year, and this year Barber's sales are expected to exceed $50,000. She expects to reach more than $100,000 in annual sales within the next five years.

Name of business:AssistUYear founded: 1997Total number in existence: 1,000

Description: A comprehensive training program on how to set up and run a virtual assistant business. Virtual assistants (VAs) are micro-business owners who provide administrative and sometimes personal support while working in long-term collaborative relationships with a handful of clients. Using phone, fax, e-mail and other emerging technologies, VAs support their clients' needs, across the board, without ever stepping inside the clients' offices.