Many people dream of working from home. The dream may be because you want to create more of a work life balance, be your own boss or be in control of your own destiny. Whatever your reason for wanting to create an at-home business, you also want to make sure that you’re starting your business off on the right foot—legally and ready to start making money.

1

List your personal skills, experience and abilities. To create an at-home business, list and your personal skills, experience and liabilities with a business that can turn a profit. You can choose an at-home business by researching the market in which your business is going to operate. The customer intends on serving and creating a list of the daily activities you need to conduct to launch and operate the business.

2

Evaluate your home to determine an office space. Evaluate the space in your home to choose a space where you can set up your at-home business. Spare bedrooms, finished attics and finished basements are typically good options. Make sure that you have enough space to conduct your at-home business. For example, if you are making handmade greeting cards to sell online, then make sure you have enough space for a worktable, your card making supplies and a desk for your computer to process the orders.

3

Review legal requirements. Call your county zoning department to see if you need to obtain a home business license or permit.

4

File the business name with the county. Register your at-home business name with the county in which the business operates.

5

Obtain a business license, if applicable. When you call the county, tell the clerk what type of at-home business you’re opening. The clerk can tell you if the county requires a business license for your type of business. For example, a wedding planner requires an event planning/party supplies business license.

6

Write a business plan. Write a business plan for your at-home business that includes information on your target audience and your business goal. Also include the marketing strategies you need to take to reach your potential customers and achieve your business goals. The business plans is a guide you can follow to launch and run your at-home business.

7

Create a website. Some types of at-home businesses rely solely on a website to promote and sell business, but whether this is your situation, build a website to help in your marketing efforts. Choose a website template that coordinates with your type of business and then follow along the template to create the text to describe your business, products and service offering.