Top Home-Based Health Care Businesses

What Business is it of Yours?

If you're thinking of starting your own business, you're part of an accelerating trend. According to a recent Small Business Administration report, just under 672,000 businesses were started in 2005—more than were started in any other year in American history—and this pace shows no sign of slackening.

With the health care industry booming, many of the entrepreneurs responsible for these rising numbers are starting businesses in rapidly growing fields, such as massage therapy, medical billing and coding, and medical transcription. Not only is demand for these services increasing, training programs are relatively short, start-up costs are low, and these businesses can easily be run from a home office.

5 Reasons to Work From Home

What makes the self-employed life—and particularly working from home—so attractive? Here are a few of the most-often cited benefits of this arrangement:

1. You control your schedule. Whether you want to meet the bus when your kids come home from school, watch Grey's Anatomy reruns in the blissful silence of an empty house while they're gone, or take care of errands and appointments during the day, you can arrange your work schedule to accommodate your life.

2. You control your income. No more haggling over raises. Your cash-flow now depends solely on your own ingenuity, resourcefulness and willingness to work hard.

3. Choose projects that interest you. As you build your client-base, you'll have the freedom to shape your career path by taking assignments that best suit your personal skills and interests.

4. Gain tax advantages. If you run a home office, you can deduct part of your housing expenses from your taxes. You can also deduct some of the expenses related to vehicles used for business purposes.

5. Enjoy a 20-second commute. Not only will you arrive at your office road-rage free, but the hours you would have spent on the road can be spent working—or relaxing.

Top At-Home Medical Businesses

Massage Therapy Business

Starting a massage therapy business can be accomplished relatively quickly. Going to school full-time, you can complete the necessary training to become a massage therapist in 12 months or less. As part of your education, you'll gain many hours of practical experience, which will give you the opportunity to start building your client list. After you graduate, volunteering your services with friends and family for a period of time can help you generate word of mouth and get your new business up and running in a matter of months. Learn more about starting a massage therapy business.

Medical Billing and Coding Business

You can earn your certificate in medical billing and coding in 9-12 months (associate's degree programs take two years to complete; bachelor's programs, four years). Once your training is complete, taking a job in a medical office for a few months is one of the best ways to develop personal relationships with doctors who could become clients. You might also start by offering your services to your family's own doctors, or by mailing brochures to local physicians and following up with phone calls. Learn more about the medical billing and coding business.

Medical Transcription Business

You can complete your medical transcription training in six months to two years, depending on whether you choose a certificate or associate's degree program. As with medical billing, one of the best ways to connect with potential clients is to take a job in a medical office following graduation. Traditional direct marketing methods such as distributing brochures describing your services and cold-calling also work well. Offering your services to your family's own doctors is a great place to start. Learn more about the medical transcription business.

Taking the First Step

Make no mistake, starting a business in a rapidly growing field such as massage therapy, medical billing and coding, or medical transcription will take hard work and discipline.

The first step toward starting a home-based health care business is to find the training you need. You can use AllAlliedHealthSchools.com's extensive directory to find the massage therapy programs, medical billing and coding programs, or medical transcription programs that will put you on the path to an exciting career.