Small Office, Home Office (SOHO)

Small Business Empowerment
This company has up-to-date knowledge about systems integration and automation to help you manage technology transition. They serve as an unbiased consumer advocate who can help you compare different products and help you choose the right tools for your unique needs. Site includes suggestions for updating systems including determining your home office budget, and starting small. A section on home office scams, helpful for telecommuters, and more tips for starting a home office including a business plan and using the Internet for low-cost and free information.

Work at Home
Work-at-Home.org was established to benefit both employers and people who work at home for the purpose of advocating, informing and facilitating the "work at home" lifestyle. The site advocates that the work at home lifestyle offers a more balanced, stress-free way of living, a far more nurturing and healthy way to raise children, huge benefits to the environment, and is much more beneficial to society. Site includes a job board, and feature articles including how to protect your privacy and security when you work at home.

FAQ's About Telecommuting
This web page offers answers to frequently asked questions about "telecommuting." Topics include types of jobs, advantages, disadvantages, home office, history, case studies, presentations, benefits, and growth. This is a helpful site for those interested in telecommuting.

What To Expect From a Health Plan
One of the major challenges faced by the small business owner is affordable health coverage. It's no secret that health care is expensive and getting more expensive every year. Right now more than 45 million Americans are without health coverage of any kind. If that thought scares you silly, then as the CEO of your own home business you will have to find a health plan that is affordable for you. When comparing health plans there are several things to look for. First, What is covered? Not all plans cover everything. Make sure your plan covers what you need to have covered, such as doctor visits, hospitalization, eye exams and the like. Many health plans exclude things that you might assume were covered by all plans. Don't assume anything. What doctors can you see? Can you see your life-long family physician or do you have to choose from a limited list of doctors approved by the insurance company? What are your out-of-pocket expenses (and can you afford them) and how much paperwork is involved in filing a claim? Some health plans make the paperwork intentionally so complicated that most people choose to pay out-of-pocket for the majority of health expenses. There are a lot of things to consider when you open your own home office, including health care.