The 10 best cities for running a home-based business - includes related article on how to select a good business city - Cover Story

Home Office Computing, Nov, 1993 by Kimberly Stansell

Named by Fortune magazine for the past five years as a best city or big business, Atlanta isn't ignoring the state's estimated 150,000 home-based businesses, according to Gary L. Selden, an association organizer. Until recently, Georgia's tariff, like most other states, prohibited the use of residential phones lines for business purposes. However, in February 1992 the state relaxed its tariff and now allows you to use your personal line for your home business. Although you don't get a dual residence-business director listing, you won't be breaking the law by answering with your business name.

This fall the Georgia Home-Based Business Association is being formed to serve the Atlanta metro area and will later expand throughout the state. "The association will establish group services and benefits, serve as an advocate for home-based businesses, and provide training, consulting, and research," says Selden.

One home-business owner who found a niche in Atlanta is marketing specialist Michael J. Dziak. Relocating from Chicago in 1984, Dziak became involved with the Georgia Conservancy, an environmental organization. After working on the organization's air-quality task force, he later became chairman and discovered that as a fruit of its growth (a 45 percent population increase from 1981 to 1991), Atlanta had developed an air-quality problem.

"Having worked in the telecommunications industry for 18 years and being interested in air quality, I decided to merged the two interests together and create a new career for myself, says Dziak. "I began calling companies in the area and noboy had even heard of telecommuting."

In January 1991 Dziak established a home office and began helping local companies set up programs in which some of their employees would work from home. To further promote telecommuting in Atlanta, Dziak was awarded a $10,000 grant from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, which he used to form the Telecommunte Atlanta Project, now the Metro Atlanta Telecommuting Advisory Council.

Dziak's efforts have paid off. In February 1993 legislation (Senate Resolution 211) was passed and the state is now planning a Commuter Efficiency Program, in which Georgia will be educated on alternative means of transportation, for example, expanded car pooling, incentives for mass transit, and telecommuting.

RESOURCES

* The Georgia Home-Based Business Association, Small Business Development Center, Kennesaw College, Attn: Gary L. Selden, P.O. Box 444, Marietta, GA 30061; (404) 499-3191.

* Small Business Development Center, Georgia State University, P.O. Box 874, University Plaza, Atlanta, GA 30303-3083; (404) 651-3550.

* Metro Atlanta Telecommunting Advisory Council Inc., 4168 Valley Brook Rd., Snellville, GA 30278-4223; (404) 979-9696. (For a free copy of Georgia Telecommunting Times--a newsletter for telecommuting employers, employees, and suppliers in Georgia--send a SASE.)

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