If you set up an office in your home, who do you have to talk to in order to make sure it does not go against zoning?
Answer
If you have a Homeowner's Assoc. or if you live in a development, it may be detailed in that covenant. Some areas will allow you to have a business in your home as long as you do not have a sign out front and you don't have a lot of traffic. They may let that fly under the radar. Other places will say you absolutely cannot have a practice working out of your home. You'll need to clarify that. If you are working for Home Health or Early Intervention where you do not see clients in your home, it's not an issue because you are just basically doing paperwork.
Also, this would be a good conversation to have with a lawyer - they usually can assist in finding out this information - and I find it is a better use of my time to have a professional do the searching, so I know all my bases are covered. You may also want to check with your borough or township - this may also open up the discussion for the need of a business license - again, a lawyer can be very helpful here.
Denise Dougherty is a solo practitioner in Pennsylvania and consults for The Arijah Children's Foundation in Anguilla, BWI, providing evaluations and therapy for special needs children. Denise serves as the President of the American Academy of Private Practice in Speech Pathology and Audiology (AAPPSPA), and is the AAPPSPA liaison for ASHA Health Care Economics Committee.
Denise Dougherty, SLP
Denise Dougherty is a solo practitioner in Pennsylvania and consults for The Arijah Children's Foundation in Anguilla, BWI, providing evaluations and therapy for special needs children. Denise serves as the President of the American Academy of Private Practice in Speech Pathology and Audiology (AAPPSPA), and is the AAPPSPA liaison for ASHA Health Care Economics Committee. Ms. Dougherty is a member of the Technical Experts Panel for Quality of Insights of Pennsylvania, working on initiating quality measures for CMS to improve effectiveness, efficiency, economy and quality of services delivered to Medicare beneficiaries. She received her bachelor's degree in communication disorders from Marywood University in Scranton, Pennsylvania; a master's degree in communication disorders from St. Louis University; and has completed postgraduate courses at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Phoenix. She is a member of the Business and Professional Women's Association, Pennsylvania Speech and Hearing Association, American Speech and Hearing Association and has received numerous ASHA ACE Awards. She is an instructor for Cross Country Education, CIAO Seminars and SpeechPathology.com.
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