Someone said necessity is the mother of invention, and one small business owner claims that starting her own company was necessary in order for her to work out of her home and spend more time with family. After less than six years in business and only one year in Johnson City, the U.S. Small Business Administration has named Elisa Comer, founder and CEO of Eagles Landing Transcription Service (ELTS), the Tennessee Small Business Person of the Year for 2005.

In 1999 Comer was in nursing school in Georgia, had started a family and wanted some­thing she could do out of her home. She had sev­eral years of transcription experience and decid­ed to start her own company. In February 2004, when the family moved to this area, Comer opened her business in the East Tennessee State University Innovation Lab at 2109 West Market Street, Johnson City, Tennessee.

The core of ELTS business is still transcrip­tion, says Comer, but additional services include software development, network design, Web site design/ support and medical transcription class­es. She says, "By embracing technology, we offer jobs to employees who have the option of work­ing from home, who have the drive to meet high quality standards and see themselves as part of the patient care team.

"We have 31 employees, some part time, some full time and two or three for backup. We provide transcription for physi­cians in 11 states. We started this company with a $12,000 retirement policy and a passion for patient care and stay-at-home moms. And now this ... Wow, we are so blessed. What a way to end our first year in Tennessee." Comer's husband Chris also works in the business.

The couple lives in Kingsport with their nine-year-old daughter and seven-year-old twin boys.

The Tennessee Small Business Development Center at ETSU nominated Comer, and she rep­resented the state at the Small Business Administration Expo '05 in Washington, D.C., in April. She serves as the American Association of Medical Transcriptionists (AAMT) state legisla­tive liaison for East Tennessee and is on the national legislative task force. She contributes clinical experience and medical documentation expertise to the Central Appalachian Regional Health Improvement Organization in its work on creating a national health record for every citizen.

According to Comer, the best advice she has received is, "Know what you know; know what you don't know. And ask for help. Often. At ELTS, we are not legal experts - our lawyer is worth his weight in gold. We are not accountants - our accountant takes very good care of us and keeps us in compliance with complicated tax codes. These experts are expensive, and the ten­dency for small business owners might be to save money by trying to do all things themselves. Legal advice and accounting are two areas where we decided to spend the money, and we are glad we did. In every part of our business, we do what we know we can do well, and we call for help on the other things."

Comer shares her best business tips: "Define the vision for your company. Write it down. Memorize it. Make it stretch beyond the walls of your business. Live it. Breathe it. Teach it to your staff.

"When growing the business, make sure everything that happens fits the vision and takes you one step closer to reaching your goals. Don't let good things crowd out the best things. Understand that to be successful, a business must not simply choose the easy road - we must walk the straight and narrow path in direct pursuit of the company's mission. It doesn't have to be bad to toss it out; if it doesn't fit your purpose and your company's vision, don't do it.

"In pursuing your vision, keep a strong sense of morality. Stand for what you stand for; refuse to compromise. There is still room for morality in the workplace. Be good to your cus­tomers; be good to your employees. Right is still right - all the time. Confirmation for a job well done will not necessarily come from your peers. Look to a higher power to validate what you are doing and the purpose for which you do it. Let your character speak for you; ultimately it will anyway."

"If good leadership is about creating fol­lowers, then Elisa Comer is a leader to stand behind," says Robert A. Justice, Director of the Tennessee Small Business Development Center at ETSU. "Her insistence that ELTS medical tran­scriptionists are part of the patient care team has won her the trust of her clients. The alliances Elisa has built have resulted in many client referrals, and she has a waiting list of health care providers."

The Tennessee State Legislature passed a resolution stating, among other things, that "Elisa Comer helps create national standards in medical transcription and shapes health care and its legis­lation on a national level." Elisa Comer raises the bar for all business owners - regardless of the size of their companies.

[This article originally appeared in the May 2005 issue of the Business Journal of Tri-Cities Tennessee/Virginia]