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.