• Personal care services allow people to stay in their homes.nursing duties image by Pix by Marti from Fotolia.com
  
  Opening a personal care business can be rewarding if you are properly prepared. Qualifications for starting a personal care business incorporate laws and common sense. Each state will have its own requirements; however, there are basic qualifications that apply across the board. Understanding the basic requirements will allow you to start your personal care business on the right foot.
  
  

Training

• Attend classes that lead to certification in both home care and in medication. Many states require you to become certified before you can dispense medications. In addition to the classes regarding the medications, be sure to take courses in how to provide personal care. Personal care for your clients might include shampooing hair, cooking meals, painting fingernails and doing laundry.
  
  

Certification

• According to the U.S. Department of Labor, home health aides are usually trained on the job and then pass a test to become certified to provide personal care for clients. You can get training by accepting a position with a personal care company before striking out on your own.
  Check the local colleges to find courses in personal care.
  
  

Organization and Compassion

• To succeed as a personal care provider, you should be highly organized and compassionate. Your clients will come to depend on you for their personal care; therefore, it is very important that you are organized in your daily schedule and tasks. In addition to organization skills, it is important to be compassionate. Many personal care clients are ill or disabled. Your compassion for their lives and personal care needs can help them to feel better.