The effects of the economic downturn have led many people to set up a home-based business, according to a recent study.
Enterprise Nation's 2009 Home Business Report suggested that with less job security and a high number of redundancies over the last 12 months, some 300,000 people in the UK have set up a company at home.
This takes the total number of people with a business based at home up to 2.8 million.
John Anderson, managing director of BT Regions, said in the report's introduction that this growing trend could be down to the recession in the UK, citing redundancies and a decline in job security as contributing factors.
Emma Jones, founder of Enterprise Nation, said people want more control over their life and potential earnings, so many have opted to try their hand at running a business themselves.
According to the study, one of the attractions of a home-based business is that they can be cheaper than finding alternative premises as there are no commuting or office costs.
The survey by Enterprise Nation found that nearly half (49 per cent) of respondents said the freedom to make their own decisions was one of the most enjoyable aspects of setting up their own business.
Earlier this month, Katherine Farthing from Somerset opened a nursery on her farm after spotting a gap in the local market.
She told Nursery World that taking NVQ courses in childcare, learning and development enabled her to take an active role in looking after the children as well as running the establishment.
Ms Farthing revealed that she now employs a manager and three full-time staff as well as one part-time worker.
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