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Home businesses can help economy

Home businesses can play a key role in the region’s economy, according to Work Wise North East (WWNE) after a report shows a rise in new home businesses.

The Home Business Report showed a 16% rise in new home start-ups, and a WWNE seminar invited regional policy makers to discuss the importance of the rise in the wider economy.

Emma Jones, author of the Home Business Report, which covered a year’s worth of data up until October last year, said: “Home businesses are re-defining the traditional growth model of a start-up business by focusing on increasing turnover, not headcount.

“These businesses will grow via new product development and outsourcing, while reducing CO2 emissions and reaping economic and social rewards.”

The seminar was part of the Work Wise aim of encouraging smarter business practice, and as well as regional policy makers WWNE invited home business owners to join the debate.

Lynne Machin, founder of Totally 4 Girls, which started life in a garden shed built by her husband, said: “I enjoyed the debate. I definitely think that some good results will be achieved from this seminar.

“I’m glad I was able to promote the cause of the home business worker to regional policy and decision makers.”

Sarah Stewart, WWNE project director said: “The seminar explored numerous topics, most notably how home businesses benefit the economy, the environment and society.

“Emma’s presentation and the resulting debate created a great deal of useful discussions and, hopefully, some recommendations to develop home business throughout the region together with a more flexible response on the part of the business networks that serve it.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .