Did you know that entrepreneurship and self employment in the UK are at their highest rate ever?   

Well they are!

2015 figures are yet to be released, but in 2014 UK entrepreneurship reached the highest levels in history, with more businesses being created in that year than ever before. Over the course of 2014,
some 581,173 businesses were registered by Companies House, which marked an increase of about 60,000 on the year before.  

So it seems that despite (or perhaps because of) the relative uncertainty in the economy, more people than ever are gathering up the courage to go it alone and become self-employed.

The majority of the 581K businesses created last year, fall into the category of ‘small or micro’, with micro businesses alone now contributing 19% of the UK’s total GDP!

In contrast to the situation just a few short decades ago, the opportunities to create and run a business from your own home are almost infinite, meaning that the would-be entrepreneur has a huge selection to choose from when creating their own business.

For a little inspiration here are 10 enterprises that can be operated efficiently from the average UK home.

Babysitting – One of the mainstays of the home revenue booster, and as popular today as it ever was!  Just make sure that you follow all of the necessary regulations, to avoid falling foul of the rather tight legal requirements!

Creating a B&B – If you don’t mind sharing your house with weary travellers from time to time, then opening up a B&B offers a relatively simplistic way to generate some extra income from the comfort of your own home!

Refilling Ink Cartridges – Yes there is money to be made doing this!  Printer makers charge a small fortune for new ink cartridges, when in fact these can be refilled at a tenth of the price; but people never get around to doing it themselves.  Set up a business offering this service for a reasonable price and you are bound to make a few quid.

Ironing / Laundry Services – Another of the more traditional home enterprises! Laundry and ironing services are not just a great way to make a bit of extra money, but they also help to pass the time when you might find yourself at a loose end.

Homemade Foodstuffs – Cakes, Pastries, Jams, Soups, Chutneys.  Sell them via a local green grocer, a farmer’s market, a Saturday stall, or even online.

Selling Stuff Online – Creating your own e-store is one of the most popular ways to become self-employed.  However in the past many people have been put off doing this because of the belief that you need a lot of spare space to store stock.  With the introduction of ‘drop shipping’ this is no longer the case, as you never order any more than you will need, and in many cases you will never even come into contact with the product.

Online Trading – When compared to selling items online, this is a slightly more risky enterprise to operate.  It revolves around the principle of ‘pick up a bargain and sell it off for more than you paid for it’.   Of course there is no guarantee that you will be able to sell the things that you buy; setting up a business like this often comes with a trial and error learning curve, so make sure to complete as much research as you can before diving in.

Car Valeting Service – Simply get your equipment, get your name out there, and let the business come right to your door step!

Virtual / Remote Assistant – The advent of the internet has meant that administrative tasks which were once confined to an office can now be carried out from anywhere in the world.  This has created a great opportunity for the person wishing to provide casual administrative support, who now finds this kind of work more accessible than ever!

Blogging / Vlogging – Although the self-employed blogger or vlogger must constantly find new and fresh ways to monetise the content they create, making some extra cash (or indeed your main income) from a blog / vlog is still a distinct possibility for those talented enough and determined  to succeed.  However if you are looking for a quick way to make some extra cash, this might not be the option for you as the amount of money that you will be able to make from blogging / vlogging is largely dependent on the size of your audience. But if it’s a slow burning steady growing business that you’re after then this could prove very satisfying.