Every week over 2,000 new businesses start life in a garden shed, at a kitchen table or another corner of someone's home. Research from Enterprise Nation, which provides advice for homeworkers via www.enterprisenation.com, shows that home is now the most popular place in which to launch a new business. Home has many advantages. You save time and money by avoiding the daily commute - and in the process reduce your carbon footprint. You can spend more time with your family and might even be able to persuade them to lend a hand.

You won't waste time looking for premises and you'll keep overheads low. Homeworkers also report that they're much more productive than if they're sharing an office with others.

Getting started

It's never been easier to start a business from home. Emma Jones, editor of Enterprise Nation, says all you need is:

• Dedicated space in your house or flat
• A good office desk and chair
• A laptop or PC and a telecomms package

Spare rooms, attics, conservatories, garden sheds and garages are easy to convert to office space. Jones, who has herself started two businesses from home, reports an increase in businesses set up outside the house:

"Garden dwellers are working out of sheds and specially designed offices and we hear almost weekly from new companies starting up to meet the demand for garden office accommodation. The offices are stylishly designed, fully insulated/heated and, with only the birds as background music, you can see why a move into the garden has become a popular choice."

But even if you don't have that spare space you can launch a business from home. Rob Law started his business which sells Trunki, a ride-on piece of children's luggage, from a desk next to the bed in his flat (see www.trunki.co.uk).

Others work from wherever they can take their laptops - whether it's a cafe, car or library. JK Rowling famously wrote her first Harry Potter book in a cafe.

Can I try this at home?

Jones argues that you can run any business from home and points to examples such as a radio DJ, iron forge maker or designer of fancy outfits for ferrets. She says the fastest growing businesses run from home include: