Rising Costs And Work-Life Balance Are Driving Britain’s Home Business Boom

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Britain's entrepreneurs are increasingly choosing to run businesses from home as rising commercial costs, greater flexibility and changing attitudes towards work reshape the country's small business landscape.

New research from Dunster House, garden building specialists, found that almost half (46%) of home business owners now rely on their venture as their primary source of income, while a further 28% say it provides a significant financial contribution to their household finances.

The findings suggest that home businesses have evolved far beyond side hustles, with many entrepreneurs deliberately building long-term businesses from spare bedrooms, garages, garden rooms, and other home workspaces.

When asked what motivated them to start a home-based business, respondents overwhelmingly cited lifestyle benefits over financial necessity, with nearly half saying that a better work-life balance was their top motivator.

Why are Brits choosing to run businesses from home?

Motivation	% of respondents
Better work-life balance	47%
Wanted to work remotely or from home	36%
Wanted more flexibility	36%
Turned a hobby or passion into a business	32%
Wanted to leave their job	31%
Wanted to spend more time with family	29%
Started a side hustle to earn additional income	22%
Renting commercial space was too expensive	14%
COVID-19 prompted a change in direction	12%

Although the data shows that quality-of-life factors dominate, cost remains an important consideration. Commercial property rents in the UK have risen by an average of 3.1% annually as of mid-2026, according to the Carter Jonas Commercial Market Outlook and with this rise, many entrepreneurs are choosing to invest in their own properties rather than commit to expensive premises.

Christopher Murphy MBE, founder of Dunster House, said:

"For many entrepreneurs, running a business from home removes one of the biggest barriers to getting started, the cost of commercial premises. As rents and operating costs continue to rise, more people are realising they don't need a high street unit or office lease to build a successful business. Home working has made entrepreneurship more accessible, allowing people to invest in growing their business rather than covering overheads."

55% regularly work evenings and weekends as home businesses blur work-life boundaries

Despite the flexibility and freedom, there are some payoffs that are being experienced by those who do business out of their home. Many entrepreneurs admit that separating work and home life can be difficult.

More than half (55%) say they regularly work evenings and weekends, while almost half (48%) have experienced loneliness or isolation because of running a business from home.

Meanwhile, one in three (33%) have had customers unexpectedly turn up at their home, highlighting the difficulties many face in maintaining professional boundaries. The findings also reveal the growing pressure that businesses can place on domestic spaces, with 58% saying their enterprise has taken over parts of their personal living environment.

To address these challenges, many entrepreneurs are investing heavily in dedicated workspaces. Nearly two-thirds (62%) have already spent money improving their workspace, with respondents investing an average of £5,170 into creating environments better suited to running a business.

When asked what improvements they would make if budget were no obstacle, better broadband and Wi-Fi (34%), improved heating and air conditioning (34%), and a fully insulated garden office (32%) topped the list.

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Dec 6, 2023
3 min read

Christian charity, Stewardship, today announces Janie Oliver as its new CEO. Janie, currently CFO at Stewardship, will take over from outgoing CEO Stewart McCulloch when he moves to debt help charity Christians Against Poverty (CAP) at the start of 2024.

Janie joined Stewardship as CFO in February 2021 having previously served as Executive Director for JustMoney Movement (formerly the Ecumenical Council for Corporate Responsibility). Janie also spent four years as Director of Finance and Operations for Access - The Foundation for Social Investment, pioneering their total-impact investment approach of their £60m endowment. This included a period as Acting CEO. Prior to moving into the charity sector, Janie held various senior roles with Barclays. Her voluntary experience includes three trusteeships.

Janie takes the Stewardship helm at a moment of strong growth and pivotal change. Under Stewart’s leadership over the last five years, Christian giving with Stewardship has grown by 40%. In 2022, donations increased year on year by 10% to just under £110m and grants to churches and charities by 14% to £82.6m.

A significant achievement for Janie as CFO has been the introduction of a new ‘Bull’s Eye’ investment strategy which prioritises Tier 1 investments in organisations focused on Christian ministry and Tier 2 ones in areas that support under-served communities and are aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Since this strategy was launched in November 2021, investments in these two areas have doubled to over £40m.

Janie has spent the last year leading on the development of a new three-year strategy for Stewardship, designed to build on Stewardship’s core strengths for future growth and innovation in its donor, church and charity services. Delivering that strategy will now be her first priority as the new CEO.

The Stewardship Trustees were keen to make an internal appointment to ensure continuity in the strategy process. While the strength of the Leadership Team meant they had a very high-quality selection of candidates, it was Janie’s track record as a dynamic leader and a pioneer in social impact investment, together with her solid corporate experience across Finance and Operations, that secured her appointment. Janie is also Stewardship’s first female CEO.

“Stewardship has been through a period of significant transformation and growth under Stewart’s leadership. I look forward to ushering Stewardship into a new phase of growth and innovation to release more generosity to more church and charitable causes and help them steward their resources for maximum impact,” adds Janie Oliver, CEO of Stewardship from 1 January 2024.

Stewart McCulloch, CEO until 31 December 2023 adds; “I am delighted to be passing the baton to Janie who has already delivered so much for Stewardship strategically, spiritually, and culturally. Milestone achievements include doubling the amount we invest in high social impact areas, in line with the new ‘Bull’s Eye’ investment strategy Janie introduced, and a 60% growth in our church lending since 2021. Janie’s engaging leadership style and broad experience, combined with her agile, visionary approach put her in an excellent position to deliver our new strategy and I look forward to seeing Stewardship flourish under her leadership as I move to Christians Against Poverty.”

“Stewardship’s Trustees favoured an internal appointment to ensure a smooth transition for the delivery of our new strategy. Janie’s extremely valuable and relevant experience, including her confident leadership of the new strategy process this year, mean she is well equipped to lead Stewardship both operationally and spiritually. Together with the rest of Stewardship’s Trustees, I very much look forward to supporting her as she steps up to lead on the delivery of our new strategy,” concludes Chris Gillies, Chair of Trustees at Stewardship.

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Rising Costs And Work-Life Balance Are Driving Britain’s Home Business Boom

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