The top 10 predictions for home enterprise in 2009: guest blogger Emma Jones

On Thursday 5 February key figures from the worlds of business, politics and the media came together to hear Enterprise Nation's Top 10 predictions for 2009. The predictions show the significant impact home enterprise will have on the economy, environment and society. In 2009, Enterprise Nation predicts:

1. More than 8 million people will earn some form of income from home and 2.8 million registered businesses will generate median annual turnover of £51,000 - £100,000.
2. Operating on low costs and lean management systems, serving mainly niche markets, home businesses will increase earnings and profitability. They will innovate, bring new products to market and expand by increasing capacity via outsourced contracts to their ‘colleague' freelancers. They will re-define our long held perceptions of business growth by increasing turnover, not headcount.
3. The most popular occupations to be operated from home will be professional services, online trading and creative services.
4. Hub facilities with professional meeting space and virtual office services will spring up in cities, towns and villages across the UK. Recommendations to ease planning permission and enable live/work in rural areas will be adopted by Government
5. London and the South East will retain 1st and 2nd position as Home Enterprise Hotspots but will be challenged by regions running home enterprise support projects. In particular, watch out for activity in the West Midlands.
6. The spare room will remain the most popular home enterprise space, closely followed by the garden shed. The free markets will respond with the demise of the conservatory as the ‘planning free' home extension and the most popular home ‘add on' will become a ‘clip on' office/workroom.
7. By staying off the roads at peak congestion times, homeworkers will reduce CO2 emissions by at least 18 million kg.
8. Homeworkers will continue to use social networking to promote their services online; we will see an increase in the use of micro-blogging platforms, such as Twitter, in home enterprise.
9. Handheld devices, such as smart phones, will become a necessity for home business owners, as flexible working is encouraged.
10. Enterprise Nation will provide information, support and market exposure to millions of home enterprises and will remain the UK's leading home enterprise company.

The event was sponsored by BT, Microsoft and Business Link in London; all of whom work to encourage and support people starting and growing businesses from home.

A copy of ‘Home Enterprise in the UK 2009' is available for download at http://www.enterprisenation.com/ It includes the top 10 predictions, alongside quotes from home business experts and results of survey polls.