Home businesses are a lifestyle choice, by Mandy Garner

“If you’ve ever thought about setting up your own business from home, but had a few doubts about the practicalities, you should talk to Emma Jones. She is fast becoming the guru of home businesses. She founded the website Enterprise Nation in 2006 and just two years in has published a very readable guide to setting up your own business from home. ‘Spare Room Start Up’ is bursting with case studies, advice and links. The result is a book full of clearly designated chapters on themes like finding the right idea (crucial – it should be something you feel passionately about, says Emma) to balancing work and life commitments. She says many of the books on setting up your own business are a bit dull and earnest, with graphs and long chapters on writing a business plans. This is the antidote.”