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Garden shed entrepreneurs contribute £16.6bn to the UK economy

Sam Monk | 16:07 Monday 2nd March 2020

Entrepreneurs who run their businesses from garden sheds contribute £16.6bn annually to the UK economy, according to a recent study.

Research by Starling Bank has revealed that 104,000 micro-businesses and sole traders operate from a garden shed, with almost one in three (29%) such traders now using their shed as an office.

The study suggested that shed workers were four times less likely to be stressed at work compared with those working from an office, were more likely to have a good work-life balance and were more likely to be confident about their businesses’ prospects in 2020.

On average, a shed worker spends £3,343 on garden workspace, but saves £8,738 a year on rent, commuting costs, food expenses and other overheads.

Anne Boden, founder and CEO at Starling Bank (pictured above), said: “We have a tradition of entrepreneurialism in the UK and this — combined with the growing emphasis on a healthy work-life balance — has led to an explosion in people working from their homes.”

Katrina Murrell, a psychotherapeutic counsellor from Northampton, who runs her business from her garden shed, added: “My practice has grown consistently, with up to 20 clients a week. 

“My home-based business has allowed me to flex my working hours and achieve my parenthood dreams.”

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