Overview

Strategic Economic Solutions (SES) has a strong national reputation for understanding and working with small business – especially the hard-to-engage home-based business sector (HBB). In this section of our web site you will find both useful information and resources based on our experience of working with Home-based Businesses in Australia.

Home Based Business Bibliography

Over several years we have prepared an annotated bibliography of useful information for and about home-based businesses which we are continually updating. We are making this bibliography freely available in the interests of raising community awareness and understanding of this important business sector. You can download the current version here.

Please let us know if you come across any additional material that we could include - it is a living document!

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Research on Home-based Businesses

There has been little research on the home-based business sector in Australia. It is one of the hardest parts of the small business sector to reach and consequently little has been known about them. Broad-based surveys suggest that in Australia around 12% of households operate a home-based business, consistent with estimates for the UK and US.

SES and the Capital Region Enterprise and Employment Development Association (CREEDA), conducted a major research and action learning project on home-based businesses in two states and the ACT. It stemmed from the need for a comprehensive assessment of their growth potential and training needs and involved contacting 20,000 home-based businesses.

SES and CREEDA's research showed that a significant proportion of home-based businesses are well-established, growing businesses far removed from the preconception of them being 'pretenders, intenders or tyre-kickers'. The research found that local government has a big impact on the environment in which home-based businesses operate. Recognising that these businesses add to the economic and social growth of the local area, some councils are now adopting a pro-active and facilitative approach towards the home-based business sector.

The publicly available copy of the report 'Backyarders and Front-runners' can be downloaded here.

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Springboard Business Growth Program

The Springboard Business Development Program is an exciting opportunity for people in small business to work on the development of their business in a supportive environment. The program has been used successfully throughout Australia and provides a very tailored response to your individual business development needs. It has been designed specifically to cater to the needs of HBB operators. More information (PDF)

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