@inbook{ff2928bc8ce24f48b45179a6e21bec6c,
title = "Urban home-based businesses: how distinct are they and their owners?",
abstract = "Little attention has been paid to the geography of home-based businesses and how potential differences in characteristics and business operations are manifested across space. This chapter seeks to shed light on the characteristics of urban home-based businesses (HBBs) and their owners. It has three aims: first, to identify peculiarities of HBBs in urban areas; second, to test whether there exist {\textquoteleft}typical{\textquoteright} urban HBB entrepreneurs; and third, to make recommendations how cities and national government can support home-based businesses. The empirical findings drawn from a survey of the members of the Federation of Small Businesses Scotland clearly show that urban HBBs possess distinct characteristics and motivations. Key findings are: urban HBBs are concentrated in business services and creative services, urban economies benefit from the local supplier network of HBBs and HBBs that are operated around disability/care are more likely to be found in urban areas. It concludes that HBBs are diverse with distinct sub-groups having distinct needs. For city policy-makers it is therefore important not to adopt a {\textquoteleft}one size fits all{\textquoteright} approach. Different business needs shall be identified not only on the business of characteristics of the businesses (industry, number of employees) but also on characteristics of the owner (gender, disability/health).",
keywords = "Urban, Home-based business, Scotland, Rural",
author = "Darja Reuschke and Colin Mason",
year = "2015",
month = dec,
day = "18",
language = "English",
isbn = "978-1-78471-199-3",
series = "Entrepreneurship, Space and Place",
publisher = "Edward Elgar",
number = "1",
pages = "223--248 ",
editor = "Mason, {Colin } and Reuschke, {Darja } and Stephen Syrett and {van Ham}, Maarten",
booktitle = "Entrepreneurship in Cities",
}