FT Guide to Business Start Up 2021-2023, 32nd Edition

Chapter 2

Less than 100 per cent

Businesses don’t have to be all-consuming. Many self-employed and small businesses are run on a part-time or less than full-time basis. The increase in the number of these types of enterprise reflects the restructuring in society and the economy that has occurred over the past two or three decades. And with the ready acceptance of working from home during the pandemic, business people in general are happier working with more flexible types of suppliers. The business environment is conducive to ‘virtual’ or ‘near-virtual’ businesses.

There are a number of typical scenarios for part-time businesses listed below.

First, you might want to share the load of running a business, for example, working for an online platform ...