Adjust your clocks as the world of work is changing. People in their thousands are heading home from the day job to build a business at nights and weekends. It’s what we call the 5 to 9 economy and it’s a great way of starting a business as it means low cost and low risk. Are you interested in joining this growing group of part-time and spare-room entrepreneurs?

Starting up a business in your spare time is, I would say, the best way to start. You give yourself time to research the market, test out your products & services, build a presence on the web and, critically, make some sales. And you can do all of this whilst holding down a job that continues to pay the bills and cover your overheads.

Consider a few small investments to get you going:

Find dedicated space in the house - it’s important to keep home as a place to which you return from work and unwind so find a dedicated space / room which becomes your home office and in which you can comfortably be in ‘building my business’ mode.

Technology - a growing range of products are designed to help the 5 to 9 entrepreneur. Create a home on the web through a blogging tool like blogger.com or wordpress.com, sell your products through sales platforms such as etsy.com and keep in contact with customers with a BlackBerry and follow-me numbers. These products and gadgets mean you can keep in regular contact with your business in a way that’s not detrimental to your job.

Develop relationships - use your time to develop relationships with possible partners, suppliers and an all-round support network. Much of this can be done online by visiting business sites and industry-specific sites where you can keep an eye on new ideas coming to market and follow what customers are buying. 

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