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Home-based working and home-based businesses have long been a feature of England's rural economies, from farmers and shopkeepers to textile workers. Driven by advances in IT and a desire to achieve more flexible, friendlier patterns of work and travel, increasing numbers of people are now working or running businesses from home.

Home-based working in the UK has risen by more than 12.5% over the last five years, and in rural areas 11.79% of economically active, working age people work mainly from home, a higher percentage than in urban areas.

There is also a strong correlation between working from home and self-employment, with nearly 3 in 5 home-workers in rural areas being self-employed.

But recent evidence shows that economic development and business support agencies are failing to to track and understand this sector. With home-based employees and would-be entrepreneurs becoming significant players in the development of rural economies, this needs to change.

'Under the Radar - tracking and supporting home-based business' provides for the first time a comprehensive profile of rural home-workers and their needs, and examines how rural home-based working remains 'under the radar' of many economic development and business support agencies.

The report also makes recommendations for action at national, regional and local level to improve the tracking and understanding of the sector and increase support for rural home-based businesses.