Britons’ top 25 dream ways to make a living revealed

Running a cafe or bookstore tops the list of the top 25 dream ways to make a living.

The survey of 2,000 adults also found that toy shops, delicatessens and dog hotels were other businesses they would like to start.

Children’s play cafes, artisanal coffee roasters and fashion boutiques were also business ideas respondents daydreamed about.

It also found that 44 percent dreamed of running their own business one day, proving Napoleon’s old adage that Britain is a nation of shopkeepers.

A whopping 57 percent sincerely plan to pursue their vision, while a quarter plan to do so within the next two years.

Of those planning to run their own store, 44 percent love the idea as it would give them the opportunity to have full control over their own careers.

While 37 percent say it would give them the chance to see their creativity come to life, and 30 percent like the idea of ​​interacting with local customers.

The research was conducted on behalf of the online wholesale marketplace Honestly – used by independent retailers worldwide to discover, source and sell unique products.

Charlotte Broadbent, managing director of the brand, said: “It’s no big secret that the UK retail sector has been hit hard in recent years, so it’s fantastic to hear that so many Brits are not only dreaming of opening their own independent business , but actually planning to make it happen in the not-too-distant future.

“And the recent news of an economic recovery is an encouraging sign for those considering taking the plunge.”

However, the biggest obstacles to achieving this are not having the money they need to try (36 percent) and the fear of failure (30 percent).

To counter this, 32 percent said financial incentives would help get their business off the ground.

Additionally, 28 percent would like to have access to useful resources and 27 percent believe that testing their idea in the market in a low-risk way would help them get started.

Data from OnePoll shows that 36 percent think consumers are more likely to spend money in independent stores than on bigger brands.

And 79 percent believe communities across the country would benefit from more independent businesses.

Charlotte Broadbent added: “Launching a successful retail business is no easy feat, and it’s understandable that people are concerned about how to make it a success.

“However, there are plenty of resources available to help.

“We have an initiative called Open With Faire, which gives new retailers credit that they can spend on inventory to build their inventories.

“Another great way to test and learn is through a pop-up store.

“We recently started a partnership with Lone Design Club, which helps facilitate retail pop-ups in the UK, so we have seen first-hand how successful they can be for new and emerging brands.”

Proof that the retail dream is achievable is Lucy Jeffrey, who quit her banking job to set up her eco-friendly bamboo sock company, Bare Kind.

Over the past two years, Lucy has grown the business tenfold, achieving B-Corp status and is now sold by 1,000 UK retailers.

Lucy said: “Leaving the corporate world to start a sock company was absolutely terrifying, and a lot of people thought I was crazy, but it was the best decision I ever made.

“I believe that when you are so passionate about something, you do everything you can to make it a success, and that was certainly the case with Bare Kind.

“But I didn’t achieve this alone; Without the support, advice and learnings of countless people and organizations, including Faire, this would not have been possible.

“So for every aspiring entrepreneur: help is out there, you just have to find it!”.

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