Teenagers 'want own businesses'

The government is keen to encourage more entrepreneurship

Almost half of all young people would like to run their own businesses, a survey suggests.

Education charity Businessdynamics found 43% of the 400 students aged 14 to 19 it interviewed wanted to start a company - up from 35% in 2000.

The findings come as Chancellor Gordon Brown meets business leaders, including Microsoft founder Bill Gates, to discuss entrepreneurship.

Mr Brown said he wanted to cut red tape for company start-ups.

'Men keener'

The Businessdynamics study found students recognised some of the drawbacks involved in being self-employed, such as greater financial insecurity.

But their fears were outweighed by benefits including extra decision-making and flexibility.

The research, carried out by polling company NOP, found almost twice as many male students as female (24% to 13%) had a strong ambition to run their own business

Half of 14 to 19 year olds in northern England and Yorkshire said they would like to start a company - the highest percentage of all the regions.

Eastern England had the lowest proportion, at just 19%

Businessdynamics' chief executive, David Millar, said: "Every week in Britain young people start around 550 businesses.

"However this is the age group that are most likely to fail. We work to encourage young people to see self-employment as an exciting and realistic option and give them the skills and knowledge to help them succeed."

Last summer saw the number of students sitting GCSE business studies exams rise by 23.6 percentage points to more than 125,000.

For the past three years, 300 secondary schools have been teaching personal finance issues such as managing credit.

A report from Brunel University said the scheme had proved to be an aid to financial awareness.

Businessdynamics is organising a series of Blue Skies road shows, aimed at encouraging young people to start businesses, in March.