Business ISP UK Online has released the results of new research into Homeworking, which reveals that greater flexibility and less commuting were the driving factors behind its uptake.

According to the research, only 6% of people rate seeing the children as the most appealing aspect of homeworking, compared with more than 60% who placed greater flexibility at the top of their list.

More than 80% of respondents said that they used the Internet for home working, 15% more than those who use it for shopping, suggesting that working from home is becoming increasingly common-place among small businesses and sole traders.

UK Online conducted the survey to investigate how Britain’s small businesses and sole traders are using the Internet. In addition to the benefits, the survey also looked at some of the major challenges online. Almost half of those surveyed cited receiving too many irrelevant emails as the biggest frustration with the Internet and how to manage them as one of the key challenges.