A lack of jobs and higher university tuition fees have led to a growing number of teenagers and young people aspiring to be their own boss, research finds.

A lack of jobs and higher university tuition fees have led to a growing number of teenagers and young people aspiring to be their own boss, research finds.

According to a study of 1,000 young respondents by PC World Business, nearly half (44 per cent) are looking to set up their own business, with four fifths of 16 year olds reporting that they have had a business idea.

Some 44 per cent claim they could run their whole business using just a laptop.

Almost half of those surveyed are aiming to set up on their own in the next two years and an ambitious 19 per cent are looking to set up their business in the next six months.

Celebrity business programmes, such as The Apprentice and Dragon’s Den, are influencing this group of young business stars, with nearly half (49 per cent) claiming they are more aware of entrepreneurial career options after watching business TV programmes.

Jamie Murray Wells, founder of Glasses Direct says, “As someone who started a business while at university, I am a big believer in helping those people with the drive, knowledge and business ideas to set up on their own.’

Even though more young people are looking to start a business, the research finds that there are barriers to setting up on your own. When asked what is stopping them from setting up their own business, 42 per cent claim lack of funding is the biggest hurdle and 29 per cent say they do not know where to start.

However, they were aware of the resources available to help them with their business, with 40 per cent saying they would use the internet for advice, followed closely by mum and dad (38 per cent) and the bank (29 per cent).

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Related topics: Business ideas, Entrepreneurship, Young people