The battle is on for Shed Workers…

Whisper it quietly – but there’s a revolution going on.

You may not have noticed it yet, but don’t be surprised to find your next-door neighbour at the very heart of the action.

Yes, shed working has taken off – big time! And I am the perfect example of those who have changed their working lives for the better, reducing our commute to just a few steps across the lawn.

Figures show that around 1.6 million employees regularly work from garden offices and other places in their home last year, with one in 16 of the UK workforce working from home.

The report showed four out of ten homeworkers are women, with 16 to 19-year-olds least likely to work from home, and the over 60s most likely.

Obviously working at the bottom of your own garden has its pluses and minuses – for me, it’s a calm and peaceful environment where I can escape from the madness of our house full of teenagers and dogs!

But running a successful enterprise from home – whether it’s just working on a laptop or it’s as grand as running a beauty salon in the spare room – is hard work, and entrepreneurs have to be motivated and committed.

It’s all too easy to get distracted by thinking “I’ll just put another load of washing in” or “I’ll nip to the post office while it’s quiet” – not that you’d ever catch me doing that of course (ok, busted!)

But there are other risks that working from home brings too – an accidental flood or a break-in could have serious consequences and you need to have the right insurance cover in place.

In fact, it can take up to a month for a home-based business or shed worker to get fully operational again after being the victim of a crime.

And of course, if you can’t work, you’re losing money which could lead to potentially critical cashflow problems.

You probably already have contents and buildings insurance in place through your home policy, but here’s the good news – there’s a specialised shed working insurance policy available that will cover every eventuality.

So whether you’re a graphic designer, a painter, a writer, jewellery maker or even a pole dancer (yes, really! There’s a business owner that teaches pole dancing from their shed!), the cover will meet your needs perfectly.

Isn’t it time you cleared out those sun loungers and the broken lawnmower (and all those pesky spiders!) and reclaimed your shed? That precious space could be a little gold mine!

Sally