IT and telecoms is going to be the biggest growth sector for those wanting to start a business over the next five years, according to a survey of 100 UK entrepreneurs by Youth Business International, which marked the launch of Global Entrepreneurship Week 2012 in November.
Social enterprise, creative industries and the green economy also present viable opportunities for budding business owners, the study revealed.
When asked where the main opportunities for UK start-ups will lie between now and 2017, entrepreneurs identified local, regional and global markets as having better prospects than national and European ones.
In addition, 48 per cent of respondents predicted the enterprise environment will improve in the next two years, while just two per cent forecast any further decline.