In recent years, many Americans have ditched the office nine-to-five to set up their own home-based business - but what are the benefits of making such a move and what type of enterprises lend themselves to being run from home?

There are a number of personal and financial reasons to start a home-based business. Experts often cite the increased independence and freedom from corporate culture as enticements, alongside the opportunity to work at your own pace, oversee every aspect of the business and spend more time with family.

Financial factors include reduced overheads and drastically reduced commuting times.

Furthermore, according to Round Tree News, home-based businesses give those often excluded from the traditional job market - such as homemakers, students and elderly and disabled people - the chance to generate their own income.

There are a number of businesses that can be run from home and in many ways, the limits of home-based businesses only go as far as the imaginations of their founders.

A website or e-commerce enterprise is often a popular choice, home-based working consultant Experienced People said - and despite what many people think, you do not have to be an internet or even computer expert to set one up.

Another idea is writing articles and other content for other websites. Again, this does not necessarily require expert knowledge or previously published work and according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, internet publishing is set to be one of the fastest-growing employment sectors over period to 2016.

Other options include buying and selling items through auction websites such as eBay and Amazon, or basing a business on an existing hobby, interest or skills such as genealogy, video editing or languages.