IT'S not only go-getting career women who go into business - and that's official.

A recent survey by Barclays Bank showed that women at home - "mothers and housewives" as they were described - were as likely to set themselves up in business as women already in paid work.

While 2.5pc of working women in England and Wales were spotting, and filling, gaps in their local business community, those who did not go out to work were only 0.1pc behind them at 2.4pc.

The gap between working and non-working male entrepreneurs, on the other hand, was a yawning 40pc but, as the survey pointed out, men "at home" were more likely to be ill, or out of work. They, presumably, are not in a position to start a business or are more likely to be job hunting than thinking of employing themselves.

Many women were at home out of choice and might "be ideally placed to identify business opportunities such as niche retailing, childcare or household services" said the report.

Maybe, but they also have more thinking time. Admit it, most housework is mind-numbingly boring, but it has to be done. Even the most doting of mothers can't deny that some aspects of childcare are sadly lacking in entertainment value or mental stimulation.

So what do we do?

We think. About anything and everything. Daydreams, menus, current events, what we should have said to him (or her), so there's no reason why those thoughts shouldn't also lead us to think of a service we'd like or goods we wish we could buy.

You wouldn't believe the imaginary windfalls I've squandered while vacuuming the stair carpet and the doses of common sense I've mentally given government, at local and national level, while cleaning the bath.

In fact, I've just washed up the dinner things while composing a scorcher to the controller of BBC2 after settling down on Saturday to watch Miss Marple and finding that, yet again, the great god Sport had elbowed his way into the schedule. Maybe I'll even get round to writing it, with FOOTBALL IS ONLY A GAME in red capitals and a stonkingly heavy typeface (ooh, the fun of a home computer with a printer).

That bit of mental exercise led me back to thoughts I've had before of a gap in the market and one that might have the makings of a little business.

I could be a public scribe and compose for others the letters of complaint, thanks, condolence, or whatever that they find hard to string together. I do it often enough as a favour.

But women at home don't only think. They run the show. They are managing director, secretary, accountant, personnel officer (sorry, human resources executive in modern speak), receptionist, stores manager, first aider, chef, tealady, cleaner, driver and general dogsbody.

With a range of skills like that, women ought to be able to run Megafirm International plc in their spare moments. Starting a small, home-based enterprise should be easy. Remember, Laura Ashley started in her own home and Anita Roddick, founder of the Body Shop, began with a small shop in Brighton and 25 products.

I can, however, think of two snags: if you work from home no-one ever respects your working hours and rings or calls anyway and, if you're a woman, you may not be able to produce satisfactory proof of identity at the bank when you want to talk to their "small business" department.