Micro Trends

More and more of us work from home. Because we can, because it’s easy and because we don’t have to spend ages on a commute. Whilst 3.4 million Americans have a journey of ninety minutes or more to work - more than that - 4.2million permanently work from home. How do I know this bit of trivia? The fascinating “Micro Trends: The Small Forces Behind Today’s Big Changes” * by Mark J.Penn. Penn identifies more than 70 trends in religion, leisure, politics, and business that are changing our lives, from work-at-homers to office-romancers (and it’s not all about Americans).

Working at home has been an important part of my business. I have spent many years working at home. Until now. Until I had a toddler who worked out how to walk upstairs to the loft and open the door. Now, home is no longer a good place to work. So I had to move out. A socio-economic phenomenon not (yet) captured by Mark J.Penn: “Home Workers Who Have To Move Out To A Proper Office Because Their Kids Make Too Much Noise” could make a good chapter.

* “Micro Trends” must have some of the most impressive endorsements I have seen on the front of a book. One from Bill Clinton. One from Bill Gates. Not bad…