A third of British people want to or have already started their own business, according to a new YouGov survey commissioned by Intuit.

The results of the research show that while many of the population would like to run their own business, the recession has had a damaging effect on entrepreneurial confidence.

Only 14% believe that now is a better time to start a business than a year ago. Furthermore, 40% of those that do want to set up their own business blame the recession for delaying their plans.

"It's completely understandable that British people are taking a more cautious approach. The good news is that the desire to become an entrepreneur is still alive and kicking for lots of Brits, but many of those potential business owners are intending to delay their plans until the economy has improved," said Catherine Harrell of Intuit UK.