ENTREPRENEURS in the North-East are snubbing the career path made famous by Del Boy Trotter and Rodney in the BBC series, Only Fools and Horses.

They are not driven by madcap "get rich quick" schemes or ambitions to be the next millionaire.

Instead, they are driven by lifestyle decisions, according to a new report into start-up businesses by BT Small and Medium Enterprises.

A poll of businesses set up in the region in the past three years found that only 12 per cent of them felt that money was the deciding factor in setting up on their own.

In contrast, a third of them took the plunge because they felt in need of a change of direction, and more than 40 per cent took the decision because they simply wanted to work for themselves.

The days of the serial entrepreneur, the failed businessman moving from one project to the next, are also coming to an end.

Only 14 per cent of those currently involved in running a start-up business have come from another new business venture, compared to 71 per cent who had worked for a larger business before working for themselves.

The North-East entrepreneur also appears to be happy working for himself in a single office, without taking on lots of new staff.

The survey found that 65 per cent of new start-ups in the region had taken on no staff, while 81 per cent had not added any extra sites to the business.

The survey identified three main types of entrepreneur:

* The Independent: The person going it alone because they want to work for themselves. Most likely to be male, aged between 26 and 35, and based in London and the South-East.

* The Lifestagers: Driven by a desire to change direction in their life. This group contains more women with an average member age of 36 t0 45. They are mostly found in technology or high street businesses. They have a strong presence in the North-East.

* The Get-Rick-Quick Generation: In it for the money, a member of this group is three times more likely to be male than female. The majority have been their own bosses for three years or more, but in many cases are still waiting to be a millionaire.

Mike Langston, managing director of BT Small and Medium Enterprises, said of the findings: "It's obvious from our research that the stereotypical image of the Del Boy style entrepreneur, moving from one business to the next in the hope of making a million, is far from the reality for most of those living in the North-East who start their own business.

"Today's North-East entrepreneurs seem to be snubbing the high risk "get-rich-quick" career path in favour of a more realistic approach to running a business, designed to fit around their lifestyles and ages.

Findings of the survey also included the fact that most start-ups are IT literate, with 66 per cent using PCs and 55 per cent using the Internet. About 31 per cent of businesses have a website with ten per cent of those accepting orders via that website.

The survey was commissioned as part of BT's Get Started service, which offers free support and information to new businesses.

The service includes: a dedicated start-up communications advice centre, available on 0800 111 898; a website, www.bt.com/getstarted; a one- stop shop attracting more than 1,000 visitors a week; and a free magazine dealing with topical, practical and lifestyle issues affecting the start-up owner manager.

For further advice on starting a new business with the help of BT, contact 0800 111 898 or log on to www.bt.com/sme