ASK the public what drives an entrepreneur and most would say money. Ask an entrepreneur the same question and you might be astonished by the reply.

For years successive governments have trumpeted Britain's enterprise culture, believing the secret of a healthy economy lies in micro and small businesses, those drivers of innovation and hotbeds of ambition.

But the opposite may be true, according to a survey by insurance company More Than, which questioned 1,000 micro-business owners.

"Far from striving to be the next Richard Branson, they are happy to stay small - these are the alterpreneurs," it says.

"Although essentially opt-outers, alterpreneurs are not anti-establishment. They want an alternative to the nine to five of a traditional job, and the 'one size fits all' lifestyle that goes with it.

"They have set up on their own in an attempt to take back (or retain) control over their lives. They don't live to work - they work to live. They don't want world domination, just freedom from the corporate 'treadmill' and the chance to build a lifestyle that suits them."

So what reasons did they give for going it alone?

Wanting to be their own boss - 76 per cent;

To gain more control over their lives - 69 per cent;

To be happier - 54 per cent;

To see more of friends and family - 25 per cent;

To make lots of money - only 23 per cent.

The Department of Trade & Industry may be shattered to learn that 85 per cent of them thought quality of life was more important than money and that only three per cent wanted "to be the next Richard Branson".

The government has poured millions into encouraging firms to grow, but an over-whelming proportion - 70 per cent - believe small is beautiful. Only two per cent want to employ more than 51 people.

If he hasn't done so already, Alan Johnson, the new Trade & Industry Secretary, might ask a minion to click onto www.alterpreneur.co.uk to download a copy of Health, Wealth & Happiness - Is Britain really an enterprise culture?

Then he might like to take a cold shower and have a complete re-think of his department's approach to small businesses.

Micro businesses, with five or fewer employees, create more than £2 billion a year and employ three million people.

If he really wants to encourage them to expand and take on more staff he will have to make it very much easier and less stressful.

He could start by making a bonfire of employment regulations.