Should You Choose Manchester for Your Next Startup?

by Startacus Admin

Should You Choose Manchester for Your Next Startup?

Manchester is one of the UK’s biggest and most vibrant cities. It is the second largest city by area in the UK, after London. Any business looking to establish a foothold in the north of England should consider Manchester as a potential destination.

As well as providing access to one of the UK’s most populous cities, Manchester is also home to one of the UK’s leading universities. Manchester University is a world-renowned institution that has played a pivotal role in a number of important technological innovations going back decades.

There are a variety of different factors that draw businesses to Manchester, which speaks to the diversity of skills that exist within the city. If you are looking for a suitable location to launch your next UK business, Manchester definitely deserves a spot on your shortlist; here’s why.

The Main Attractions

There are a variety of opportunities available in Manchester. The presence of Manchester University has proven a real boon to Manchester’s burgeoning tech industry. If you are looking for a city with a steady supply of technologically-minded graduates, Manchester fits the bill perfectly.

Another key factor in Manchester’s appeal as a business destination is the lower cost of living when compared to London. The city of Manchester is home to just over half a million people, but the Greater Manchester area is home to 2.8 million. There is a big market here and it costs a fraction of the cost to enter when compared to London.

Finally, the diversity of businesses that exist in Manchester, and in the Greater Manchester area, mean that the city has attracted business owners from all walks of life and businesses from a wide spectrum of industries. This presents opportunities to collaborate with other businesses that are hard to find outside of London.

While the above factors have been the traditional drivers in bringing investment to Manchester, they are just a small sample of the reasons that entrepreneurs are choosing to make Manchester their home.

Extensive Services at Your Disposal

If you’re moving to Manchester from a smaller city, one of the key things you’ll notice is that it will be much easier to find the services you need. Whether this is a cleaning company, a network cabling service or sameday couriers; there’s an abundance of support at your disposal.

Of course these services can be found all across the country, but as Manchester is such a huge business hub you’ll have a lot more to choose from.

Excellent Support for Young Entrepreneurs

Successive UK governments have struggled to find ways of encouraging the best and brightest youth to apply themselves to entrepreneurship. On a national level, the support for entrepreneurs has been spotty at best. However, on a local level, cities like Manchester have instituted some very effective policies that have bought out the best in their younger entrepreneurs.

Cities in the UK outside of London have traditionally had trouble attracting the kind of investment that the nation’s capital receives. However, Manchester is one of the few cities that has been able to defy this trend. A growing number of Manchester University graduates are choosing to remain in the city when they have finished their studies and join existing businesses in the cities or start their own. If you are looking for young, qualified entrepreneurs, Manchester has plenty.

The large portion of young people and graduates provides business opportunities in itself. As with any student city, there are plenty of students looking for part-time work and plenty of businesses that are happy to cater to them.

A Great Place to Incubate

If you need somewhere to develop and grow your startup, Manchester is an excellent location. The University of Manchester has its own innovation business - UMI3 LTD - that includes a division with an incubation program. UMIP is an initiative by the university to provide an incubator for entrepreneurs with solid business ideas who just need a bit of time and space in order to bring their idea to maturity.

Since Innovation Optimiser, or IO as it is commonly known, launched, it has helped dozens of businesses to hone their ideas and get themselves into a position where they’re ready to enter the wider marketplace with their ideas.

Manchester is a city with a huge amount of potential for investors. Any entrepreneur who is looking for a UK city to start up a forward-looking business should consider Manchester. The presence of the local university and the history of innovation both contribute to a vibrant and sophisticated marketplace. If you have been looking for an investment destination, Manchester could be it.

 

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Published on: 10th July 2019