UK Entrepreneurship Reaches Record High

by Startacus Admin
Figures released yesterday 06/01/15 by StartUp Britain, based on research by the Centre for Entrepreneurs think tank, has revealed something which we at Startacus had been tentatively expecting.
UK Entrepreneurship reached a record high in 2014 with the highest number of businesses being created within a single year in the country's history.
Brace yourself - the figures are startling!
Over the course of 2014, some 581,173 businesses were registered by Companies House; yes you read that right, five hundred and eighty-one thousand one hundred and seventy-three! That's a steep increase from the year before when 526,447 businesses were created, and 2012 when the figure stood at 484,224.
Our questionable maths skills notwithstanding, we reckon this equates to a solid 20% increase in the number of new businesses being created annually in the UK within the space of just 2 years!
Of course these figures do come with one small caveat, which is that they show only the number of registrations which have taken place, and not how many of these have actually become trading enterprises. But fiddly details aside, I think we can safely say they serve as a fair indication that the country’s entrepreneurial spirit is growing…and fast!
With over 8 million inhabitants it’s unsurprising that the Greater London Area comes out on top with 184,671, far in excess of any other city. Second on the list is Birmingham with 18,337 and third is Manchester with 13,054.
Here are the top ten cities with the highest number of business registrations:
Greater London 184,671
Birmingham 18,337
Manchester 13,054
Brighton 8,344
Glasgow 8,173
Bristol 8,130
Sheffield 8,052
Nottingham 7,641
Warrington 7,529
Edinburgh 7,480
Coventry 7,059
After puzzling over these numbers for a little while, we wondered which of these cities has the highest number of new businesses registered in 2014, per head of population; surely this figure would give a more accurate indication of where the greatest entrepreneurial spirit is to be found?
Armed with our abacus and an old piece of slate - this is what we came up with.
Cities, towns and the ratio of new businesses to people:
Warrington 1 / 27
Brighton 1 / 32
Manchester 1 / 38
Nottingham 1 / 40
Greater London 1 / 43
Coventry 1 / 46
Bristol 1 / 53
Birmingham 1 / 59
Edinburgh 1 / 65
Sheffield 1 / 69
Glasgow 1 / 72
Important note! Within the figures published by StartUp Britain each city referred to is taken to be that which lies within its particular postcode. In lieu of the exact population figures we’ve had to take a little bit of liberty in our calculations.
In our fairly unscientific estimation, Warrington becomes the most entrepreneurial place in the UK. Congratulations to you Warrington!
What these figures also suggest is that whilst cumulative totals may not be as spectacular outside of the capital, new business creation is happening on an intensive scale in places like Brighton, Manchester, Nottingham, and indeed right across the country.
Further to this sustained increase in the number of new businesses, figures from the Office for National Statistics also suggest a significant drop in the number of businesses which are failing. It claims that there were 6% less businesses dropping out of the Companies House Register in 2014 down from 253,000 to 238,000.
But whichever way you look at it, this is very good news for the country as a whole. New business creation is one of the key indicators of the health of a nation’s economy and this sustained upward trend is being widely praised as a highly encouraging sign.
Big thanks to the good folks at StartUp Britain for the facts and figures!
Now for a nice cup of coffee after all that number crunching.
Why not take a look at our bank of features, articles and discussions of entepreneurialism in these UK Cities?
Belfast, Bristol, Glasgow, Manchester, Sheffield
Subscribe to our newsletter
If you would like to receive our startup themed newsletter, full of the latest startup opportunities, events, news, stories, tips and advice, then sign up here.
Whirli is an innovative toy subscription service providing you with access to a huge ever-changing toy box

If, like many of us you're working from home at the moment, here are a few basic tips to help you do just that - in comfort

The award winning Lloyds Lab incubator is back and is currently seeking innovative startups to join its latest cohort, Cohort 6.

The f:Entrepreneur ‘#ialso100’ campaign that's showcasing the inspirational female entrepreneurs who are running small businesses and supporting their communities

Bankhouse Media, the leading full-service digital marketing agency expands its offering and sets up a Belfast base in Glandore

Leading event marketplace, Feast It secures major funding boost to assist with its expansion to full event planning and also further grow its virtual events offering

The London-based fintech innovator, PayDashboard, receives Innovate UK Funding to support its growth in the financial wellness space

Manna is an innovative Irish startup that's on a mission to use commercial drones and make 3-minute delivery within the community a reality

Reboxed is a Brixton-based sustainable commerce startup that's created a smarter, safer, more sustainable way to buy and sell your tech

Planning a marketing campaign for your business for the year ahead? These tips will help you ensure that it's a success
Published on: 7th January 2015
If you would like to enable commenting via your Startacus account, please enable Disqus functionality in your Account Settings.







- Innovative InsurTech startups take note - Lloyds Lab wants to hear from you 14th Jan 2021 The award winning Lloyds Lab incubator is back and is currently seeking innovative startups to join its latest cohort, Cohort 6.
- Female Entrepreneurs Powering Economy and Communities Celebrated 13th Jan 2021 The f:Entrepreneur ‘#ialso100’ campaign that's showcasing the inspirational female entrepreneurs who are running small businesses and supporting their communities
- PayDashboard secures funding boost for its innovative payslip platform 12th Jan 2021 The London-based fintech innovator, PayDashboard, receives Innovate UK Funding to support its growth in the financial wellness space
- The Wild Curl crowdfunds to fight against hair discrimination 21st Dec 2020 The Wild Curl launches crowdfunding campaign to help with its mission of disrupting the beauty industry and fighting against continuous hair discrimination