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.
Aimear Lynch, founder of My Pet Lamb and one of our Impacting Founders gives us the lowdown on her eco-conscious startup and business journey to date

The latest addition to the LEVELUP agenda is an online Speed Networking event, in partnership with Allstate NI and powered by Netminds. Come along and make new connections!

Digital DNA, leading lights in the NI Tech and Business community announced as media partners for the LEVELUP events at Derry & Strabane Enterprise Week

Kellie McCord from Toastmasters International shares some tips on a few of the key things you should consider to make sure that the online experience is inclusive and easier for more people

Thinking about embarking on currency trading? Here are some basic tips that will help you do just that...

The innovative Brighton-based startup, Naurt, that has created a plug-and-play toolkit for high-precision, beacon-free tracking

Thinking of using email marketing to promote your startup? Here are a few of the key things to consider when doing just that...

The lowdown on Fleex, the startup that helps companies provide remote employees with all they need to make working from home more comfortable

Judging panel now revealed for the LEVELUP startup pitch comp for early stage NI startups taking place at Derry & Strabane Enterprise Week - entries open until 10th April

Key speakers, panelists and sponsors announced for the LEVELUP event, taking place on 21-22 April as part of Derry & Strabane Enterprise Week
Published on: 7th January 2015
If you would like to enable commenting via your Startacus account, please enable Disqus functionality in your Account Settings.







- Startacus brings virtual speed networking to Derry & Strabane Enterprise Week 2021 12th Apr 2021 The latest addition to the LEVELUP agenda is an online Speed Networking event, in partnership with Allstate NI and powered by Netminds. Come along and make new connections!
- LEVELUP bags Digital DNA as media partners 12th Apr 2021 Digital DNA, leading lights in the NI Tech and Business community announced as media partners for the LEVELUP events at Derry & Strabane Enterprise Week
- Huge rise in dog weddings leads Feast It and Poppy’s Picnic to launch dog wedding planning service 31st Mar 2021 "Mutt-rimonials" are on the horizon thanks to Woof Weddings, the UK's first dedicated wedding planning service for dogs
- Manual, the innovative Men’s Health platform Raises $30M Series A 31st Mar 2021 Manual secures major investment to help with product development and international expansion and its overall mission to become the global destination for men’s health