Brighton is the best location to start a small business in the UK according to research compiled by Informi, with London only managing eighth on the list.
Ahead of this year’s Small Business Saturday on December 3rd, the study focused on information from 65 UK cities relating to a number of factors that can be important for smaller company survival, including the density of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in an area, digital connectivity and house prices.
Brighton has come top of the list for the second successive year, due predominantly to its superfast broadband penetration rate, low pollution levels and high number of business start-ups.
Cambridge and Leicester take the silver and bronze positions, also for the second year in a row.
Technology hub Cambridge scores well on its low number of SME closures and strong digital connectivity, while Leicester is praised for its relatively large number of high growth SMEs – companies expanding their workforce by over 50 per cent – in the city.
Other cities in the top 20 include Bristol, Aberdeen, Leeds and Southampton.
London has improved on last year by one place, making number eight on the list. However, the capital’s high property prices, large number of SME closures and relatively moderate broadband speeds put it below cities including Aldershot, Reading and Northampton.
The highest mover on the list is Liverpool, which has moved up 26 places to 22nd, largely due to a fall in the number of SME closures and a reduction in CO2 emissions. Worthing is the biggest faller, slipping 28 spots from fourth place to 32nd, due mainly to a fall in high-growth start-ups being located there.
Darren Nicholls, spokesperson for Informi says, ‘We are on course to see a record number of start-ups in the UK during 2016, demonstrating that the entrepreneurial spirit is as strong as it has ever been. New businesses can be found across every region and industry, bringing new jobs and prosperity and growth to their local economies.’
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