Brighton tops Best Places to Start a New Business for fourth time in 2021

Brighton has been named the "Best Place to Start a Small Business in the UK" for the fourth time in five years, in a comprehensive study complied by Informi, the website offering free practical advice and support for small businesses. The new study incorporates data from leading think tank Centre for Cities compiled prior to the ongoing Covid-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

Brighton took the top spot in the annual study in 2016, with Ipswich winning the title in 2017. The 2019 study, which looked at the 2010s as a whole, saw Reading triumph.

This year’s study examined data from the last financial year, focusing on eight different criteria across the 63 largest towns and cities in the UK to determine where had the best environment for small and medium-sized businesses to succeed. Categories included the number of new businesses, current business stock, pollution levels and digital connectivity.

Brighton performed strongly across the board and was in the top three for the number of new start-ups, overall business stock and low pollution levels. Cambridge maintained its second place position from 2020 in this year’s list, followed by Northampton which rose three places to third.

Previous winner Ipswich performed well, rising by four places on the previous survey to take fourth place, with Oxford and Exeter also climbing the chart to break into the top 10.

Steven Drew, spokesperson for Informi, said:

2021 has been a difficult year for SMEs throughout the UK due to challenges posed by the pandemic and the impact of Brexit. However, what this data shows is that across the country, there are real opportunities for SMEs to not only weather the current economic storm but form the cornerstone of the UK’s economic recovery through creating jobs, bringing prosperity to regions and attracting external investment. Over the past five years, Brighton has shown that it is welcoming to entrepreneurs, supports local businesses to thrive and offers a great example to other towns and cities on how they can do the same.

However, whilst there is plenty that can be done at a businesses, including shopping locally, it’s also key that they get the help they need from elsewhere. With the data showing a rise in business closures – even prior to the impact of the pandemic – it’s vital that the government commits to its ‘levelling up’ agenda by ensuring that areas all across the UK are enabled to help small businesses in their region grow and succeed.

Best places to start a business in the UK 2021: Full List

1. Brighton

2. Cambridge

3. Northampton

4. Ipswich

5. Reading

6. Southampton

7. Edinburgh

8. Oxford

9. London

10. Exeter

11. Bristol

12. York

13. Bournemouth

14. Chatham

15. Portsmouth

16. Luton

17. Aldershot

18. Liverpool

19. Worthing

20. Aberdeen

21. Slough

22. Wigan

23. Leicester

24. Preston

25. Cardiff

26. Glasgow

27. Gloucester

28. Leeds

29. Belfast

30. Dundee

31. Swindon

32. Birkenhead

33. Plymouth

34. Southend

35. Hull

36. Warrington

37. Derby

38. Manchester

39. Coventry

40. Birmingham

41. Milton Keynes

42. Telford

43. Nottingham

44. Crawley

45. Huddersfield

46. Peterborough

47. Blackburn

48. Bradford

49. Blackpool

50. Basildon

51. Burnley

52. Norwich

53. Sheffield

54. Mansfield

55. Newcastle

56. Middlesbrough

57. Doncaster

58. Swansea

59. Stoke

60. Sunderland

61. Barnsley

62. Wakefield

63. Newport

Informi offers a wealth of information for anyone looking to start and run a small business, including articles and resources such as a free UK business plan template to help you develop and grow your business. For more information please visit informi.co.uk.