Are you interested in launching a start-up company? Then the UK is the perfect place to do so. Home to thriving cities offering endless opportunities, the UK brings budding entrepreneurs plenty of room to flourish and grow their businesses. Whatever your business goals, here are three of the best UK cities to launch a start-up in the UK.
Liverpool
Liverpool is considered one of the best cities to launch a new start-up business. Home to the International Festival for Business, and a rich creative and digital culture, Liverpool is quickly rising in popularity as a prime start-up city. With a number of world-class universities, Liverpool is a major student city, with an ever-growing population of over 70,000 students. Part of the reason why launching a start-up in this city is so popular is down to the access to grants and funding. Liverpool benefits from start-up accelerators like Spark Up — a funding and mentoring programme which plans to help launch 500 Merseyside ‘super businesses’.
Unlike London, it’s a lot more affordable to live and work in Liverpool. The average house price is a lot cheaper in the North than in London, with Liverpool boasting an average property price of £130,677, while London’s average stands at around £484,173. Property investment companies also recognise the potential of Liverpool compared to the capital. RW Invest, a UK property company, create affordable buy to let opportunities in Liverpool, supplying housing solutions for the rental demand that comes from the city’s young professionals.
Start-ups launching in Liverpool can benefit from some fantastic office spaces. From co-working at Avenue HQ to unique workspaces within Baltic Creative, Liverpool is sure to offer you the perfect environment to help your business grow.
Manchester
Home to the University of Manchester which boasts the largest university campus in Europe, Manchester offers unrivalled access to talent making it one of the best start-up cities. Manchester City has a total population of over 500,000, along with the highest start-up rate compared to any other North West city. The start-up sector that Manchester is most known for is the creative and digital industries, with a number of businesses within these sectors choosing to launch in this Northern hot-spot.
The presence of MediaCityUK, along with other workspaces like Manchester Business Park, Atlas Business Park and Carrington Business Park, has helped put this city on the business-world map. Some of the office spaces in Manchester offer co-working options, which are a popular choice with start-ups. MediaCityUK is home to the co-working space ‘The Landing’, while Piccadilly-based Colony also offers stylish and trendy spaces to launch your business.
Leeds
Already an established hub for digital tech businesses, Leeds is a growing city and the perfect location to launch a new start-up. Over 3500 tech businesses already reside in Leeds, including established companies like the internet marketing agencies Twentysix and Sticky Eyes, along with Rockstar Games and Leidos.
Another student city, Leeds is home to numerous reputable institutions like the University of Leeds, Leeds Trinity, and Leeds Art University. Leeds City Council aims to continue the growth of tech and gaming companies within the city, issuing a £3.7 million grant for tech projects. Degree level apprenticeships are also common within the city, helping young people to grow and succeed.
The economy of Leeds is growing fast. A rising population, strong business growth, and foreign investment make this city a hotspot for new start-ups. Much like Liverpool and Manchester, Leeds is also a lot more affordable than London, both with living costs and costs to rent out office space. Many co-working spaces in the city offer a free day pass to try out the office, with lower monthly office hire rates than you’d find in the capital.
