Bristol named as the top city for start-ups

Bristol is the top city for entrepreneurs to start a business, according to research from University College London’s School of Management. The study looked at areas such as availability, cost of office space and broadband speeds to find out which cities are ideal for entrepreneurs.

Bristol was voted the top spot for entrepreneurs, scoring high for its fast broadband speeds, which were found to be above the UK average of 26Mbps.

Great abundance

Keel Over Marketing owner Thomas Coppen said that Bristol has an atmosphere that “breeds entrepreneurs”, adding that he started his business – an advertising agency – through working with startups.

He stated that there are lots of other business owners in the area to get advice from, as well as regular conferences taking place in the city, adding that there is also a “great abundance of business networking events and meetings”, some of which do not cost anything to attend.

Funding

London, Birmingham, Brighton and Hove, Nottingham, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Belfast, Cardiff, and Leeds were also found to be ideal locations for entrepreneurs. London topped the list for average funding for startups, with new businesses receiving £1,038, followed by Sunderland at £720 and Hull at £552.

Startup businesses in Leeds were found to receive a low amount of funding, with an average of just £132.

London was found to have the highest cost in terms of office space, with prices currently at £52.50 per square foot per month.