Sheffield ranks among top places for start-ups

The figures from StartUp Britain state that 8,052 new businesses were created in Sheffield last year, compared with 6,551 start-ups the year before.

Leeds comes 12th in the list, with 6,778 new companies started last year, compared with 6,174 in 2013.

The study found that UK entrepreneurs created a record number of new businesses in 2014. Research from the national enterprise campaign shows that 581,173 businesses were registered with Companies House, beating the previous record of 526,446 businesses recorded in 2013, and 484,224 in 2012.

Top performers on the regional entrepreneurial map, according to postcode, include Greater London with 184,671 businesses registered. Its nearest rival was Birmingham at 18,337 and Manchester at 13,054. According to StartUp Britain, which is a Government-backed campaign, there is a clear upward trend in the number of businesses starting up outside London.

“Starting a business is easier, quicker and cheaper than ever thanks to new technology,” said Luke Johnson, the chairman of the Centre for Entrepreneurs and the private equity firm Risk Capital Partners.

“Entrepreneurs have higher profiles than in the past and are seen as role models. Traditional jobs for life have largely disappeared, as have occupational pensions.”

The annual figures come from StartUp Britain’s Daily tracker, an online tool which reveals the number of businesses registered with Companies House. Bradford comes in 42nd place in the survey (3,701 start-ups last year), while York is 47th (3,184), and Hull ranks 72nd (2,219).