Peterborough beats London and other big cities to rank 11th best UK location for microbusiness, research finds

March 10, 2023

Peterborough has been ranked the 11th best location in the UK for micro-businesses, beating cities such as London, Birmingham and Glasgow.

BusinessFinanced.co.uk said it set out to find and rank the places across the UK where there was the highest concentration of thriving microbusinesses and self-employed people.

“Across the length and breadth of the UK, our nation’s history is marked by the creative and bold people who strived to establish their own business enterprise,” said a spokesperson.

“But where is that happening now? Which towns and cities are the leading hotspots for entrepreneurs, startups and very small businesses?

“We decided to look at the data and find out.”

They said they had drawn up a comprehensive shortlist of 68 locations where microbusinesses were most prevalent and most thriving.

Mike Greene, Chair of the Peterborough and Stamford Chamber committee and a member of the Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce Board of Directors, said: “It’s fantastic to see Peterborough do so well in the ‘Best UK location for micro-businesses’ rankings. Five generations of my family have lived in Peterborough and although I have built business globally, it’s always been my base. The city is on a journey but every year I see transformational growth and the new university brings another step change. The city has over 3500 years of history as a centre for trade from the days of the Bronze Age settlement at Flag Fen (one of the best preserved in the world), through to our 905 year old Cathedral. The City has incredible transport links by road and rail, has won global awards for tech/comms and is surrounded by beautiful countryside. I really wouldn’t want to base my business anywhere else.”

The criteria used by BusinessFinanced.co.uk for a microbusiness was that it employed no more than four people but was large enough to be registered for VAT, PAYE or both.

BusinessFinanced.co.uk said their top 30 UK locations for microbusinesses was headed by Bath, followed by Chelmsford, Cheltenham, Exeter, Chester and then York in sixth place, which was followed by Edinburgh and Maidstone.

Read the full research report here: https://www.businessfinanced.co.uk/microbusiness-study/