Brighton has been crowned the best place to start a small business in the UK in a study by Informi, reclaiming the title it held in 2016.
It is being celebrated for its highly-skilled workforce, digital connectivity – 91.25% of the city is covered by ultrafast broadband – and existing business stock. The news came as no surprise to Tartle Media, as we are based in Brighton and we know that it’s pretty great.
Our client, Nigel Davies founder of Brighton-based digital workplace Claromentis, agrees. He said: "I'm not surprised Brighton is top of the list. It’s a creative, vibrant city with a pocket of exceptional talent that surprises us every time we put a new job ad up.
“One of Brighton’s best attributes is its diversity and inclusion from an LGBTQ perspective. Drawing from a more diverse talent pool benefits business. When you put people from different walks of life, with different perspectives in a room, what you get is brilliant ideas and innovation - something I’m happy to say I get to witness every day.”
The study took data from 63 of the largest towns and cities in the UK to determine which area had the best environment for small and medium businesses to succeed.
Other cities in the top 10 include Edinburgh, Aldershot and Warrington. London was fourth, likely due to the fact most people would have to sell their organs to afford rent while starting a business.
Emily Garnham, founder of Tartle Media said: “To the ignorant, Brighton is a seagull-infested tourist trap. To the rest of us, it’s a vibrant city that’s full of artists, altruists and entrepreneurs. This survey ranked Brighton eighth on the ‘highly skilled workforce’ scale. Our talent could be lost to London which is within easy commuting distance. But Southern Rail’s total ineptitude means more Brightonians are actively looking for work closer to home, and local businesses are benefitting from the exceptional pot of talent that London is losing.”