Greater London

2014 Annual Business Confidence Report

Headlines

  • 2014 was a record year for company registrations in Greater London when compared to any year in history.
  • The second half of 2014 saw a new record in company registrations in Greater London when compared to any previous second half year.
  • Q4 2014 saw a new record in company registrations in Greater London when compared to any previous Q4.
  • December 2014 saw a new record in company registrations in Greater London when compared to any previous December.
  • November 2014 saw a new record in company registrations in Greater London when compared to any previous November.
  • October 2014 saw a new record in company registrations in Greater London when compared to any previous October.
  • December 2014 saw a new record in company closures in Greater London when compared to any previous December.
  • 2014 was a record year for net growth in Greater London when compared to any year in history.
  • October 2014 saw a new record in net growth in Greater London when compared to any previous October.
  • The record second half year for female directors in Greater London was 2014 when 24.3% of all directors were female.

Contents

  1. New Company Registrations
  2. Closed Companies (dissolved)
  3. Net Company Growth
  4. UK Company Share
  5. Director Age
  6. Director Gender
  7. Naming Trends
  8. SIC Data
  9. Recent Companies

New Company Registrations

  1. Annual Data (2014)

    2014 was a record year for company registrations in Greater London when compared to any year in history.

    A total of 167,656 companies were formed in Greater London in 2014. This total is 8.9% higher than in 2013 and compares equally to the UK figure of a 10.0% growth compared to 529,363 the previous year.

    YearGreater LondonUK
    2014167,656582,051
    2013154,000529,363
    2012142,139491,893
    2011128,310452,870
    2010110,798400,358
    Record Year2014 (167,656)2014 (582,051)
    New Companies by Year
  2. Half Year Data (Jul-Dec 2014)

    The second half of 2014 saw a new record in company registrations in Greater London when compared to any previous second half year.

    In the second half of 2014 a total of 80,643 companies were formed in Greater London. This figure is 6.0% higher than last year, which compares badly to the UK wide figure of 8.2%.

    The highest total for a second half year in Greater London occurred in 2014 when a total of 80,643 were formed.

    Half Year (Jul-Dec)Greater LondonUK
    201480,643281,320
    201376,091259,931
    % change6.0%8.2%
    Record Year2014 (80,643)2014 (281,320)
    New Companies by Half Year
  3. Quarterly Data (Q4 Oct-Dec 2014)

    Q4 2014 saw a new record in company registrations in Greater London when compared to any previous Q4.

    A total of 39,921 companies were registered in Greater London during the fourth quarter of 2014 (Oct 2014 - Dec 2014).

    This figure is an increase of 5.6% versus the same period last year (Q4 2013). This figure compares equally to the UK as a whole, which saw an increase of 8.4% against the same period last year.

    fourth quarter (Oct 2014 - Dec 2014)Greater LondonUK
    201439,921137,906
    201337,818127,247
    % change5.6%8.4%
    Record Year 2014 (39,921) 2014 (137,906)
    New Companies by Quarter
  4. Monthly Data (Oct, Nov & Dec 2014)

    December 2014 saw a new record in company registrations in Greater London when compared to any previous December.

    November 2014 saw a new record in company registrations in Greater London when compared to any previous November.

    October 2014 saw a new record in company registrations in Greater London when compared to any previous October.

    New Companies by Month
    OctoberNovemberDecember
    New companies in 201414,80512,97712,139
    New companies in 201314,48412,87510,459
    % change2.2%0.8%16.1%
    Record Year2014 (14,805)2014 (12,977)2014 (12,139)

Closed Companies (dissolved)

  1. Annual Data (2014)

    A total of 103,674 companies were dissolved in Greater London in 2014. This total is 11.6% higher than in 2013 and compares favourably to the UK figure of 10.8% growth compared to the previous year.

    YearGreater LondonUK
    2014103,674367,937
    201392,923332,213
    201279,408293,729
    201187,599314,524
    201085,797342,233
    Record Year2009 (132,494)2009 (533,789)
    Dissolved Companies by Year
  2. Half Year Data (Jul-Dec 2014)

    In the second half of 2014 a total of 53,578 companies were dissolved in Greater London. This figure is 10.1% higher than last year, which compares badly to the UK wide change of 7.7%.

    The highest total for a second half year in Greater London occurred in 2009 when a total of 54,355 were closed.

    Half Year (Jul-Dec)Greater LondonUK
    201453,578190,730
    201348,649177,021
    % change10.1%7.7%
    Record Year2009 (54,355)2009 (244,544)
    Dissolved Companies by Half Year
  3. Quarterly Data (Q4 Oct-Dec 2014)

    A total of 25,137 companies were dissolved in Greater London during the fourth quarter of 2014 (Oct 2014 - Dec 2014).

    This figure is a decrease of 0.6% versus the same period last year (Q4 2013). This figure compares poorly to the UK as a whole, which saw a decrease of 2.0% against the same period last year.

    fourth quarter (Oct 2014 - Dec 2014)Greater LondonUK
    201425,13789,060
    201325,28490,851
    % change-0.6%-2.0%
    Record Year 2013 (25,284) 2013 (90,851)
    Dissolved Companies by Quarter
  4. Monthly Data (Oct, Nov & Dec 2014)

    December 2014 saw a new record in company closures in Greater London when compared to any previous December.

    Dissolved Companies by Month
    OctoberNovemberDecember
    Closed companies in 20147,0518,3849,702
    Closed companies in 20139,7317,2978,256
    % change-27.5%14.9%18%
    Record Year2013 (9,731)2011 (8,533)2014 (9,702)

Net Company Growth

  1. Annual Data (2014)

    2014 was a record year for net growth in Greater London when compared to any year in history.

    A total of 63,982 companies were added to the company register for Greater London in 2014. This number represents growth of 38.2% in the total number of active companies, which compares favourably to the UK figure of 36.8%.

    This number is 2,905 companies higher than the previous year.

    The highest net company growth figure ever seen in one year came in 2014 when the Greater London company register grew by 63,982 companies.

    YearGreater LondonUK
    201463,982214,114
    201361,077197,150
    201262,731198,164
    201140,711138,346
    201025,00158,125
    Record Year2014 (63,982)2007 (237,353)
    Net Growth by Year
  2. Half Year Data (Jul-Dec 2014)

    In the second half of 2014 the company register for Greater London increased by 27,065 companies.

    Half Year (Jul-Dec)Greater LondonUK
    201427,06590,590
    201327,44282,910
    Record Year2012 (30,961)2003 (117,772)
    Net Growth by Half Year
  3. Quarterly Data (Q4 Oct-Dec 2014)

    Net company growth for Greater London during the fourth quarter of 2014 (Oct 2014 - Dec 2014) was 14,784 companies.

    fourth quarter (Oct 2014 - Dec 2014)Greater LondonUK
    201414,78448,846
    201312,53436,396
    Record Year 2012 (16,671) 2012 (49,848)
    Net Growth by Quarter
  4. Monthly Data (Oct, Nov & Dec 2014)

    October 2014 saw a new record in net growth in Greater London when compared to any previous October.

    Net Growth by Month
    OctoberNovemberDecember
    Net growth in 20147,7544,5932,437
    Net growth in 20134,7535,5782,203
    Record Year2014 (7,754)2012 (7,121)2012 (5,228)

UK Company Share

  1. Annual Data (2014)

    In 2014 Greater London formed 28.8% of all UK companies. This is a decline on 2013 when Greater London was responsible for 29.1% of all UK companies.

    YearGreater London
    201428.8%
    201329.1%
    201228.9%
    201128.3%
    201027.7%
    Record Year (since 1960)1998 (30.5%)
    Company Share by Year
  2. Half Year Data (Jul-Dec 2014)

    In the second half of 2014 Greater London formed 28.7% of all UK companies. This is less than the 2013 figure of 29.3%.

    Half Year (Jul-Dec)Greater London
    201428.7%
    201329.3%
    201229.3%
    201128.7%
    201028.4%
    Record Year (since 1960) 1998 (30.6%)
    Company Share by Half Year
  3. Quarterly Data (Q4 Oct-Dec 2014)

    In the fourth quarter of 2014, Greater London formed 28.9% of all UK companies.

    fourth quarter (Oct 2014 - Dec 2014)Greater London
    201428.9%
    201329.7%
    201229.7%
    201129.4%
    201029.3%
    Record Year (since 1960) 1998 (30.6%)
    Company Share by Quarter
  4. Monthly Data (Oct, Nov & Dec 2014)

    Company Share by Month
    OctoberNovemberDecember
    UK formation share in 201428.4%28.6%30.0%
    UK formation share in 201329.2%29.9%30.3%
    % change-2.8%-4.3%-0.7%
    Record Year1998 (31.8%)1999 (31.1%)2010 (31.0%)

Director Age

  1. Annual Data (2014)

    The average age of a director in 2014 was 42.2.

    The percentage of directors under the age of 25 was 3.5% compared to the UK figure of 4.0%.

    The percentage of directors over the age of 65 was 3.9% compared to the UK figure of 4.0%.

    Director Age by Year
  2. Half Year Data (Jul-Dec 2014)

    The average age of a director in the second half of 2014 was 41.8.

    The percentage of directors under the age of 25 was 3.0% compared to the UK figure of 3.7%.

    The percentage of directors over the age of 65 was 4.4% compared to the UK figure of 4.5%.

    Director Age by Half Year
  3. Quarterly Data (Q4 Oct-Dec 2014)

    The average age of a director in the fourth quarter of 2014 was 41.9.

    The percentage of directors under the age of 25 was 3.2% compared to the UK figure of 3.8%.

    The percentage of directors over the age of 65 was 4.5% compared to the UK figure of 4.5%.

    Director Age by Quarter

Director Gender

  1. Annual Data (2014)

    The record year for female directors in Greater London was 1990 when 27.9% of all directors were female.

    The percentage of female directors in Greater London in 2014 was 24.1%. The average for the UK during this time was 26.1%

    Director Gender by Year
  2. Half Year Data (Jul-Dec 2014)

    The record second half year for female directors in Greater London was 2014 when 24.3% of all directors were female.

    24.3% of all director appointments in Greater London in the second half of 2014 were female. This compares to a UK average of 26.1% for the same period.

    Director Gender by Half Year
  3. Quarterly Data (Q4 Oct-Dec 2014)

    The record fourth quarter for female directors in Greater London was in 2012 when 23.9% of all directors were female.

    23.4% of all director appointments in Greater London in the fourth quarter of 2014 were female. This compares to a UK average of 25.8% for the same period.

    Director Gender by Quarter

Naming Trends

  1. Previous 12 months (Dec 2013-Dec 2014)

    Excluding: LIMITED, LTD, &, UK, SERVICES, THE, (UK), AND, LTD., A, LLP, SOLUTIONS, COMPANY, OF.

    wordpercentageuk worduk percentage
    CONSULTING3.78%CONSULTING5.22%
    LONDON3.25%MANAGEMENT4.58%
    MANAGEMENT2.75%CONSULTANCY3.57%
    CO.,2.31%PROPERTY2.66%
    TRADING2.03%CONSTRUCTION2.12%
    CONSULTANCY1.96%ENGINEERING2.10%
    GLOBAL1.70%CARE2.02%
    CAPITAL1.64%TRADING1.94%
    SOLAR1.60%LONDON1.93%
    PROPERTY1.58%TRANSPORT1.93%
    FARM1.51%DESIGN1.66%
    INVESTMENTS1.39%CONSULTANTS1.64%
    INTERNATIONAL1.36%ELECTRICAL1.62%
    CONSTRUCTION1.33%PROPERTIES1.62%
    MEDIA1.16%BUSINESS1.56%
    BUSINESS1.14%J1.54%
    CARE1.10%CO.,1.50%
    PROPERTIES1.07%GLOBAL1.49%
    DESIGN1.04%INVESTMENTS1.48%
    CONSULTANTS1.03%ASSOCIATES1.47%
    ASSOCIATES0.91%DEVELOPMENTS1.35%
    PRODUCTIONS0.89%MEDIA1.33%
    GROUP0.89%IT1.31%
    INVESTMENT0.89%BUILDING1.29%
    PARTNERS0.87%M1.22%

SIC Data

  1. Previous 36 months, excluding companies less than 12 months old

    sic codenumber of companiesuk companies
    None Supplied89,351265,608
    82990 - Other business support service activities not elsewhere classified24,71758,068
    99999 - Dormant Company16,09748,509
    70229 - Management consultancy activities other than financial management11,39642,290
    96090 - Other service activities not elsewhere classified10,23629,009
    62020 - Information technology consultancy activities8,92530,178
    74909 - Other professional, scientific and technical activities not elsewhere classified4,62319,049
    62090 - Other information technology service activities4,03612,837
    74990 - Non-trading company3,88513,984
    86900 - Other human health activities3,39712,976
    62012 - Business and domestic software development3,2719,752
    68209 - Other letting and operating of own or leased real estate2,93511,212
    41100 - Development of building projects2,71911,397
    47910 - Retail sale via mail order houses or via Internet2,71110,107
    68100 - Buying and selling of own real estate2,6117,106
    69201 - Accounting and auditing activities2,4107,528
    56101 - Licensed restaurants2,3628,782
    64999 - Financial intermediation not elsewhere classified2,2156,083
    68320 - Management of real estate on a fee or contract basis1,9646,010
    41202 - Construction of domestic buildings1,8267,559

Recent Companies

  1. Randomly selected companies from this quarter

    COMPANY NUMBERCOMPANY NAMEINCORPORATION DATE
    OC396817 HGPE ASG2 ASSETCO LLP 01 Dec 2014
    09333439 PEAK WORLDWIDE LIMITED 01 Dec 2014
    09334135 JAYMAST LIMITED 01 Dec 2014
    09334296 MARZAN UK LIMITED 01 Dec 2014
    09334335 AQUASTONE LIMITED 01 Dec 2014
    09334464 ALMA SOLUTIONS LTD 01 Dec 2014
    09334848 SAFF RON INDIAN FOODS LIMITED 01 Dec 2014
    09335111 MANNYC.TV LTD 01 Dec 2014
    09336346 SAFA FRIED CHICKEN LTD 02 Dec 2014
    OC396853 BIMCO CORPORATE SERVICES LLP 02 Dec 2014
    09336968 PCO LEASING LIMITED 02 Dec 2014
    09337296 CLAUSE 39 PRODUCTIONS LIMITED 02 Dec 2014
    09339701 EREBUS STYLE LTD 03 Dec 2014
    09340071 EUROASIA CUISINE LIMITED 03 Dec 2014
    09340505 WOKING INDIAN TAKEAWAY LTD 04 Dec 2014
    09341602 BACK STAGE CAFE LTD 04 Dec 2014
    09341830 PURE RELAX DRINKS LIMITED 04 Dec 2014
    09344057 UK GOOD FOOD LTD 08 Dec 2014
    09344070 ALEENA WEDDINGS LIMITED 08 Dec 2014
    09346226 AR FOODS LONDON LIMITED 08 Dec 2014
    09346772 MARK (UK)LIMITED LIMITED 09 Dec 2014
    09348267 FISH CENTRE (UK) LTD 09 Dec 2014
    09348372 MADANI HAJJ TOURS LONDON LTD 10 Dec 2014
    09351081 ED UK GLOBAL TRADE LTD 11 Dec 2014
    09351550 WEB REAL TIME LTD 11 Dec 2014