London, Greater London

2014 Annual Business Confidence Report

Headlines

  • 2014 was a record year for company registrations in London when compared to any year in history.
  • The second half of 2014 saw a new record in company registrations in London when compared to any previous second half year.
  • Q4 2014 saw a new record in company registrations in London when compared to any previous Q4.
  • December 2014 saw a new record in company registrations in London when compared to any previous December.
  • November 2014 saw a new record in company registrations in London when compared to any previous November.
  • October 2014 saw a new record in company registrations in London when compared to any previous October.
  • December 2014 saw a new record in company closures in London when compared to any previous December.
  • 2014 was a record year for net growth in London when compared to any year in history.
  • October 2014 saw a new record in net growth in London when compared to any previous October.
  • The record second half year for female directors in London was 2014 when 24.4% 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 London when compared to any year in history.

    A total of 146,236 companies were formed in London in 2014. This total is 8.6% higher than in 2013 and compares equally to the UK figure of a 10.0% growth compared to 529,363 the previous year.

    YearLondonUK
    2014146,236582,051
    2013134,621529,363
    2012124,359491,893
    2011112,010452,870
    201095,735400,358
    Record Year2014 (146,236)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 London when compared to any previous second half year.

    In the second half of 2014 a total of 70,228 companies were formed in London. This figure is 5.8% higher than last year, which compares badly to the UK wide figure of 8.2%.

    The highest total for a second half year in London occurred in 2014 when a total of 70,228 were formed.

    Half Year (Jul-Dec)LondonUK
    201470,228281,320
    201366,354259,931
    % change5.8%8.2%
    Record Year2014 (70,228)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 London when compared to any previous Q4.

    A total of 34,768 companies were registered in London during the fourth quarter of 2014 (Oct 2014 - Dec 2014).

    This figure is an increase of 5.2% 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)LondonUK
    201434,768137,906
    201333,040127,247
    % change5.2%8.4%
    Record Year 2014 (34,768) 2014 (137,906)
    New Companies by Quarter
  4. Monthly Data (Oct, Nov & Dec 2014)

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

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

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

    New Companies by Month
    OctoberNovemberDecember
    New companies in 201412,83811,29510,635
    New companies in 201312,63411,2259,181
    % change1.6%0.6%15.8%
    Record Year2014 (12,838)2014 (11,295)2014 (10,635)

Closed Companies (dissolved)

  1. Annual Data (2014)

    A total of 90,209 companies were dissolved in London in 2014. This total is 11.4% higher than in 2013 and compares favourably to the UK figure of 10.8% growth compared to the previous year.

    YearLondonUK
    201490,209367,937
    201381,005332,213
    201269,001293,729
    201172,425314,524
    201073,854342,233
    Record Year2009 (114,224)2009 (533,789)
    Dissolved Companies by Year
  2. Half Year Data (Jul-Dec 2014)

    In the second half of 2014 a total of 46,555 companies were dissolved in London. This figure is 10.0% higher than last year, which compares badly to the UK wide change of 7.7%.

    The highest total for a second half year in London occurred in 2009 when a total of 46,880 were closed.

    Half Year (Jul-Dec)LondonUK
    201446,555190,730
    201342,316177,021
    % change10.0%7.7%
    Record Year2009 (46,880)2009 (244,544)
    Dissolved Companies by Half Year
  3. Quarterly Data (Q4 Oct-Dec 2014)

    A total of 21,811 companies were dissolved in London during the fourth quarter of 2014 (Oct 2014 - Dec 2014).

    This figure is a decrease of 1.0% 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)LondonUK
    201421,81189,060
    201322,03090,851
    % change-1.0%-2.0%
    Record Year 2013 (22,030) 2013 (90,851)
    Dissolved Companies by Quarter
  4. Monthly Data (Oct, Nov & Dec 2014)

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

    Dissolved Companies by Month
    OctoberNovemberDecember
    Closed companies in 20146,1107,2638,438
    Closed companies in 20138,5466,3487,136
    % change-28.5%14.4%18%
    Record Year2013 (8,546)2011 (7,377)2014 (8,438)

Net Company Growth

  1. Annual Data (2014)

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

    A total of 56,027 companies were added to the company register for London in 2014. This number represents growth of 38.3% in the total number of active companies, which compares favourably to the UK figure of 36.8%.

    This number is 2,411 companies higher than the previous year.

    The highest net company growth figure ever seen in one year came in 2014 when the London company register grew by 56,027 companies.

    YearLondonUK
    201456,027214,114
    201353,616197,150
    201255,358198,164
    201139,585138,346
    201021,88158,125
    Record Year2014 (56,027)2007 (237,353)
    Net Growth by Year
  2. Half Year Data (Jul-Dec 2014)

    In the second half of 2014 the company register for London increased by 23,673 companies.

    Half Year (Jul-Dec)LondonUK
    201423,67390,590
    201324,03882,910
    Record Year2012 (27,412)2003 (117,772)
    Net Growth by Half Year
  3. Quarterly Data (Q4 Oct-Dec 2014)

    Net company growth for London during the fourth quarter of 2014 (Oct 2014 - Dec 2014) was 12,957 companies.

    fourth quarter (Oct 2014 - Dec 2014)LondonUK
    201412,95748,846
    201311,01036,396
    Record Year 2012 (14,693) 2012 (49,848)
    Net Growth by Quarter
  4. Monthly Data (Oct, Nov & Dec 2014)

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

    Net Growth by Month
    OctoberNovemberDecember
    Net growth in 20146,7284,0322,197
    Net growth in 20134,0884,8772,045
    Record Year2014 (6,728)2012 (6,288)2012 (4,627)

UK Company Share

  1. Annual Data (2014)

    In 2014 London formed 25.1% of all UK companies. This is a decline on 2013 when London was responsible for 25.4% of all UK companies.

    YearLondon
    201425.1%
    201325.4%
    201225.3%
    201124.7%
    201023.9%
    Record Year (since 1960)1998 (26.9%)
    Company Share by Year
  2. Half Year Data (Jul-Dec 2014)

    In the second half of 2014 London formed 25.0% of all UK companies. This is less than the 2013 figure of 25.5%.

    Half Year (Jul-Dec)London
    201425.0%
    201325.5%
    201225.7%
    201125.1%
    201024.6%
    Record Year (since 1960) 1998 (27.1%)
    Company Share by Half Year
  3. Quarterly Data (Q4 Oct-Dec 2014)

    In the fourth quarter of 2014, London formed 25.2% of all UK companies.

    fourth quarter (Oct 2014 - Dec 2014)London
    201425.2%
    201326.0%
    201226.0%
    201125.8%
    201025.5%
    Record Year (since 1960) 1998 (27.2%)
    Company Share by Quarter
  4. Monthly Data (Oct, Nov & Dec 2014)

    Company Share by Month
    OctoberNovemberDecember
    UK formation share in 201424.6%24.9%26.3%
    UK formation share in 201325.5%26.0%26.6%
    % change-3.3%-4.5%-0.9%
    Record Year1909 (32.1%)1929 (29.0%)2010 (27.3%)

Director Age

  1. Annual Data (2014)

    The average age of a director in 2014 was 42.3.

    The percentage of directors under the age of 25 was 3.6% compared to the UK figure of 4.0%.

    The percentage of directors over the age of 65 was 3.8% 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 41.9.

    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 4.3% 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 42.1.

    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 4.3% 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 London was 1931 when 100.0% of all directors were female.

    The percentage of female directors in 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 London was 2014 when 24.4% of all directors were female.

    24.4% of all director appointments in 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 London was in 2010 when 23.7% of all directors were female.

    23.3% of all director appointments in 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
    CONSULTING3.60%CONSULTING5.22%
    LONDON3.12%MANAGEMENT4.58%
    MANAGEMENT2.68%CONSULTANCY3.57%
    CO.,2.55%PROPERTY2.66%
    TRADING2.01%CONSTRUCTION2.12%
    SOLAR1.77%ENGINEERING2.10%
    CONSULTANCY1.72%CARE2.02%
    CAPITAL1.70%TRADING1.94%
    GLOBAL1.66%LONDON1.93%
    FARM1.66%TRANSPORT1.93%
    PROPERTY1.47%DESIGN1.66%
    INTERNATIONAL1.43%CONSULTANTS1.64%
    INVESTMENTS1.36%ELECTRICAL1.62%
    MEDIA1.15%PROPERTIES1.62%
    CONSTRUCTION1.14%BUSINESS1.56%
    BUSINESS1.08%J1.54%
    PROPERTIES1.00%CO.,1.50%
    DESIGN1.00%GLOBAL1.49%
    GROUP0.94%INVESTMENTS1.48%
    CARE0.94%ASSOCIATES1.47%
    PRODUCTIONS0.92%DEVELOPMENTS1.35%
    CONSULTANTS0.91%MEDIA1.33%
    INVESTMENT0.91%IT1.31%
    PARTNERS0.89%BUILDING1.29%
    ASSOCIATES0.85%M1.22%

SIC Data

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

    sic codenumber of companiesuk companies
    None Supplied78,831265,608
    82990 - Other business support service activities not elsewhere classified23,17058,068
    99999 - Dormant Company14,75548,509
    70229 - Management consultancy activities other than financial management9,93342,290
    96090 - Other service activities not elsewhere classified8,85229,009
    62020 - Information technology consultancy activities7,11730,178
    74909 - Other professional, scientific and technical activities not elsewhere classified3,97219,049
    74990 - Non-trading company3,57413,984
    62090 - Other information technology service activities3,47212,837
    86900 - Other human health activities2,91212,976
    62012 - Business and domestic software development2,8569,752
    68209 - Other letting and operating of own or leased real estate2,52411,212
    41100 - Development of building projects2,34511,397
    68100 - Buying and selling of own real estate2,3217,106
    47910 - Retail sale via mail order houses or via Internet2,30910,107
    69201 - Accounting and auditing activities2,0627,528
    56101 - Licensed restaurants2,0368,782
    64999 - Financial intermediation not elsewhere classified1,9946,083
    68320 - Management of real estate on a fee or contract basis1,7096,010
    90030 - Artistic creation1,6694,610

Recent Companies

  1. Randomly selected companies from this quarter

    COMPANY NUMBERCOMPANY NAMEINCORPORATION DATE
    09243816 ANISSA AOUAR LTD 01 Oct 2014
    09243881 T BAZAAR LTD 01 Oct 2014
    09245985 DHEEG TARPAULINS SERVICES LTD 02 Oct 2014
    09246098 RUHANA PROPERTYS SERVICE LTD 02 Oct 2014
    09246102 Z & Z CAPITAL LIMITED 02 Oct 2014
    09246556 C&IB LIMITED 02 Oct 2014
    09248236 MAHARAJA RESTAURANT MIDDLESEX LTD 03 Oct 2014
    09248407 EDENSOUTH LIMITED 03 Oct 2014
    09248752 REGENTCROWN LIMITED 03 Oct 2014
    09249032 CSEM CONSTRUCTION LTD 06 Oct 2014
    09249689 RABIA FINE DINING LTD 06 Oct 2014
    09254266 CK SPECIALTIES LIMITED 08 Oct 2014
    09254757 SYNERGY RISE TECHNOLOGIES LTD. 08 Oct 2014
    09257649 REQUENT LIMITED 09 Oct 2014
    09258071 SKLP LIMITED 10 Oct 2014
    09260982 FARP ATLANTIC LIMITED 13 Oct 2014
    09262644 RED MANGO 7 LTD 14 Oct 2014
    09263554 FREIJI SEA PLEASURE LIMITED 14 Oct 2014
    09264813 LEMAN SANDWICH LIMITED 15 Oct 2014
    09265419 BABB EVENTS LTD 15 Oct 2014
    09266590 DESH EXPRESS LTD 16 Oct 2014
    09266662 LCFM LTD 16 Oct 2014
    09267593 DIT CONSULTING LIMITED 16 Oct 2014
    09268084 ELIZABETH ACADEMY (UK) LIMITED 16 Oct 2014
    09268827 THE INCREDIBLE FOLDING PANZER LIMITED 17 Oct 2014