"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, start-ups 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.
Councillor Richard Samuel, deputy leader and cabinet member for resources at Bath & North East Somerset Council, said:
“It’s excellent news that Bath and North East Somerset has come top of the Microbusiness Megastars list. Whether you’re a start-up or a large enterprise, the city is an inspiring place to do business with its highly-skilled talent pool, excellent links to London and Bristol and a thriving economy. There’s also plenty of support available from our Invest in B&NES team to help you grow your business.”
And Ian Bell, Executive Director, Bath Chamber of Commerce and the Initiative in B&NES, commented:
“This is a great accolade for all our brilliant and creative entrepreneurs who have shown tremendous courage to start their own businesses, establish themselves and grow. We’ll continue to make the case for more employment space so they can develop their businesses and contribute to future sustainable economic growth.”
The criteria used by Business Financed 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 & North East Somerset, 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.