When it comes to finding your ideal business location, there’s something about the City of Birmingham that exudes hard work, strength, and an entrepreneurial spirit. In fact, post-industrial revolution Birmingham seems to serve as the beating heart of British ingenuity, evolving from its past and cultivating a strong community of established brands, newly formed businesses, and everything in between.
But what can this diverse city of individuals and industries offer to someone who is looking to start a business? And what benefits can you expect to gain from running a start-up company in Birmingham?
To help you make the best possible decisions for the first year of your business and beyond, here are some of the reasons why Birmingham is the perfect place to start your company.
HS2 is on its Way
As tried and tested methods of business have changed, so too have the ways in which those innovations are utilised by modern companies. In terms of travel in Great Britain, these exciting innovations have led us to the forthcoming HS2 train line, aiming to connect multiple cities across the country via one cohesive mode of transport.
For Birmingham businesses, this means new and exciting links to London that can take as little as 50 minutes. And with Manchester also planning to be a vital part of the construction, Birmingham will greatly benefit from this faster, more agile method of transport in terms of business and visiting commerce spending.
In this bright new future, commuting to and from London can be done on a daily basis, and this will bring even more companies to Birmingham, as well as more workers, all of which will continue to benefit the local economy.
Growing Business Districts
Birmingham’s Colmore Row has long served as the ultimate business district for aspiring local entrepreneurs. And with HS2 connecting Birmingham to London faster than ever before, expect the district’s reputation for hosting many bright new ventures to continue to grow.
As the recent governmental Making Tax Digital initiatives have shown, the blending of innovation and finance has illustrated where the future of business is headed. And when it comes to Colmore Row, the evidence of this hybrid is already there to see. The area is rife with banks, financial institutions, and local accounting firms of all sizes that sit alongside upstart tech firms and digital innovation hubs, all of which represent the forward-thinking nature of the district.
Start-Ups are Popular in Birmingham
Having recently been voted as one of the best cities to start a business in across Great Britain, the appeal of Birmingham hasn’t been lost on the business world. And these benefits are attracting brand-new companies to set up shop near established brands looking to make the most of these opportunities in the ‘Second City’.
With more start-up ventures comes more interest in the area and more money-making opportunities. And due to the start-ups that are already set up in the City, new businesses can use their success as a template for their own goals and expectations, as well as place their business within the centre of these promising communities.
Birmingham Can be More Cost-effective
Starting a business certainly isn’t cheap, and when variables like stock and rent begin to pile up, your cost of living expenditures can quickly become unmanageable. And while Birmingham may not be the cheapest place to live in the world, the city is significantly less expensive than places like London.
If you’re looking for a cost-effective place to begin your entrepreneurial journey, and want to keep your overheads low, Birmingham represents the ideal location for setting up shop and expanding to other cities as your business grows.
Make the Most of the Incredible Diversity
One of the things that make the City of Birmingham so unique is the incredibly diverse range of races, classes, and cultures all in one place. In fact, as one of the most varied places in the United Kingdom, businesses can benefit from a wide range of different people instead of focusing on one key demographic.
Countless Networking Opportunities
Unlike some of its other city counterparts, Birmingham businesses tend to be within a short distance of one another. And while some other business districts in the UK are cut up and separated, resulting in endless commuting, Birmingham situates most of its businesses as close together as possible.
Birmingham’s iconic Custard Factory is just a short walk away from the bustle and creative energy of Digbeth’s start-up companies, and core retail areas of the place are just as close by. This close-knit community feel and ideal location allows companies to benefit from the reputation of the area whilst developing business relationships to create a wide range of prosperous new opportunities.
Final Thoughts
For these reasons and many more, Birmingham has established itself as one of the most ideal UK destinations for forward-thinking businesses to begin making their goals a reality. And while deciding on where to launch your start-up can require a lot of soul-searching and difficult decision-making, it’s also about conducting thorough research and evaluating your options.
Of course, starting your own business should never be a spur-of-the-moment decision, and choosing where your company resides is just one of many important considerations. But as long as you have clear and realistic goals in mind, and you’re surrounded by the right people, Birmingham can provide your company with the ideal launching pad for your business to develop new relationships and cultivate stronger brand awareness.
