Blackburn with Darwen leads UK in young entrepreneurs

Blackburn with Darwen, a borough in Lancashire, has recorded the highest proportion of company founders aged under 25 in the United Kingdom. According to a study by office provider Virtual HQ, which analyzed data from Companies House for over 580,000 appointed directors, 16.8 per cent of founders in the borough are under 25. This figure is nearly double the national average.

Bradford and Leicester followed as the second and third highest-ranking areas, with 14.1 per cent and 13.4 per cent of founders aged under 25, respectively. The research also noted that the average age of founders in Blackburn with Darwen and Bedford is 36, which is lower than the UK national average of 39.

Sector analysis indicates that the youngest entrepreneurs are most active in the wholesale and retail trade sector. While the ease and low cost of incorporation have encouraged younger individuals to start businesses earlier in their careers, experts have cautioned new founders regarding the public nature of director details on official registers.