The UK saw a spike in the creation of new online businesses during lockdown, new research has revealed.
Bristol, Leicester and London saw the biggest increase in company registrations, according to website building service Web Eden, followed by Manchester, Gloucester and Birmingham.
Web Eden analysed internal data between March and June 2020 to see where businesses were set up.
Delivery services, mainly in the food and drink sector, were the most popular businesses launched, followed by personal training firms and cleaning companies.
Subscription services are also on the rise, with almost half (46 per cent) of the new businesses featuring some form of subscription.
The most popular type of business to incorporate subscriptions was food and drink delivery, followed by sustainable product sellers.
People aged between 35 and 49 were most likely to start a company online during lockdown, according to the research.
Women were more likely to start a business during the period than men, accounting for almost two-thirds (64 per cent) of registrations.
Web Eden said it saw a 340 per cent increase in web traffic to its site in April, compared to February, with new start-ups being the most popular followed by small hospitality businesses.
Henry Lewington, founder of Web Eden, said: “It is amazing to see Britain’s entrepreneurial spirit persevere through these testing times and especially great to see people turn their hobbies into micro-businesses.
“I really hope their businesses continue to thrive and that more people will be inspired to pursue their passion.
“Even without the impact of a global pandemic, in today’s digitalised world, to thrive as a business you really need to have an online presence.”
Cities with most new online businesses
1. Bristol
2. Leicester
3. London
4. Manchester
5. Gloucester
6. Birmingham
7. Exeter
8. Nottingham
9. Liverpool
10. Brighton and Hove
Most popular businesses started during lockdown
1. Independent food and drink delivery services
2. Personal trainers
3. Cleaning companies
4. Personal blogs
5. Crafting/gifts
6. Tutoring
7. Service/consulting businesses such as marketing, accountants and PR
8. Adult technology
