New figures reveal that 7,242 new companies were formed in Dorset during 2017 – demonstrating that the county provides a supportive environment for new business ventures.
This brings the total number of registered companies in Dorset to 52,411, up from 50,419 at the end of 2016, which equates to 4.0 per cent growth.
The statistics come from the Inform Direct Review of UK Company Formations using data from Companies House and the Office for National Statistics.
Poole formed the most new businesses with 2,700, followed by Bournemouth 2,098 and West Dorset 815.
In Weymouth and Portland 206 new companies were formed.
Although a total of 7,242 new companies were registered in Dorset 2017, a total of 5,040 were dissolved.
Claudia Moore, chief operations officer at Weymouth BID, said: “Weymouth BID is always looking to support local businesses through avenues such as training and marketing and it is wonderful to have such a diverse selection of bigger stores and independents in our town. We must ensure that excellent trading conditions are maintained for our levy payers in order to help them flourish.”
Across the UK as a whole, there was a reduction in the number of new company formations – 634,116 compared with 664,720 at the end of 2016.
However the number of registered companies in the UK continued to grow, passing the 4,000,000 milestone during 2017 and finishing the year with a total of 4,120,349.
John Korchak, director of operations at Inform Direct said: “These figures for new company formations during 2017 show that Dorset continues to be a fertile ground for entrepreneurs and new business ventures.
“Although a successful year, there was a fall in the number of new businesses established in 2017, compared to the previous year – 7,242 versus 8,113 in 2016 – which mirrors the national trend. This slowdown could be attributed, at least in part, to ongoing political uncertainty and concern in the business community over the impact of Brexit.”
To see a more detailed picture of company formations in Dorset – including a full local breakdown, visit informdirect.co.uk/company-formations-2017/dorset/
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