What business to start in 2015

The desire to become your own boss and work for yourself is growing and in election year the economy will inevitably be a key policy battleground, meaning small business-friendly pledges will be made.

With signs of revival and chancellor George Osborne’s recent promises of renewed business support and an extra £1bn funding for regional growth some might argue the climate for starting a business has never been better, making 2015 a great time to take the plunge.

This appetite for starting a business isn’t just hype; StartUp Britain reported a record 581,173 new businesses for 2014, markedly higher than 2013 and 2012, and the UK’s eco-system appears to be in good health with ONS figures showing a 6% drop in the number of British firms leaving the Companies House register.

Britain is expected to be the fastest growing G7 economy in 2015 – the IMF has predicted a 3.2% overall rise – and while London remains the start-up capital, regional start-up hubs are beginning to flourish with Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow fast gaining reputations as top cities to start a business in.

It’s on the back of these positive indicators that we look to the coming months and the hot sectors and businesses opportunities that could prove fruitful for those looking to start a new venture. We’ve studied and assessed businesses which are gaining market traction, sought insight from leading research bodies such as Mintel, and analysed consumer trends to bring you our predictions of 14 top businesses to start in 2015.

From foods and fitness to technology, cycling, and even cafes with a twist, there’s a host of start-up prospects to suit a range of skills and backgrounds and this extends to part-time businesses that can offer supplementary income such as starting a niche social network.

With the freelance workforce now over four million strong and more firms than ever before looking to hire freelance talent, we’ve also identified opportunities for freelancers and “solopreneurs”. This includes starting up as a growth hacker; a combination of smart marketing and tech development which is becoming increasingly sought after in the start-up world.

While several of the business opportunities listed aren’t new, the potential to innovate and target an established market with a disruptive new solution – take protein products for instance – are plentiful.

Follow the buttons above and below to find out what business you should start in 2015…