These are the most lucrative industries to start a business in

UK businesses in wholesale, manufacturing and banking made the most money in 2015, indicating prospective business opportunities for budding entrepreneurs.

Statistics released by the government’s department for business, energy and industrial strategy (BEIS) found that, of the turnover generated by the largest enterprises in the UK, those in wholesale made £837bn while those in manufacturing made a combined £585bn.

The biggest businesses in banking achieved revenues of £579bn in 2016, followed by retail businesses with £386bn revenue, professional services businesses with turnover of £274bn, and construction businesses with £242bn.

Insurance is another lucrative business sector; the UK’s 15 largest insurance enterprises generated £114bn in combined revenues in 2015, alongside the motor-vehicle and motorcycle trade – enjoying revenues of £125bn in 2015.

On the flip side, the least lucrative business sectors were found to be forestry (£2bn), fishing (£1bn), and dentistry (£5bn); arguably business sectors to avoid if you’re considering starting up.

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For a full breakdown of the BEIS statistics on UK business sectors, click here.