About us

Startups.co.uk has a simple but powerful purpose – we exist to help UK small businesses to launch and grow.

Established in 2000, we are the UK’s longest serving online small business advice platform, and our aim is to be the most trusted and the most comprehensive resource for founders and would-be entrepreneurs. We cover everything you need to know to start, buy, run, or sell a business.

Why does this matter to us so much? Because, even amid the uncertainty of today's economy, small businesses are the lifeblood of the UK. In fact, 99% of all private sector businesses in the UK are SMEs. These businesses generate over half of the turnover in the private sector, and account for nearly two thirds of all employment. In short, the UK’s small business community is the backbone of the economy, and we want to see it grow and succeed.

Startups.co.uk wants to make sure our vibrant enterprise sector continues to thrive in the future, through small business ideas, free business advice, and business inspiration.

What we do

Whatever stage of your business journey you are currently at, our website is here to help you learn and succeed.

We INSPIRE

Through our analysis, interviews and campaigns such as the Startups 100, we work to raise the profiles of some of the best in class UK businesses that can inspire other founders to follow through on their own ambitions. We also provide advice guides full of business ideas and the latest trends, to help entrepreneurs find their own inspiration.

We EXPLAIN

We provide practical advice guides, recommendations and reviews that make it simple for founders to tackle specific challenges as they're looking to launch, or as they're making decisions for the good of their growing businesses.

We CONNECT

We seek to put our readers in touch with the best possible tools, software and services for helping their businesses to grow and succeed.

What we cover

Here's just a taste of the advice and recommendation articles you'll find across our website:

Getting started

Want to start a business, but don’t yet have a killer idea? We can help inspire, with analysis of the latest business idea trends, plus cheap small business ideas you can start without big funding. We also offer in-depth ‘How to start guides' to give you the low-down on how to break into specific sectors and industries.

How to succeed

There’s a lot to get to grips with when starting and growing a business, and it can be overwhelming. From naming your business and branding, to getting online, choosing suppliers and taking on staff, we give you the tools to go from start-up to scale-up. We also explain the red tape and regulation you may come up against in your chosen industry, and how to stay on the right side of all necessary compliance.

Funding & Finance

From understanding your options around applying for a business loan, to finding out if you're eligible for a UK small business grant, we provide advice on essential must-knows for startup funding. We break down complex financial terms into digestible advice, and even have recommendations for small business accounting software you can use to track the growth of your business.

Marketing & Finding Customers

From setting up a professional looking small business website, to choosing a marketing agency partner or even a simple social media marketing tool, we have you covered. Our advice and recommendations will help you connect with a larger than ever customer base and extend the reach of your business.

People & Premises

From choosing an office location (or not, if you're thinking of going fully remote) to planning for HR must-haves such as legally correct holiday, sick pay and parental leave policies, we have advice guides to help make sure you don't trip up on the complexities that come with a growing business. We also have recommendations for effective project management and HR tools that can help you plan and delegate as your team grows, plus guidance on essential services such as business energy, broadband and mobile contracts.

Selling

Whether you're looking to sell online only or set up a bricks and mortar store, we have advice and product recommendations that can help you manage inventory, take payments, and offer class-leading service that your customers will love.

The Startups 100

Now in its 15th year, the Startups 100 is the definitive annual index of the 100 best newly-launched startups in the UK.

In order to qualify for our prestigious ranking, businesses must be under five years old, based in the UK and powered by an idea that's disruptive enough to leave a real mark in its sector and that shows the potential for future growth.

Previous alumni of the Startups 100 include brands that have gone on to be huge household names, such as Deliveroo, Monzo and Revolut.

Media coverage

Startups.co.uk’s features and campaigns have won praise and coverage in a number of major publications, including:

Meet the team

  • Richard Parris – Managing Editor
  • Zohra Huda – Content Manager
  • Helena Young – Lead Writer
  • Stephanie Lennox – Writer
  • Fernanda Alvarez Pineiro – Writer 

How we monetise

All of the content on Startups.co.uk is provided free of charge – we have no subscription or paywall. There's no advertising across our website, and we don't charge brands or founders to be featured on our Startups 100 ranking, nor do we accept sponsored content or guest posts to be featured on our site.

Instead, we monetise through affiliate and customer lead generation revenue models. Throughout our site, you'll find recommendations for products or comparison tools for services that can help with the specific problems you are trying to solve – for example, launching a website, or finding a business energy provider or office phone system.

By clicking on our links, if you choose to enter into a contract with a service provider, then we may receive a referral fee for the introduction. This has no impact on the price you end up paying, and it doesn't affect the independence of our recommendations, as our product and service rankings are informed by research from a dedicated insight team that focuses on the needs and interests of UK small businesses.

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