June 18: New analysis of more than 29,000 virtual office and registered address subscriptions has revealed that Britain experiences an annual spring startup surge. March has now overtaken January as the most popular month to start a business. The research was undertaken by Hoxton Mix, a virtual office and registered address solutions provider based in London.
March generated 2,908 signups, making it the busiest month of the year consecutively, compared to December, the lowest performing month, with just 1,879 signups. In total, March has 55% more registered subscribers than the year’s quietest month. This suggests that founders are bucking the “New Year, New Me” trend, choosing not to launch their businesses immediately after the festive period. Instead, they’re spending the first few months planning and validating ideas before officially launching in the Spring months.
Following behind March (2,908 signups), May is the second most popular month with 2,738 subscriptions and April is third with 2,678 in total. Launching in spring lets founders make the most of the new tax year starting in April, providing a natural milestone for founders who have invested in financial planning and efficiency. Finally, March, April and May often bring improved market conditions due to consumer purchase activity and better trading conditions before the peak summer months.
Here are the most popular months to start a business in the UK:
|
Month |
Season |
Signups |
|
March |
Spring |
2,908 |
|
May |
Spring |
2,738 |
|
April |
Spring |
2,687 |
|
January |
Winter |
2,630 |
|
February |
Winter |
2,461 |
|
July |
Summer |
2,372 |
Chris Sees, Hoxton Mix’ CEO comments:
“Many people assume that January is likely the most popular month to start a business because it’s tied to New Year’s resolutions and a fresh career start. However, Hoxton Mix virtual office and registered address data suggests otherwise. Instead, entrepreneurs are typically spending the first few months of the year planning and preparing, then by March those plans convert into business launches creating a clear spring startup surge across the UK. The strong performance of March, April and May suggests founders feel more confident launching when the New Year is underway, at the start of the new tax year and when market conditions are picking up.”
Knowledge-led sectors dominate virtual office and registered address demand, with Information and Communication and Professional Services combining for 17,180 signups, equating to almost 60% of all signups recorded. Specifically, Information and Communication is the UK’s largest startup sector, generating 8,965 signups. This is almost 9% more than Professional, Scientific & Technical businesses (8,215).
March emerged as the UK’s most popular month overall for starting a business, however, the data reveals significant differences across sectors. Information, communication and professional services businesses are most likely to launch in early spring (March), whilst construction and administrative businesses were most likely to launch later in May, and real estate companies in August.
While there is no single “perfect time” to launch a business, Hoxton Mix’s insights reveal clear patterns in how today’s entrepreneurs approach virtual offices and registered addresses, highlighting broader trends in company formation and business creation. Britain’s entrepreneurial spirit remains strong and spring has become the season when many founders choose to turn their plans into reality.