Gen X Women on the Move: Top Industries for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

With lots of Gen X women ready to leave their corporate job for entrepreneurship, a new study reveals the most popular industries for entrepreneurs.  

Entrepreneurship has seen a notable rise this year, but which industry is the most popular when it comes to starting your own business?  

Between January and March 2024, the number of incorporations in the country rose by 22,649 compared with the same period in 2023 – an increase of 10.2% YoY. With that in mind, we teamed up with global workspace provider Instant Offices to investigate which industries are capturing the attention of new business owners, offering insights into the evolving landscape of the UK economy in 2024.

Most Popular Industries in 2024 

Ecommerce has emerged as the leading industry for new startups, with an impressive 71,252 new companies established in the UK during the past year. Over a longer five-year trend, ecommerce remains the most popular sector overall, with a total of 142,603 businesses launched and a remarkable growth rate of 92.5%. 

Property companies and business consultancy services were also among the top industries in the UK this year, with buying properties to resell and business consulting coming 2nd and 3rd respectively.  

Rank Top UK Industries June 2023 – June 2024 Number of Companies Started 
Ecommerce 71,252 
Buying properties to resell 34,196 
Business consulting 30,385 
Buying properties to rent out 30,381 
Other business support activities NEC – includes debt collection, event organisers and office admin 23,700 

Top Industries Over Five Years 

Looking at a longer five-year trend, ecommerce is also the most popular industry in the long term, with 142,603 businesses launched in the UK during that period. It was also the fastest-growing sector in the UK over five years, with a percentage growth of 92.5%. 

In second place is buying properties to resell, with over 120,000 companies started in the last 5 years. The property industry continues its success with buying properties to rent out placing third. 115,710 companies have started in this sector in the last five years.  

 Rank Top UK Industries in the Last Five Years Number of Companies Started 
1 Ecommerce 142,603 
2 Buying properties to resell 124,482 
3 Buying properties to rent out 115,710 
4 Business consulting 102,097 
5 Other business support service activities NEC – includes debt collection, event organisers and office admin 67,713 

Fastest-Growing Industries 

The UK’s fasted growing industry is (again) ecommerce, leading the pack with an impressive growth rate of 92.5%, solidifying its position as the dominant sector in the UK business landscape.  

Following closely is the door-to-door sales and vending machines industry, showing a robust growth of 83.6%. The property market also demonstrates significant expansion, with buying properties to resell growing by 58.6%.  

Rank Industry  % of Growth in the Last 5 Years  
1 Ecommerce 92.5% 
2 Door-to-door sales and vending machines 83.6% 
3 Buying properties to resell 58.6% 
4 Activities of other holding companies NEC 57.8% 
5 Information technology consultancy activities 57.5% 

Unsurprisingly, most new businesses are concentrated in London. London leads the way as the top UK city for new businesses, with a total of 243,269 companies registered between June 2023 and June 2024. 

Online retail dominated in the majority of cities this year, with property and freight transport making appearances in the top 20 as well.

Brenda Berg

Brenda Berg is a professional writer with over 15 years experience in business management, marketing and entrepreneurship. Consultant and tutor for college students and entrepreneurs. She is passionate about covering topics on career, self-development, writing, blogging and others.