Should I Start a Business in Plymouth? A Local Guide for New Founders

Austin Wood
Nov 17
8 min read

If you’re asking “Should I start a business in Plymouth?” or Googling things like how to start a business or startup help in Plymouth, the short answer is: yes, Plymouth is one of the strongest city centres in the UK right now – and the data backs that up.

In this post, we’ll cover:

Why Plymouth is a surprisingly strong place to launch a business
Real footfall and visitor numbers for the city centre
How Plymouth compares to other UK cities
Practical, step-by-step guidance on starting a business in Plymouth
Where to get local, hands-on help with your startup

Why Plymouth is a Strong Place to Start a Business

1. A city centre that’s growing while others struggle

Across the UK, many high streets are still below pre-Covid visitor levels. A recent national review found that overall high street footfall in England grew modestly in 2023 but remained notably below 2019 levels. people-places.net +1

Plymouth, however, is going in the opposite direction:

City centre footfall is up around 20% year-on-year, at a time when the South West region as a whole is down and the UK average is also in decline. Invest Plymouth+1
A detailed weekly footfall report shows over 11.1 million visitors to Plymouth city centre in the last 52 weeks, an increase of about 17–18% on the previous year. The City Centre Company

While other cities are still fighting to regain lost visitors, Plymouth’s centre is already ahead of where it was a year ago – and still growing.

2. Officially rated one of the UK’s strongest high streets

A national index looking at UK city centres after lockdown (using data on store openings/closures and high street recovery) ranked Plymouth as having the strongest high street in the UK. It achieved the highest overall recovery score (165) and topped the chart for weekday, weekend and night-time footfall among all cities analysed. The City Centre Company+1

In plain English: more people are back in Plymouth city centre, and they’re visiting consistently throughout the week and into the evenings – a huge advantage if you’re opening a retail, hospitality or leisure business.

3. Big-city footfall with a strong regional catchment

Plymouth isn’t just serving its own population; it acts as a regional hub for Devon and Cornwall:

Drake Circus & The Barcode together form one of the largest and most successful retail and leisure destinations in the UK, with around 14.4 million shoppers per year. Smith Young+1
Marketing data for Drake Circus cites an annual retail footfall of roughly 17 million and a catchment of over half a million people. Open Media+2Open Media+2

For a startup, that means:

A constant flow of potential customers in the city centre
Strong demand for food, drink, leisure, retail and services
A realistic opportunity to capture both local and visitor spend if you choose your location and offer carefully

4. A growing, well-connected city with room to expand

Plymouth’s growth plans and economic strategy also matter if you’re thinking long-term:

The city has an ambitious growth agenda towards around 300,000 residents by 2034, supported by multi-billion-pound investment in defence, construction and infrastructure. Plymouth Community Homes
Business premises are reported to be, on average, around 35% cheaper than in the South East, which can make your overheads significantly more manageable in the early years. Plymouth Community Homes
Three universities and a growing college create a steady pipeline of talent, part-time staff and young customers. Plymouth Community Homes

For founders, that combination – strong footfall + affordable space + growing population + skilled workforce – is exactly what you want.

So… Should You Start a Business in Plymouth?

If you’re weighing it up, here’s the honest take:

If you want a city centre with clear positive trends, Plymouth is one of the stand-out locations in the UK.
If you need footfall and visibility for a retail, food, leisure or service concept, the numbers in the core city centre and at Drake Circus are more than enough to build a solid customer base.
If you care about long-term growth, Plymouth’s investment in defence, marine, digital and creative industries gives the city a strong economic backbone and a diverse customer mix. Plymouth Community Homes+1

There will always be risk in starting a business – but if you’re going to take that risk anywhere, Plymouth is one of the better-positioned city centres in the country right now.

How to Start a Business in Plymouth: Step-by-Step

Step 1: Clarify your idea and match it to Plymouth’s strengths

Before you register anything, sanity-check your idea against what Plymouth already does well:

Retail and shopping-led ideas – especially value, niche or experience-based retail – can work well alongside the high footfall at Drake Circus and the city centre. hotels+1
Food and drink concepts benefit from the city’s events calendar (e.g. Flavour Fest) which can send visitor numbers surging by 40%+ in a single week and create long-term repeat customers. Invest Plymouth+1
Leisure and experience businesses (arcades, activities, escape rooms, family entertainment) fit neatly into a high-footfall centre that already draws shoppers, workers, students and tourists. Invest Plymouth+1

Ask yourself:

Who exactly is my customer? (Families, students, commuters, tourists, professionals?)
Where are they already going in Plymouth? (City centre, waterfront, university area, retail parks?)
How can my business give them a reason to stay longer or visit more often?

Step 2: Choose the right location in the city

Some simple location ideas:

Core city centre – ideal for retail, grab-and-go food, coffee, leisure and services that rely on constant footfall (New George Street, Cornwall Street, Royal Parade, etc.). The City Centre Company+1
Near Drake Circus / The Barcode – great if you want to tap into the heaviest retail and leisure flows. Smith Young+1
West End / Market area – increasingly popular with independents and food concepts, benefiting from the city centre revival and public-realm improvements. Invest Plymouth

Look at:

Rent and rates (Plymouth is cheaper than many southern cities, but city-centre vs secondary can still vary a lot) Plymouth Community Homes
Nearby anchors (big brands, car parks, bus stops, the market, entertainment venues)
Day vs evening trade (a site that’s great 9–5 might be quiet at night, or vice versa)

Step 3: Get your legal and financial foundations in place

For most startups in Plymouth you’ll want to:

Choose a legal structure
- Sole trader, partnership or limited company are the most common UK options.
- A limited company can be beneficial if you plan to grow, hire staff or open multiple locations.
Register with HMRC and Companies House (if Ltd)
- Register the business name
- Set up business banking
- Understand VAT thresholds and requirements for your sector
Check licences, planning and compliance
- Food businesses: registration with the local council and food hygiene requirements
- Alcohol: premises licence and personal licence
- Change of use: check planning use class if you’re changing what a unit is used for
- Health & safety, insurance, fire risk assessments, etc.

If all of that sounds overwhelming, this is exactly where local, hands-on support is valuable (see the end of this post).

Step 4: Plug into Plymouth’s support ecosystem

Plymouth is actually well set up for startups and small businesses, with various local organisations offering support, funding signposting and advice, including:

Invest Plymouth / Plymouth City Council – inward investment, business support programmes, signposting to funding and training. Invest Plymouth
Local universities and college – startup programmes, student projects, placement schemes and graduate talent. Plymouth Community Homes
Regional growth and enterprise hubs – sector-specific support (digital, marine, creative, etc.), mentoring and events. Plymouth Community Homes

Alongside these, you’ve also got independent, founder-led support options like Plymouth Business Help – aimed at practical, on-the-ground help for real-world businesses (marketing, operations, staffing, numbers) rather than just theory.

What Types of Businesses Work Well in Plymouth City Centre?

While almost any good concept can work if executed properly, Plymouth’s data and trends particularly favour:

1. Food, drink and casual dining

City-centre events and festivals create spikes in trade and long-term repeat customers. Invest Plymouth
There’s room for niche, independent and experience-driven food brands alongside the national chains.

2. Retail with a twist

With millions of annual shoppers and visitors, there’s space for specialist, second-hand, sustainable, hobby or lifestyle retailers that offer something different to the big chains. Smith Young+1

3. Leisure, entertainment and experiences

Plymouth has the visitor numbers and demographics to support arcades, mini-golf, escape rooms, VR experiences, family attractions and evening leisure – especially those that give people a reason to stay longer in the centre. The City Centre Company+2Invest Plymouth+2

4. Services for locals, students and professionals

With universities, a large hospital, defence employers and growing digital/creative sectors, there is steady demand for health & wellness, personal services, co-working, tuition, professional services and B2B support. Plymouth Community Homes

FAQs: Starting a Business in Plymouth

Is Plymouth a good place to start a business right now?

Yes. Footfall in Plymouth city centre is up roughly 20% year-on-year, while both the South West and UK averages are still in negative territory. Invest Plymouth+1

On top of that, Plymouth has been ranked as having the strongest high street recovery in the UK, with the highest overall index score and strong daytime and evening visitor patterns. The City Centre Company+1

Is Plymouth city centre “dying” like other high streets?

No – in fact, the data says the opposite.

Nationally, high street footfall is still below 2019 levels and store closures have been a challenge across the UK. people-places.net +1

But in Plymouth:

Footfall is significantly up year-on-year
Visitor numbers have passed 11 million over the last 12 months in the city centre alone The City Centre Company+1
Vacancy rates have dropped from around 20% to close to the national average, as new businesses move in and spaces are improved Invest Plymouth+1

That doesn’t mean it’s easy – but it does mean the conditions are much better than in many comparable cities.

How much footfall does Plymouth actually get?

You’ve got two key indicators:

City centre overall – over 11.1 million visitors in the last 52 weeks, with year-to-date footfall up around 19% on the previous year. The City Centre Company+1
Drake Circus & The Barcode – roughly 14–17 million shoppers per year, plus a wider catchment of more than half a million people. Smith Young+2Open Media+2

For a new business, that’s a solid base of potential customers before you even start online marketing.

Where can I get help with my startup in Plymouth?

You don’t have to do this on your own. Useful options include:

Invest Plymouth / Plymouth City Council – for funding programmes, events, premises search and strategic support. Invest Plymouth+1
Local universities & City College – for student/graduate talent, research projects and innovation support. Plymouth Community Homes
Local business mentors and consultants – including practical, founder-led support focused on real-world operations, marketing and growth (for example, Plymouth-based services like Plymouth Business Help).

Next Steps

If you’re serious about starting a business in Plymouth, a good simple plan is:

Define your idea clearly and match it to Plymouth’s strengths (footfall, demographics, sectors).
Walk the city centre – count people, look at competitors, note gaps and opportunities.
Run basic numbers – rent, rates, staffing, pricing, realistic footfall and conversion.
Talk to local support – council, growth hubs, landlords, and hands-on local mentors who actually run businesses in Plymouth.

The data is clear: Plymouth is not just a good place to start a business – it’s one of the UK’s standout city centres right now.

If you’d like, I can now help you turn this into a finished blog page layout (title tags, meta description, internal links, and suggested calls-to-action) tailored specifically to your existing Plymouth Business Help website.