A RECORD-BREAKING number of companies were registered in Berkshire last year, more than any year previously, according to new figures.

A total of 9,135 new companies were formed in the region in 2015, up from 8,880 the year before, representing a 2.9 per cent growth.

It also means there are now a record number of firms in the county, with 63,186 companies registered.

Of the new companies created last year in Berkshire, 2,105 were in Slough, 1,711 were in Windsor and Maidenhead, 1,680 were in Reading and 1,528 were in West Berkshire.

A further 1,303 were registered in Wokingham and 808 in Bracknell Forest.
The statistics were compiled by www.informdirect.co.uk, a provider of online company formations and secretarial software, using data available from Companies House and the Office of National Statistics.

The figures match a national increase, as the number hit 612,565 new firms formed across the UK – up from 586,784 the year before.

Of those, 551,886 companies were in England, 34,711 in Scotland, 14,689 in Wales and 7,254 in Northern Ireland.

The total figure of registered firms across the UK now stands at 3.76m.

Henry Catchpole, managing director of Inform Direct said: “Our dynamic economy and business-friendly environment are the reasons there is a ‘Great’ in Great Britain.

“All around the world, governments are spending time and money to figure out the best way to foster an entrepreneurial culture that helps boost the economy.

“But here in the UK, our politicians can nurture this business mentality that has established itself organically.

“Of course London has always stormed ahead in business but our figures from 2015 demonstrate that the rest of the UK is also displaying a growing confidence in entrepreneurialism. Berkshire has had a very successful year and the figures indicate a surge in entrepreneurialism in 2015 for this region.”

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