Best areas to start a business in London
The top-ranked London local authority for each of 33 business types, by the Gera Business Location Score.
Where are the best areas to start a business in London?
In London, the strongest business-location opportunity by the Gera Business Location Score is a car showroom in Havering (GBLS 72.6/100), with premises at £115/m²/yr. We rank 33 business types across London from 2025 UK government open data; re-dated annually.
Top London area by business type
| Business type | Best area | GBLS | Rent (£/m²/yr) | Local pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cafe | Havering | 59.8/100 | £93 | £31,874 |
| Restaurant | Bexley | 59.1/100 | £123 | £27,441 |
| Takeaway | Bexley | 61.5/100 | £141 | £27,441 |
| Retail shop | Bexley | 61.2/100 | £128 | £27,441 |
| Convenience store | Barnet | 59.2/100 | £130 | £30,926 |
| Hair & beauty salon | Bexley | 55.9/100 | £140 | £27,441 |
| Office-based business | Bexley | 61.1/100 | £105 | £27,441 |
| Financial / A2 office | Bexley | 57.8/100 | £149 | £27,441 |
| Gym / fitness suite | Bexley | 57.6/100 | £76 | £27,441 |
| Vehicle repair garage | Havering | 72/100 | £52 | £31,874 |
| Workshop / warehouse | City of London | 72.1/100 | £38 | £67,064 |
| Storage / store unit | Bexley | 50.9/100 | £69 | £27,441 |
| Private clinic / health centre | Bexley | 57/100 | £164 | £27,441 |
| Car showroom | Havering | 72.6/100 | £115 | £31,874 |
| Retail warehouse | Redbridge | 59.3/100 | £175 | £28,125 |
| Betting shop | Bexley | 56.7/100 | £139 | £27,441 |
| Garden centre | Barnet | 59.1/100 | £14 | £30,926 |
| Post office | Barnet | 56.6/100 | £98 | £30,926 |
| Drive-thru restaurant | Bromley | 52.6/100 | £307 | £33,520 |
| Builders merchant | Brent | 61.6/100 | £72 | £32,335 |
| Tyre & exhaust centre | Kingston upon Thames | 30.4/100 | £123 | £36,898 |
| Large food store | Redbridge | 61.9/100 | £152 | £28,125 |
| Trade showroom | Redbridge | 62.5/100 | £93 | £28,125 |
| Kennels & cattery | Bexley | 53.5/100 | £27 | £27,441 |
| Community day centre | Redbridge | 60.3/100 | £41 | £28,125 |
| Members / social club | Redbridge | 63.6/100 | £38 | £28,125 |
| Light-industrial business unit | Bexley | 64.7/100 | £105 | £27,441 |
| Commercial garage | Harrow | 67.1/100 | £99 | £32,208 |
| Storage depot | Hillingdon | 52.3/100 | £35 | £37,941 |
| Large distribution warehouse | Barking and Dagenham | 45.7/100 | £89 | £32,433 |
| Superstore / hypermarket | Haringey | 53.5/100 | £183 | £27,716 |
| Sports clubhouse | Richmond upon Thames | 55/100 | £38 | £35,263 |
| Golf course | Barnet | 65.7/100 | £84 | £30,926 |
Full rankings by business type
Other regions
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best business to start in London?
- By the Gera Business Location Score, the highest-scoring opportunity in London is a car showroom in Havering at 72.6/100. The score balances premises affordability (VOA rateable value), local wages (ONS ASHE) and market density (ONS Business Counts). Your own budget and trade will shift the ranking — use the finder tool to filter.
- How is each area scored?
- Each local authority is scored 0–100 per business type: 45% premises affordability, 25% labour cost and 30% market density, all from real UK government open data joined on the ONS local-authority code. Full method on the methodology page.
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Contains public sector information published by Valuation Office Agency and Office for National Statistics and licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: VOA Business Floorspace + ONS Business Counts + ONS ASHE (work geography) + ONS population estimates (2025 (VOA 31 March 2025; ASHE 2025 provisional; Business Counts 2025; population mid-2024), published December 2025).