YORK is the best city to start a business as a woman, according to a new UK-wide study. 

The research by payments provider Dojo used a six point system to find which area had the best working conditions for female business owners.

Researchers looked at:

  • The five year start-up survival rate for each location
  • Average cost of living 
  • Average Weekly Pay - How much the average full-time worker earns
  • Female employees - Number of female employees
  • Female business owners - Number of females that are self-employed
  • Gender pay gap - Where in the UK has the lowest gender pay gap

York topped the list with a score of 433 with Wakefield in second place and Stoke-on-Trent ranking third.

The only other Yorkshire location to appear on the list was Sheffield in 11th place.

Dojo reports that just over nine percent of bosses in York are women while 66 per cent of women are employed in the area.

York came out as the champion of female-owned and run businesses with women-only networking groups such as 'York Women Mean Business' enabling growth and knowledge sharing across the city.

York consistently scored highly in the study as a city with the third highest five year start-up survival rate at 47.7 per cent and the fifth highest for female bosses.

The runners-up

Wakefield scored second place in both categories of the best places to start a business as a woman and where to start a business overall meaning this West Yorkshire city is a top choice for both men and women. Like York, the city has several networking opportunities for women, including Wakefield Women's Business Club.

Stoke-on-Trent was also consistent in its score across both indexes.

York Press:

Bet365, a hugely successful gambling platform, is based in Stoke and was founded and is run by Denise Coates – the highest paid female executive in the world.

Denise was paid £265 million in 2018 - to put this in context, Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, received £80 million. 

The best places to start a business overall 

Starting a business anywhere within the UK will always start off as a challenge, but here are Dojo's top five places within the UK to start a business in general.

Wolverhampton scored 161.1 on the index, whilst Wakefield scored 155.6, Stoke-on-Trent 127.8, Sheffield 127.8, and Southampton at 125.

The index was ranked on the five-year startup survival rate of new businesses, cost of living, and an average weekly full-time salary.

York Press: