Why Should You Start Your Business in Scotland?

Scotland is a great place for a lot of things. Sightseeing, history and culture? Check. Food and drink? Check. Beautiful scenery and nature? Check. Great weather? Okay, not so much…

One thing that definitely belongs on that list is our ability to welcome brand new businesses to the scene. Our country is a fantastic place to start a new business, and here are just some of the reasons why…

The Talent

Scotland is home to world-class universities, with high-quality graduates across a range of subjects. Yes, we have an excellent calibre of tech talent, but we also have a brilliant selection of arts, business, humanities and science-based programmes too. 

Outside of formal education, Scotland benefits from the strength of programmes like CodeClan who offer a range of courses focused on improving digital skills. There are plenty of great learning opportunities for all ages and skill levels, with a mix of casual meetups and intensive training programmes on offer by various companies across the country. 

The Opportunities

Within Edinburgh alone, digital tech jobs increased over 3 times the rate of the UK Average between 2014 and 2017 according to Tech Nation. The tech industry in Scotland is growing every single day, and it’s not just tech. There are over 360,000 small and medium-sized enterprises operating in Scotland, providing roughly 1.2 million jobs and making up 99.4% of all private sector businesses in the country.

Interested in learning more about some of the opportunities on offer? Check out our job board to see what some of Scotland’s best startups are currently looking for. 

The Costs

Whilst we don’t necessarily have the same access to finance here in Scotland, our costs are much lower, so your pound stretches that bit further. This lets us do so much more with less money - making it a great place to bootstrap your business and keep your costs as low as possible from the off.

With money in mind, the cost of living in Scotland is typically much lower in comparison to other UK cities. Scottish cities saw high levels of satisfaction with both the cost of living and quality of life in Tech Nation’s 2018 report. 

The Community

Our favourite part of building a business in Scotland has to be the people. The startup community is growing every single day, with countless great events in the calendar, regular meetups and plenty of support on hand. 

Online and offline, the startup scene in Scotland is full of fantastic, supportive people who want to help you succeed. If you want to dive headfirst into the community and see what’s happening for yourself, why not join our Slack team? 

Add in the beautiful surroundings and we think you’ve got yourself a winning location to start your business. 

What’s your favourite thing about growing a business in Scotland? Tweet us and let us know your thoughts.