Setting up business in London is the number 1 choice

As the official foreign direct investment agency for London it is our mission to promote London as the world capital of business.

But why take our word for it …. we were very pleased to see that London has been officially ranked, yet again, by a number of sources as the number one city destination for business.

As we recently announced, Cushman & Wakefield ranked London number one for business. But also IBM's 2010 Global Location Trends report has ranked London as the number one location based on the number of investment projects.

London’s strengths as a business development hub have been highlighted as access to markets, customers and clients; availability of qualified staff and languages spoken and much more.

When looking for business development opportunities, whether from a high profile event such as the London 2012 Games with still over £1.5 billion worth of contracts available, or within certain key London sectors such as ICT, creative, environmental or financial, our clients tell us they set up business in London due to many reasons including those highlighted in these reports.

Our clients also highlight areas such as seeking efficiencies and innovation as key factors when considering globalization and London is top of their considerations for these areas.

The current economic climate has made business cautious and business expansion has not been top of the agenda for many companies, but those who have taken the leap and been able to grow tell us that when choosing a location for growth it must be a city that ticks all the boxes and will support the company and allow it to adapt.

In the last financial year foreign direct investment into Europe has contracted but London has bucked the trend, not only in terms of the traditional business and financial services sectors but also with a substantial rise in investment from the emerging markets, particularly China. These results not only show that businesses are still looking at growth, but also that London is the city that can support them and help them succeed.

It is an exciting couple of years for London with the 2012 Games around the corner and a wealth of business development opportunities for those looking at relocation in London. Our London consultants talk to hundreds of businesses and help one company every three days successfully set up business in London. If your company is interested in business expansion into London, contact us.

We have recently helped Adstream, Australian provider of digital advertising workflow services; Sentilla, a US-based IT energy management company and US altPOWER which develops, designs and installs renewable energy systems all set up business in London.

We are here to help and answer any questions you may have.