At Tide, we work with more than 1.5 million business leaders worldwide on banking, lending, formations, and more - and know that these comparisons are all part of the experience of running your own business. But with access to our own internal data in addition to insights from external sources such as Companies House and Google, we wondered if we could help with these comparisons?
As a result, we’re introducing our first-ever Business Benchmark Report, here to enable any business owner to benchmark themselves against the rest on everything ranging from finance and working hours, all the way to social media followers. We’ve even thrown in data revealing the top trending business types for 2026, so you can see where the opportunities (or the competition) may lie…
Take a read through each of the six sections of the report to discover where you sit, but keep in mind that this is only an overview and not an exact definition of where your business, or your working life, should or shouldn’t be. Only you will truly know how your business is performing, and if you are looking for advice on a particular area of business, visit our blog for more in-depth help and guidance.
What the Business Benchmark report covers:
When do people start a business?
The work-life balance of a business owner
How do UK business owners rate their performance?
How much do UK businesses have in savings?
How many social media followers should a business have?
The top trending business types for 2026
When Do People Start a Business?
The average age to start a business is 40 years old
People have registered businesses as late as 90 years old
Is there a right time or age to start a business? Big success stories like Ben Francis, who started Gymshark aged 19 in his parents’ garage, or Jenna Meek, who founded Shrine at just 20 years old, can leave you feeling that the rule is to start sooner, rather than later. But is that really the case?
Our data, gained from more than 100,000 company registrations, reveals otherwise, with the average age of a company founder sitting at 40-years-old.
Jason Tassie, the Founder of B2B comparison website Know Your Business says that this is all down to experience being such a valuable asset when starting your own company:
“Experience working for other organisations is the critical factor here. By the time you hit your 40s, you have had decades of learning from other business leaders – you understand first-hand what good leadership looks like (and what it doesn’t look like!).”
You will have solid industry knowledge by this stage of your life, and also the connections required to draw upon when needed.”
The Average Age of Company Founders in the Last 3 Years
Source: Internal Tide data
However, 40 is by no means the cut-off point for starting your own business, but only when most other people tend to take the leap. Our data shows that people have registered businesses at the age of 18, all the way to 90 years of age, cementing that age really is just a number when it comes to founding a business. As Jason says, “If you have the energy and the capability, then why should age matter? Older founders bring deep expertise and credibility, which will build trust with customers. It’s never too late to start something new.”
No matter when you decide to start your business, registering it with Companies House is something you will need to consider, and as of 1st February 2026, the cost of doing so was increased from £50 to £100. If you register with Tide, you’ll still pay just £14.99. Find out more information on our company registration page.
The Work-Life Balance of a Business Owner
UK small business owners work an average of 38 hours and 57 minutes per week
29% of business owners work less than 30 hours per week
1 in 3 (29%) work more than 48 hours each week
The average working day for a business owner starts at 7:52 am and ends at 6:04 pm
On average, most business owners file their VAT return 15 days before the deadline
17% of company founders say they take no full days off from work (no e-mails, admin or calls)
However, 1 in 10 founders are able to take more than 35 days off per year
Work-life balance can vary wildly when running a business and it will also depend on the type of business you are running. Generally, a start-up will require more time and attention, while a smaller side-hustle might be something you decide to do as and when.
Despite this, ‘how much time should I be putting into my business’ is still a common question that crops up from founders, so we surveyed a range of business owners to discover average weekly working hours, the amount of time off founders tend to take and even when most owners do their tax returns…
How many hours do business owners work each week?
From our survey of 500 UK adults who run their own small or medium-sized business, we found that the average hours worked for company founders aligns extremely closely with full-time employed working hours, at 38 hours and 57 minutes on average.
With 35-40 hours per week commonly accepted as a ‘full’ working week within the United Kingdom, it’s good to see that many business owners are staying within these lines to maintain a positive work-life balance.
However, if the hours you spend on your business each week fall above or below this average, you’re certainly not alone. 29% of owners work less than 30 hours per week, with 16% working fewer than 20 hours a week.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the 38-hour average, nearly 1 in 3 (29%) business owners work 48 hours or more each week, which is the legal maximum for anyone in an employed role.
If you are one of the owners sat in the 48+ hour a week boat, establishing a healthy work-life balance for yourself (and any co-founders or colleagues) from the very start of your business is key not only for yourself, but also for the health of your business. As Jason puts it, overly long hours can be counterproductive:
“The risk here is eventual burnout. Stretched founders won't have time for strategic planning, and this will mean they do not always have enough information to make the correct business decisions. Over time, that can damage performance.”
When do most founders start and finish their working days?
A long or short working week translates to when you might start and finish your working day. In the modern world, where social media is awash with ‘hustle culture’ content of creators starting their days at 5.00 am, you’d be forgiven for believing this is when every entrepreneur’s day should start, but what’s the reality?
The average working start time for business owners is 7:52 am, with most founders (27%) starting their working day between 8 and 9 am. Again, a start time that tallies up with much of the working world. In the same vein, most (24%) of business owners finish their working days between 6 and 7 pm, with the average finish time clocking in at 6:04 pm.
These times do, of course, vary by company size and industry, with 1 in 8 (13%) of founders working in the arts, entertainment and recreation sector saying they regularly finish work after 9 pm. Meanwhile, business owners in the manufacturing sector are the earliest risers of any industry, with 19% saying their working day starts between the hours of 4 am and 6 am.
The beauty of having no one to answer to is also reflected in the start and finish times of founders, with sole traders starting their working day the latest on average (8:46 am) as well as ending their days the earliest (5:46 pm). In contrast, owners of businesses with 50-99 employees start their days at approximately 7:20 am and finish at 6:20 pm. Take a look below to compare when you start and finish your working day.
How late do business owners leave their tax returns?
One thing that many business owners will inevitably spend extra working hours doing is their tax return. A point of concern for business leaders across the country, you may be wondering if any other founder leaves it as late as you do? Our data is again here to ease those concerns.
On average, most owners file their VAT return two weeks (or 15 days to be exact) in advance of the deadline, with 62% filing within 30 days of the deadline. 4% leave it until deadline day, which, if that sounds like you, that seemingly small number amounts to 228,000 small business owners that do the same (based on the 5.7 million SMEs in the UK).
Deadline day stress is never fun, so if you feel like you need some help with streamlining your accounts and getting through tax season feeling less stressed, learn more about Tide’s smart and secure accounting here.
How much time off do business owners take?
Tax returns, invoices, servicing clients, hiring staff, keeping on top of finances and funding. It all calls for a good break, however, as most small business owners know, it can be hard to truly switch off and take a holiday.
We asked company founders how many days on average they take off where they are ‘fully’ on holiday (e.g. taking no calls, answering no e-mails, etc.)
This is where working for yourself can differ most from employment standards, as owners take an average of 15 full days off per year, falling 13 days below the minimum of 28 days annual leave for employed workers.
In fact, 1 in 6 (17%) business owners say they take no days off from work calls, admin or e-mails in a full year. More than half (56%) take 10 days of holiday or less, while on the flipside, 1 in 10 (9%) of founders take more than 35 days off each year.
Wherever you sit on the holiday scale, it’s quite normal for business owners to take fewer ‘days off’ from work and any e-mails or messages, especially in the early start-up months. As opposed to being employed, running your own business will undoubtedly mean you’re more passionate about every aspect of the business and may find it hard to ‘let go’ and avoid checking in, even when you’re meant to be on holiday.
Amount of time off with no work (e-mails, admin, calls, etc.) | % of business owners |
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Source: External survey to 500 business owners (Approx. 5% answered ‘I’m not sure’)
SME expert Jason Tassie says: “Most UK business owners take fewer days off because there is just not enough cover for the number of plates they spin! SME founders struggle to let go of staffing, customers and all manner of operations! All of these sit firmly with the founder, so time away often feels too risky - especially in the early years of the business.”
How to give yourself more time off
As we’ve established, overworking can lead to burnout and can harm key business decisions. This makes it a wise choice to invest in ways that can make your work easier and more seamless, or, as Jason says, a trusted team that can do it for you.
“SME leaders have to learn to build a business that operates without them, even if it's just for short periods of time initially.
“Focus on putting trusted people in place and getting those key processes documented. Ensure the team has autonomy to make key decisions and then step away gradually.”
It goes without saying that scaling up and growing a team is a large business cost, but one that can help to take it to the next level, let alone unlock some much-needed holiday for the founder(s). At Tide, we fund growth that is tailored to your business needs, with free and fast applications at no risk. Find out more about business funding here.
H2: How Do UK Business Owners Rate Their Performance?
Nearly 1 in 10 business owners say their business is performing the best it ever has
64% of business owners feel their business is performing ‘well’ at the start of 2026
90% of owners in the finance and insurance sector feel their business is performing ‘well’
Generally, younger business owners (aged 18-34-years-old) feel more positive about their business's performance than owners aged over 45-years-old.
Confidence and work-life balance can be intrinsically linked in the business world, as it's natural to put in more hours if you feel something needs to improve. The good news however, is that approximately two-thirds (64%) of UK business owners feel their business is doing well as 2026 gets going.
In fact, nearly 1 in 10 owners say that their business is currently performing the best it ever has.
This level of confidence of course varies by sector, company size, and even owner age, as revealed by our benchmarking data.
The Most Confident Industries in 2026
Businesses in the finance and insurance sectors lead with how confident they are feeling about their performance, as 90% of owners in the industry say their business is performing well. Manufacturing follows at 85%, while administrative and support service activities reach 81%.
However, owners within the information and communication sector stand out as being some of the most optimistic for 2026 overall, with 1 in 4 (23%) of owners saying their business is performing the best it ever has. It goes to show that in a digital-first economy, businesses specialising in connectivity, software, and tech infrastructure are thriving from continued digital transformation.
The Sectors Feeling Most Confident about Business Performance
Rank | Industry Sector | % that feel their business is performing well |
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| Financial & Insurance Activities | |
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| Administrative & Support Service Activities | |
| Information & Communication | |
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| Accommodation & Food Service Activities | |
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| Professional, Scientific & Technical Activities | |
| Arts, Entertainment & Recreation | |
Source: External survey of 500 business owners
At the other end of the scale, owners in the arts, entertainment and recreation have more room to grow into 2026, with just 34% feeling that their business is performing well and 16% saying their business is performing badly. This comes as the creative sector continues to face challenges, from squeezed consumer spending on non-essential experiences to the ongoing impacts of changing consumption habits.
Confidence by Company Size and Age
By drilling down deeper into our findings on confidence for the year ahead, we found that this can depend on the size of a company, or even how long it has been running for. For instance, micro business owners (nine or fewer employees) are feeling the least confident about 2026, with 16% feeling that their business is currently performing poorly. In contrast, larger companies (500+ employees) are far more positive: almost three in five (57%) say their business is performing the best it ever has.
Business owner age reveals an interesting dynamic, too. Younger business owners (18-34 years old) are the most positive, with 85% saying business is doing well.
Meanwhile, older business owners (45+ years old) report the highest rate of businesses doing badly at 14%.
Founders with more experience may have learnt there’s always a higher level of performance or profit to aim for. However, as Jason Tassie explains, this could also be down to emerging tech.
“We’re now seeing entrepreneurship span a much wider age range, and that perhaps reflects the 'AI Era'. Younger founders are naturally going to be more comfortable with technology and speed.”
“What’s interesting is that later-stage entrepreneurs tend to build more resilient businesses; we would expect them to be more cautious with cash and less driven by hype, a mindset that should lead to steadier growth and higher survival rates.”
Confidence matters, but it needs grounding in objective benchmarks. Whether you feel optimistic or pessimistic about your business, real data is the only way you’ll be able to tell where you stand. We cover some of this in the sections below, but it is also very wise to analyse your sales and profit versus previous years, marketing output and factors such as staff turnover, to work out where you should be placing focus in 2026.
How Much Do UK Businesses Have in Savings?
UK small businesses have an average of £25,000 in savings
Sole traders have an average of £3,268 in savings
Registered businesses have an average of £30,355 in savings
Businesses that are over a decade old have an average of £56,864 in savings
As Jason Tassie puts it, “The clearest divider is properly understanding your business performance and how adaptable you are when performance shifts. Businesses that survive understand their cash position early and can adjust quickly when conditions change.”
Those conditions can include drops in demand, a cost spike or late payments – and one thing that can help a business to weather more difficult times is how much they have in savings.
Just like having reserve cash can help with personal financial difficulty, business savings can help your company to stay afloat, while also potentially helping you to jump on emerging opportunities (more on that in our trends section later).
If you’ve ever wondered how your business savings compare to other SMEs, our analysis of over 80,000 savings accounts provides the benchmark you’ve been looking for.
This analysis reveals that the average UK small business holds £25,000 in savings. Though there are big differences between sectors, business structures, and how long a company has been running.
See How Your Savings Stack Up
Business structure creates the starkest divide in savings amounts, as sole traders unsurprisingly have less in savings on average than larger registered businesses.
Sole traders hold an average of £3,268 in savings, while registered businesses have savings of approximately £30,335.
But is that enough? When considering business insurance, professional subscriptions, marketing and other expenses, only you will know. Business expert Jason says, “I think it's sensible to have enough reserves to cover at least 6 months. Not just operational spending, consider all costs (payroll, rent, supplier commitments, essential overheads). The key thing to focus on is knowing how long you could survive if income dropped in one area. This gives you time to act early in an emergency, rather than reacting late and under pressure.”
When we shift lenses to registered businesses, it's clear that the longer you trade, the higher your savings reserves generally will be. This is promising to see, as scaling and getting larger as a business will require more reserves to keep things running smoothly. For example, first-year businesses hold an average of £10,973 in savings. This grows to £26,249 by years two to five, then £38,187 between five and ten years, reaching an average of £56,864 in savings for businesses over a decade old.
We know that saving is often easier said than done, which is why our Tide Instant Saver account makes saving easy, with the ability to earn up to 4% AER variable interest with monthly payments and no limits, penalties or fees on withdrawals, which can be accessed instantly.
How Do Business Savings Differ by Industry?
Need a savings benchmark for the industry you operate in? Look no further, as our robust data, which is based on thousands of businesses, should help provide the guide you’re looking for.
At the top end, financial services holding companies average £77,613 in savings, the highest of any industry, followed by surgeons (£66,112) and business research activities (£58,247). These knowledge-intensive businesses command premium pricing and evidently maintain strong margins.
Professional services dominate the upper tiers in terms of average savings. Dentists (£54,042), computer software sales (£54,211), doctors (£51,994), and security guards (£51,902) all maintain savings well above the £25,000 national average. What they share is specialised expertise, professional barriers to entry, and business models that generate reliable revenue.
Tech and consulting sectors also perform strongly. Software development services (£41,746), computer software developers (£41,990), advertising agents (£41,522), and IT contractors (£37,257) benefit from high hourly rates and the ability to work remotely for multiple clients simultaneously.
If you’re reading this and feeling that your reserves are limited in comparison with these averages, Tassie's advice is pragmatic: “Just try to set aside a small, fixed percentage of revenue each month, be disciplined with this, and at the same time, scrutinise your spending.
“Concentrate on only spending on activities that you know guarantee measurable returns, and save the speculative projects for when you have the cash reserves to back up the experimentation.”
Industries with the Highest Average Savings
Rank | Industry | Average Saving Amount (£) |
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| Financial Services Holding Companies | |
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| Business research activities (producing data and reporting) | |
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| Computer Software Developers | |
Roles with the Lowest Average Savings
Rank | Job Role | Average Saving Amount (£) |
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| Driver - heavy goods vehicle | |
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Considering how you stack up against your peers is the most important takeaway. A restaurant owner with £19,534 in savings is sitting exactly on their industry average, while a property developer with the same amount would have £16,000 less than their peers.
In high-savings industries, treat the average as a minimum, not a target. Simultaneously, low-saving industries aren't doomed to thin margins, but they do require strategic choices. If you're in a low-savings industry (under £5,000 average), explore whether you need to diversify services, raise prices, find ways to be more efficient, or position your services as premium to transition to higher-margin work.
How Many Social Followers Should a Small Business Have?
The average number of followers a small business has on Instagram is 2,322 followers
On average, small businesses have 1,858 followers on Facebook
Small businesses have an average of 1,091 followers on LinkedIn
An effective way to market your business, boost profit and as a result, enable you to save more, is through social media marketing. Businesses such as Flavour Bombs, which featured and won investment on series 23 of the BBC’s Dragon’s Den, have launched and won customers solely on social media, making it a marketing channel no business owner should ignore in 2026.
Follower count can often be a gauge of how well a business is marketing itself on social media, so to give you a benchmark where your own business's social presence is concerned, we analysed the social media accounts of 1,000 UK small businesses across LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. This should help to give you a realistic target to aim for with each platform.
Regardless of sector, we found that most UK small businesses have their biggest following on Instagram, with an average of 2,322 people following their business's Instagram profile. This drops to 1,858 for Facebook and a lesser 1,091 for LinkedIn. This is likely due to LinkedIn being much more applicable for B2B businesses, while platforms such as Facebook and Instagram allow for a wider B2C reach.
How does social following differ by industry?
This difference in social channels and what they can be used for in the marketing mix has a direct impact on how this plays out in specific industries. For example, businesses in the information and communication sector have a higher-than-average following on both Instagram and LinkedIn, with both channels allowing businesses in this sector to speak to job seekers and potential clients on LinkedIn, but also prospective customers on Instagram.
For businesses in the accommodation and food services sector, visual platforms like Instagram and TikTok have become a highly effective way to reach consumers, with certain foods or hotels able to go viral from a single, well-composed post. If you’re in this sector, the average benchmark for follower count on Instagram is 3,674.
Average Number of Social Media Followers by Industry
Sector | Average Facebook Followers | Average LinkedIn Followers | Average Instagram Followers |
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Information and Communication | | | |
Public Administration and Defence, Compulsory Social Security | | | |
Accommodation and Food Service Activities | | | |
Wholesale and Retail Trade, Repair of Motor Vehicles and Motorcycles | | | |
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Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities | | | |
Arts, Entertainment and Recreation | | | |
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Administrative and Support Service Activities | | | |
Transportation and Storage | | | |
Financial and Insurance Activities | | | |
Source: A representative sample of 1,000 business social media profiles, all of which have less than 250 members of staff
If you’re unsure of whether the time required to create content, build a social following and market via channels like Instagram and LinkedIn is worth it for your business, Verity Park, Founder & CEO of influencer management agency tbhtalent discusses why social is a must for any business owner in 2026:
“As soon as you start a business, you should be thinking about creators and creating content. Social and influencer marketing isn’t something you 'graduate' into once you have budgets - it’s something that should be integrated into your marketing strategy at every level - starting small, learning and testing can help you get to the point where you have big budgets to play with”.
“There are so many examples of brands that did this brilliantly. Gymshark is the obvious one - now valued at around $1.5 billion - and I remember when they were simply seeding product out to creators. Influencers were their entire strategy from day one.”
The Top Trending Business Types
Plant-based restaurants have seen a 7,654% increase in worldwide interest over the last 12 months
Businesses in AI are seeing huge growth in demand, with AI startups seeing a 3,141% rise
In the United Kingdom, health-based businesses, such as supplement brands (+472%) and reformer Pilates studios (+171%), are experiencing large growth in interest
Business loans and funding can be used for a lot of reasons, but one we see regularly is when an entrepreneur wants to capitalise on a growing opportunity they have identified. For example, this could be a new product line or service offering that, a lot of the time, will tap into an emerging audience need.
New trends crop up each year, so to close off our first Business Benchmark Index, we wanted to look at what products and services are trending for 2026.
To do this, we compiled a list of close to 300 business types and products, from the likes of copywriting and graphic design agencies (or freelance sole traders) all the way to matcha cafes and Pilates studios, and then analysed the percentage interest increase over the last 12 months for each.
The results highlight the areas that are seeing increased demand and business interest around the world, as well as here in the UK – helping you to see where you might be seeing a saturation of competition, or an opportunity to expand.
AI and health dominate trending businesses and products for 2026
No matter what sector you work in, artificial intelligence will no doubt be a talking point, and this is reflected around the world, with many of the trending business types being related to AI.
A great opportunity, but one that is becoming increasingly competitive, AI startups saw a 3,141% increase in interest globally over the last 12 months, while AI coaches saw a 2,801% increase – presenting a potential route to go it alone for any AI experts out there.
Both within the United Kingdom and globally, the surge of AI still can’t compete with the high growth in interest of another sector: health and wellness. An industry that is booming in 2026, consumers have become increasingly mindful of how they work out, how they eat and what their bodies need. This is reflected with plant-based restaurant businesses seeing a staggering 7,654% increase in interest, while supplement brands are up 2,273% year-on-year (+472% in the UK alone). Longevity clinics (+1,145% worldwide), businesses that sell collagen (+127% in the UK) and reformer Pilates studios (+171% in the UK) are also featured as some of the top trending businesses to keep an eye out for.
It can be tempting to see pound signs and try to jump on a trend, but business expert Jason Tassie says it’s worth proceeding with caution, especially in areas like AI.
“AI tools can be built and launched very quickly, but I think there is a risk here of trend chasing. Many early AI entrants underestimate customer acquisition costs and reputational risk, which is why we also see high churn in this sector.
“Regulatory uncertainty is a big risk to new businesses in this space. As markets mature, compliance requirements tend to get more complex, and if your business does not plan for this, you may need to continuously restructure or shift course.”
Whatever you choose to do or how to scale your business, Tide is here to help you each step of the way. From low-cost company formation to lending that will help you to scale.
If our first benchmark index has got you thinking about some of the areas to focus on for 2026, or simply wanting to get closer to your finances, learn how Tide can play a part in making it happen.
Notes and methodology:
Savings analysis draws from aggregated data from over 80,000 Tide business account holders as of December 2025. Data was anonymised and averaged by business structure (sole trader vs registered business), business age bands, and industry classification. Individual account data remains confidential; only aggregated sector and category averages are reported.
We analysed the social media presence of 1,000 UK small businesses across LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram in December 2025. Businesses were selected to ensure representative coverage across 13 industry sectors and various company sizes (micro businesses to 250+ employees) by performing URL-restricted Google searches and ensuring accuracy using fuzzy matching and manual review. Follower counts were then recorded for each platform and averaged by industry sector (SIC) and company size.
Independent survey in collaboration with Censuswide to 500 UK small business owners
Trending business data sourced using Google Keyword Planner by comparing search volumes for close to 300 business types at the start of 2025, to the close of 2025
Limitations: Social media follower counts represent a moment-in-time snapshot and may fluctuate. Averages may be influenced by outliers in smaller industry categories.
Savings data reflects Tide account holders and may not represent all UK small businesses. Business age calculations use the incorporation date, which may not reflect the actual trading start date for all businesses. Survey responses reflect subjective confidence levels rather than objective business performance metrics.
Jason Tassie is the founder of Know Your Business, a B2B comparison site helping UK SMEs make smarter financial decisions. With more than 20 years’ experience supporting entrepreneurs, he previously co-founded Know Your Money, growing it into a leading financial comparison website before its acquisition by US fintech firm NerdWallet. Jason is a regular commentator on small business growth, funding and leadership, and works closely with founders navigating the challenges of starting and scaling a business.
All data correct as of December 2025.
Featured image by Vitaly Gariev, Unsplash
