Beauty business bucks the trend with more start-ups

The health and beauty market is bucking the trend this year, with the number of business start-ups on the rise, compared with an overall decline across other sectors.

The number of start-ups in the UK beauty salon and spa market outstripped other sectors with an average of 50 beauty salons, training schools or self-employed therapists starting out in business each month in the three months to the end of March.

This marked a 7% increase on the previous quarter, according to figures from Cheshire-based data analysis company Data 8.

Health and beauty businesses also constituted 7% of all start-ups in the first quarter of 2011,far outstripping business in sectors such as finance, which accounted for 2% of launches and education, which made up 1%.

When every sector was taken into account, there was asignificant decline in business start-ups in the first quarter. Start-ups were down to 42% of new businessregistrations, compared with 53% in the previous quarter. Instead, the majority of new business registrations were made as a result of businesses relocating or new owners taking over existing businesses.