15 Business Ideas to Start in London

As the world’s sixth-largest economy, the UK has an enormous amount to offer seasoned and fledgling entrepreneurs who want to achieve financial success. At the very heart of the British economy is London. As the capital of England, London generates around 22% of the UK’s GDP. It offers a thriving and exciting place to be for domestic and international business people due to the ease of doing business, the breadth of healthy market opportunities, a strong technology and transport infrastructure, and the ease of accessing funding. There is no doubt that whether you are looking to expand an existing venture or start a new business, there are plenty of profitable commercial opportunities to explore in London as we look ahead to 2025. In this guide, we will provide 15 business ideas to consider when starting a business in the UK’s capital, but in reality, there are many more.

Financial advisor 

As one of the world’s richest cities, London is home to around a quarter of a million millionaires and around 35 billionaires. Like with personal fitness training, many people want professional help to ensure they are financially fit. Financial advisors offer advice in a range of areas, including investment, tax, retirement planning, succession planning, estate planning, mortgages, and insurance. If you can build a reputation as a safe pair of financial hands, the sky is the limit. 

Because this field is highly regulated, to work as a financial advisor or consultant, you must have a qualification recognised and approved by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). According to the FCA, you must have a minimum level 4 diploma for financial advisers. This is to demonstrate to potential clients that you meet the FCA’s minimum qualification standard when offering professional financial advice.

Tour guide 

London attracts millions of tourists every year who are looking for both traditional tours and new and innovative options. You may choose to specialise in guided tours of historic landmarks, cultural hotspots, or hidden gems within the city. You could even venture further afield and show people who would only ever see London on their travels to see other parts of the country. Creating a more personalised experience for your clients may help differentiate your services from those of others.

Private tutoring

Private tutoring is now a highly lucrative market in the UK, with many parents wanting the best for their children. The bar is set so high for entry into the most prestigious universities in London and around the wider UK that parents are prepared to pay for extra tuition to help their children get the best possible GCSE and A-level results possible. By setting up a tutoring business in London, you can offer face-to-face tuition at a higher rate or online sessions at a lower rate for children of all ages. 

If you can build a reputation as a person who truly gets results for the children you work with, you will have plenty of work available to you. Indeed, recent surveys show that the demand for private tutoring is at an all-time high in the UK. According to one report, the private tutoring industry in the UK is worth an estimated £7.5 billion.

Car detailing/valeting

In the past decade, car valeting, or ‘detailing’ as it is often referred to, has become a highly profitable business. Gone are the days when you might pay £30 for a car valet. Take, for example, the service of adding a ceramic coating to a car. This service alone can now cost anywhere from £300 to £1000 in the UK. Clients in London with expensive supercars are more likely to pay a much higher rate to have their vehicles cleaned and protected. 

The size of the car wash and motor vehicle detailing sector in the UK is around £1.6bn as of 2024. Then consider there are around 2.6 million registered cars in London. If you can provide a reliable and high-quality car detailing service and build your reputation in London, you can make a highly sustainable and profitable business. 

E-commerce delivery services

Consumers in cities such as London expect to be able to order anything and have it delivered without delay. The boom in e-commerce and food businesses in London means that offering a reliable and affordable delivery service could be a highly profitable venture. 

To make this type of business successful, you could partner with local businesses and handle their deliveries on their behalf. This might be delivered to end customers, to other businesses, or to other parts of the same business. One of the keys to tapping into this market is understanding the nuances of the sector you are serving. If you can offer flexible services to meet the demands of different sectors and overcome the delivery challenges they face, you will have a sustainable and trusted business that will only grow over time.

Mobile food sales

Anyone who has spent time in London in recent years will have noticed the enormous increase in the presence of mobile food sales in the form of food trucks and mobile catering services. Such offerings are always in demand in festivals, office parks, and public events. The key to making mobile food trucks successful is finding new trends, offering unique menu items, and catering to a wide audience. 

Renewable energy products and services 

Many businesses and building owners in London are looking for ways to achieve carbon neutrality. Existing energy providers are already providing solutions in this space, but there is enormous scope for new innovations and services in this area, especially in London. There is vast potential for any type of renewable energy business, including software and product development, installation, maintenance, consulting, and design. 

To achieve success in this sector, you will need to understand the renewable energy needs and challenges for the types of customers you plan to serve. Residential requirements may be quite different from those of large-scale industrial projects.   

Pet services 

At face value, you may not think that it is possible to make a sustainable and profitable business from dog walking and pet sitting, but nothing could be further from the truth. For animal lovers, a dog walking and pet-sitting business can be fulfilling and profitable. 

Pet owners in London are looking for a reliable pet services provider who they can trust to care for their much-loved animals. Some may require specialist care for certain types of pets or breeds with specific care needs. 

Mobile make-up and hair styling

Londoners value convenience, so mobile hair and make-up services are in considerable demand. You could consider offering additional services to cater for weddings in addition to everyday beauty routines. This may be within the home of clients or in their place of work. Another option could be to provide ‘pop-up’ make-up and hair styling in venues with high footfall levels. 

Virtual assistants

The demand for virtual assistants is on the rise with the move to working remotely, especially in London. More and more London-based businesses are leaving their expensive offices and creating a virtual presence, with virtual assistants key to their operations. Virtual assistants handle a wide range of tasks for businesses, including handling incoming calls, marketing, social media, emails, data entry, and customer service. 

Health coaching

The demand for health coaching is rapidly growing in London as the public becomes more aware of the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Londoners often struggle with hectic work schedules, high-stress levels, and the increasing prevalence of lifestyle-related health issues like obesity, diabetes, and mental health challenges.

To overcome these challenges, many people are seeking the help of a health coach to help them establish new healthy habits and behaviours. As the city embraces a wellness culture, from fitness trends to wellness apps, health coaches will play an increasingly important role in helping individuals achieve long-term health improvements. This will help both the individual and lighten the load on the UK’s overstretched health services.

Personal training services

London is such a bust place, and with its many millions of inhabitants, fitness often gets forgotten in the hustle and bustle of daily life. But nevertheless, fitness is a top priority for many Londoners. Personal trainers have a ready-made opportunity in London, with many people wanting to hand the problem of managing their fitness regime to another person.

In the person training services space, you have a wide range of business options. You could offer in-home training to wealthy clients, virtual sessions both for individuals and groups, or specialised fitness programmes. The barriers to entry in this field are low (typically, a training course and some experience are needed), and the potential to make strong returns is high. At the same time, you can build your own fitness, meet new people, and get to know the great city of London and its many suburbs. 

Cleaning services

Cleaning services remain in high demand in London, whether in the form of residential cleaning, office cleaning, or specialist services such as carpet or window cleaning. Customers are looking for a reliable service that is both affordable and efficient. You may even decide to try other services, such as eco-friendly cleaning that uses non-toxic, sustainable products that may be in demand among environmentally conscious clients.

Urban gardening and landscaping

Cities such as London come with unique issues and design considerations when it comes to gardens and landscaping. There is a particular demand for people who specialise in small-scale gardens, vertical farms, or even rooftop garden design. In addition to a design and installation service, you could provide garden maintenance and plant care. 

Sustainable fashion rental service

As the awareness of the environmental impact of fast fashion grows in the UK, there is an increasing demand for fashion rental services in London. Eco-conscious consumers are looking for stylish and sustainable alternatives to modern clothing stores. 

There are many ways to run this type of business. You could consider offering vintage, high-quality, pre-loved or designer clothing for rent. This approach allows customers to wear fashionable outfits for events or everyday use without the outlay and environmental impact of buying new. This type of offering will appeal to those who want to reduce their carbon footprint while enjoying fashion. 

Final words

We hope this article has given you some ‘food for thought’ for business ideas in London. By doing your research in advance and being open to new and innovative ideas, you will have the chance to build a truly sustainable and successful venture in one of the most vibrant cities in the world.

Summary of London business ideas

Business Idea	Description	Key Benefits
Financial Advisor	Provide advice on investments, tax, retirement, and estate planning.	High demand among London’s wealthy residents.
Tour Guide	Offer guided tours of London’s landmarks, cultural hotspots, or hidden gems.	Tourism is still in enormous demand in the UK.
Private Tutoring	Provide academic tutoring for students, especially for GCSE and A-Level preparation.	High demand from parents seeking top education for their children.
Car Detailing / Valeting	Offer premium car detailing services, including ceramic coatings.	Profitable due to the high number of luxury cars in London.
E-commerce Delivery Services	Provide reliable and efficient delivery services for e-commerce businesses.	Growing demand for fast, flexible delivery options.
Mobile Food Sales	Operate food trucks or mobile catering services at events, festivals, and office parks.	Popular given London’s fast-paced and diverse food culture.
Renewable Energy Products and Services	Offer products and services that support carbon neutrality, such as solar installation or energy consulting.	High potential in London’s push towards sustainability.
Pet Services	Offer services like dog walking, pet sitting, or specialised pet care.	High demand due to the growing number of pet owners in London.
Mobile Make-up and Hair Styling	Provide mobile beauty services, including hair styling and make-up, for events or daily routines.	High demand for convenience and personalised services.
Virtual Assistants	Offer remote administrative services, including customer service and data entry.	Growing need for virtual support as more businesses go remote.
Health Coaching	Provide guidance on health and wellness, helping clients adopt healthier habits.	Rising demand due to increased awareness of mental and physical health.
Personal Training Services	Offer fitness training, including in-home or virtual sessions.	Strong demand in London’s fitness-conscious market.
Cleaning Services	Provide cleaning for residential, office, or speciality services, such as eco-friendly cleaning.	Consistent demand in both residential and commercial sectors.
Urban Gardening and Landscaping	Help people create small-scale gardens, vertical farms, or rooftop gardens in London’s urban environment.	Growing interest in sustainability and self-sufficiency.
Sustainable Fashion Rental Service	Rent out high-quality, pre-loved or designer clothing for sustainable, fashionable alternatives.	Appeals to eco-conscious, fashion-forward consumers.