Artist or illustrator companies in Manchester
394 artist or illustrator companies have a registered office in Manchester, and 71 of them were formed in 2025 or 2026. In their latest accounts, the typical one held £9,706 in cash and owed £11,511 at year end.
The numbers
| Measure | Manchester | UK |
|---|---|---|
| Registered companies | 394 | 22,803 |
| Formed in 2025 or 2026 | 71 (18%) | 17% |
| Being struck off or in liquidation | 38 (9.6%) | 6.3% |
| Typical cash at year end | £9,706102 accounts | £17,603 |
| Typical amount owed at year end | £11,511214 accounts | £14,371 |
| Typical number of employees | 1216 accounts | 1 |
What this means if you’re starting one
You will be up against established operators
18% of the 394 artist or illustrator companies in Manchester were formed in 2025–26, against 28% of all companies in Manchester.
Few new companies are entering, so your customers will compare you with businesses that have years of reviews and regulars.
You can start without much equipment
The typical artist or illustrator company in Manchester carries £2,403 of equipment and other fixed assets after depreciation, lower than 92% of UK industries.
Most of the cost of entry is time and running costs rather than kit, so a small test is cheap.
Most of these businesses are run by one or two people
The typical artist or illustrator company in Manchester reports 1 employee; the top quarter has 1 or more (216 filings).
You are mostly up against owner-operators. Your own hours are likely to be your biggest cost, and the easiest one to undercount.
Planning a business like this in Manchester?
Answer two questions about your customer and what makes you different, and get a free three-week plan to test the idea before you spend real money. No account or card.
Check my ideaWhat these figures can’t tell you
Companies are counted where their registered office is, which may be an accountant or a home address rather than a shop. Sole traders and partnerships are not on the register, and electronically filed accounts cover roughly 60–75% of accounts filed each year. The figures describe companies that exist; they cannot prove demand for your idea or predict whether it will work. How the figures are built.
Artist or illustrator in other places
- Liverpool213 companies
- Stockport177 companies
- Warrington131 companies
- London7,643 companies
- Brighton585 companies
- Birmingham408 companies
- Harrow377 companies
- Bristol330 companies
Other businesses in Manchester
- Buy-to-let landlord7,441 companies
- Online shop6,584 companies
- Business consultancy4,033 companies
- Dog grooming and other personal services3,648 companies
- IT support or consultancy2,429 companies
- Takeaway and street food2,411 companies
- Physiotherapy or therapy clinic2,365 companies
- Web design and software2,306 companies