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Leisure and events companies in the Southend-on-Sea area

131 leisure and events companies have a registered office in the Southend-on-Sea area (SS postcodes), and 23 of them were formed in 2025 or 2026. In their latest accounts, the typical one held £9,197 in cash and owed £16,726 at year end.

Companies House register, 1 September 2026, and accounts filed in the last twelve months. Compared with the official category “Other amusement and recreation activities n.e.c.” (SIC 93290), which also covers escape room or soft play. Covers companies with a registered office in SS postcodes, including Southend-on-Sea, Basildon, Southend.

The numbers

Leisure and events companies in the Southend-on-Sea area (SS postcodes) compared with the same category across the UK. Typical figures are medians.
MeasureSouthend-on-SeaUK
Registered companies13117,015
Formed in 2025 or 202623 (18%)22%
Being struck off or in liquidation18 (14%)9.2%
Typical cash at year end£9,19737 accounts£18,670
Typical amount owed at year end£16,72677 accounts£23,174
Typical number of employees177 accounts1

What this means if you’re starting one

Cash is tight in this trade

At year end the typical leisure and events company in the Southend-on-Sea area (SS postcodes) holds £9,197 in cash and owes £16,726; that cash figure is lower than 64% of UK industries.

Typical operators end the year holding less cash than they owe, so there is little slack if takings dip or a big bill lands early.

Most of these businesses are run by one or two people

The typical leisure and events company in the Southend-on-Sea area (SS postcodes) reports 1 employee; the top quarter has 3 or more (77 filings).

You are mostly up against owner-operators. Your own hours are likely to be your biggest cost, and the easiest one to undercount.

At least a quarter of these companies owe more than they own

The lowest quarter of leisure and events companies in the Southend-on-Sea area (SS postcodes) report net assets of -£3,124 or less; the median is £2,545 (66 filings).

Many operators are propped up by loans, unpaid bills or money from the owner rather than by profit kept in the business. It is easy to keep going for longer than the numbers justify.

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What 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.

Leisure and events in other places

Other businesses in Southend-on-Sea

All business benchmarks in Southend-on-Sea