Marketing or advertising agency companies in London
10,410 marketing or advertising agency companies have a registered office in London, and 3,988 of them were formed in 2025 or 2026. In their latest accounts, the typical one held £22,893 in cash and owed £13,321 at year end.
The numbers
| Measure | London | UK |
|---|---|---|
| Registered companies | 10,410 | 33,083 |
| Formed in 2025 or 2026 | 3,988 (38%) | 33% |
| Being struck off or in liquidation | 752 (7.2%) | 9.2% |
| Typical cash at year end | £22,8931,590 accounts | £17,802 |
| Typical amount owed at year end | £13,3214,318 accounts | £14,687 |
| Typical number of employees | 14,377 accounts | 1 |
What this means if you’re starting one
You can start without much equipment
The typical marketing or advertising agency company in London carries £1,946 of equipment and other fixed assets after depreciation, lower than 94% 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 marketing or advertising agency company in London reports 1 employee; the top quarter has 2 or more (4,377 filings).
You are mostly up against owner-operators. Your own hours are likely to be your biggest cost, and the easiest one to undercount.
London already has more of these businesses than most places
Marketing or advertising agency companies are 0.93% of companies registered in London, against 0.61% UK-wide (1.5× the national share).
Demand here is proven, but so is choice. Customers can compare you with several nearby options.
Planning a business like this in London?
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.
Marketing or advertising agency in other places
- Harrow406 companies
- Twickenham319 companies
- Ilford261 companies
- Enfield254 companies
- Croydon209 companies
- Manchester1,001 companies
- Birmingham767 companies
- Cardiff549 companies
Other businesses in London
- Buy-to-let landlord58,233 companies
- Business consultancy53,051 companies
- Online shop50,599 companies
- Web design and software36,572 companies
- IT support or consultancy33,123 companies
- Dog grooming and other personal services27,298 companies
- Physiotherapy or therapy clinic13,528 companies
- Property management12,425 companies