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Publishing companies in Bristol

162 publishing companies have a registered office in Bristol, and 41 of them were formed in 2025 or 2026. In their latest accounts, the typical one held £13,486 in cash and owed £10,627 at year end.

Companies House register, 1 September 2026, and accounts filed in the last twelve months. Compared with the official category “Other publishing activities” (SIC 58190).

The numbers

Publishing companies in Bristol compared with the same category across the UK. Typical figures are medians.
MeasureBristolUK
Registered companies16213,019
Formed in 2025 or 202641 (25%)23%
Being struck off or in liquidation7 (4.3%)7.8%
Typical cash at year end£13,48636 accounts£14,124
Typical amount owed at year end£10,62782 accounts£12,487
Typical number of employees187 accounts1

What this means if you’re starting one

You can start without much equipment

The typical publishing company in Bristol carries £976 of equipment and other fixed assets after depreciation, lower than 96% 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 your competition will be other newcomers

25% of the 162 publishing companies in Bristol were formed in 2025–26, against 18% of all companies in Bristol.

New rivals are arriving faster than in most trades, so your customers already have fresh options. Being new is not a difference on its own.

Most of these businesses are run by one or two people

The typical publishing company in Bristol reports 1 employee; the top quarter has 2 or more (87 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 Bristol?

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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.

Publishing in other places

Other businesses in Bristol

All business benchmarks in Bristol