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Sports, fitness and activity classes companies in the Portsmouth area

190 sports, fitness and activity classes companies have a registered office in the Portsmouth area (PO postcodes), and 56 of them were formed in 2025 or 2026. In their latest accounts, the typical one held £9,664 in cash and owed £11,365 at year end.

Companies House register, 1 September 2026, and accounts filed in the last twelve months. Compared with the official category “Sports and recreation education” (SIC 85510), which also covers riding school, sports coaching, kids' activities or classes. Covers companies with a registered office in PO postcodes, including Portsmouth, Chichester, Isle Of Wight.

The numbers

Sports, fitness and activity classes companies in the Portsmouth area (PO postcodes) compared with the same category across the UK. Typical figures are medians.
MeasurePortsmouthUK
Registered companies19014,074
Formed in 2025 or 202656 (29%)32%
Being struck off or in liquidation5 (2.6%)5.8%
Typical cash at year end£9,66455 accounts£6,166
Typical amount owed at year end£11,36592 accounts£7,718
Typical number of employees184 accounts1

What this means if you’re starting one

Most of your competition will be other newcomers

29% of the 190 sports, fitness and activity classes companies in the Portsmouth area (PO postcodes) were formed in 2025–26, against 19% of all companies in the Portsmouth area (PO postcodes). Nationally, that share of new companies is higher than 91% of UK industries.

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.

Cash is tight in this trade

At year end the typical sports, fitness and activity classes company in the Portsmouth area (PO postcodes) holds £9,664 in cash and owes £11,365; that cash figure is lower than 95% 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.

You can start without much equipment

The typical sports, fitness and activity classes company in the Portsmouth area (PO postcodes) carries £2,688 of equipment and other fixed assets after depreciation, lower than 87% of UK industries.

Most of the cost of entry is time and running costs rather than kit, so a small test is cheap.

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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.

Sports, fitness and activity classes in other places

Other businesses in Portsmouth

All business benchmarks in Portsmouth