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Guildford has been named England's best place for new businesses according to new data, and has managed to beat out areas of across the UK by some margin for the number one spot. Some

may be surprised by the findings of this analysis, however, if you look at the makeup of Surrey's county town on paper - it is not hard to see why the borough can become a fertile

breeding ground for the prosperity of the country's newest businesses. According to a new study conducted by Utility Bidder, which analysed key factors including gross domestic product,

business survival rates, transport links, and office efficiency ratings. All in all determining the most promising regions for business success across the UK; with Guildford being

officially recognised as the "top town in England, outside London" for entrepreneurs to launch their businesses. Scoring an impressive 9.14 out of 10 on the analysis, which beat

out second place by some margin; Utility Bidder reasoned this score by explaining: "Guildford offers easy access to London, making business meetings and travel very convenient."

"In our study, the town performed particularly well for its high number of train stations, with eight per 100,000 people, while also having plenty of office space and a highly educated

workforce." The research also coined Guildford as "the centre of economic activity in West Surrey" which would position the town above neighbouring Woking and Camberley in

such categories. With Utility Bidder justifying this claim, pointing out that the Guildford borough contributes 12.3 per cent of Surrey’s Gross Value Added (GVA) and 14.5 per cent of the

county's jobs. Figures which overstate Guildford's impact on Surrey when you consider the county holds eleven other boroughs. One of these eleven other boroughs also performed

favourably in the Utility Bidder's analysis - Runnymede, which managed a score of 8.76 out of ten, placing it as the fifth best area in England to start a new business. Second and third

place went to the West Midland's Stratford-on-Avon and West Oxfordshire, with both getting scores of 8.98, which is noticeably far off Surrey's own Guildford. A key reason, for

Guildford's high score comes down to the University of Surrey, based in the town, which holds a "cluster" of innovative and high-growth activities according to Guildford

Borough Council. Who also pointed out the town's "key areas" of employment, which include scientific and technical activities, manufacturing, research and education, and human

health activities. Lead Councillor for Economic Development and Regeneration at Guildford Borough Council, Cllr Tom Hunt said: "I'm delighted to hear confirmation in this study

that Guildford ranks as the top town in the UK for new businesses. Small, often independent businesses are the lifeblood of our economy and contribute so much to the vision and place shaping

of our borough." "In line with our corporate strategy, we want to be widely known for our innovative, progressive, productive, inclusive and sustainable economy."

"Guildford is a dynamic and economically diverse borough that plays a significant role in the economic prosperity of Surrey. We want to ensure we continue to develop and deliver a

thriving place to live, work and do business for all our businesses and residents."