iwoca – one of Europe’s largest small business lenders, compiled a list of the top 25 places for SME jobs using ONS data on average wage, commute, job density, house price and growth of the number of small businesses.

The research found that in 2023, Glasgow, Salford and Liverpool are the top three areas to consider if you want to work for a small business.

Blackburn with Darwen came in fourth place, climbing 13 places and ranking highly for its short average commuting time and SME growth. Blackburn residents typically spend 24 minutes travelling between work and home, compared to 40 minutes for those living in Greater London.

The former textiles capital has experienced a boom in SME growth in recent years, as the number of small businesses in Blackburn grew by 23 per cent between 2017 and 2022.

As a growing regional hub for manufacturing, with plans for a £60 million skills campus in the town centre, Blackburn continues to be an attractive place to work and put down roots.

Blackburn ranked five places ahead of Preston and 12 places ahead of Manchester, emerging as a key centre for small businesses in the region.

Preston entered the top 25 list for the first time, ranking 9th due to its high scores in commuting time and job density.

Manchester, which secured last year’s second place, dropped to 16th, with average house prices at £230,000 – £100,000 higher than in Blackburn.

Kate Hollern, MP for Blackburn said: “I am delighted that Blackburn has been named the fourth best British town to work for an SME in 2023, up 13 places on last year.

“As a valuable source of local employment, it is very encouraging that the number of small businesses in Blackburn has risen by 23 per cent between 2017 and 2022.

“This growth in SMEs, combined with the short average commuting time of 24 minutes, make Blackburn a great place to work.

“iwoca’s findings are evidence of Blackburn’s strong recovery from the pandemic, and I hope that this research will help to further boost business and investment in Blackburn.”

Cllr Phil Riley, leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: “Encouraging SMEs to start up and grow in Blackburn is one of the council’s growth targets and it is great news that this independent analysis confirms that this approach is being successful. This gives us a real sense of purpose for future development.”

Greater London failed to feature in the top 25 list for the second time, despite traditionally being considered the most important destination for UK jobseekers.

While enjoying a high hourly wage, Londoners face among the highest house prices in the UK with median house price of £582,289, and a typical daily commute of 40 minutes. This combination pushes London down the ranking of towns and cities, suggesting workers seeking small business jobs could broaden their search to other parts of the country.