Analysis reveals a rise in UK businesses closing
Analysis by DSA Connect, an IT asset disposal company which specialises in the permanent deletion and destruction of electronic data, reveals nearly 1,200 businesses have closed every day in the past six months.
Regional and sector breakdown of the numbers
The table below shows the top five UK regions and industry sectors for business closures during the six months to March 31st 2021.
Companies in the professional, scientific, and technical sector were the most likely to stop trading in the six months with 38,530 shutting, accounting for around 18% of total closures followed by business administration and support service companies, which accounted for 27,420 closures and around 13% of firms going out of business in the six months.
Nearly a quarter of businesses shutting down were based in London where 50,510 companies closed, followed by the South East with 30,575 closures and the North West with 20,995 businesses shutting.
| REGIONS | SECTORS |
| London – 50,510 closures | Professional, scientific and technical – 38,530 closures |
| South East – 30,575 closures | Business administration and support services – 27,420 closures |
| North West – 20,995 closures | Construction – 24,070 closures |
| East – 20,645 closures | Information and communication – 23,020 closures |
| West Midlands – 20,110 closures | Retail – 18,770 closures |
Companies in the professional, scientific, and technical sector were the most likely to stop trading in the six months with 38,530 shutting, accounting for around 18% of total closures followed by business administration and support service companies, which accounted for 27,420 closures and around 13% of firms going out of business in the six months.
Nearly a quarter of businesses shutting down were based in London where 50,510 companies closed, followed by the South East with 30,575 closures and the North West with 20,995 businesses shutting.
DSA Connect is advising executives and owners of companies which close to think carefully about recycling or disposing of their IT hardware and the data on it. Failure to dispose of equipment safely and securely could lead to fines and damage to their reputation when they go on to start other businesses.
Harry Benham, Chairman of DSA Connect said: “Business owners have had a tough time during the Covid-19 pandemic, and it is understandable that so many have ceased trading.
“Thousands of those companies will have IT hardware with sensitive data on it which they will need to dispose or recycle, and the concern is that many will not be aware of the need to do this safely and securely and could face fines if they fail to do so.
“Business owners looking for support need to be careful as there are a number of companies which claim to be professionals in erasing data and IT destruction but are not.”
Other sectors which recorded high levels of closures in the six months include information and communication which saw 23,020 companies close; construction which recorded 24,070 closures and retail where 18,770 companies shut.
Nearly a quarter of businesses shutting down were based in London where 50,510 companies closed, followed by the South East with 30,575 closures and the North West with 20,995 businesses shutting.
Many businesses often find themselves with redundant IT and telecoms equipment. This could be due to periodic equipment refreshes, downsizing or office relocations as well as closures. Recovering redundant equipment from across the UK, DSA Connect provides a secure IT asset disposal service utilising a methodology created in partnership with the Ministry of Defence. DSA Connect’s end of life IT service allows for the complete removal and data eradication of IT equipment and depending on the quantity and type of equipment for disposal, DSA Connect offers a financial return of up to 60% on all re-saleable assets.
DSA Connect is an IT asset disposal specialist. It specialises in the secure erasure and destruction of electronic data using tools certified by CESG and approved by the UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). It ensures that all data storage media and equipment is removed from a client’s premises and transported to its secure facility in unmarked, tracked vehicles.
The company was established in 2011 to partner the Ministry of Defence in developing the MoD’s asset disposal service.