WEBVTT

NOTE Two numbers, never one
NOTE Narrated by Imogen. Generated from public/films/voice-takes.json
NOTE by scripts/build-film-captions.mjs. Edit the narration, not this file.

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Everybody wants to sell into a growing market.

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Almost nobody checks whether the one they picked is actually growing.

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The check is free.

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The Office for National Statistics counts how many businesses open in every trade,

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and how many close.

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Most people only ever read the first of those two numbers.

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Here is why that matters.

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In 2024, transport and storage opened more new businesses than almost any other

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trade.

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Fifteen point six per cent.

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On that number alone, it looks like the best market in the country.

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Now put the closing rate next to it. Sixteen point five per cent.

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More firms left that trade than joined it. It was not growing. It was churning.

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There is a second kind of growth, and it is often the one you want. Not more firms.

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Bigger ones.

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In information and communication, nine point two per cent of firms with staff grew

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fast enough to count as high growth.

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Across all trades, it was four point nine.

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Two numbers, never one. Then the names of the firms behind them.